Geremia 18:15

15 Conciossiachè il mio popolo mi abbia dimenticato, ed abbia fatti profumi a ciò che non è che vanità; e sia stato fatto intopparsi nelle sue vie, ch’erano sentieri antichi, per camminar per li sentieri di un cammino non appianato;

Geremia 18:15 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 18:15

Because my people hath forgotten me
Or, "that they have forgotten me" ^F26; this is the horrible thing they have done, which was unheard of among the Gentiles, who were always tenacious of their gods, and the worship of them; and that foolish and unwise thing, which was like leaving pure flowing streams of water for dirty puddles. This is to be understood of their forsaking the worship of God, as the Targum interprets it, and following after idols: they have burnt incense to vanity;
to idols, which are vain empty things, and which cannot give their worshippers what they expect from them: or, "in vain they burn incense" ^F1; even to the true God, while they also sacrificed unto idols; which to do was an abomination to the Lord, ( Isaiah 1:13 ) ; and especially burning incense to idols must be a vain thing; and so the Targum,

``to no profit a they burn incense or spices:''

and they have caused them to stumble in their ways;
that is, either the idols they worshipped, or the false prophets caused the professing people of the Jews to stumble and fall in the ways into which they led them: and [from] the ancient paths;
or, "the paths of eternity" ^F2; which lead to eternal life; or which were of old marked out by the revealed will of God for the saints to walk in; and in which the patriarchs and people of God, in all former ages, did walk; and which were appointed from everlasting, and will remain for ever; and these are the good old paths in ( Jeremiah 6:16 ) ; to walk in paths, [in] a way not cast up;
a new way, unknown in former times; an unbeaten track, which the saints had never walked in; a rough path, unsafe and dangerous; and hence they stumbled, and fell, and came to ruin; as follows:

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (ynxkv yk) "quod obliti sunt", Schmidt.
F1 (wrjqy awvl) "frustra adolebunt, [vel] adolent", Pagninus, Calvin.
F2 (Mlwe ylybv) "semitae [quae a] seculo, [seu] antiquo", vid. Schmidt; so Targum; "semitis jam olim praescriptis", Piscator.

Geremia 18:15 In-Context

13 Perciò, così ha detto il Signore: Deh! domandate fra le genti; chi ha mai udite cotali cose? la vergine d’Israele ha fatta una cosa molto brutta.

14 Lascerebbesi per lo sasso di un campo il nevoso Libano? abbandonerebbersi le acque pellegrine, fresche, e correnti?

15 Conciossiachè il mio popolo mi abbia dimenticato, ed abbia fatti profumi a ciò che non è che vanità; e sia stato fatto intopparsi nelle sue vie, ch’erano sentieri antichi, per camminar per li sentieri di un cammino non appianato;

16 per mettere il lor paese in desolazione, e in zufolo, in perpetuo; onde chiunque passerà per esso stupirà, e scoterà la testa.

17 Io li dispergerò dinanzi al nemico, a guisa di vento orientale; io mostrerò loro la coppa, e non la faccia, nel giorno della lor calamità.