“Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her. Though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ surely they swear falsely.”
O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.
Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the Yahweh’s way, nor the law of their God. I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv1–5 In this verse, as in those which follow, God…
In this verse, as in those which follow, God shews that he was not too rigid or too severe in denouncing utter ruin on his people, because their wickedness was wholly incurable, and no other mode of treating them could be found. We, indeed, know that it is often testified in Scripture, that God is patient and waits until sinners repent. Since then God everywhere extols his kindness, and promises to be merciful even to the worst if they repent, and since he of his own accord anticipates sinners, it may appear strange that he rises with so much severity against his own Church. But we know how refractory the ungodly are; and hence they hesitate not to expostulate with God, and willfully accuse him, as though he treated them with cruelty. It is then for this reason, that God now shews that he was not, as it were, at liberty to forgive the people; “Even if I would, “he says, “I could not.” He speaks, indeed, after the manner of men; but in this way, as I have said, he shews that he tried all expedients, before he had recourse to extreme severity, but that there was no remedy, on account of the desperate wickedness of the people. And this is what the words fully express.
Go round, he says, through the streets of Jerusalem, and see, I pray, and know; inquire through all the cross-ways Jeremiah might have said in one sentence, “If one man be found in the city, I am ready to forgive: “but God here permits the whole world to inquire diligently and carefully what was the state of the holy city, which ever gloried in that title. But he now, as also in the next verse, speaks of Jerusalem. He had spoken also of the neighboring cities; but as the holiness of the whole land seemed then to have its seat and habitation at Jerusalem, God here addresses that city, which as yet retained some appearance of sanctity, and excelled other cities. He then says, Inquire, see, know, look, whether there is a man, etc. He allows here all men to form a judgment, as though he had said, “Let all be present, since the Jews seek to create an ill-will towards me, and complain of too much rigor, as though I treated them unhumanly; let all who wish come as judges, let them inquire, ask, make a thorough search; and when it shall be found out that there is not in it even one just man, what else can be done, but that the city must be destroyed? for what can be done to the abandoned and irreclaimable, except I execute my judgment on them?”
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We now understand the Prophet’s object; for he intended here to shut the mouths of the Jews, and to expose their slanders, that they might not clamor against God or blame his judgment, as though it exceeded the limits of moderation: and he shews also, that though God was disposed to pardon, there was yet no place for pardon, and that his mercy was excluded by their untamable obstinacy, since there was not one man in Jerusalem who had any regard for uprightness.
Here, however, a question may be started, Why does Jeremiah say that no good man could be found, since he himself was at Jerusalem, and his friend Baruch, and some others, an account of whom we shall hereafter find? There were then in the city some true servants of God, and some as yet remained who had true religion, though the number was small. It appears then that the language is hyperbolical.
But we must observe, that the Prophet here speaks of the people to the exclusion of the faithful. That this may appear more evident, we must remember a passage in the eighth chapter of Isaiah,
“Seal the law and bind the testimony for my disciples,” (Isaiah 8:16;)
where it appears that God saw that he sent his Prophet in vain, and that his labors were spent in vain among a people wholly irreclaimable. Hence he says, “Bind the testimony and seal the law among the disciples.” We see that God gathered as it were together the few in whom remained any seed of true religion, yea, in whose hearts any religion was found. They were not then numbered with the people. So now Jeremiah did not consider Baruch and a few others as forming a part of that reprobate people; and he speaks, as it has been stated, of the community in general; for there were some separated from the rest, not only by the secret counsel of God, but according to the judgment that had been pronounced. He hence truly declares, that there was not one just man.
We ought also to consider with whom he was then contending. On the one side were the king and his counselors, who, inflated with the promises, which they perverted, did not think it possible that the throne of David would fall.
“This is my rest for ever — As long as the sun and moon shall be, they shall be my witnesses in heaven, that thy seed shall never fail.” (Psalm 132:14; Psalm 89:37, 38.)
With such words were they armed. But as hypocrites falsely claim God’s promises, so these unprincipled men boasted that God was on their side. Jeremiah had also to fight with another party, as we shall hereafter see, that is, with a host of false prophets; for there was a greater number of them, as is ever to be found in the world. The whole priestly order was corrupt, and openly carrying on war with God; and the people were nothing better. Jeremiah then had to contend with the king and his counselors, with the false prophets, with the ungodly priests, and with the wicked people. So he says, that there was not one man among them who engaged himself in appeasing God’s wrath.
To seek judgment is the same thing as to labor for uprightness: for the word משפט, meshephet means rectitude, or equity, or the rule of acting justly. He says then, that there was no one who practiced what was just; that there was no one who sought the truth Truth, as in a verse that follows, is to be taken for integrity, honesty; as though he had said, that all were given to falsehoods and frauds and crafts. It was therefore impossible that God should have been propitious to the city; for the relative ה after ל, being of the feminine gender, cannot be otherwise applied than to Jerusalem. God then says, that he would be merciful to it, if there could be found a just man among the king’s counselors, or among the priests, or among the prophets: but they had all united together in opposition to everything just and right. It follows —
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 5 That is, the city.
That is, the city.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv1–5 Jer 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the…
Jer 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
Ver. 1. Run to and fro.] Spatiamini, scrutamini. Go as many of you as ye please; the verbs are plural.
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In the streets of Jerusalem.] Where it was strange there should be such a rarity of righteous ones. But "the faithful city was now become a harlot." {Isa 1:21} Like as Rome is at this day.
“ Tota est iam Roma lupanar. ”
“Now all Rome isa brothel.”
She had a Mancinel, a Savonarola, and some few other Jeremiahs, to tell her her own; but she soon took an order with them. The primitive Christians called heathens pagans; because country people, living in pagis - that is, in hamlets and villages - were heathenish for most part, after that cities were converted, and had many good people in them; but Jerusalem here afforded not any one hardly.
If you can find a man,] i.e., A godly, a zealous man. For homines permulti, viri perpauci, saith Herodotus: {a} there is a great paucity of good people. Diogenes is said to have sought for a good man in Athens with a lantern and candle at noonday. And once, when he had made an O yes in the market place, crying out, ‘Aκουσατε ανδρες, Hear, O ye men; and thereupon company came about him to hear what the matter was, he rated them away again with this speech, Aνδρας εκαλεσα, ου καθαρματα, I called for men, and not for varlets. Job was a man, every inch of him. {See Trapp on "Job 1:1"} So was Moses, that "man of God"; Daniel, that "man of desires"; John Baptist, "than whom there arose not a greater among all that were born of woman"; Paul, that little man but who did great exploits; Athanasius and Luther who stood out against all the world, and prevailed. {b} But "not many" such; blessed be God that any such. Cicero observeth that scarce in an age was born a good poet. And Seneca saith, such as Clodius was, we have enough: but such as Cato are hard to be found. The host of Nola being bid to summon the good men of the town to appear before the Roman censor, got him to the churchyard, and there called at the graves of the dead: for he knew not where to call for a good man alive. {c} God himself sought for a man that might stand up in the gap, but met not with any such one. {Eze 22:30}
And I will pardon it.] Sodom’s sins cried loud to God for vengeance; so did now Jerusalem’s. But had there been but a voice or two more of righteous and religious persons there, their prayers had outcried them. A few birds of song are shriller than many crocitating birds of prey.
{a} In Polyh.
{b} Calvinus erat vir admirabilis. Ipsa a quo posset virtutem discere virtus.
{c} Guevara.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv1–5 Whether this begins a new sermon, or be part…
Whether this begins a new sermon, or be part of the former, is neither certain nor material; but here the prophet is called upon to go up and down, and search here and there, in every part of the city, and to make a diligent inquiry in every street and place of concourse; a phrase frequently used for searching and inquiring after a thing, Dan 12:4; Amo 8:12; and it is spoken in the plural number, not restrained to Jeremiah in particular: q.d. Let who will search, they will find it even so. It implies the great scarcity of good men, that must be thus searched for. God gives leave to all the earth to look into the state of Jerusalem, by which he vindicates himself in the face of the whole world from all severity towards his people, whatever he brings upon them, and so stops the mouths of the Jews.
Seek in the broad places; even there, where usually is the greatest resort for merchants and merchandises, where men meet from all quarters.
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If ye can find a man: it seems worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, for God condescends to pardon Jerusalem if there be but one righteous man found in it; there he came no lower than ten. But it will be objected, if it be understood thus individually, What must we think of Jeremiah himself, and Baruch, and Ebed-melech, and other few, who were then, no doubt, in Jerusalem?
Answ. Either he speaks of the corrupt body of the people, courtiers, priests, false prophets, not one, or scarce one among them to be found, or if any, so few as not to be discerned. A man might walk the streets of Jerusalem long enough before he could meet with any one truly religious; which universality of corruption is thus expressed in divers places, Psa 12:1,2; 14:2,3; Eze 22:30; Mic 7:1,2. Or it may be understood hyperbolically for a few.
Any that executeth judgment, i.e. among the magistracy that rightly administer justice.
That seeketh the truth, i.e. among the commonalty that deal faithfully and uprightly; it signifies, that, among them all, there are none given to it; so far from endeavouring and seeking it sincerely with their whole heart, that they are not inclined to it, but are given to oppressions, falsehoods, and deceits; they do not seek the truth.
I will pardon it; or, him; I will not destroy it for the sake of those few: the like he promiseth with reference to those five cities, Gen 18:24, &c.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v1 Here is, I. A challenge to produce any one…
Here is, I. A challenge to produce any one right honest man, or at least any considerable number of such, in Jerusalem, Jer 5:1. Jerusalem had become like the old world, in which all flesh had corrupted their way. There were some perhaps who flattered themselves with hopes that there were yet many good men in Jerusalem, who would stand in the gap to turn away the wrath of God; and there might be others who boasted of its being the holy city and thought that this would save it. But God bids them search the town, and intimates that they should scarcely find a man in it who executed judgment and made conscience of what he said and did: "Look in the streets, where they make their appearance and converse together, and in the broad places, where they keep their markets; see if you can find a man, a magistrate (so some), that executes judgment, and administers justice impartially, that will put the laws in execution against vice and profaneness." When the faithful thus cease and fail it is time to cry Woe is me! (Mic 7:1, Mic 7:2), high time to cry, Help Lord, Psa 12:1. "If there be here and there a man that is truly conscientious, and does at least speak the truth, yet you shall not find him in the streets and broad places; he dares not appear publicly, lest he should be abused and run down. Truth has fallen in the street (Isa 59:14), and is forced to seek for corners." So pleasing would it be to God to find any such that for their sake he would pardon the city; if there were but ten righteous men in Sodom, if but one of a thousand, of ten thousand, in Jerusalem, it should be spared. See how ready God is to forgive, how swift to show mercy. But it might be said, "What do you make of those in Jerusalem that continue to make profession of religion and relation to God? Are not they men for whose sakes Jerusalem may be spared?" No, for they are not sincere in their profession (Jer 5:2): They say, The Lord liveth, and will swear by his name only, but they swear falsely, that is, 1. They are not sincere in the profession they make of respect to God, but are false to him; they honour him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. 2. Though they appeal to God only, they make no conscience of calling him to witness to a lie. Though they do not swear by idols, they forswear themselves, which is no less an affront to God, as the God of truth, than the other is as the only true God.
II. A complaint which the prophet makes to God of the obstinacy and wilfulness of these people. God had appealed to their eyes (Jer 5:1); but here the prophet appeals to his eyes (Jer 5:3): "Are not thy eyes upon the truth? Dost thou not see every man's true character? And is not this the truth of their character, that they have made their faces harder than a rock?" Or, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward part; but where is it to be found among the men of this generation? For though they say, The Lord liveth, yet they never regard him; thou hast stricken them with one affliction after another, but they have not grieved for the affliction, they have been as stocks and stones under it, much less have they grieved for the sin by which they have brought it upon themselves. Thou hast gone further yet, hast consumed them, hast corrected them yet more severely; but they have refused to receive correction, to accommodate themselves to thy design in correcting them and to answer to it. They would not receive instruction by the correction. The have set themselves to outface the divine sentence and to outbrave the execution of it, for they have made their faces harder than a rock; they cannot change countenance, neither blush for shame nor look pale for fear, cannot be beaten back from the pursuit of their lusts, whatever check is given them; for, though often called to it, they have refused to return, and would go forward, right or wrong, as the horse into the battle."
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III. The trial made both of rich and poor, and the bad character given of both.
1. The poor were ignorant, and therefore they were wicked. He found many that refused to return, for whom he was willing to make the best excuse their case would bear, and it was this (Jer 5:4): "Surely, these are poor, they are foolish. They never had the advantage of a good education, nor have they wherewithal to help themselves now with the means of instruction. They are forced to work hard for their living, and have no time nor capacity for reading or hearing, so that they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgments of their God; they understand neither the way in which God by his precepts will have them to walk towards him nor the way in which he by his providence is walking towards them." Note, (1.) Prevailing ignorance is the lamentable cause of abounding impiety and iniquity. What can one expect but works of darkness from brutish sottish people that know nothing of God and religion, but choose to sit in darkness? (2.) This is commonly a reigning sin among poor people. There are the devil's poor as well as God's, who, notwithstanding their poverty, might know the way of the Lord, so as to walk in it and do their duty, without being book-learned; but they are willingly ignorant, and therefore their ignorance will not be their excuse.
2. The rich were insolent and haughty, and therefore they were wicked (Jer 5:5): "I will get me to the great men, and see if I can find them more pliable to the word and providence of God. I will speak to them, preach at court, in hopes to make some impression upon men of polite literature. But all in vain; for, though they know the way of the Lord and the judgment of their God, yet they are too stiff to stoop to his government: These have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds. They know their Master's will, but are resolved to have their own will, to walk in the way of their heart and in the sight of their eyes. They think themselves too goodly to be controlled, too big to be corrected, even by the sovereign Lord of all himself. They are for breaking even his bands asunder, Psa 2:3. The poor are weak, the rich are wilful, and so neither do their duty."
IV. Some particular sins specified, which they were notoriously guilty of, and which cried most loudly to heaven for vengeance. Their transgressions indeed were many, of many kinds and often repeated, and their backslidings were increased; they added to the number of them and grew more and more impudent in them, Jer 5:6. But two sins especially were justly to be looked upon as unpardonable crimes: - 1. Their spiritual whoredom, giving that honour to idols which is due to God only. "Thy children have forsaken me, to whom they were born and dedicated and under whom they have been brought up, and they have sworn by those that are no gods, have made their appeal to them as if they had been omniscient and their proper judges." This is here put for all acts of religious worship due to God only, but with which they had honoured their idols. They have sworn to them (so it may be read), have joined themselves to them and covenanted with them. Those that forsake God make a bad change for those that are no gods. 2. Their corporal whoredom. Because they had forsaken God and served idols, he gave them up to vile affections; and those that dishonoured him were left to dishonour themselves and their own families. They committed adultery most scandalously, without sense of shame or fear of punishment, for they assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses and did not blush to be seen by one another in the most scandalous places. So impudent and violent was their lust, so impatient of check, and so eager to be gratified, that they became perfect beasts (Jer 5:8); like high-fed horses, they neighed every one after his neighbour's wife, Jer 5:8. Unbridled lusts make men like natural brute beasts, such monstrous odious things are they. And that which aggravated their sin was that it was the abuse of God's favours to them: When they were fed to the full, then their lusts grew thus furious. Fulness of bread was fuel to the fire of Sodom's lusts. Sine Cerere et Bacchio friget Venu - Luxurious living feeds the flames of lust. Fasting would help to tame the unruly evil that is so full of deadly poison, and bring the body into subjection.
V. A threatening of God's wrath against them for their wickedness and the universal debauchery of their land.
1. The particular judgment that is threatened, Jer 5:6. A foreign enemy shall break in upon them, get dominion over them, and shall lay waste: their country shall be as if it were overrun and perfectly mastered by wild beasts. This enemy shall be, (1.) Like a lion of the forest; so strong, so furious, so irresistible; and he shall slay them. (2.) Like a wolf of the evening, which comes out at night, when he is hungry, to seek his prey, and is very fierce and ravenous; and the noise both of the lions' roaring and of the wolves' howling is very hideous. (3.) Like a leopard, which is very swift and very cruel, and withal careful not to miss his prey. The army of the enemy shall watch over their cities so strictly as to put the inhabitants to this sad dilemma - if they stay in, they are starved; if they stir out, they are stabbed; Every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces, which intimates that in many places the enemy gave no quarter. And all this bloody work is owing to the multitude of their transgressions. It is sin that makes the great slaughter.
2. An appeal to themselves concerning the equity of it (Jer 5:9); "Shall I not visit for these things? Can you yourselves think that the God whose name is Jealous will let such idolatries go unpunished, or that a God of infinite purity will connive at such abominable uncleanness?" These are things that must be reckoned for, else the honour of God's government cannot be maintained, nor his laws saved from contempt; but sinners will be tempted to think him altogether such a one as themselves, contrary to that conviction of their own consciences concerning the judgment of God which is necessary to be supported, That those who do such things are worthy of death, Rom 1:32. Observe, when God punishes sin, he is said to visit for it, or enquire into it; for he weighs the cause before he passes sentence. Sinners have reason to expect punishment upon the account of God's holiness, to which sin is highly offensive, as well as upon the account of his justice, to which it renders us obnoxious; this is intimated in that, Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? It is not only the word of God, but his soul, that takes vengeance. And he has national judgments wherewith to take vengeance for national sins. Such nations as this was cannot long go unpunished. How shall I pardon thee for this? Jer 5:7. Not but that those who have been guilty of these sins have found mercy with God, as to their eternal state (Manasseh himself did, though so much accessory to the iniquity of these times); but nations, as such, being rewardable and punishable only in this life, it would not be for the glory of God to let a nation so very wicked as this pass without some manifest tokens of his displeasure.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv1–5 Run ye to and fro through the streets of…
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,.... These are the words of the Lord, not to the prophet only, but to any other, who thought fit to look into the reasons of the Lord's dealing in a way of judgment with the people of the Jews; these he would have go through the whole city of Jerusalem, every street of it, and that backwards and forwards, not once only, but over and over again:
and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof; where there is commonly the greatest concourse of people; here he would have them look out diligently, observe and take cognizance of the persons they should meet with in such places:
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if ye can find a man; that is, as the Targum adds, whose works are good, and as it is afterwards explained; for as yet the city was not desolate, so as that there was no man dwelling in it, as it was foretold it should be, Jer 4:25. It is reported (o) of Diogenes, the Cynic philosopher, that he lighted up a candle in the daytime, and went through the streets with it; and, being asked the reason of it, said, I seek a man; that is, a man of virtue, honour, and honesty; by which he would be understood, that such were very rare: and so it follows,
if there be any that executeth judgment; in the public courts of judicature; or in private, between man and man:
that seeketh the truth; of doctrine and worship, that seeks to speak it, and maintain it; who is true to his word, and faithful to his promises; but was not one such to be found? were there not the Prophet Jeremiah, and Baruch, and some others? the answer of Kimchi's father is, that such were not to be found in the streets and broad places, where the direction is to seek, because such were hidden in their own houses for fear of wicked men; others think that the meaning is, that there were none to be found to make up the hedge, or stand in the gap for the land, and to intercede for them, as in Eze 22:30, and others are of opinion that the Lord speaks of men in public offices, as judges, priests, and prophets, who were grown so corrupt, as that a good man was not to be found among them: but it seems rather to design the body of the people, and the sense to be, that an upright faithful man was rare to be found; and that, could there be found but a few of that sort, the Lord would spare the city for their sake, as in the case of Sodom, Gen 18:32 and so it follows,
and I will pardon it; the city of Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of it; so the Targum, Septuagint, and Arabic versions render it, "them".
(o) Laert. Vit. Philosoph. l. 6. p. 350.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv1–5 None godly in Judah, ver. 1. They swear falsely,…
None godly in Judah, ver. 1. They swear falsely, tho' God be a God us truth; they are incorrigible and senseless, and know not the law, or else wilfully violate it, ver. 1-6. Their idolatry, adultery, ver. 7-9. Contempt of God's word and prophets, which should be sadly verified, ver, 10-18. They forsake, forget, and fear not God, whose power is so great, ver. 19-24. They are rich through deceit and violence; their false prophets, ver. 25-31.
Run - God gives leave to all the earth to look into the state of Jerusalem, by which he vindicates himself in the face of the whole world from all severity towards his people, whatever he brings upon them. In the broad places - Even there, where men meet from all quarters. A man - It seems worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, for God condescends to pardon Jerusalem, if there be but one righteous man found in it; there he came no lower than ten. A man might walk the streets of Jerusalem long enough before he could meet with any one truly religious. Executeth - Among the magistracy. Seeketh - Among the commonalty, that deal faithfully and uprightly.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 4, 5 The prophet, having described the judgments impending over his
CHAPTER V
The prophet, having described the judgments impending over his
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countrymen, enlarges on the corruptions which prevailed among
them. Their profession of religion was all false and
hypocritical, 1, 2.
Though corrected, they were not amended, but persisted in their
guilt, 3.
This was not the case with the low and ignorant only, 4;
but more egregiously so with those of the higher order, from
whose knowledge and opportunities better things might have been
expected, 5.
God therefore threatens them with the most cruel enemies, 6;
and appeals to themselves if they should be permitted to
practise such sins unpunished, 7-9.
He then commands their enemies to raze the walls of Jerusalem,
10;
that devoted city whose inhabitants added to all their other
sins the highest contempt of God's word and prophets, 11-13.
Wherefore his word, in the mouth of his prophet, shall be as
fire to consume them, 14;
the Chaldean forces shall cruelly addict them, 15-17;
and farther judgments await then as the consequence of their
apostasy and idolatry, 18, 19.
The chapter closes with a most melancholy picture of the moral
condition of the Jewish people at that period which immediately
preceded the Babylonish captivity, 20-31.
NOTES ON CHAP. V
Verse 1. Broad places] Market-places, and those where there was most public resort.
If ye can find a man] A certain philosopher went through the streets of Athens with a lighted lamp in his hand; and being asked what he sought, answered, "I am seeking to find a MAN." So in Jerusalem none was found, on the most diligent search, who acted worthy the character of a rational being.
I will pardon it.] I will spare the city for the sake of one righteous person. So at the intercession of Abraham, God would have spared Sodom if there had been ten righteous persons found in it; Ge 18:26.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv1–3 Jer 5:1. Run ye to and fro, &c. —…
Jer 5:1. Run ye to and fro, &c. — In this chapter, which seems to be a continuation of the preceding discourse, God justifies the severity of the judgments denounced in the foregoing chapter. The expressions are strong, but not to be taken strictly in the letter, signifying only the extreme degeneracy of the times, and the great want of justice and piety in Jerusalem. And see now and know, &c. — Search here and there, and in every part of the city. The words, saith the Lord, should be supplied; for it is plain that the first and second verses are the words of God. In Jer 5:3 the prophet speaks, and goes on to Jer 5:7, where God speaks again. And seek in the broad places thereof — The word רחבותיה, thus rendered, means, no doubt, the market-places, and other spacious areas, where citizens used to meet to do business with each other. If ye can find a man — Namely, a man fearing God, and working righteousness. If there be any that executeth judgment — That in the magistracy rightly administers justice. That seeketh the truth — Any one among the commonality that deals faithfully and uprightly. The universal corruption of manners was such, that a man might walk the streets of Jerusalem long enough before he could meet with any one that was truly religious. And I will pardon it — Namely, the city of Jerusalem. The strong expressions of this verse, if they were taken strictly, would imply that Jerusalem was now worse than Sodom, in the days of Lot: for, in offering pardon to Sodom and Gomorrah, God came no lower than ten, but, according to the literal meaning of these expressions, he promises to pardon Jerusalem if there should be one righteous man found. But it seems evident that, as we have intimated above, they are not to be taken in so strict a sense as if, in so great a city, there was not one good man; for certainly the prophet could not be reckoned among the number of the wicked, and there were besides, Baruch his disciple, and Ebed-melech, and, without doubt, some others that were truly pious. So that the meaning can be no more than that there were very few good men compared with the number of the wicked.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv1–5 The broad places - The open spaces next the…
The broad places - The open spaces next the gates, and other places of concourse.
A man - Or, anyone.
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That executeth - “That” practiceth.
Truth - uprightness, probity (so in Jer 5:3).
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv1–4 Go, Jeremias, and you who publicly adhere to me.…
Go, Jeremias, and you who publicly adhere to me. --- Man. Sodom would have been spared for the sake of ten just people, Genesis xviii. 32. Before the reform of Josias, Jerusalem was strangely corrupted, though these expressions be hyperbolical, and spoken as it were in the heat of debate. Josias, Holda, and others, were living at this time, and renowned for their piety.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v1 II. Demonstration of the justice of the judgments by…
II. Demonstration of the justice of the judgments by the enumeration of their causes
(Jer_5:1-31)
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The prophet enumerates these by first denouncing the universal corruption, especially in reference to the want of אֱמוּנָה. Jer_5:1-6 he shows that truth and faith have entirely disappeared from public life; Jer_5:7-9 that אֱמוּנָה is wanting in conjugal relations; Jer_5:10-18 that none of this is any longer found in the sense of faith in God; Jer_5:19-24 he describes the idolatry resulting from unbelief; Jer_5:25-29 the deception and rude violence connected therewith; Jer_5:30-31 finally he comprises all in a brief survey, in which the main points of this sad condition are set forth. The section contains six strophes of unequal length.
1. Universal want of truth and faith in public life
Jer_5:1-6
1 Run through the lanes of Jerusalem and see,
And ascertain and search in her streets,
Whether ye find one, whether there be one,
Who doeth right and asketh after truth—
And I will pardon her.
2And though they say “As Jehovah liveth,”
Even thus they swear falsely.
3Jehovah, thine eyes, look they not for fidelity?
Thou hast smitten them, but it pained them not.
Thou destroyedst them,—they refused to receive correction;
They made their faces harder than a rock,
They refused to return.
4And I said: These are only the poor!
They are stultified!1
For they know not the way of Jehovah,
The judgment of their God.
5I will go2 to the great and speak with them,
For they know the way of Jehovah,
The judgment of their God.
Yet they have broken the yoke among them,
They have torn asunder the cords.
6Therefore the lion from the forest slayeth them,
The wolf of the deserts3 rendeth them,4
The leopard lurks by their cities;
Every one who goes out is torn in pieces;
For many are their misdeeds, great their apostasies.5
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Jer_5:1. Run through the lanes … I will pardon her. This verse contains the theme not merely of this strophe, but in a certain degree of the whole chapter. For the statements here of the universality of the corruption apply not only to the moral deficiency which is denounced in this strophe, but to all the sins of the people afterward enumerated. And in the second place the lack of honesty is the root of all the rest.—Run through, comp. Amo_8:12; Zec_4:10.—her streets, comp. Gen_18:23 sqq.—right—truth. Since the prophet uses these two words in conjunction with each other, since in Jer_5:2 the unreliableness of the oath sworn in Jerusalem forms the contrast to the truth demanded, since further this moral deficiency is first designated as the most striking, manifesting itself in all the lanes and streets of the city, this being followed in the ensuing strophes by the more special sins against truth, we must understand the former word of “right, justice” (comp. Gen_18:19; Exo_23:6; Job_8:3) as the basis of all trade and intercourse, the guarantee of all security of life and property, but the latter as “truth and faith,” without which no public life can exist. The asker after truth cannot be he, who seeks it in others, for why should he in such a deficiency? but one who seeks it for its own sake, that he may have it and practise it himself.
Jer_5:2. And though they say … swear falsely. There may have been many different kinds of swearing in use (comp. Mat_5:34 sqq.). The formula חַי י׳ was at any rate regarded as the most sacred and binding. But even the oath thus made was broken.—לכן. The passages which are adduced for the meaning “nevertheless, yet” (Isa_7:14; Isa_10:24; Isa_27:9) are uncertain. We must therefore retain the original meaning (in reference to such a condition, this being the case)=even thus. The expression of identity;—an oath by Jehovah and a false oath are with them the same thing.
Jer_5:3. Jehovah, thine eyes … refused to return. The explanation of Hitzig (are not thine eyes true, reliable, do they not see correctly? Psa_17:2) does not suit the connection. What ground would the prophet have for opposing such a supposition, as that the Lord had erred? It is evidently declared that the Lord seeks truth, in contrast with the declaration in Jer_5:1 that among the Israelites none asks after truth. After in Jer_5:2 he had shown by a striking example, to what a degree truth and faith were lacking in this people, he shows in Jer_5:3 how contrary this was to the will of the Lord. For (a) the Lord seeks אֱמוּנָה, (as to the sense comp. Psa_53:3; as to the construction the לְ here is used after a verb of motion to be supplied, as it frequently is, after such actual verbs, instead of אֵל where the idea not of “into” but of “up to” is to be expressed: 1Sa_10:26; 2Sa_19:9; Rth_1:8, etc.); (b) the Lord has sought by severe and manifold chastisements to bring the people to אֱמוּנָה, but in vain. Comp. Jer_2:29 sqq. From which it is clear how the Lord regarded this quality. It is on this account that this idea stands at the head of this section, as its fundamental thought, as will also be seen in the ensuing explanation of the single strophes.—In they refused to return we have the fundamental thought of the entire discourse (see on Jer_3:1 sqq.)
Jer_5:4. And I said: these are only the poor … the judgment of their God. The prophet interrupts his address to the people by communicating an objection which he himself made to the Lord. It is thus presupposed that the prophet was not at the moment of speaking first made acquainted with the judgment of the Lord concerning the moral condition of the people, as contained in Jer_5:1-3, but that he was previously aware of the divine purpose, so that he had time to go and make investigations among the higher circles of the people, the result of which he presents in Jer_5:5. These are only the poor; poor is the subject, these is the predicate: it is only the poor to which the previous description applies.
Jer_5:5. I will go to the great … torn asunder the cords.—With them. Comp. Jer_1:16; Jer_2:35; Jer_4:12.—Yet they. The particle אךְ stands here also in a restrictive sense. It is as though the prophet would say: I also really went; only the success did not meet my expectation, they had, etc. Comp. Deu_18:20; 1Sa_29:9.—The great were the worst. They had burst all bands asunder. Comp. Jer_2:20.
Jer_5:6. Therefore the lion … great their apostasies. The prophetic perfect—the prophet beholds the future as though it were past. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr. § 84, g.—The wolf of the deserts. There are two explanations of this. 1. The Chald., Vulg., Syr., after Hab_1:8; Zep_3:3 render the evening-wolf (coll. Psa_104:20). To this is opposed (a) the parallelism with from the forest, (b) the plural; since this never occurs elsewhere as the plural of עֶרֶב, nor is it at all here in place. Therefore most commentators take (2) עָרָבוֹת as the plural of עֲרָבָה, the steppe, desert: the desert-wolf.—For many, comp. Jer_30:13-14.—On the subject-matter comp. Exo_26:22.
Footnotes:
[1]Jer_5:4.—נוֹאֲלוִ from אול used only in Niphal. Num_12:11; Isa_19:13; 50:36. The meaning is to become אֱוִיל, fools, to be stultified, to act foolishly.
[2]Jer_5:5.—אֵלְכָה לִּי Comp. Naegelsb. Gr § 112, 5b
[3]Jer_5:5. [De Wette, *Henderson, Noyes render: an evening-wolf; Blayney has: a wolf of the plains.—S. R. A.]
[4]Jer_5:6.—יְשָׁדְדֵם for יְשָׁדֵם (Pro_11:3, Keri). Comp. Ewald, § 251, c.; Olshausen, § 243, a. [Green, Gr. § 141, 1.].
[5]Jer_5:6.—[Blayney, Noyes, Henderson render: their apostasies (rebellions) are increased.—S. R. A.]
2. Their infidelity in marriage, in marriage with Jehovah as in human marriages
Jer_5:7-9
7 What reason6 have I to pardon7 thee?
Thy children leave me and swear by that which is no God.
And I bound them in allegiance,8
But they committed adultery
And rushed9 into the harlot’s house.
8 Fat stallions,10 dissolute are they;
Every one neighs after his neighbour’s wife.
9 Should I not punish such as these? saith Jehovah;
Or should not my soul avenge itself on a people like this?
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
1. What reason … into the harlot’s house. This strophe is an exact parallel to the preceding. As the beginning of the first strophe (Jer_5:1) presupposes a request for forgiveness, so does Jer_5:7. There it was: when you find one, who asks after truth, I will pardon. Here it is: How can I pardon? Thy children have forsaken me. There the chief reason for not pardoning was the lack of truth in public life. Here, indeed, the word אֱמוּנָה is not mentioned, but the substance is the same, only in a different, more restricted sphere. The breach of conjugal fidelity, first in a theocratic and then in a human sense, is also a proof of the lack of fidelity. As finally Jer_5:6 ends with a threatening of punishment, so does Jer_5:7. The three, 7–9, thus form a whole, complete in themselves, a tableau after the usual type of the strophes of this prophet.—and swore, etc., corresponds exactly to Jer_5:2. There their breach of fidelity was rebuked, because they swore falsely by Jehovah,—here, because they swore by those who were no gods (comp. Jer_2:11; Deu_32:17; Deu_32:21).—And I bound them, etc. I believe that the difficulty in this sentence is solved if we transpose the paratactic mode of speech into the syntactic: and although I had allowed them to swear (had bound them by oath and allegiance) yet they committed adultery. The form of the word does not contradict this view, as Graf supposes. We must not, however, think that this allowing to swear refers to the restoration of the Jehovah-cultus, effected by Josiah’s reformation. For although that reformation, begun in the 12th year of Josiah, and ended in the 18th (2Ch_34:3; 2Ch_34:8), as frequently remarked, did not result in an honest return, yet it is not to be supposed that Jeremiah, during the period to which this discourse certainly belongs, had to complain of public idolatry. In saying “thy children have forsaken me and sworn by no gods” the prophet has in view not the events of that period, but of the whole past history of the people. In the course of this history, from the Exodus onward, it often enough happened that the people fell into idolatry, and were received again by the Lord into covenant with Him. Comp. e. g., the repeated apostasies in the wilderness (Exodus 32; Numbers 25), and the renewal of the covenant, in Arboth Moab (Deu_29:1); further, the continuance of the idolatrous cult, even after the capture of the Holy Land, and the repetition of the covenant, under Joshua (Jos_24:13, sqq). With reference to this and other facts of the past (e. g., 1 Samuel 7; 1 Kings 18): Jeremiah may well say: “thy children forsook me … and I let them swear, and they committed adultery,” etc., which according to our syntactic mode of expression is equivalent to: “although after their apostasy, to guard against another, I bound them by oath and allegiance, yet still again they committed adultery.” Comp on this paratactic mode of expression the remarks on Jer_3:8 and NaegelsbachGr. § 111, 1, Anm. This explanation combines these advantages, that (a) it is supported by the more difficult and critically, more secure reading,—(b) it agrees with the grammar, and (c) with the connection. For in the latter respect it is clear that the prophet very suitably opposes the idol-oaths to the Jehovah-oath, and thus develops a chain of proofs of the faithfulness of God, and the unfaithfulness of the people, which place the latter in the clearest light.—Rush into the harlot’s house. That these words have a double sense, passing imperceptibly from the religious to the physical sphere of thought, is evident from a comparison of what precedes and follows. The justification of this mode of expression is found in the well known mingling of unchastity with the idolatrous nature-worship. Comp. Herzog, Real-Enc., Artt. Astarte and Baal [Smith, Dict. I., 123, 145].—The harlot’s houses are accordingly, if not exclusively yet preferentially the idol-temples, so far as these were at the same time places of spiritual and carnal adultery. Comp. Herzog I. 199.
Jer_5:9. Should I not punish … such a people as this. This verse is repeated, Jer_5:29 and Jer_9:8. As already remarked, its contents denote the conclusion of a strophe.
Footnotes:
[6]Jer_5:7.—אֵי לָזוֹת can only mean grammatically: in reference to what? why? [Green, Gr., § 75, 2.]— לָֽמָּה comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 17, 3; § 53, 1; Ewald, § 326, a Olshausen, 222, e. [Green, § 231, 4 a].
[7]Jer_5:7.—אֶסְלוֹחַ (for which the Keri has אָסְלַח as in Jer_5:1) certainly did not, as Hitzig supposes, arise from לִסְלוֹחַ, but the ancient form (Rosenm.) us retained as being the more solemn (Neumann). Comp. Olsh. § 238, a. Anm. [Green, Gr., § 125. 1].
[8]Jer_5:7.—ואשׁביע אזתם. Many Codices and Editions, as given by De Rossi, read אשׂביע. By far the majority of the translators and commentators follow this reading: LXX., Vulg., Chald., Syr., Arab., Jerome, Theodoret, Raschi, Kimchi, Luther, Calvin, Bugenhagen, Oecolamp., Förster, Seb. Schmidt, Muenster, Grotius, Venema, the English Bible, J. D. Michaelis, Rosenmueller, Ewald, Umbreit, Meier. The former reading is adopted, after the example of some of the Rabbins, only by Zwingli, Ch. B. Michaelis, Gaab (=earnest petition, adjuvare,) Hitzig (divine assistance in human marriage) Maurer, Neumann (and I made them swear; namely, falsely=a judgment of obduracy. Jer_6:9), Graf. [Blayney, Noyes and Henderson follows the former. Henderson: though I supplied them abundantly.—S. R. A.]
[9]Jer_5:7.—יִתְגּוֹדדוּ for which the LXX. and Codd. 578, 575 read, according to De Rossi יִתְגוֹרָדוּ, κατελύοντο, diversabantur is used as in Mic. 4:14 in the sense of: to penetrate sharply, to rush in, which comes easily from the radical meaning incidere. [Others render: gather.]
[10]Jer_5:8.—Chethibh מוּזָּנִים, Keri מְיוּזָּנִים the former Hoph. from זון, the latter Pual from יזן. Neither of these roots occurs in Hebrew. The form of the Keri can be brought only by a wide and circuitous process to afford a tolerable meaning: יזן is regarded as the primitive root of אזן (to weigh, hence מאֹזְנַיִם); the part. Pual would then=weighed:—it is however taken as=provided with ponderibus (strong genitals), probe vasati.—It is simpler to retain the Chethibh. זוּן from which מָזוֹן, cibus, alimentum (Gen_45:23; 1Ch_11:23) has also in the dialects the sense of nourish (comp. Dan_4:9), סוּסים מוּזָנִים are therefore well-nourished, fat horses. The word is perhaps chosen in allusion to מַשְׁכִּים ּזוֹנָה has been variously explained (=מַשׁכִּימים by the Rabbins; משְׁבִים, trahentes, i.e., genitalia, emissarii, by Jerome, the Chald., etc.: Ewald reads מְשִבִים which according to the Arabic is said to denote “lewd,” etc.). The simplest derivation is that from שָׁבָה which indeed does not occur in Hebrew, but yet seems assured by the dialects and by שָׁגָהִ in the sense “to err, to rove” (Jer_2:23). So most of the recent commentators.
3. The Treachery of Unbelief
Jer_5:10-18
10 Scale her walls11 and destroy,
But make not utterly an end of her!
Hew off her branches,
For they are not Jehovah’s.
11 For they have been faithless towards me,
House of Israel and house of Judah, saith Jehovah.
12 They have denied Jehovah, and said:
“He is not—and calamity will not come upon us;
Nor sword and famine shall we behold.
13 And the prophets are become wind
And the word is not in them:
So will it happen to them.”12
14Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts:
Because ye speak this word,
Behold, I make my word fire in thy mouth,
And this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15Behold, I bring upon you a people from afar,
O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.
A mighty nation it is, an ancient nation it is,
A nation whose language thou knowest not,
And understandest not what it speaketh.
16Its quiver is like an open sepulchre,—
They are all heroes—
17And it devours thy harvest and thy bread.
They devour thy sons and thy daughters,—
It devours thy sheep and thy cattle;
It devours thy vine and thy fig-tree,—
It destroys thy fortified cities,
In which thou trustest, with the sword.
18But even in these days, saith Jehovah,
I will not make an utter end of you.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
That these verses form a strophe is seen not only from the unity of the contents, but also from the concordance of the commencement and the close. The whole strophe is only a picture in detail of the brief sketch in Jer_5:10 a, “destroy, but not utterly.”—It is further evident that the fundamental thought of the strophe depends on Jer_5:1; that the people are wanting in אֱמוּנָה is clear from the fact that they deny Jehovah, and consequently do not believe the word of His prophets.
Jer_5:10. Scale her walls … for they are not Jehovah’s. The image of a vine in an unwalled vineyard suggests the expression.—The phrase for they are not Jehovah’s involves the idea of depravation. Comp. Jer_2:21.
Jer_5:11. For they have been faithless toward me … saith Jehovah. The threatening of punishment repeated in a new form follows the fundamental declaration “Israel has been faithless towards the Lord.” The prophet says this of both kingdoms, though the kingdom of Israel was no longer in existence. We see that he still has always in view the entire past history of the people. Comp. the remarks on ואשׁביע at Jer_5:7.—Faithless (comp. Jer_3:7 sqq.) is evidently in antithesis to truth, Jer_5:1; Jer_5:3. It is a word of general signification, and would not in itself afford a new, specific element. It is therefore more particularly defined in what follows.
Jer_5:12. They have denied Jehovah … shall we behold. It is here declared that they injured the truth in such a manner by their faithlessness, that they virtually denied the existence of Jehovah.—have denied, Jos_24:27; Isa_59:13. Comp. Pro_30:9. The sense of this is explained unmistakably by He is not. If Jehovah is not, there is no possibility of a judgment to be effected by Him.
Jer_5:13. And the prophets … so will it happen to them. It is the necessary consequence of Jehovah’s non-existence that the word prophesied in His name is regarded as nothing, or as wind. When it is said, the prophets are become wind, the reference is of course not to their persons, bat only to their prophetic ministry: qua prophets they will prove to be mere windbags. הַדִּבֵּר might certainly be rendered as a finite verb (comp. Hos_1:2) and the article with the signification of Nota relationis (Gen_21:3; Isa_56:3; Jos_10:24; 1Ch_26:28; 1Ch_29:17; Ewald, § 331 b;Naegelsb. Gr., § 71, 5, Anm. 3). [Green’sGr. § 245, 5 b.] The sense would then be: he who speaks is not in them, that is, what they say, they say entirely of themselves. But דִּבֵּר might also be a nominal form (ad f.פִקֵחַ) although this does not occur elsewhere. (Vid.Fuerst, s. v.). The meaning would then be: the speaker, the prophetic spirit. The LXX.: λόγος κυρίου. Both are grammatically possible, the sense in both cases being the same.—So will it happen to them. As they threaten us, so may it happen to themselves; let their empty threatening fall back upon themselves.
Jer_5:14. Therefore thus saith Jehovah … and it shall devour them. Provoked by the bold declaration of unbelief in the word of the prophet, Jer_5:12-13, the Lord here puts in the mouth of His prophet an emphatic repetition of the denunciatory prophecy, which from Jer_1:13 onwards forms the focus of his prophetic announcement for the proximate future. Because Israel will not believe the word of the prophet, this word is to be equipped with the highest energy of a real active force. Comp Jer_1:9-10.—The sudden change of person in in thy mouth should not offend. Comp. Jer_5:19, and Naegelsb. Gr., § 101, 2 Anm.
Jer_5:15-17. Behold I bring upon you … with the sword. This passage has its root in Deu_28:49 sqq. Comp. Isa_5:26; Hab_1:6; Amo_6:14; Vid.Kueper., S. 12, etc.—from afar. Comp. Jer_4:16.—House of Israel is here used as a common name, Jer_2:26; Jer_3:20-21; Jer_3:23; Jer_4:1, etc.—The prophet heaps all the predicates on the people appointed to inflict the punishment which might cause them to appear terrible in the highest degree to the Israelites; they are coming from a distance, all sympathetic disposition to spare is therefore distant from their hearts; they are an ancient people (אֵיתָן of streams = unconquerable, ever-flowing, Deu_21:4; Psa_74:15,—of rocks, mountains, mountain-fastnesses = firmly founded, immovable, Num_24:21; Mic_6:2; Jer_49:19—designates firmly-rooted, impregnable power;—נּוֹי מֵעוֹלָם designates ancient nobility and the hard-hearted and ruthless pride called forth by it); further, they speak a foreign, unintelligible language (from Deu_28:49): their quiver is on account of its form compared with an open grave—that the quiver has not a receptive but an aggressive relation may have bean overlooked by the poet.—All the necessaries of life will be devoured by the enemy (the devouring of the children seems to be based on a reminiscence of Deu_28:53, where, however, it is said, that the Israelites will devour the flesh of their own children. Comp. Kueper, S. 12, 13;—moreover the prophet may have taken אָכַל in the more general sense, (comp. Jer_10:25);—the fortified cities, in which Israel trusted (Deu_28:52) shall be destroyed (Mal_1:4) with the power of the sword (sword as in the phrase “fire and sword” being employed for warlike implements generally, comp. Lev_26:6).—What people it is which is called to accomplish this, the prophet is not yet aware. Comp. the remarks above on Jer_1:13 sqq. If he had known the name of the people, why should he not have mentioned it? To think of the Scythians because they once made an incursion through Palestine, and because there is a Scythopolis in the valley of the Jordan (comp. Herzog, Real. Enc. XIV. S. 170), is absurd. We can at most suppose that the prophet borrowed from the Scythian invasion some tints for the coloring of his picture. Moreover the whole description applies also to the Babylonians. These especially, according to Genesis 10, 11, might be regarded as an ancient people, even if we assume from Isa_23:13 that the Chaldeans were a younger branch grafted into the old stock. [Henderson:—“The antiquity ascribed to the invaders has special respect to the Chaldeans, a nation originally inhabiting the Carduchian mountains and the northern parts of Mesopotamia, but who had immigrated into the Babylonian territory, where they had a settlement allotted them; and being, like all mountaineers, distinguished for their bravery, doubtless composed the most formidable part of the invading army. See my comment on Isa_23:13. From its being affirmed that the Jews would not understand the language of this people, it follows that after they left their original abodes, they must have retained their native tongue, which was in all probability the mother of the present Kurdish,—a language totally different from any of Semitic origin, but showing much affinity with the ancient Persic.”—S. R. A.]
Jer_5:18. But even in those days … an utter end of you. Comp. Jer_4:27 and Jer_5:10, and the remarks on the latter passage.—Make an end is decidedly connected with the accusative, Nah_1:8; Neh_9:31;—with בְּJer_30:11; Jer_46:28—decidedly with אֵת=“with” in this passage;—when it occurs elsewhere: Jer_30:11; Jer_46:28; Eze_11:13; Eze_20:17; Zep_1:18; it is uncertain whether את is a Nota Accus. or a preposition.
Footnotes:
[11]Jer_5:10.—שָׁרוֹת (not to be confounded with שָׁרוֹת, waves, Eze_27:25) occurs here only. עֲלוּ denotes the idea of “walls” in general, as in Hemistich 2, of the walls of a vineyard (comp. Isaiah 5). A wall is elsewhere שׁוּד Pl. עָדִים, which moreover occurs only in Job_24:11. The Plural שָׁרוֹת is formed like יָמִים from רָאשׁים ,יוֹם from עָרִים ,רֹאשׁ from עיר (comp. Olsh. § 151, Anm.) עָלָה with בְּ is not, as Hitzig asserts, to mount on something. The idea of the preposition is most variously modified by the connection, so that it denotes into (1Ki_12:18; 2Ki_19:28; Jer_48:18); upon (Deu_5:5) through, over (Eze_13:5) etc To read with E. Meier שָׂדוֹתֶּיהָ is therefore unnecessary and already forbidden by עֲלוּ.
[12]Jer_5:13.—[“This sentence is left out in the LXX. the Syriac and the Arabic, but retained by the Vulg.: Hæc ergo evenient illis—These things shall therefore come to them. This meaning the original will hardly bear. The reference seems to be to the prophet’s becoming wind, being so proved by the event.” Note by Eng. Ed. of Calvin.—S. R. A.]
4. Infidelity from blindness of heart and ingratitude
Jer_5:19-24
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye say:
For what cause doth Jehovah our God all these things to us?—
So shalt thou say to them:
As ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land,
So shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20Announce it in the house of Jacob,
And publish it in Judah:
21 Now hear it, ye people, foolish and without understanding,
Who have eyes and see not, ears and hear not!
22Will ye still not fear me? saith Jehovah,
Or will ye not tremble before me,
Who have placed the sand for a boundary to the sea,
As an everlasting barrier, which it will not pass?
And though they rage, they can do nothing,—
And though they roar, its waves, they come not over it!
23But this people have an apostate and rebellious heart;
They have revolted and are gone.
24And say not in their hearts:
We will fear Jehovah, our God,
Who giveth rain, the early and the latter rain in its season,
Who secureth to us the weeks as harvest-tide.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
The main object of this section (chap. 5) is to present before the people the causes of this punitive judgment, as is especially evident in the beginning of this strophe. For the question (Jer_5:19): Why doth the Lord all this to us? would then refer to the whole, if Jer_5:14-17? did not present the principal object in the prophetic perspective. This question is therefore only a turn, in order to proceed to the main purpose of the section from another side. As, however, according to Jer_5:1-3, the lack of אֱמוּנָה is the chief cause of the judgment, so also in this strophe it is only a new species of this which is adduced: apostasy to the idols in consequence of mad blindness, which recognizes not Jehovah as the Almighty Creator, and hence denies Him the thanks which are due to Him as the Author of the most precious gifts of nature. The strophe falls into two parts: 1. Cause of the punitive judgment, Jer_5:19 (forsaking of Jehovah and idolatry); 2. Cause of this forsaking a double one: (a) being without heart (Jer_5:20-22); (b) an apostate and rebellious heart (Jer_5:23-24).
Jer_5:19. And it shall come to pass … that is not yours.—On the change of the person (תּאֹמְרוּ—וְאָמַרְתָּ) vide supra, on Jer_5:14.
Jer_5:20-21. Announce it in the house of Jacob … ears and hear not.—House of Jacob frequently designates the whole people (e. g., in Num_23:7; Deu_32:9; Jer_10:25; Amo_6:7), but here, as elsewhere (e. g.Isa_9:7; Isa_17:4; Mic_1:5), the kingdom of Israel, partly for the sake of the antithesis to Judah, partly on account of Jer_5:11; Jer_5:15. This in reality exists no longer as such, but ideally it is still ever present to the spirit of the prophet, and indeed with the more justice since its constituent parts were still in existence, though as membra disjecta. Observe that in chap. 3. Jeremiah sharply and emphatically distinguishes Israel and Judah, because he is speaking of the past and the distant future; in Jeremiah 4 he uses in Jer_5:1 the conjoint appellation, but in what follows, having the present in view he turns to Judah and Jerusalem only (Jer_5:3-6; Jer_5:10-11; Jer_5:14; Jer_5:16; Jer_5:31); in Jeremiah 5 he still addresses Jerusalem in Jer_5:1, but in what follows (Jer_5:11; Jer_5:15) the entirety of the people is more prominent in his mind, quite naturally, since he has to present the causes of the judgment predicted by him, which carry him back into the remote past. He could not then possibly restrict what he says in Jer_5:21 sqq. to Judah, for it all applies with equal force to Israel—Foolish and without understanding. Comp. Jer_4:22; Hos_7:11. Have eyes, etc. Comp. Deu_29:3; Isa_6:9-10; Eze_12:2. The apostasy of the people is here explained by their spiritual blindness and dulness generally, and this appears to have come upon them, because notwithstanding the grand displays of His power they had witnessed, they feared not the Lord.
Jer_5:22. Will ye still not fear me … they come not over it. From the connection the prophet cannot intend an exhortation, but only the confirmation of a fact. It is thus not so much: Will ye not fear me then? as: Ye fear me not therefore.—The wide ocean with the immense body of its waves is an emblem of the wildest and most irresistible force of nature. And yet the Lord is strong enough to control this violence. Comp. Job_38:8-11; Psa_33:7; Pro_8:29. [The sea is also an emblem of the world, and its waves of the turbulence of the nations, which are yet under divine control. Comp. Psa_93:3-4. Hengstenberg on Joh_6:16-21.—S. R. A.]—They rage, comp. Jer_46:7-8; 2Sa_22:8; Psa_18:8; subject—its waves.—Can do nothing. Comp. Jer_3:5; Jer_20:11; Isa_16:12; Job_31:23 Jer_5:23. But this people … are gone. How can a people be impelled by the greatness of God’s works to fear Him, who are not moved to such fear by His goodness? He whom the love of God wins not, is not won by His omnipotence, for the former is the stronger. The connection is therefore this, that Jer_5:23-24 introduce a new element of their unfaithful disposition, which has at the same time a causal relation to that which was previously mentioned in Jer_5:21-22. The Vau in וְלָעָם is adversative: I ask, Will ye still not fear? but to this question I can obtain no satisfactory answer, because this people is both apostate and rebellious.—These last named predicates are stronger than those in Jer_5:21, for those were negative, while these are positive. They are not only insensible and dull, but positively hostile. They can not—and what is worse—they will not. There is no occasion in the text to take and are gone as forming a climax (comp. Jdg_4:24; Gen_3:8). It rather corresponds to have revolted as its positive side: they break loose from the Lord and go away into the unmeasured distance, whithersoever their heart impels them.
Jer_5:24. And say not in their hearts … as harvest-tide.—We will fear [Let us fear—Henderson] corresponds to the not fear me, Jer_5:22 : neither the grandeur nor the kindness of God’s works move them to fear Jehovah.—The rain is an emblem of blessing. Comp. Jer_3:3.—נֶשֶׁם is the general term, as we may perceive from Lev_26:4 (וְנָתַתִּי נִשׁמֵיכֶם בְעִתָּם). The double Vau before יורֶה (early rain, October to December) and מַלְקוֹשׁ (the latter rain, in the spring, before the harvest) is disjunctive=et—et. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr. § 110, 3. The Masoretes, not understanding this, would strike out the first Vau, but unnecessarily.—Secureth. The fruit-fulness of the year depends on the regularity of the rainy seasons. Comp. Deu_11:14; 1Sa_12:17-18 : Raumer, Paläst. 4 Aufl. S. 90—[Vid.Lightfoot, XII. p. 71].—The weeks as harvest-tide are the seven weeks of harvest from Easter to Whitsuntide [Passover to Pentecost] (Exo_23:16; Exo_34:22; Num_28:26; Deu_16:9-10; Deu_16:16). They are called thus because the beginning and the close of the (principal) harvest was determined by the two festivals as by fixed boundary-lines. The חֻקּת קָצִיר (harvest-tide) correspond to the חָק־עוֹלָם (everlasting barrier), Jer_5:22.
5. Infidelity as deceit and violence
Jer_5:25-29
25 Your transgressions hindered such things,
Your sins withheld the good from you.
26For godless [men] are found among my people;
They lurk, like fowlers crouch;
They set traps, they catch men.
27As a cage is full of birds
So are their houses full of unrighteous wealth.
Therefrom they are become great and rich.
28They are fat, they shine, they overflow with iniquities:
In justice they settle not the affairs of the orphan, and prosecute them;
And the rights of the poor they procure not.
29Should I not punish such, saith Jehovah,
Should not my soul avenge itself on a nation like this?
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Jer_5:25 is closely connected with the previous strophe, but in such wise that it evidently does not belong to it, but conducts to a new passage. It involves in a certain measure a contradiction to the preceding. While in Jer_5:24 it was declared: they say not, let us fear the Lord, who gives us rain, etc., it is here said that Jehovah had not given them rain because of the sins of the people. And these sins are now so specified in what follows, that we see the prophet would confirm by new facts the fundamental thought of the section that אמוּנה has departed from Israel. Moreover the end here reverts to the beginning. For when he here speaks of the ruling of the מִרְמָה, and of the unrighteousness of those in power it is evident that the phrase “any one doing right or seeking truth,” in Jer_5:1, is hovering before his mind. Jer_5:29 shows by its identity with Jer_5:9, that it is the conclusion of the strophe, and thus in its structure this strophe entirely resembles that in Jer_5:7-9, which likewise begins and ends with a reference to the divine judgment.
Jer_5:25. Your transgressions … from you. Comp. Jer_3:3; Jer_4:18. When the prophet here, as in Jer_3:3, refers to the withholding of the rain as past, he certainly had definite facts in view (e. g., 1 Kings 17; Amos 4 sqq.) and would intimate that the Lord not merely will punish, but already has punished, by which a guarantee is afforded of the infliction of the expected judgment.
Jer_5:26. For godless men are found … they catch men. יָשׁוּר is to be regarded as impersonal: it is lurked. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 101, 2.—כשׁך יקושׁים. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 95, 2. [Green’sGr., § 139, 2.—S. R. A.] (כַּעֲֽבֹר סוּפָהPro_10:25).—משׁחית, destroyer generally (Exo_12:13; Ezek. 21:36), here specially, on account of הציב, destructive snares.
Jer_5:27. As a cage is full of birds … become great and rich. מִרְמָה is evidently the antithesis of אֱמוּנָה. At the same time the word is to be taken as abstr. pro concr.=res fraude partæ, as עָמָלPsa_105:4; Ecc_2:19; comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 59, 1. From riches gained by deceit, is developed violent injustice.
Jer_5:28-29. They are fat … nation like this. Being fat is not all: luxury produces lust, it runs over like a seething pot, and that with iniquities [matters of wickedness: Henderson] (דִּבְרֵי־רָע involving the ideas of res and verbum) which are afterwards enumerated. עָבֵר is construed as a verb of fulness with the accusative, like הָלַךְ, Joel 4:18. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 69, 2, a.—They settle not. Comp. Psa_10:18; Psa_43:2; Gen_30:5; Jer_22:16.—and prosecute them, might certainly be rendered grammatically=that they prosper [Henderson]. But then the plural is strange and the sense is flat. Therefore it is better to regard it as the positive side of settle not = and they carry them through.
Jer_5:29, comp. Jer_5:9.
6. Comprehensive conclusion
Jer_5:30-31
30 Fear and horror have happened in the land;
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their hand,13
And my people love to have it so:
But what will they do when the end of the song comes?
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
These verses express the result of the examination instituted by the prophet into the moral condition of the people, viz., that it was horribly bad in all ranks of life. While Jer_5:30 has reference to the entire section, Jer_5:31 refers especially to Jer_5:4-5.
Jer_5:30. Fear … in the land.—Fear. Comp. Deu_28:37; 2Ki_22:19; Jer_19:8; Jer_25:9, etc.—horror, a horrible thing, Jer_23:14. Comp. Jer_18:13; Hos_6:10.
Jer_5:31. The prophets … when the end of the song comes. The prophets are first mentioned as the medium of all knowledge which determines to action. Comp. Jer_20:6; Jer_29:9. The priests ought to have been a corrective to the misleading of the prophets, comp. Mal_2:7; Eze_7:26. Instead of this they made profit by them.—על־יד or על־יּרי apart from its local signification, is a priestly terminus technicus, which means ad latus= under inspection, by appointment (1Ch_6:16; 1Ch_25:2-3; 1Ch_25:6; 2Ch_17:15; 2Ch_17:17; 2Ch_23:18; 2Ch_29:27; Ezr_3:10). So here. For an instance of such corrupting influence exercised by the prophets on the priests, see Jer_29:24-32.—The corruption of the priests and prophets should in the last instance be rebuked by the sound sense of the people. But no. The people love to have it so. They do not cause a reaction but co-operate.—When the end of the song comes, or in reference to its end. The fem. suff. must be regarded as mental (Jer_5:20, comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 60, 6 b) and to be referred in general to the totality of the condition described by the prophet. The sense is: What will you do when the present condition enters upon its last stage of development, or as we say, when the end of the song comes? Comp. Isa_10:3; Hos_9:5. [Lightfoot, XII. p. 550.—S. R. A.]
Footnotes:
[13]Jer_5:31.—[“The LXX. and the Vulgate have ‘And the priests have applauded with their own hands,’ and the Targum ‘And the priests have blessed their hands.’ Both mean the same thing [?] though the words are different; and Blayney [and Boothroyd] gives the same meaning. ‘And the priests have concurred with them.’ Horsley says the words literally are ‘And the priests go down according to their hands;’ that is, he adds, ‘the priests go which way their hands permit, i. e., the priests are directed by them.’—When followed by על as here, the preposition never means according to, as Horsley renders it, but ever, upon, toward or against, and mostly ‘upon.’ See Exo_9:9; Num_4:9; Psa_7:10; Psa_72:6. Therefore the literal rendering is this. ‘And the priests have descended upon their hands.’ An idiomatic expression, which seems to mean, that the priests assisted the prophets, according to what is expressed by the Targum, etc. Note by Eng. ed. of Calvin, I. p. 309.—S. R. A.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. On Jer_5:1. “The wicked world has in the pious and believing a noble treasure and defence” (Gen_18:32); Lange.—Even Zoar is preserved for the sake of Lot, (Gen_19:20 sqq.)—Comp. Isa_37:35.—Ghislerus reminds us of a story which Pliny relates (vol. 35 cap. 10) of King Demetrius, who retired from the city of Rhodium, because he could not take it on its only accessible side without destroying some celebrated paintings of Protogenes.
2. Zinzendorf here relates (S. 198) a story of M. Joh. Christoph Schwedler, ob. 1730. “Once when in the church at Wiese (Silesia) they were singing before the communion ‘I will say to thee Farewell,’ at the words ‘Thy sinful, wicked living, pleases me not at all,’ such an Elias-like zeal seized upon him, that raising his voice above the organ and the choral of a thousand voices, he cried out in tones of thunder, ‘For God’s sake what are you singing? What does not please you? The Lord Jesus does not please you. To him ye must say: Thou pleasest us not, then you would speak the truth; but you do say, the world.’—When now all, convicted by their consciences, sat there in grief and tears, and few knew how this happened to them, he said: ‘Now, if it be thus as it should be, let him to whomsoever your sinful life has become offensive, confess it in the name of the Lord,’ whereupon this verse was wept rather than sung.”
3. On Jer_5:3. Origen says in his sixth homily, of which the text is Jer_5:3-5, “If now thou wilt that the beams of God’s eye rest upon thee, embrace the virtues. So will it be with thee according to this ‘the eyes of the Lord look for faith.’ And if thou art such an one that the eyes of the Lord shine upon thee, then wilt thou say, ‘the light of thy countenance rose upon us, O Lord,’ Psa_4:7.”—“He asks for returns and that too in cash. This is the fund to which he applies and on which he depends. Words, are of no value to him. But just this is the complaint: Faith is rare among the children of men (Psa_12:2); ‘it is not every man’s possession,’ as it is there said. In these days preachers might exclaim with Isaiah: who believes? (Isa_53:1). And Abraham pleads with the Lord for Sodom on condition of five righteous persons being found in it (Genesis 18).” Zinzendorf.—“Ecce verbera desuper et flagella non desunt, et trepidatio nulla, nulla formido est. Quid si non intercederet rebus humanis vel ista censura? “Cyprian, ad Demetrianum.—“Haud grave est plagis affici, sed plaga meliorem non fieri gravissimum est.” Gregor. Nazianz.
4. On Jer_5:4-5. “A preacher has no more miserable and ignorant hearers than the respectable. While they are spelling their way back to the cross, and are getting so far as to know how to learn that we are saved alone by the grace of the Lord Jesus, till we get them so far as to understand that the command of the New Test. is to believe, and all that morality can lug about for eighty years is gone with a word: Son, be of good courage, thy sins are forgiven thee,—the ignorant would have been able to do it thrice. Enough has been said to show that a teacher greatly deceives himself, if he seeks among the respectable that comfort in his office, which he does not meet with among the common people.” Zinzendorf, S. 12, 13. Comp. S. 65, 66; 1Co_1:26-27.
5. On Jer_5:13. “Yes, the prophets are gossips. How does this sound and whence comes the saying? It sounds somewhat distinguished, and a teacher may draw it upon himself. Almost the whole body has incurred this, that they are reckoned with afterwards, and because after their discourse one has been able to do away with it by head work, he has finally come to the conclusion: the pastors are gossips; and the precious treasure of the public testimony is much calumniated. Whoever is grieved on account of the teachers, let him reflect that this arises not so much from the fault of the hearers as of the teachers. I will assure him: As soon as the words of the Lord become fire in his mouth, the hearers become wood, and criticism is at an end, and feeling comes and savor comes, be it unto life or unto death. From that time the preacher is in earnest, and laughter is forbidden by the hearers themselves.” Zinzendorf, S. 13, 14.
6. On Jer_5:15 sqq. “The prophet takes his direction from God’s unchangeable calendar, as it was composed by Moses: Deu_28:49. Therefore he could well prognosticate how it would terminate with his disobedient people. It is of use, that we diligently peruse such an ever-enduring calendar, and ever have it before our eyes. For it is more certain than all other prognostications can be.” Cramer.
7. On Jer_5:21-22. “Hear, ye mad people, that have no understanding! Will ye not fear me? This is a glorious discovery of the omnipotence and majesty of God. If, however, men see one, they see all; but they have no ears to hear until the whole is changed. But that men are so secure and think not of Him who allows them to live so securely, this is indeed an insane business.” Zinzendorf, S. 202.
8. On Jer_5:24. “O man, as often as thou put-test bread into thy mouth, reflect, that God by this means of nourishment would bring thee to Himself. Cling not also to carnal bread, but let thy immortal soul be satisfied by God.” Starke.
9. [On Jer_5:26. “This passage is worthy of special note: for God’s paternal favor does not so continually shine forth in our daily sustenance, but that many clouds intercept our view. Hence it is, that ungodly men think that the years are now barren, and then fruitful through mere chance. We indeed see nothing so regulated in every respect in the world, that the goodness of God can be seen without clouds and obstructions: but we do not consider whence this confusion proceeds, even because we obstruct God’s access to us, so that His beneficence does not reach us. We throw heaven and earth into confusion by our sins. For were we in right order as to our obedience to God, doubtless all the elements would be conformable, and we should thus observe in the world an angelic harmony. But as our lusts tumultuate against God, as we stir up war daily, and provoke Him by our pride, perverseness and obstinacy, it must needs be that all things, above and below, should be in disorder, that the heavens should at one time appear cloudy, and that continuous rains should at another time destroy the produce of the earth, and that nothing should be unmixed and unstained in the world. This confusion then, in all the elements, is to be ascribed to our sins: and this is what is meant by the prophet. Though indeed the reproof was then addressed to the Jews, we may yet gather hence a lesson of general instruction.” Calvin.—S. R. A.]
10. On Jer_5:28. Zinzendorf remarks on the words “and they prosper” that the chief cause of the condemnation of the rich man (Luk_6:19 sqq.) was that he was prospered in all things in this world. He consequently received his good things in this life and fared sumptuously every day. Comp. Psa_37:35; Luk_6:25; Jam_5:1 sqq.
11. On Jer_5:28. “It would be better for one to have the Turkish emperor with all his army for an enemy than a poor widow with her fatherless orphans. For the widow’s tears are water which rises above all the mountains and then falls again and washes away all her enemies into hell.” Luther. Comp. Wisd. 35:18–21.
12. On Jer_5:31. “My people like it so. Like sought, like found. The people wish to have false preachers and get them, and a blind man leads the blind until both fall into the ditch, Luk_6:39.” Cramer.—“How will it be at last? We finally become as accustomed to disorder as disorderly people, and the more everything goes to ruin, the less concerned are we. There is, perhaps, however, still an uncompromising servant or old friend of our Father, who is constantly repeating the little word to us: How will it be? How will it end at last? This is the peculiar office of the teacher, and nobody likes to hear him.” Zinzendorf, S. 203.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
1. On Jer_5:3. Lord, thine eyes look for faith. Why does God impose faith as the only condition of salvation? 1. Because faith gives the greatest glory to God. 2. Because it is at the same time the easiest and most difficult exercise of the human heart. For (a) to believe, i. e., to accept God’s grace as a free gift, every one is, and must be, able to do. (b) He who can do it, has vanquished himself at the one point and won all.
2. [On Jer_5:4. “All sin proceeds from some misapprehension of God. (1) Skeptical humor as to God’s particular Providence, and inspection over all events. (2) Disbelief that He is concerned about the moral good or evil actions of men. (3) Abuse of the doctrine of God’s foreordination, and (4) of His mercy. But (1) God’s mercy will not interfere with His justice. (2) The execution will be no less severe than the threatening. (3) God will not accept less than He requires in the Gospel.” Dr. S. Clarke.—S. R. A.]
3. On Jer_5:11. Obstinate unbelief. 1. Its nature: it denies God and therefore despises (a) God’s word, (b) those who proclaim it. 2. Its punishment: the tables are turned; (a) the unbeliever, before fire, now becomes wood, (b) the word of God, before regarded as wood, becomes fire.
4. On Jer_5:19. Why doth the Lord our God all these things to us? Three answers to this one question: 1. Joh_13:7, What I do, thou knowest not now, etc. 2. Mat_20:15, Is it not lawful for me to do what I will? etc. 3. Jam_1:12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, etc. Florey, 1863.
5. On Jer_5:21; Jer_5:24. Of the fear of God. 1. Motives from without, (a) God’s displays of power, (b) His displays of grace. 2. Inner conditions: (a) That we open our eyes and ears, (b) that we allow ourselves to be impelled by that which we see and hear.
6. On Jer_5:24. (Harvest [Thanksgiving] sermon). The harvest-blessing: 1. From whom it comes. 2. To whom it leads.
7. On Jer_5:24. It is the Lord who faithfully guards the harvest forces. This truth calls for 1. humility and trust in the sowing of earthly seed; 2. confidence in working in this world; 3. hope in the interment of bodies in the earth. V. d. Trenk. Gesetz und Zeugniss (Law and Testimony), Apr. 1860, S. 226.
8. On Jer_5:24. The call which the present year’s harvest makes on the hearts of men. It is, Fear the Lord. For I, without Him all labor and toil is in vain; 2. He does not allow Himself to be interfered with in His government; 3. He gives and blesses without respect to our deserts and in spite of our sins. Florey, 1863.
9. On Jer_5:30-31. A cry of warning in a period of universal apostasy. 1. The condition of the people is shocking and abominable, for (a) the leaders of the people misguide them, (b) the people wish to be misled. 2. The consequences correspond to the guilt (comp. Jer_5:25; Jer_5:14 sqq., Jer_5:6).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv2–5 (Tit 1:16).
(Tit 1:16).
swear falsely--not a judicial oath; but their profession of the worship of Jehovah is insincere (Jer 5:7; Jer 4:2). The reformation under Josiah was merely superficial in the case of the majority.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv1–4 UNIVERSAL CORRUPTION MAKES PARDON IMPOSSIBLE, Jer_5:1-10.
UNIVERSAL CORRUPTION MAKES PARDON IMPOSSIBLE, Jer_5:1-10.
1. Seek… a man — The thought is not completed at this latter word, but is carried forward to the end of the verse. The meaning is not, “seek a man” — that is, any man — but, “a man” who executeth judgment and seeketh the truth. Of course, language of this kind must not be construed with servile literalness. It is simply a strong statement of prevalent corruption. And yet there were doubtless many who were still faithful to the true God, and some of these are mentioned in this book.
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Broad places — Such as the open spaces at the gates, at the meeting of the streets, the markets, and all places where the people congregate.
Truth — As is common, especially in the Old Testament, this word has here a subjective meaning — truth in character rather than truth in belief.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv1–5 1. Run ye to and fro] The prophet challenges…
1. Run ye to and fro] The prophet challenges his hearers to find a single righteous man by a thorough and extensive search. Cp. Gen_18:23-33. The little good that was left in the land was driven out of sight by the prevailing wickedness, and exercised no appreciable effect upon it.
broad places] the market-places and other chief places of resort.
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truth] mg. faithfulness, and so in Jer_5:3; by no means confined to truth in words. The word is the same as that rendered “faithfully,” e.g. 2Ki_12:15; 2Ki_22:7. Jeremiah lays special stress on this quality, which with him “unites in itself faithfulness towards God (constancy), towards man (integrity), towards oneself (genuineness),” Co. Cp. Hos_4:1.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv1–5 (1) Run ye to and fro.—The dark shades of…
V.
(1) Run ye to and fro.—The dark shades of the picture seem at first hardly to belong to the reign of Josiah, which is brought before us in 2 Kings 22, 23; 2 Chronicles 34, 35, as one of thorough reformation. It is, of course, possible that parts of the picture may have been worked up when the prophecies were rewritten under Jehoiakim (Jer_36:32); but, on the other hand, it is equally possible that the prophet may have seen even at the time how hollow and incomplete that reformation was. The form in which he utters his conviction reminds one of the old story of the Greek sage, Diogenes, appearing in the streets of Athens with a lantern, searching for an honest man. In the thought that the pardon of the city depended on its containing some elements of good which might make reformation possible, we find an echo of Gen_18:25; but the picture is of a state more utterly hopeless. There were not ten righteous men found in Sodom (Gen_18:32); in Jerusalem there was not one.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv1–5 Is the punishment thought too severe? Then let the…
Is the punishment thought too severe? Then let the moral condition of Jerusalem be inquired into. Must not such transgressions precipitate its people into ruin? There are four well-marked sections or strophes.
Vers. 1-9. Gladly would Jehovah pardon, if his people showed but a gleam of sound morality. But they are all deaf to the warning voice the Law of God is flagrantly violated. In particular the marriage tie, as well the typical one between man and woman as the anti-typical between the people and its God, is openly disregarded. (comp. Hos_4:1 Mic_7:2 Isa_64:6, 7 Psa_14:3)
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If ye can find a man. "A man" is explained by the following clauses. It is a man whose practice and whose aims are right, of whom Jeremiah, like Diogenes with his lantern, is in search. (It is evident that the prophet speaks rhetorically, for himself and his disciples, however few, were doubtless "men" in the prophetic sense of the word.) Judgment... the truth; rather, justice... good faith, the primary virtues of civil society.
Ver. 1. Forgiveness for many through the righteousness of one.
I GOD IS GREATLY DESIROUS TO PARDON HIS CHILDREN. The command is given to "run to and fro" and search for the one righteous man. God thus expresses his anxiety to forgive. "He waiteth to be gracious." The first movement towards exercising pardon comes from God even before men desire it. He will lay hold of the smallest ground for forgiveness. If the one righteous man can but be found, God will forgive the city.
II SOME RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NECESSARY AS A GROUND FOR FORGIVENESS. If the righteous man cannot be found, the condition of the city is hopeless. There is a propitiatory power in righteousness. Good men are priests, and their lives sacrifices of value for the advantage of others. The righteousness of Christ is an essential element in the atonement. (Heb_10:9, Heb_10:10) It was not possible for the sin of man to be forgiven except on condition of this. Pardon is offered to men only through this. (Act_13:38)
III THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH AVAILS WITH GOD MUST BE SOLID AND PRACTICAL. A vain, religious boast counts for nothing (ver. 2).
1. The goodness to be sought for is not devoutness of demeanor, but the exercise of justice and the effort to keep good faith.
2. This is to be looked for, not in the temple, but in the streets and lanes and places of public concourse, i.e. in daily life. The best evidences of character are to be seen in home life and conduct in business. When the domestic and commercial morality of a city is corrupt, the condition of that city is ruinous; whatever may be the assiduity and decorum with which religious observances are maintained.
IV THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ONE MAY BE EFFICACIOUS FOR THE SECURITY OF MANY. Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared for the sake of ten righteous men. (Gen_18:32) Lot was the providential means of saving Zoar. (Gen_19:21) The one man Christ secures salvation for the whole world. (Heb_7:24, Heb_7:25) There is much that is mysterious in the principle of Divine grace which is here revealed much that we cannot explain. Still, there are truths entering into it which may be discerned, e.g. injustice cannot be done by God in the smallest respect; the righteous are "the salt of the earth," they preserve by preventing complete corruption; there is hope for the city in which but one righteous man lives, since he may be the means of leading others back to righteousness this principle is one on which God acts in forgiving, not in distributing bare rights; all that he requires is a safe and justifiable ground on which to exercise pardon, not a fund of merit such as could constitute a claim on his grace.
HOMILIES BY A.F. MUIR Ver. 1. A wicked city spared for the sake of one saint.
The challenge is very bold and striking. It proves how thoroughly the prophet, as taught by the Spirit, had read the national corruption. At the same time it furnishes a gauge of the long, suffering mercy of God, and the influence for good of one true man. Jerusalem, the chief city, is chosen as representing what is best and most influential in the nation; and its streets and lanes as the haunts of the multitude, the merchants, the artisans, and common people, who would represent the general public morality. It is as if he had said, "In practical life, amid the miscellaneous throng, seek for the just and honorable man." What light this throws upon
I THE EXTENT OF CORRUPTION POSSIBLE IN HUMAN NATURE! The Jewish metropolis had been highly favored. The priesthood had its head-quarters there. The chief messages of the prophets had been delivered in its precincts. It was the center of influence, national spirit, and intelligence. Yet the effect of all this was morally and spiritually rotten. Worse even than Sodom and Gomorrah in actual spiritual condition, as certainly it would be far less tolerable for it than for them in the day of judgment. Ideally it was the city of the saints and of heavenly peace and order; actually its temple was a den of thieves, and its streets the scenes of universal dishonesty, godlessness, and corruption. As has been said of a certain metropolis of Christendom, it would appear to have been the case that "the more churches the less religion." Allowing it to be a rhetorical exaggeration, it was nevertheless a terrible statement to be able to make. But the great cities of the modern world have filled with a like despair the minds of the wisest thinkers. The measure of man"s possible degeneration and depravity who can fix?
II THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL INFLUENCE IN SPIRITUAL THINGS! The spectacle of Abraham praying for the cities of the plain is most impressive. But may it not be paralleled by the unconscious influence of good men? Even accepting the statement as a challenge, was it not a great thing to say that one man by his holiness could have saved the city? Suppose there had been such a man. One can imagine what would have been his sorrow at the universal evil, and his feeling of helplessness and uselessness amid the prevalent irreligion. Yet would his presence there be no light matter, no vain thing. Though he knew it not, he would have been the savior of the people immediately from the judgment of God, possibly in the future from the sin that was destroying it. The value, therefore, of individual influence in spiritual matters is incalculable; and no Christian can say that he is of no use. Godward the prayer of the faithful may soar in constant intercession and mediation; manward his character and works are a constant testimony to the unbeliever.
III THE INFINITENESS OF GOD"S LONG-SUFFERING LOVE. The presence of one good man in the wicked city would have been an appeal to Gods justice that could not he despised. He could not "destroy the righteous with the wicked." But far more would it have been an appeal to his love. The hope of the future would have been wrapped up in that solitary saint. In him grace would find a secret sanctuary, and the forces of salvation a vantage-point from which to sally forth to the rescue of perishing souls and the work of national, yea, of world-wide, regeneration. The judgments of God are not inflicted arbitrarily or in haste. He has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Any reasonable excuse for merciful intervention or delay is welcome. Countless acts of mercy and forgiveness, countless opportunities for repentance, have occurred ere the uplifted axe has dealt its terrible stroke. Learn, then, from this that:
1. The life as the prayer of a righteous man availeth much with God.
2. That God will save us if we will only let him; and
3. He will begin his work of salvation from the least, and tarry it on even to the greatest.
IV THE REASONABLENESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF VICARIOUS SUFFERING THROUGH CHRIST. M.
HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG Ver. 1. Can a righteous man be found in Jerusalem?
God"s warnings still go on concerning the same thing the deeply seated, the deeply destructive wickedness of the people. But though the same subject has to be spoken of, there is no monotony in the treatment of it. It can be looked at from fresh points of view, and put into fresh lights. A careful reading of Jeremiah 4. will show how many different things can be said concerning wickedness; and now, with Jer_5:1, the reproaches and appeals still continue. Note
I THE INDIVIDUALIZING ASPECT OF THE APPEAL. The nation and Jerusalem and the leaders in it have all been referred to; but as long as there are generalities and nothing more individuals will think they can get away from blame under cover of them. Here, then, is a bold challenge which fastens up in a corner every dweller in Jerusalem. The challenge, of course, is not to be taken literally. The true state of things may be known, and known very distinctly, without any running to and fro at all. Let every one take a glance at those whom he knows, and then come home to a candid inquiry concerning the life within his own breast. It is an easy thing to blame others, to throw the fault of disaster upon those who occupy prominent positions. Followers are to blame as well as leaders. The iniquity of Jerusalem, deep, turbid, incessant as the stream of it is, is made of many contributions which, individually considered, may seem very slight. A few men in every age are called to toil for the removal of evils of which, personally, they are not guilty; but every one has the opportunity of improving the world, by doing his best to keep his own heart right. Others are to blame, and there are times when they must be faced, blamed, and resisted; but there is given a daily need, duty, and opportunity to do in cur own hearts what no one else can do for us.
II HOW COMPREHENSIVE AND CONFIDENT THE CHALLENGE IS. It amounts to this, that there cannot be found in all Jerusalem one man who is just in all his dealings, and a seeker after truth. Not one. Must we, then, take this literally? The answer is, No, and Yes. It would have been strange if Jerusalem had become so utterly bad a place that every soul within it was perverted from the ways of right and truth. There must have been some men desiring and striving to live a right life. We bear in mind what God said to Elijah when Elijah said, in the despair and bitterness of his heart, that only he was left to serve God. Not so by any means; the searching God, who counts hearts where fallible men can only Count heads, told his prophet there were still seven thousand with knees unbowed to Baal. And did not Jeremiah discover from his own experience that there were some on Jehovah"s side? (Jer_26:24 Jer_39:15-18) But they were not enough to exert a leavening and recovering influence. And yet the very men whom we may call good and just and true, seeing something of the right, and trying to do it as far as they saw, would have drawn back in confusion and self-distrust if they had been asked, in a direct way and so that the question could not be evaded, "Do you answer this description?" "Are you doers of justice and seekers after truth?" In trying to answer such a question, would not the moments of unfaithfulness and hesitation come to mind-the occasions when they were tempted to escape from loss and pain by some convenient Compromise? It will never do for us to congratulate ourselves on being a great deal better than others so long as we come short of what God wants us to be.
III The thing to be specially considered is, how THIS ACCUSATION APPLES TO THE GREAT MASS OF THE PEOPLE. Many would have said, cynically enough, Justice and truth are no concern of ours." These are words that sound very well in general statements; but directly the attempt is made to bring them close to the individual, it is alleged that they do not apply, or else there is the name and not the thing. Things are called just which are not just, and true which are utterly false. Let men of noble minds talk of justice and truth, and only too many are found to allege that such speaking is but cant and hypocrisy. When Jesus said to Pilate that he came into the world to bear witness to the truth, Pilate answered him with the question, "What has truth got to do with the matter?" Men want to get on, to get rich, to get known, to live easily, to satisfy the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of life; and the claims of justice and truth would make sad havoc with such purposes. Those who have learned from Christ that justice and truth are great necessities of life, necessities in a far higher sense than food and clothing, have often to notice, with great pain and concern, the number of those who do not seem to have any conception of what it is really to do justice and seek after truth. They do not comprehend the objects which God and Christ set before them any more than a blind man comprehends colors. Why, then, blame them? it may be asked. The blame is that they will not come to Christ that they may have sight. To Christians the power and disposition are given to do justice. The spirit is put in them to seek for truth as those who seek for hid treasures, and those who seek with such a zeal and impulse can never seek in vain. Y.
HOMILIES BY S. CONWAY Ver. 1. True manhood.
Without any introduction, let us plunge at once into our subject, which is True manhood. It opens broadly before us in the suggestions which both this verse and the chapter from which it is taken contain. And first of all we will note
I THE DIVINE DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF IT. It consists in executing judgment and seeking the truth. The Lord asks importunately that "a man" may be found, and then he defines and describes what he means by "a man," in the words, "one that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth." Such" is his description of true manhood. So, then, the true man is he to whom truth that which is right, that which is in accordance with the will of God is the all-important thing. The habit of his mind, the purpose of his life, is to discover this truth to know what is right. And when what professes to be truth comes before him, he weighs it in the balance of conscience, tests how it tallies with the mind and will of God; and according to its agreement thereto he approves or disapproves, he gives his judgment. And then, when his judgment is formed, his mind made up, as we say, he does not linger in the outer courts of mere approbation, but he presses on into the very sanctuary, the holy of holies, of corresponding action he executeth judgment." Having sought, seen, approved the right, he does it; not once now and then, but habitually. Such is the man after God"s own heart, such the Divine description of what manhood really is. And now observe:
1. How complete a definition this is! For what form of goodness or excellence is there that this does not include? Whatever is right for a man to do or be comes under this description. Our well-known word, "virtue," will help us here; for what is virtue but simply that which becomes, which properly belongs to the idea of, the vir, the grand old Roman name for man regarded in his higher nature, as contrasted with the lower idea of man in regard to those qualities which he possesses in common with the brutes around him? Man spoken of as merely the human creature was designated by another word; but man as intelligent and moral, man in his nobler being, they designated by that word vir , from which our word" virtue" comes. Therefore" this word " virtue" corresponds as closely as possible with our word "manliness." They are equivalent terms. Then, if we know what virtue is, we know what true manhood is. It includes all moral excellence whatsoever. It is the fruit, the certain fruit, of a man"s seeking the truth, and then, when he has found it and conscience tells him that he has found it, of his straightway practically putting it into action, embodying it in word and deed. It is the product of the three highest faculties God has given to man intellect, conscience, will therefore must embrace all that belongs and is becoming to the vir, the man, and must exclude all that is contrary thereto.
2. And how catholic a description it is! In it "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, male nor female, bond nor free;" there is neither that is, neither exclusively Buddhist, Mohammedan, Christian, Jew; neither Romanist, Eastern, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, nor any other sect nor creed whatsoever. For "God is no respecter of persons," but, as St. Peter said to Cornelius, "In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him." Thus catholic, thus all-embracing, is this Divine description of a true man. God"s chosen ones consist of all the good.
3. But how condemnatory of the world"s standards! Before what tinsel imitations of the true manhood does the world bow down! How many glorify physical strength the Samsonian type of man! And indeed the possession of a physical frame capable of much toil, much endurance, that shrinks not from hardships, and laughs at bold and daring enterprises before which other men quail; a body well organized, its varied functions all working powerfully and smoothly like the several parts of a perfectly adjusted machine; that is a great gift of God. But to make a man"s physical qualities the measure of his manhood, that cannot be worthily thought of for one moment. And so, too, if we take intellectual distinction that, though far nobler than the physical, will fall before the high claimof the Divine ideal. And as for secular distinction that greatness which consists in what a man has, wealth, rank, power, rather than what he is, that claim will not stand for one moment. The world may, does, fall down before these things, and before the last it absolutely grovels; but in the high courts of God"s judgment they go for nothing at all. And at that bar not a little that has the world"s free license as consistent with manhood is frowned upon and utterly condemned. No; right, truth, virtue, all that is in harmony with God"s will, this is what the man after God"s mind seeks, finds, and habitually does.
1. And how commendatory to the conscience is this Divine definition of manhood! Put it before any thoughtful man, and at once he confesses it worthy of God to set forth and blessed for man to seek after. Here the excellent of the earth in all ages and in all lands have found a common meeting-place, and, when unbiased conscience has spoken, have come to a cordial embrace.
2. But how Christ-compelling is this Divine description of true manhood! For he who sets himself to embody it, and really enters on the glorious endeavor, will speedily find that he wants a model, a motive, and a might which assuredly he cannot find in the world around him. A model; for mere abstract descriptions help but little. What can the most brilliant word-painting do to enable you to realize what a lovely landscape is like? It can do something, but not very much. But let the gifted artist draw the scene, let him in beautiful picture portray it, and how much more vividly we realize it then! The mechanician must have his model to work from if he is to do successful work. And so, would we realize the description God has given us of a true man, we also must have our model. But there is only One who is flawless and altogether perfect the Lord Jesus Christ. Patriarchs, prophets, psalmists, apostles, saints, even the most worthy, are none of them perfect; for we have to modify here, correct there, and absolutely reject elsewhere. It is, therefore, to the life of our blessed Lord and Master that this Divine description of manhood forces me would I find the one example I may safely, always, and everywhere copy. But I want a motive also; for when I begin my great endeavor I find it no holiday task. It brings no worldly gain, it wins no human applause. My natural bent and bias are utterly against it. Ease and comfort are ever crying, "Spare thyself." Companions on the road are few, and not all of them to my liking, and the way is narrow and rough and steep. What, then, can alone spur me on and constrain me by a compulsion I cannot resist? What but a sense of Christ"s great love, and the supreme solicitude to "be accepted of him," which flows therefrom? There is absolutely no other motive which will serve for the whole way. Some will take me a part of the way, and others a further part, but all will fail long ere the true end is reached. Therefore am I again driven to Christ, that, as he is my Model, so he may be my Motive too. But he must also be my Might." The power to endure, the strength, to, toil, the daily grace for daily need, whence can it come but from him who has said, Because I live, ye shall live also?" True manhood, real virtue, is therefore an impossible thing apart from Christ. More or less stunted and distorted forms of it there may be, but the Divine ideal, never. May he help us to remember this. Thus, then, complete, catholic, condemnatory of the world"s standards, commendatory to the conscience, compelling resort to Christ, is this Divine manhood of which our text tells. But note
II THE DIVINE DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISMAY AT NOT FINDING IT WHERE IT MAY SO JUSTLY HAVE SEEN EXPECTED. Observe the words of our text, how they challenge the most thorough search everywhere, implying that the Lord himself had made such search he whose eyes (ver. 3) "are upon the truth," who is keen-visioned to discover his own in the densest crowd or in the most obscure abode. But now he challenges any to make a like search. Let them run to and fro in the by-streets, in the broad ways, in market-places, in all parts where men congregate; let them in every such place see, know, seek, if they can find even one true man. And the challenge is made not in scorn nor in anger, but in disappointment and dismay. For where, if not amongst God"s own professed people, and in the center of their worship, Jerusalem; where, if not there, could such as God sought be found? But not even there were they; there were "none righteous; no, not one." But what was found this whole chapter plainly declares. There was horrible wickedness wickedness which only such appalling images as the seventh and eighth verses of this chapter could fitly describe. And this not amongst the ignorant poor only, but amongst the great, the well instructed also (vers. 4, 5). And where there was a form of religion the power was wanting, as the second verse tells. They might use devout words, but the Lord, whose eyes were on the truth (ver. 3), knew how hollow that profession was. So that there was not one man such as God desired. And, though willing to spare, God was forced to punish (ver. 9). This and much more of a like sort prevails all through the chapter. But the contemplation of it fills the Divine mind with disappointment and dismay. It is deep distress to him that he cannot find what he so much desires to find. Are we quite sure that the like question might not be asked in our day? Is the Divine ideal of manhood so constantly realized? Is there not very much to make a devout heart fear lest a like search might lead to a too much like result? Let us remember what it is God looks for in us. Not that which the world thinks so much of, but this manhood; and he mourns when he finds it not. And let it be our prayer that more and more we may be men according to his mind. Note next
III THE DIVINE DEMONSTRATION OF THE DELIGHT AND JOY HE HAS IN IT. He says if there be but one such man, he will spare Jerusalem for his sake. Such is the meaning of the last clause of this verse. What higher proof (save one which we will note anon) could he give of his estimate of this manhood? He gave large proof when he told Abraham that if there were ten righteous in Sodom he would spare the city for their sakes. And he is continually doing the like of what he here said he would do. He is continually blessing the Bad for the sake of the good. "Ye are the salt of the earth," said our Lord to his disciples, implying thereby that, but for his people, the world would go to corruption. "For the elect"s sake those days shall be shortened the days, he meant, of Jerusalem"s destruction, which were then, as in Jeremiah"s time, swiftly drawing on. And how often we read of bad and wicked descendants and successors on the throne of David, who for his sake were dealt with far other than they deserved! And today, how many godless children of pious parents are for like reason dealt with in like manner! The Church might well, did she choose, challenge the world to say where it would be without the Church. The impious sneer at, persecute, and despise the godly; but were it not for those they so shamefully use, theirs would be a short shrift and a quick going down into hell. And let all who are living godly in Christ Jesus be cheered by knowing that, though persecuted by the world, they are yet most precious in the Lord"s sight. Now finally note
IV THE SUPREME DEMONSTRATION GOD HAS GIVEN OF HIS DELIGHT AND JOY IN IT. We turn to the gospel for this, and it enables us to reply to the Divine challenge to "find a man;" for we have found him "of whom Moses and the prophets did write the man Christ Jesus. He has answered to the Divine description, and for his sake not a city have been leaving the people still the slaves of sin; but the beginning, of a new life, in which we shall grow more and more into the fullness of the stature of the perfect man, the Divine ideal embodied in Christ Jesus. But such is the Divine delight in this Man that, for his sake, he pardons whosoever believeth on him. God hath laid help for us "on One who is mighty" to save. Let us, then, go and put in our claim, confessing our deep need of pardon, but pleading God"s own promise, that for the sake of this Man his own "beloved Son in whom he is well pleased he should pardon us. And the answer will come back, "Go in peace; be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee. C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv1, 3 Run ye . . . and see . .…
Jer_5:1-9
Run ye . . . and see . . . if ye can find a man.
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A man; or, The Divine ideal unrealised
I. The Divine idea of a man. One that executeth Judgment, that seeketh the truth. This involves--
1. A righteous working out of the Divine will so far as it is apprehended.
2. An earnest endeavour for further knowledge of the Divine will.
3. How different is the Divine ideal of a man from that which popularly prevails.
(1) The ideal of the muscular force.
(2) That of the secular--wealth.
(3) That of the intellectual--knowledge.
(4) That of the vain--show.
II. The lamentable rarity of a man.
1. A sad revelation of the moral condition of Jerusalem in the days of the prophet. Such corruption amongst a people who had such religious privileges, and in the very scene where the temple stood, shows the wonderful forbearance of God and the terrible perversity of the human heart!
2. The condition of our own age. Verily, we are a fallen people.
III. The social value of a man. And I will pardon it. For the sake of a man, God promises to pardon Jerusalem. The value of a man to society, to the race, is everywhere represented in the Bible.
1. A man is a condition on which God favours the race. Sodom and Gomorrah.
2. A man is an agent by which God improves the condition of the race. He educates, purifies, saves man by man. (Homilist.)
The sinfulness of Jerusalem
1. Deliberate and wilful perjury (Jer_5:2). So familiarised with oaths as not to care whether the matter sworn to was true or false.
2. Idolatry. Strange to see how madly this people ran after the lying vanities of the Gentiles, after they had received such manifold and undeniable proofs of the power, wisdom, and goodness of a living God, who was present with them; after so many laws enacted against idolatry, so many signal judgments inflicted on them for falling into this sin, such a hedge set about them to keep them from mingling with other nations, lest they should learn their ways.
3. Adulteries and fornications. This was a crime of a high nature, a complication of sins, and productive of so many sad consequences that death was the just punishment allotted to it.
4. Their shameful prevaricating with Gods Word, and torturing it to make it speak contrary to its genuine meaning. To this end they encouraged false prophets, who would prophesy smooth things, etc.
5. They were very unthankful to God, and insensible of His blessings conferred upon them.
6. They were very fraudulent in their dealings one with another, both in word and deed.
7. That which portended the extirpation of these Jews was, that not only all the fore cited iniquities were notorious in practice, but were moreover approved of, as it were, and settled among them by common consent.
8. This is enough to prove that it was fit for nothing but the fire, and it hath received that just recompense of reward. And the history of it is recorded for the instruction of all other cities who have the sacred Scriptures to instruct them. They may hear Jerusalem warning them, saying, Look upon me, and learn to fear God. Will ye steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, and sacrifice to the idols of your own imagination, and hope to escape the wrath of God better than I have done? Let my calamities conduce to your salvation, and put away those sins from among you which have laid me in ruinous heaps, and turned me into a monument of the Divine fury. Look upon me, and learn to fear God.
9. Those who are enemies to religion, and help to banish the fear of God out of the world, by denying the authority of His Word, or by putting a wrong sense and construction upon it, are as bad members as can be found in any society of men, because they do what they can to subvert the very foundations of truth, and deprive us of the last remedy which is left to repair the breaches of piety and virtue in a sinful world. (W. Reading, M. A.)
A man
We all know the two meanings of the word man--the one which distinguishes a human being from a beast, the other which is applied only to those who possess the highest qualities of manhood. Such are the salt of the earth, such would have been the saviours of Jerusalem. Ay, such an one was the Saviour of this world, the man Christ Jesus. A union of qualities is needed to make up a man in this high but true sense. These qualities are partly physical, partly mental, and partly spiritual. We know what false ideas are attached to manliness. It is often entirely associated with brute strength. He is a man, think many, who has the greatest strength of arm and power of body. But though beneficial, and often beautiful, this manly strength does not make the man. In some of the most splendid specimens of bodily physique you have the mind of a child and the weakness of a fool, or, still worse, the unrestrained appetites of the beast, or the desperate wickedness of a fiend. How often, too, are the views of men taken as the stamp of manhood. Too often the youthful ideal of manliness is not self-restraint, but self-indulgence, to abandon duty, to pursue pleasure, to wreck the happiness of others, to be lord of ones self, that heritage of woe--how many cherish these as the highest functions of a man! There may be other false ideals, but I wish to come to the scriptural ideal of the man who, if he could be found, would have saved the city and state of Jerusalem. What are the leading characteristics? To do justly, to seek truth. How commonplace, how stripped of the glory and pride dear to young imaginations, how possible for all to reach.
I. The first test, whether we are worthy to be called men, is the rightness of our actions, the integrity or justice of our doings. What is our conduct in life? Are we conforming ourselves to the Divine standard? Let us look at detail in right-doing in the different positions which we are called to fill. A deal of our lives is spent in our homes. There, if anywhere, we are genuine. We cannot seem to be what we are not before those who know us best, and who can read us through and through. How often there we fail to be men! The man who does justly is eminently tender, willing to enter into the feelings of others, to deal justly with them, to extend to them the sympathy of his strong nature. He is also helpful. The very presence of some men is helpful; you may not ask their advice, but to know they are near you is in itself a strength; and in the home relationships is it not the special province of the father, the husband, the son, the brother, to be helpful, to lift burdens, to smooth difficulties, to unravel the knots of this tangled existence? Do you not know homes where they who should be helpful only hinder the family life, where they are burdens and disgraces, taxing not only the family love, but wasting means all too narrow, and depriving their own kindred of their due share of lifes blessings? Such are not men, still less are they men who presume on others weakness. Many a husband shelters himself under his wifes love from the penalties of his neglect, if not of worse treatment. Many a lad, who, above all, wants to be thought manly, takes advantage of his parents fondness, and wastes their hard-earned money in riotous living, while they believe it is being usefully spent on his education or advancement in life. Such men will never save a State, will never rise to such a height of nobility that they can leaven with the true spirit of goodness and righteousness the mass around them.
II. The second test of manhood is seeking truth. Truth is, in the Old Testament, not only mental but moral, is not only intellectual knowledge, but the knowledge of God and of His will. We need in this present day men equally ready to seek truth in all spheres of knowledge--in science, in philosophy, in politics, in religion. We cannot be too earnest in seeking all light, wherever it comes from. We should remember the words of the poet: Truth is the strong thing; let mans life be true, and we should pursue our search in humility, in reverence, and in faith--above all, in regard to Divine things. That is a duty laid upon us all--to seek God, who is truth; to cleave to Him at all costs; to do His will, whatever it be. We may be mistaken as to what His will is; we may be troubled by doubts and difficulties, moral or intellectual; but we must remember that if we try to do justly we shall know the doctrine whether it be of God.
III. In doing justly, in seeking truth, you will be men because you will be followers of the man Christ Jesus. When we think of Christ as man we too often think only of His sorrow, of His persecution, of His death. True man He was in all these points, and nothing soothes us more in our time of trouble than that blessed knowledge. But I wish you to realise Him as man not only in the weakness but in the strength of humanity. I wish you to recognise in Him the ideal man, who did justly and sought truth. Think of His life, of His tenderness to His mother, of His helpfulness to His friends. Think of the ideal which He set before men. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment? is His counsel to the multitude eager for the outward. Lay not up treasure upon earth is His warning to the rich and over-careful. One thing is needful is His reply to the cumbered housewife. Read these Gospels, and tell me if there ever breathed a purer, more righteous, more unselfish spirit. (J. R. Mitford Mitchell, D. D.)
The courage of the true prophet
It is difficult, says a great historian, to conceive any situation more painful than that of a great man condemned to watch the lingering agony of an exhausted country, to tend it during the alternate fits of stupefaction and raving which precede its dissolution; and to see the symptoms of vitality disappear, one by one, until nothing is left but coldness, darkness, and corruption. Such was the fate of Jeremiah. His writings are among the saddest in Scripture. He was no Elijah, no Isaiah, no John the Baptist, no Savonarola, not a man of mighty thunderings, whose strong spirit can face corrupted nations and never quail. There are some men whose courage seems to rise in proportion as they have to face insensate fury of opposition. Such was the spirit of Phocion. Have I said anything wrong then? he exclaimed, when the Athenians cheered his speech. Such was the spirit of Coriolanus. Such was the spirit of the great Scipio. Christians who believe that Christ really did mean something when He said, Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you,--Christians, a few of them, have also believed that there is a beatitude of insolence and of malediction. Heavens! what mistake have I made! was the answer of a strong governor when told that he was beginning to get popular. But Jeremiah was not naturally a man of this strong fibre. Timid, shrinking, sensitive, he was yet placed by God in the forefront of a forlorn hope, in which he was, as it were, predestined to failure and to martyrdom. In this chapter Jeremiah is striving to bring home to his people that things are not as they should be. Diogenes, in Athens, searched the streets with a lantern at noonday to find a man; Jeremiah, in Jerusalem, says that neither in its streets, nor in its broad places, can he find one man, one just, strong servant of the Lord. He thought, perhaps, that had there been such, God might pardon Jerusalem as He had once pardoned Sodom. But he could not find them. He found profession, but not sincerity; chastisement, but not amendment; remorse, but not repentance. Then he thought, I have been too much among the multitude, who are ignorant and foolish; I will go to the upper strata of society; I will get me to the great men, to the priests, the statesmen, the men of culture; they surely have had leisure to learn the way of the Lord and the judgment of their God. But the prophet was utterly disappointed; the upper thousands were worse and more helpless than the lower myriads; they had altogether broken the yoke and burst the bands, and so he adds--Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evening shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities. What was the exact idea of the threatened punishment we do not know. The general meaning is clear; the days were evil alike among high and low; there were carelessness, unbelief, self-seeking, insincerity, and, amid all, men were completely at their ease; they were quite secure that no evil could happen to them. Jeremiah thought differently; he knew that greed, falsity, unreality, corruption, cannot last. God cannot forever bear with them; men cannot forever endure their burden; they may be long-lived, but doomsday comes to them in the end. Has it not always been so? The great world empires of idolatry--what could once have seemed more secure than they were in cruel strength? Where are they now? In any age, whenever any true prophet has spoken, the world has always been thrown into violent antagonism; it denies him every quality he possesses; he may be the humblest of men, but he will assuredly be charged with pride, Whom makest thou thyself? If he be hopeful, he will be called Utopian and unpractical; if he be despondent, he will be called maudlin; if he feels strongly, he is excited and an enthusiast; if he speaks strongly, he is gushing and hysterical; in the one case he is a Samaritan, and in the other he has a devil. A sneer has been made on the very name of the prophet of whom we are speaking, and the world thinks it has effectually depreciated any warning about present evil or future peril, when it has called it a Jeremiad. Neither the world nor the Church can tolerate a prophet until they have killed him: kings cannot away with him. Ahab imprisons Micaiah, Joash kills Zechariah, Herod slays John in prison, Eudoxia banishes Chrysostom, Sigismund burns Huss. Priests hate him with still more perfect hatred; the priests of Jerusalem ridicule Isaiah; the priest Pashur put Jeremiah into the stocks; the priest Amaziah expels Amos; the priests Annas and Caiaphas slew the Lord of glory; the priest Ananias bid them smite Paul over the mouth. The true prophet, if God ever give us one again, must face all this. He, like St. Paul, must be weak and despised for Christs sake. But, besides this, he will especially have to bear the one charge which has always been brought against all prophets since the world began--that what he says is exaggerated, and that what he says is uncharitable. Doubtless, the impatient Amaziahs and the Pashurs of Jeremiahs day said, What business has this man to bring such sweeping accusations? Look at our priests, how active they are, how many services they have, how careful they are to burn exactly the two kidneys with the fat; look at the scribes, how accurate they are in counting the very letters of Scripture; look at all the eminently respectable persons who go to church and pay their tithes of mint and of anise and of cumin. And as for danger, that is all hysterical nonsense. This is not the Lords messenger; evil shall not come upon us. Yes, but it did come before Jeremiah was hurried to his death; it came as with a deluge; it came as with a thunder crash; it came as with a hurricane. On these conventional priests, on these careless aristocrats, on these money-making middle classes, on these immoral multitudes the flash fell, and the glory and freedom of Israel were hurled forever into the dust. Thousands who are not prophets might draw a very flattering picture of this age, which might be represented as nearly all that could be wished; they could point to its placid comfort, its domestic virtues, its slightly expanded egotism, and say there never was an age so respectable; they would point to all the threepenny pieces, and even to all the shillings in the plate, and say there never was an age so charitable; they would point to the endless multiplication of sermons and services, and say there never was an age so deeply religious they would point to the mushroom growth of fussy organisations, and say that the Church never was so vigorously, zealous. I fear that the truth would force the prophet to speak; he would point out the great gulf fixed between true religion and sentimental formalism; he would say that the sums that the nation dribbles in charity are in relation to its wealth no proof of our magnanimity, but the measure of our indifference; he might say that in spite of all our organisation, all the religious machinery in London is put into play on Hospital Sunday with the result of collecting some £20,000, which you will see perhaps in the paper the next day has been given in a two days sale for china and bric-a-brac. He might say that sermons and services, day after day, may perhaps only be treading into deader callosity the self-satisfaction of Pharisaic hearts; he might say that the praise of our languid virtues was the best opiate to lull our souls into indifference and let them rot asleep into the grave. (Dean Farrar.)
True manhood
We are to set before us an ideal of manly character and life, and practically to seek its realisation. Of the elements of true manhood, let us specify the following:--
I. Integrity. There are statesmen who tell us that morals have no place in politics. But the true statesman makes a conscience of politics. Again, there is perhaps a higher moral sentiment developing in business; yet one still hears of an undue advantage being taken of profiting by a mans ignorance or necessities, and that even by religious tradesmen.
II. Purity. Some men boast of foul passions as the marks of manhood. It is effeminate to be pure. Initiation into vice is the baptism of manhood. But moral determination is altering that. A total abstainer is no longer jeered at.
III. Religion. I do not mean the religion of monks, or of ecclesiastics, or of sentimentalists, but the religion of Jesus Christ, a reverent recognition of God, of holiness, of human life. Can anything be more noble than fidelity to the noblest things we know T Has the world any nobleness like the nobleness of holy character? (H. Allon, D. D.)
Right kind of men
I. In the estimation of God the true excellence of man is moral and religious.
1. A strict obedience to the Divine will as far as it is known.
2. An earnest endeavour to attain an accurate acquaintance with the Divine Word.
II. There are states of society in which men of this description are exceedingly rare.
1. They may be removed by death.
2. They may be withdrawn into concealment.
3. They may be reduced in numbers by the progress of degeneracy.
III. In the worst states of society such men are very valuable.
1. They avert Divine judgments
2. Draw down Divine blessings.
3. Promote the work of reformation. (G. Brooks.)
Wanted-A man
Philosophers in all ages have complained that human creatures are plentiful, but men are scarce. But philosophers made their ideal too high, their conception of what man ought to be too lofty. I have no sympathy with the cynic of whom history informs us, that, being ordered to summon the good men of the city before the Roman censor, proceeded immediately to the graveyard, called to the dead below, saying he knew not where to find a good man alive; or that gloomy sage, that prince of grumblers, Thomas Carlyle, who described the population of his country as consisting of so many millions, mostly fools, and who could speak in praise of no one but himself and Mrs. Carlyle, the latter deserving all the praise she got for enduring him. When anyone complains, as Diogenes did, that he has to hunt the streets with candles at noonday to find an honest man, we are apt to think that his nearest neighbour would have quite as much difficulty as himself in making the discovery. If you think there is not a ,true man living, you had better, for appearance, put off saying it until you are dead yourself. In looking for a man, look for a man with a conscience--a man who, like Longfellows honest blacksmith, can look the whole world in the face, and fear not any man. Look for a being that has a heart. A warm, loving nature is true manliness. In looking for a man, look for a magnanimous man; a broad mind, that not only observes what passes in the limited range of its own sphere, but is not afraid to look abroad; is far-sighted and not afraid of excellence in others. In your search for a man, look for a being that has a soul--the capability of solemn thought. Thousands today worship Bacchus and Venus. Their hearts are set on having a good time. Others apply themselves so intensely to their business that they find pleasure only in worshipping the mighty dollar. The man who so inordinately loves money for its own sake, and becomes insensible to all refined enjoyments, after a while ceases to be a man. Faith in Jesus Christ makes manly men. He is our model--a model containing all the elements of true manhood; a model of sympathy and love; a model of purity and uprightness. Christ-men are wanted. (M. C. Peters.)
A man
Two things, according to this text, are needed to make a man: practice and principle--principle sought out with a view to practice, practice conform to principle, and both according to what is right and true; both are morally, mutually helpful, both are necessary. You may be as strong as a lion, fleet as a deer, brave as a bulldog, beautiful as a gazelle, clever as Satan, but unless you seek the truth, and do the right first and foremost in the face of day, you have not yet come up to the mark of a man. Is that what the world says and thinks? Oh no. Its heroes, perhaps yours, are too often not the morally good, but daring adventurers, successful soldiers, lithe athletes, quick-witted speculators, fortune-making merchants, subtle-tongued declaimers, gifted writers, skilful artists, politic statesmen, wearers of titles, and so on. These are the men that too often the world takes its praises and its prizes to, heedless of character and principles, pleading its own large-mindedness in putting truthful and righteous men behind and below mere physical and intellectual power and agility. These are the favourites that the base and meaner sort go gaping after and copying, and thus it is that it often happens that real men are comparatively rare and hard to find. (J. S. Drummond.)
The value of one true man to the State
What have men and women to look to for the defence and prosperity of nations? Astute diplomatists, enlarged navies and armies, and forts and guns, scientific discoveries, commercial treaties, cultivation of art, legislative enactments? Think of these what you please. I tell you that these are not, any nor all of them, the true shields and saviours of nations; these do not form the backbone and centre of a strong body politic. It is not for these that God is sending upon us any blessing; not the providing of such that will lead Him to say, I will pardon Jerusalem and scatter the swollen storm clouds What was it then? It was a man. Goethe says no greater good can happen to a town than for several educated men thinking in the same way about what is good and true living in it. But Goethes standard is insufficient; it falls short of the Divine. The defenders and the benefactors of nations and of their fellow men are the morally and religiously good in them; men whose lives are regulated by the teachings of God; men who seek to act as Christ did are the men that are worthy, and that are looked upon by God as blessings to the nations. Ay, and even one such is a mighty pillar, and on occasion even one such may be the saviour and mainstay of the State. (J. S. Drummond.)
Make yourself a man
When President Garfield was a boy, and was asked what he would be, his reply was: Well, first of all, I must make myself a man; for, if I do not succeed in that, I shall not succeed in anything.
Godly men the preservative of society
One of the greatest services which a man can render society is to believe the truths of God sincerely, and maintain them steadfastly. It is the happiest state for a community when there exists within it a vigorous Christianity--a phalanx of strong minds, fully persuaded as to the revealings and requirements of the Most High. Like the willows by the water courses which are not only green, but whose roots, penetrating and interlacing in the soft and spongy soil, prevent it from being swept away by the rushing torrent, these men of gentle manners, but profound convictions, are the living network, the rampart of roots unnoticed and unthanked, who keep society from crumbling piecemeal into the gulf of licentiousness and atheism and crime, which is forever surging and foaming past it Like the metallic clamps and rivets, the bands and girders, which, in a region of earthquake, keep the precarious houses from tumbling to pieces, law and police magistracy are a mere mud masonry, and but for the binding power of such consciences, but for the fastening force of their convictions who believe in God, in the upheavings of mans passions, in the volcanic throes of his lust and violence, the framework of society would soon be shaken all to pieces. Like the fragments of iron in a mass of stone, which draw it towards the magnet, it is the faith which He finds in the earth, which at any period draws the earth towards its Maker, or makes a community a people near to God. (James Hamilton, D. D.)
A hero is a real man
What is it to be a hero? A hero is simply the English form of the Greek heros, which primarily meant a man, a real man, a separate and unmistakable man, as distinct from anthropos, or mankind in general. By a recognition of this very truth, that a mans distinctness as a man among men works and measures his exceptional character and capabilities, the Greeks came to call a grand man, or a great or preeminent man, a hero, as another way of saying that he was distinguished man. Dost thou know what a hero is? asks Longfellow and then gives answer, Why, a hero is as much as one should say--a hero. A hero is a man. There is heroism in all real manliness. A real man is a real hero. This it is which gives force to Carlyles question, If hero means sincere man, why may not every one of us be a hero? The answer is, that it requires character, exceptional character, to make one willing to be a man. Most men are afraid to be themselves. They shrink from being distinguished. Their preference is to conform themselves to the common standard of their sphere--to be like others, rather than to be like themselves alone. Where this feeling prevails, heroism is an impossibility. One acting on this preference cannot be distinguished. He who is unwilling to exercise and assert his character, in spite of all the world, cannot be recognised as the possessor of character. He cannot be measured apart from the common standard to which he, of choice, conforms himself. (Great Thoughts.)
Manliness
Ask a young woman what quality in a man she admires most, and the answer you are sure to get is manliness. The answer is highly creditable to the feminine taste. God also puts a great value on true manhood.
I. True manhood. Many spurious standards of manhood are met with in the world. By many young men, unfortunately, it is thought manly to be a proficient in swearing, in gambling, in drinking, in forbidden pleasure Not to toe the line in these evil customs is to be pronounced no man at all According to this breed of youth, piety is held at a considerable discount; it is not a thing for men, however it may suit parsons, Sunday school children, and old women of both sexes. Now look at the type of manhood spoken of in our text. According to our text a man is one who doeth righteousness and seeketh after the truth. Not the man of great muscularity and great physical power. Not the man who has seen much of the world, so called, which too often means a man who has worked for the wages of sin, which is death; neither of these is the true type of manhood according to Scripture. Let no one, misled by a popular confusion of ideas, dislike our text because it brings a mans own imperfect righteousness before our attention. It is most true that no measure of human righteousness can ever avail the sinner as a substitute for the righteousness of Christ by faith. A sinners heart resembles Lady Macbeths hands, stained beyond all human cleansing. We cannot and we need not by our own efforts establish a righteousness able to justify and make reconciliation for the ungodly. Yet that does not mean that we may be callous about the sovereign claims of Gods eternal laws of righteousness. It is of the essence of Christian duty and Christian manhood to love righteousness and hate wickedness. The true man is he that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth. See where the true man should be found, in the broad places, in the streets, in the thoroughfares, the market places; the spot where the struggle of daffy life is fought out. In other words, the true man is contemplated under the character of a man right in the whirl of the stream--a merchant, a craftsman, a trader. And as every varied situation in life has its own special temptations and virtues--as the virtue of the soldier is courage and his temptation faint-heartedness. There are graces and virtues that belong to the home, domestic virtues, cloister graces--gentleness, forbearance, devoutness; and these, too, form part of a true mans outfit in life. But the virtue of the marketplace is right dealing and integrity, and he who in the competition of the marketplace, in its barterings and changes, keeps his hands clean, his name honourable, his character honest, is, according to the verdict of Scripture, a true man. From these words it would appear that such men were scarce in Jeremiahs day. Are they more plentiful now? Yes, I believe they are. A dreadful state of society. Multitudes of males, but not one mare Multitudes of gentlemen, but not one honest man. Yes, surely we are better today, thank God. Yes, we all know men who would rather empty their pockets of shillings than fill their mouths with lies. And what are they? They are men. They are the saviours of society, they are the salt of the earth. But unrighteousness is still, as it ever has been, mans chiefest sin.
II. The value of true manhood. The value of true manhood is seen, not in its scarceness, but in the splendour of its reward. What is true manhoods reward? God does a wonderful thing, all because a true man or two are found in the wicked city. What is that? He forgives the wickedness of the corrupt and unfaithful city (Jer_5:7-9; Jer_5:23-31). Could it be easy for God to overlook the errors Of such a people? You think so? Easy for God Almighty, though not for us. Well, perhaps you are right. If so, why stand aloof from such a forgiving and merciful God? Let us not fail to see that here in Jeremiahs time God expresses Himself willing to pardon the wicked for the sake of the righteous few, as He undertook to do in the time of the patriarch Abraham (Gen_18:23). See, then, the nature of true manhoods rewards. God does not promise that when the true man is found He will honour and reward him. Surely in being a true man he has honours and rewards that cannot be exceeded. Jerusalem is to enjoy the reward. She is to be spared for his sake. Something like this happens in the experience of our great military heroes, our Wellingtons, our Wolseleys, our Robertses. No doubt some of these splendid captains have, at dutys call, covered the battlefield with their men and scored brilliant fighting victories that had very little meaning or importance to us as a nation But putting aside these cases--take the case of wars in which both great heroism has been shown and the cause has been worth fighting for when the great captain comes home, what does he find awaiting him: stars and stripes, treasure and titles? Ay, all that, but more than that. Not only has his heroism won all these more or less precious honours for himself, but what is better, because it concerns more people than himself, he has secured for his country a standing, a place, a position, which it may be she never enjoyed before. And that to a true man is reward more sweet and satisfying than all the poor personal honours that can be put upon his head. The worst calamity to a people is not when its trade and commerce decline, but when its supply of true men fails. Our thoughts, when we think of truest manhood, cannot help turning to the Lord Jesus Christ, that man who is our hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest. For the sake of this one Man, all our sins are freely pardoned. (H. F. Henderson, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v1 CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—1. Chronology of the chapter. The…
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—1. Chronology of the chapter. The description here of unblushing immorality and total disorganisation leads Kimchi and others to date this chapter after Josiah’s times; but it is not necessary; ostentatious reform and superficial religion may be synchronous with abandoned impiety and grossest corruption. Matthew Henry boldly puts an interval of twelve years between the fourth and this chapter, two years after Josiah’s death, but without argument or evidence.
2. Cotemporary Scriptures. 2Ch_35:1-19; 2Ki_23:1-27; Zephaniah 1-3; and, probably, Nahum and Habakkuk.
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3. National History and Cotemporary History, as chap. 3.
4. Geographical References in this chapter. Jer_5:1. “Broad places of Jerusalem,” open spaces just within the gates of the city, places of concourse, the markets, &c. (See on chap. Jer_1:15). Jer_5:22. “The sand for the bound of the sea.” Seas known to the sacred writers were—1. Mediterranean, situate in the middle of the then known regions of the earth, separating the three great continents Europe, Asia, and Africa; 2320 miles by 1080 at extreme measurements, 5000 feet deep at Straits of Gibraltar, inhabited by over 440 different species of fish, called the Great Sea (Num_34:6-7), Sea of the Philistines (Exo_23:31). On its shores were situate the mightiest empires of the world, Assyrian, Persian, Grecian, Roman. Western boundary of Palestine. 2. Red Sea, a huge gulf of the Indian Ocean, interposed between Egypt and Arabia; 1400 miles by 150; area, about 180,000 square miles; depth, about 6000 feet; divided at northern end into Gulf of Suez, 190 miles by 20, and Gulf of Akabah, 112 by 15; between these gulfs lies the peninsula of Sinai. 3. Dead Sea, inland sea; believed originally to have been a huge basin in the channel which connected the Mediterranean and Red Sea; situate south-east of Palestine, 48 miles by 10 at extreme measurements, 300 square miles area, depth about 1300 feet, and the surface 1300 feet below level of the ocean. 4. Sea of Galilee, also called Sea of Tiberias, north-east of Palestine, 700 feet below level of Mediterranean, 12 miles by 6, depth about 700 feet.
“How pleasant to me is thy deep blue wave, O Sea of Galilee!
For the glorious One who came to save hath often stood by thee.”
5. Personal Allusions. Description of the Babylonians (Jer_5:15). “Mighty nation,” called (Jer_50:23), the “hammer of the whole earth;” “ancient nation,” the empire was founded by Nimrod soon after the Flood (Gen_10:8; Gen_10:10; Gen_11:4; Gen_11:9). Isaiah suggests (Jer_23:13) that the Chaldeans were a younger branch of that venerable stock, yet to earliest times their origin ia traceable, when they were one of the Cushite tribes (Dr. W. Smith), a fact proved by the relics of their language, which, as a dialect of Babylonia, was retained in use as the learned language for scientific and religious literature (Dan_1:4). Henderson states that originally they inhabited the Carduchian Mountains and the northern parts of Mesopotamia, and afterwards migrated into the Babylonian territory; “whose language” the Jews knew not, nor could understand, either because the Chaldee, though only a dialect of the Hebrew, was so different in its words and construction as to be foreign to a Jew, or (as Henderson suggests) because the people had retained their native Cushite tongue, probably the mother of the present Kurdish, a language totally different from any of Semitic origin, in close affinity with the Persic.
6. Natural History. Jer_5:6. “Lion” (see notes on Jer_2:15, Jer_4:7). “Wolf of the evenings;” formerly abundant in Palestine, now seen occasionally: character and habits described Gen_49:27. Inferior to lion in strength and to leopard in courage, yet if possible more rapacious and fierce (especially in the evening) than either (Hab_1:8); generally chooses as his prey the weaker animals, lambs and kids; his depredations destructive in the extreme, for he assails not only what his ravenous hunger craves, but every living thing he meets. He “dwells alone, shunning even his own species, except for occasional combined attack.” “Leopard shall watch over cities:” predacious (Hos_13:7); swift (Hab_1:8); “has a ferocious air, a restless eye, a cruel aspect;” is very nimble in his movements, swift and subtle, gluttonous and rapacious. Homer says the leopard can never be satisfied with prey (Paxton’s “Natural History”).
Jer_5:17. “Vines and fig-trees.” “Vines” (notes on Jer_2:21). “Fig-trees:” very abundant in Palestine (Deu_8:8); a single tree would produce 280 lbs. of figs.
Jer_5:24. “Former and latter rain” (see Critical Notes on Jer_3:3). “Weeks f harvest:” seven weeks which intervened between the feasts of Passover and Pentecost (Deu_16:9). Barley harvest began quickly after Passover; wheat, which ripens later, was reaped just before Pentecost, at which sheaves were offered (Exo_34:22). Rain never fell during those weeks (1Sa_12:17; Pro_24:1; Amo_4:7). The regularity of weather and seasons was consequent upon a special Providence and covenant promises (Deu_11:11-14). The climate and seasons are now very uncertain; for the Providence has been alienated, and the covenant withdrawn because of sin (Deu_11:17).
7. Manners and Customs. Jer_5:1. “Executeth judgment:” see Lit. Crit. below. Jer_5:5. “Broken the yoke and burst the bonds” (see notes on Jer_2:20); implement of husbandry; three Hebrew words translated yoke, מוֹט, מוֹטָה, and עוֹל: the last here. Jer_5:10. “Walls and battlements:” the old wall began on the north of Jerusalem at the tower called Hippicus, and terminated at the west cloister of the Temple: its southern direction was over the pool of Siloam to the eastern cloister of the Temple. Josephus says there were sixty towers on this wall. The city was divided into the High Town on the west, and the Low Town on the east. When David acquired possession of both, he “built the city round about, even from Millo round about” (2Sa_5:9); and “Joab repaired the rest of the city” (1Ch_11:8), i.e., the High Town; connecting the two divisions of the city together, and surrounding the whole with fortifications (Josephus Autiq. VII. iii. 2). These walls of David were strengthened and elaborated by Solomon (1Ki_3:1; 1Ki_11:27). Josephus says that Solomon “having repaired the walls of Jerusalem, made them much greater and stronger than they were before” (Ant. VIII. ii. 1); and that “the walls that encompassed Jerusalem might correspond to the dignity of the city, he both repaired them and made them higher, and built great towers upon them” (Ant VIII. vi. 1). Jer_5:16. “Quiver:” Layard’s “Monuments of Nineveh” represent the enormous and powerful bows carried by the Assyrian warriors. The bowmen and cavalry formed the main strength of Chaldean armies. “Quiver” was the case in which each soldier packed and carried his arrows, and was probably slung over the shoulder. Jer_5:17. “Impoverish thy cities:” see Lit. Crit. below. Jer_5:27. “Cage full of birds: “cage,” כְּלוּב, rendered in Amo_8:1, “basket,” because made of wickerwork: in this birds were secured by the fowler, and the door left open as a decoy to birds which were free, who no sooner entered than the door fell.
8. Literary Criticism. Jer_5:1. “Executeth judgment:” lit. doing right; no allusion here to conduct of public judicial officers, but to general behaviour of men. “Seeketh the truth:” not verbal, but practical truthy; i.e., integrity, good-faith, truth in actions. Jer_5:3. “Upon the truth,” i.e., practical truth (as in Jer_5:1); fidelity as opposed to falseness (Jer_5:2) Jer_5:4. “Therefore:” too vigorous a rendering; then, and. Jer_5:6. “Wolf of the evenings:” עֶרֶב, evening; עֲרָבָה, desert: the word here is a plural form עֲדָבוֹת. The prevailing conclusions of commentators derive this plural from, עֲדָבָה; thus, wolf of the deserts: but Gesenius gives this plural from עֶדֶב, evening; and De Wett, Hend., and Noyes retain wolf of the evenings. Jer_5:7. “How shall I pardon?” more correctly. What reason, why should I, how can I? “Though I fed them to the full:” thirty-three of De Rossi’s MSS., the Sept., Vulg., Syriac, Arabic, Tayum, and many expositors, ancient and modern, retain this reading from the word וָאַשְׂבִּעַ; appealing to Jer_5:28 and Deu_32:15; Hos_13:6; Neh_9:25, as parallels; where bountifulness of earthly enjoyments issued in apostasy. But the word should be וָאַשְׁבִּע and I made them swear: the preponderance of existing MSS. supports this pointing, and most modern commentators prefer it; i.e., God made them pledge allegiance to Himself; both originally at Sinai (Exo_24:7), and recently during Josiah’s reforms (2Ki_23:3; 2Ch_34:7 seq.). Jer_5:8. “Fed horses in the morning:” a difficulty with the word rendered “in the morning.” This derives מַשְׁכִּים from שָכַם, to rise early in the morning. Hitzig traces the word to מָשַךְ, to draw; hence “draught horses.” Ewald, altering the word to מְשִׁקִים, gives “lustful horses.” But the safer and most preferable derivation of the word is from שָׁכָה, the Hiphil particle; to wander (Maurer, Keil, Umbriet, Speaker’s Com.), “they rove about.” Jer_5:10. “Walls and battlements:” battlements is a false rendering: tendrils, i.e., of the vine (Jer_2:21) or branches (Isa_18:5). The walls of the vineyard are to be scaled, and while the stock of the vine is to be spared, all her tendrils are to be torn or hewn off. Jer_5:12. “It is not he,” i.e., not God, who has spoken of judgments; therefore the menaces were false, “wind” (Jer_5:13); or “He is not,” i.e., there is no God to punish as is predicted (Psa_14:1). Jer_5:13. “Thus shall it be done unto them,” or, so be it done; may the calamities they threaten come upon the prophets themselves. Jer_5:15. “A mighty nation:” the word signifies perennial, as of an ever-flowing stream, or enduring, as rocks; the same word is used of both. “An ancient nation.” מֵעוֹלָם, from eternity, of immemorial antiquity. Jer_5:17. “Impoverish cities,” break in pieces, batter down: “with the sword,” with weapons, or by force of arms. Jer_5:28. “Yet they prosper,” rather, that they may prosper, viz., the “fatherless.” Jer_5:31. “Rule by their means:” lit. at their hand; Sep. and Vulg, suggest, “the priests applaud with their hands” the false prophecies of peace: the Syriac, “held their hands,” i.e., strengthened and supported the false prophets. Rather, at or under their hands; the priests rule as the false prophets direct.
HOMILIES AND OUTLINES ON SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 5
Section
Jer_5:1-9.
A profligate people ripe for vengeance.
Section
Jer_5:10-19.
Forewarning despised, judgment prepared.
Section
Jer_5:20-25.
Solemn reasons for fearing God.
Section
Jer_5:26-31.
Spiritual criminality of most hideous form.
Jer_5:1-9. A PROFLIGATE PEOPLE RIPE FOR VENGEANCE
The facts: not an upright or godly man could be found in Jerusalem (Jer_5:1-2). All were spiritually incorrigible and defiant (Jer_5:3). Excusing the poor in part, because of their spiritual ignorance, it was yet found that the rich and learned were insolently impious (Jer_5:4-5). All this necessitated direct punishment and destruction (Jer_5:6). God could discover no ground for pardon or pity in their case (Jer_5:7-8). Vengeance mast fall on them (Jer_5:9).
I. Lenient conditions of pardon (Jer_5:1). Find a good man, and I will pardon the city! 1. Appalling corruption of society. Either: (1.) Though many esteemed themselves good and pious, God saw all to be vile. Or: (2.) If any were true and righteous he dare not openly show his religion (Isa_59:14). 2. Easy terms of mercy. God asked “ten righteous” in Sodom: but would spare Jerusalem for one! (1.) How He loved and desired to spare the city. (2.) How slow to anger and of great kindness.
II. Blasphemous show of piety. Though utterly iniquitous, the profession of religion had not been abandoned (Jer_5:2). 1. It gratified and quieted their conscience. 2. But it incensed the God of truth (Isa_29:13; Pro_12:22).
III. Hardened resistance of God (Jer_5:3). Their gross irreligion was not because God had not done all He could to restrain and correct them. Yet He whose “eyes are upon the truth” saw only falsity. 1. God had afflicted them in mercy; but the “stroke” awakened no penitential response. 2. God had corrected them with severity; but they resisted the design of the Lord in thus “consuming” them. Instead: 3. They fortified themselves against God and His judgments. And, 4. Deliberately refused to return to Him.
IV. Prevailing social corruption (Jer_5:4-5). 1. From the lowest grade to the highest society was godless. 2. Ignorance or knowledge altered not their case; “the poor know not,” &c., but “the great have known the way of the Lord;” yet from the least to the greatest every one was evil (chap. Jer_6:13). The poor blindly wander, but the rich are blasphemously wilful: but so it was, “all flesh had corrupted its way.” What a catalogue of sins is here given! Jer_5:1. Total absence of integrity in public life; Jer_5:2, Hypocrisy in religion; Jer_5:3, Incorrigible hardness of heart; Jer_5:4, Degradation of the poor; Jer_5:5, Debauchery of the rich; Jer_5:7-8, Shameless idolatry and frightful immorality. Surely these had sunk to the “depths of Satan.”
V. Righteous punishment threatened (Jer_5:6). I. Its nature definitely known to God; for He fixes positive consequences to sin; not merely gives the sinner up to indefinite miseries. 2. Its severity fully determined. For “every one,” therefore none shall elude it; “torn in pieces,” therefore none shall outbrave it. 3. Its justice unquestionable; “because their transgressions,” &c. God’s dealings even with rebels are not arbitrary or extreme: He lets each transgressor mete out his own misery by the decision of merit.
VI. An insulted God avenged (Jer_5:9). 1. Can any challenge the justice? What are “these things” to which God makes appeal? (1.) God’s own children had forsaken Him (Jer_5:7). (2.) Openly identified themselves with idols. (3.) Violated His laws. (4.) Utterly polluted the homes and the city (Jer_5:7-8). 2. Can any suggest reasons of mercy? (1.) Should such vileness be tolerated? (Jer_5:7-8). (2.) Ought such falsity to be connived at? (Jer_5:1-2). (3.) Can any Divine correction avail? (Jer_5:3). (4.) Are there any who merit to be spared? (Jer_5:1; Jer_5:4-5). (5.) Is the judgment heavier than is deserved? (Jer_5:6). 3. Can any hope to evade God’s vengeance? (1.) Not by subtle devices and deception (Jer_5:2-3). (2.) Yet by penitential pleading for pardon (Jer_5:1). (3.) Calvary is our sole hope.
Jer_5:10-19. FOREWARNING DESPISED: JUDGMENT PREPARED
Multitudes are ruined by fancying that God will not be so strict to punish iniquity as His Word forewarns (Jer_5:12). This was Satan’s first snare laid for man (Gen_3:4); and men easily fall into it still. Sinners are ready to deny a message to be from God which troubles them in, and would drive them from, their sins (Jer_5:13).
I. God disowns them (Jer_5:10). “They are not the Lord’s” (see Lit. Crit. on “battlements”), i.e., such vile outgrowths from the stock of David God will not regard as His people. 1. They acted deceitfully with God (Jer_5:11). 2. They talked defiantly against God (Jer_5:12-13), showing—(1.) An absence of reverence or regard for God Himself,—“it is not He,” rather “He is not” (see Lit. Crit.); (2.) Utter heedlessness of God’s Word,—mere “wind” (Jer_5:13); 3. They wickedly menaced God’s messenger (Jer_5:13),—“Thus shall it be done,” &c. This filled up the measure of their iniquity (Mat_23:30-33). Thus had they ruthlessly broken every link that united them with the Lord, and defaced every feature which identified them with Him and His true people. “Now, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom_8:9). “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Mat_7:23).
II. God dooms them. Jehovah speaks, and there is a dreadful “wherefore” determining His utterance; it is a deliverance of Judah to wrath. 1. The threatenings they derided shall devour them as fire (Jer_5:14), burn within their consciences and memories,—the fire never to be quenched: an inward terror at the wrath of God should consume them as wood, burning up their complacency, their fearlessness, their hopes, their delusions. 2. The foe they disregarded should waste and ruin them. (1.) Protection and defences should fail; “walls” scaled (Jer_5:10), “fenced cities” destroyed (Jer_5:17). (2.) A scourging a lversary should desolate them; God would bring it, for He commands nations to do His will (Jer_5:15). (a.) Dreadful in itself (Jer_5:15); (b.) terrible in war (Jer_5:16); (c.) wasting the country (Jer_5:17); (d.) destroying the cities (Jer_5:17); (e.) implacable in slaughter (Jer_5:6).
III. God deserts them (Jer_5:19). As they had deserted Him. “With what measure ye mete,” &c. 1. Sinners dare to challenge the justice of God in their overthrow (Jer_5:19, comp. Mat_25:44). 2. God justifies His dealings with transgressors (Jer_5:19); their punishment corresponds to their sin: having “served strange gods” wilfully, they shall “serve strangers” compulsorily. Yet, 3. God limits the severity of their punishment (Jer_5:18), for His promises must be fulfilled to Judah, and His mercy must be illustrated before the world as well as His justice; and the enemy whom God employs to punish shal see that God gives not the sceptre into his hand. God is the Supreme King; His sceptre rules over mighty nations (Jer_5:15), and is stretched over even the guiltiest sinners (Jer_5:18), that their repentance might lead to their redemption.
Jer_5:20-25. SOLEMN REASONS FOR FEARING THE LORD.
First: Argument from God’s government of the sea (Jer_5:22-23). Preliminary remarks: 1. God, the author and governor of the sea, “placed sand for bound of the sea.” 2. God binds the sea within limits of law, “by perpetual decree.” 3. God’s laws are permanent in their control. 4. God is ever present in His laws and contrivances: “Tremble at My presence which placed the sand,” &c. 5. God’s presence in His all-pervading laws should have a restraining and reverencing influence upon men: “Fear ye not me? saith the Lord,” &c.
I. God’s government of the sea. 1. His government of the sea is suited to impress man with an idea of infinite power. 2. To impress man with the idea of consummate Wisdom 3. Of special goodness. Twofold: (a.) negatively, in checking the threatening invasion of the sea; (b.) affirmatively, in giving rain, &c. (Jer_5:24). Its obedience is a matter of necessity: waves may “toss themselves,” but God absolutely controls. Its voice to man is, “Fear Him, obey His commands, willingly bend to His will, ere He crush thee.”
II. Man’s revolting tendencies. 1. God has prescribed the bounds of man’s actions and thoughts by befitting laws. As the sea has “bounds,” so there are limits to every finite being. 2. To overstep these limits is rebellion against the Great Lawgiver. 3. Man has revolted (Jer_5:23), differing in this from the sea. (Nature protests and remonstrates against human lawlessness.) 4. Man can do what the sea can not: (a.) man has “a heart,” the sea has not; a will-power; (b.) this power in man has been prostituted to evil: “rebellious heart.” CON.: 1. God must govern heart and will by Heart and Will influences. 2. It is easier for God to rule oceans than man, because “he has a rebellious heart.” 3. Man, as a rebel, contrasts unfavourably with the material creation, and God notices it with painful emotion: “Fear ye not Me?” &c.—Homilist.
Second: Argument from God’s bestowment of the harvest (Jer_5:24-25). The history of Judah in Jeremiah’s time shows His dealings with a sinful and impenitent nation, and offers awful warnings of the fate of such as resist His grace. despise His long-suffering, and harden themselves against His loving correction. 1. What befell the Jews may befall any nation whose offences against God are equally great and grievous. 2. The sins which provoked the indignation of Heaven may be learned. (a.) Idolatry and worship of false gods (Jer_5:19). (b.) Habitual and impious perjury (Jer_5:2). (c.) Scandalous uncleanness (Jer_5:7). (d.) Covetous and oppressive to the poor (Jer_5:26). (e.) Destitute of a habitual sense of God’s presence and power in the ordinary and natural dispensations of His mercy and Providence (Jer_5:24).
I. Until the Gospel was communicated to the world, attentive observance of the dispensation of Providence was the principal means whereby God’s Spirit drew the Gentiles to Himself, and led them to piety and obedience. 1. It was the religion of Nature. Paul attested this at Lystra (Act_14:15-17), and urged it upon the Romans (Rom_1:19-20). 2. From God’s works alone, His being, power, mercy, may be fully and satisfactorily proved, even without the advantages of revelation: they show design; they attest a Creator, and an all-wise Author; while “visible things,” night and day, witness of the Most High, His greatness and His goodness. All His works appeal to us: “Let us now fear the Lord.”
II. Although we enjoy the full light of the glorious Gospel, we can never too closely keep in mind the fact that all things we see and enjoy are ordained by God. 1. We have less need than the heathen to learn about God from His outward and visible works; yet, 2. We are beholden to His Providence for all essential natural blessings. 3. Nothing in nature could reach maturity but for the fatherly care of God. Thus learning our total dependence on God, three consequences will follow: (1.) A perfect resignation to His will and trust in His mercy. He who has not withheld His own Son from our spiritual necessity, will not deny us anything needful to us. (2.) We must not pride ourselves in our worldly goods as if they were our own, nor set our hearts upon them as if sure of keeping them for ever. (3.) As God gives us all things, there is only one way of obtaining in this world whatever is needful and good for us, i.e., constantly make known our wants to Him in prayer.
III. From the natural events around us we may learn: 1. Diligence in our spiritual concerns, that the Word of Life may ripen in our hearts. 2. Pray that the Heavenly Sower will not pass us by in barrenness. 3. When observing the tender blade, reflect on the weakness of our advance in piety, and entreat Him who tempers all the elements to “work all things together for our good.” 4. When the harvest hour is nigh, let us think how short our time is, and pray that we may not be found blasted or unfruitful.—Arranged from Sermon by Bishop Reginald Heber. Dated A.D. 1838.
Jer_5:26-31. SPIRITUAL CRIMINALITY OF MOST HIDEOUS FORM
Guilt has its climax: sinners see it not as a “wonder and a horror” (Jer_5:30), because they descend by gradual stages to the utmost depths of defilement, and grow accustomed to the horrible distortion of the life and affections; moreover, as they sink into the loathsome depths, their perception becomes darkened, and sensibilities grow sottish (Jer_5:21). Else sinners would be horrified at themselves. But the spectacle of man distorted and debased is a “wonderful and a horrible thing” to the good and to God; “wonderful,” that man can sink to such depths, considering what he was and might become; “horrible,” that so fair a creature could become so foul, that God’s people can be rendered so hideously the children of the devil.
I. The predacious cruelty of the wicked (Jer_5:26-27). Devoid of honourable feeling, they will wrong any one so as to advance themselves. 1. Malicious. 2. Cunning. 3. Treacherous. They who trust the wicked walk into swamps, follow a ghastly shadow, tread the ways to hell.
II. The gains of guilt and oppression (Jer_5:27-28). Men of no conscience or restraints can prosper and aggrandise themselves more easily than the good; nor wonder: earth is their heaven; “in life they have their good things;” the god of this world feeds their sensual souls; but woe follows all. 1. Society accords place and power to the successful; “become great.” 2. Wealth is within the reach of the scheming and extortionate; “waxen rich.” 3. Self-indulgence and luxury become their rule; “waxen fat, and shine.” 4. They may be pitied who are in their power (Jer_5:28); for avarice and oppression have rendered them heartless and selfish, dead to all sense of justice, or compassion for the suffering and injured.
III. The horrifying extremes of sin. To what it will grow. 1. The social leaders surpass all ordinary bounds of wickedness (Jer_5:28); i.e., they cast off all restraint; “fear not God, nor regard men;” use their power and wealth for grossest tyranny and foulest immorality (Jer_5:8). 2. The religious leaders beguile the people with impostures; “prophets and priests” combine to decoy and destroy souls. Awful when spiritual guides plot their people’s ruin! 3. The godless nation luxuriates in delusions. Enjoy the deceptions; abandon themselves to licentiousness and vileness; cast off Jehovah and make gods of their own gratifications and lusts. Such a scene is only fit for the “blackness of darkness.”
IV. The fearful issues of all. 1. There comes an “end thereof” (Jer_5:31). 2. Sinners would then gladly “do” anything to escape. 3. The terrible reckoning will surely come (Jer_5:29). God Himself will comfort them: “visit them.” Vengeance will break forth on such transgressors. There will be bitterness and woe at “the end,” without amelioration or redemption.
HOMILIES AND COMMENTS ON VERSES OF CHAPTER 5
Jer_5:1. Theme: A CITY SAVED FOR ONE GOOD MAN.
There were good men at this time in Jerusalem: king Josiah, Baruch the scribe, Zephaniah the prophet; but the righteous were driven into seclusion by the public immorality and hostility, so that in “the streets and broad places” not one could be found. Note: There may be holy men praying and weeping in secret, though none in the highways: they may be forced to retreat from places of power and publicity, yet “God knoweth them that are His.” The prophet appeals to the people to find one good man among and of themselves. (Addenda on Jer_5:1, “Streets of Jerusalem,” “Seek a man.”)
Great truths suggested:—
I. Doom suspended while a Saviour is sought. God arrests the sword while the search is everywhere diligently prosecuted.
1. The high value of one good life: in God’s esteem; in a nation’s experience. Evils are thereby averted from many who neither appreciate nor recognise their benefactor. “Ye are the salt of the earth.” (Addenda, Jer_5:1, “One true man would avert woe.”)
2. The saving mission of a holy man. One man of prayer may call down mercy on numbers: one zealous Christian may snatch hundreds as brands from the burning. The lone missionary among heathen. The earnest preacher of Jesus among a congregation. The diligent worker for Christ in society.
3. The sublime fulfilment of this in Jesus. Then there was “One Man” in the city. We “can find a Man,” for whose sake God “will pardon.” But as yet Christ had not come.
II. Doom necessitated because no Saviour could be found. There was not one good man to hold the gap against the foe. What a dreadful state of society; how utterly and hopelessly corrupt. Equally true in God’s sight, “whose eyes are upon the truth” (Jer_5:3), that “there is none righteous, no not one.” Nowhere from among men could a sinless saviour be found.
1. The Christless sinner’s perplexity. He can discover no Saviour. The agonising devices of heathenism show this. The terror of men who have sought hope apart from the Gospel attests the same fact. The plaintive lament of the restless soul, “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him!” confirms the truth. There is “no man,” and therefore “no pardon,” till Jesus is found.
2. The perilous state of humanity. The sword was unsheathed against Jerusalem: wrath is declared against all mankind, “for that all have sinned.” The cry appropriate to all is, “Lord, save, we perish!” Dire and awful is the nearing doom (Jer_5:15-16; comp. Rom_2:9; Rev_9:14-17).
3. The effectual resources of God. Not for Jerusalem, but for humanity, God found a Saviour. She “knew not the day of her visitation” (Isa_19:16-17; Isa_19:20; Job_33:24). The very depths of human sin, and absence of even one true man among men, forms only the dark background to throw out into greater distinctness and beauty the perfections of Jesus (Psa_45:2; Heb_7:26).
Comments: “The wicked world has in the pious and believing a noble treasure and defence.”—Lange.
“See how ready God is to forgive, how swift to show mercy. So pleasing would it be to God to find any such, that for their sakes He would pardon the city; if there were but ten righteous men in Sodom, if but one of a thousand, of ten thousand in Jerusalem, it should be spared.”—M. Henry.
Sodom could not be destroyed while one righteous man was in it (Gen_19:13; Gen_19:16); and Zoar was spared by the sole worth of that same one man (Jer_5:20-22).
Jer_5:2. Theme: PIOUS SPEECH CLOAKING AN IMPIOUS SOUL.
Comments: “Though they make an outward and fashionable profession of the name of the Lord in worshipping Him, in swearing by Him, yet it is but in falsehood and hypocrisy.”—Bishop Hall.
“As the Lord liveth:” the common form of oath among the Jews; yet this sacred oath used only to deceive and defraud.—Wogan.
“They swear falsely,” that is (1.) They are not sincere in the profession they make to God, but are false to Him. (2.) Though they appeal to no other God, they make no conscience of calling Jehovah to witnss to a lie. They do not swear by idols, yet they forswear themselves; which is an affront to the God of truth, as swearing by idols would have been an affront to the only true God.—M. Henry.
Jer_5:3. THE VIRTUE FOR WHICH GOD’S EYES SEARCH. “Eyes upon truth:” comp. Psa_51:6; Joh_4:23. Eyes upon an object denote (i.) diligent inspection; nothing escapes; (ii.) delicate perception; the least is not lost to sight, though but as a grain of mustard-seed; (iii.) desirous expectation; so anxious to find the grace He loves.
Naegelsbach renders the words: “Lord, thine eyes look for faith;” and remarks (a.) The Lord seeks it, for He regards it. (b.) He sought by manifold chastisements to bring the people to it, but in vain. And asks, Why does God impose faith as the only condition of salvation? (i.) Because faith gives the greatest glory to God. (ii.) Because it is at the same time the easiest and most difficult exercise of the human heart. For (a.) to believe, i.e., to accept God’s grace as a free gift, every one is, and must be, able to do. (b.) He who can do it has vanquished himself at the one point, and won all.
“God looks to the faith, the upright purpose of the heart, and without it the nominal fealty of an oath is an abomination.”—Speaker’s Com.
Jer_5:3. Theme: GOD’S CHASTISEMENTS DESIGNED FOR MAN’S CONVERSION.
Here is only a complaint of the misimprovement of afflictions, yet the right use is indicated: they should have “grieved” for their undutifulness to God, and with relentings for sin they should have “received correction;” submitted to the rod as to the chastisement of a Father, without sullen murmuring or fainting; their “faces” should have been flushed with ingenuous shame, and washed with penitential tears: they ought immediately to have “returned to God.” Hence ingenuous sorrow, shame, and repentance, a submissive, corrigible temper, and a sincere conversion to God, are the designed ends of the afflictions He sends upon impenitent sinners.
The Gospel is preached, Holy Spirit communicated, to arouse consciences. When Word disregarded, conscience slighted, Spirit resisted, then our Heavenly Father uses the rod; the one end being that we turn to the Lord. Inquire, What is it to turn to the Lord?
I. Turning to the Lord presupposes a deep conviction that you have gone astray, both from way of duty and of safety. You will never leave your present course till plainly see it leads you down to chambers of death; nor “turn to the Lord,” till realise that your interests and duty render it urgent and necessary.
1. If God should open the eyes of the unconverted, what astonishing and unsuspected views would present themselves of your past course and present condition! That all your highest interests have been neglected. 2. You would see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. 3. The purity and strictness of God’s law, the equity and terror of its penalty. 4. Your obligations to Him as your Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer. Oh, that experience may be your teacher of the reality of these things!
II. Turning to God supposes a full conviction of the necessity of immediate response. 1. Because if you die in your present condition you will certainly be lost. 2. Because you have no time for delay. And, 3. It will wound your heart to think this work has not been done long ago. Dying men bear testimony that the present hour is the most fit season for turning to God.
III. If afflictions should prove the means of turning you to God, they will rouse you to most earnest persevering endeavours that you may truly find Him. Pray without ceasing: “Behold, he prayeth!” Accustom yourselves to solemn meditation; hear and read God’s Word. Seek the society of those who know the Lord. These will promote your conversion. Also, you will guard against whatever would hinder it; shun wicked courses; moderate your pursuits of the world; avoid evil company. “With fear and trembling” the awakened sinner would begin to “work out his salvation.”
IV. If afflictions should turn you to God, you would be made deeply sensible of your inability, that the Holy Spirit’s grace was essential to your true conversion. 1. Your endeavours avail to avoid hindrances and seek helps. 2. Yet your own heart is against you, and the disease of sin is irrecoverable but by Divine grace. Then the prayer will arise, “Turn me and I shall be turned” (Jer_31:18).
V. If ever you turn to the Lord, you will realise that Christ is the only way of access to God. You will come as criminals upon the footing of grace, not merit; will renounce all your righteousness; a broken-hearted rebel. Till such, you have nothing to do with Jesus.
VI. If you are turned to God, you will experience a great change in temper and conduct. 1. Heart and mind will take a new bias; thoughts and affections towards God; aspirations towards heaven; Jesus dear to you; “all things become new.” Turned to God and holiness; turned from sin and its pleasures. Also, 2. Your practices will follow the inward impulse and principle of religion.
VII. If turned to the Lord, your mind will habitually retain that turn. Your religion not a transient fit, but permanent and persevering.
Application: Do you in your consciences hope you have been converted and turned to God? Does your case answer to this description? But some of you may have discovered yourselves as unconverted. Are you willing to turn to God with all your hearts? “Come, and let us return to the Lord, for He hath torn” &c. (Hos_6:1).—Rev. J. Davies, A.M., President of College, New Jersey, A. D. 1756.
Jer_5:4. Theme: IGNORANCE MAY EXCUSE IRRELIGION.
I. Their sad disadvantages. 1. “Poor,” living in rudeness and neglect, their existence absorbed in struggles to live. 2. “Foolish,” ignorant and erring from lack of training and teaching. Their intellectual life wholly neglected.
II. Their spiritual deprivations. 1. “Know not the way of the Lord;” untaught as to the manner of life He requires, the true religion He revealed. 2. “Nor the judgment of their God;” that which He had pronounced right: for false prophets confused and misled them, and they followed as those who were “blind.” A pitiful case: spiritual dupes.
III. Their excusable deficiencies. God does not reap where He has not sown. To whom little is given, of them He asks little. He judges according to what we have, not what we have not (Num_12:11). 1. God’s tender consideration. 2. Discriminating commiseration. (Addenda, Jer_5:4, “Ignorance and irreligion.”)
Comments:
i. Prevailing ignorance is the lamentable cause of abounding impiety and iniquity. What can come from them that sit in darkness but “works of darkness”?
ii. This is commonly a reigning sin among poor people. There are the devil’s poor, as well as God’s, who might “know the way of the Lord” without book-learning; but they are “willingly ignorant.”—M. Henry.
Jer_5:5. Theme: KNOWLEDGE SHOULD ENSURE PIETY.
It is a dramatic contrast. The prophet assumes to imagine and expect that their advantages would be accompanied with appropriate religious responses: superior socially, superior spiritually. “The great;” i.e., the wealthy and educated, removed beyond blinding care for their daily wants; “they have known,” possessed the advantages of education and religious knowledge. Yet these, instructed in the law, and who ought to teach their inferiors (Mic_3:1), have violated every precept and been defiant of God. (i.) A buse of advantages. (ii.) Proportionate guilt. (iii.) Heavier condemnation (Luk_12:47).
“I will speak unto the great men.” Zinzendorf remarks: “A preacher has no more miserable and ignorant hearers than the respectable. While they are spelling their way back to the cross, and are getting so far as to know how to learn that we are saved alone by the grace of the Lord Jesus; till we get them so far as to understand that the command of the New Testament is to believe, and all that morality can lug about for eighty years is gone with the word, ‘Son, be of good courage, thy sins are forgiven thee,’ the ignorant would have been able to do it thrice. A teacher greatly deceives himself if he seeks among the respectable that comfort in his office which he does not meet with among the common people.”—Quoted in Lange.
Jer_5:4-5. THE IGNORANCE OF THE POOR AND THE INSOLENCE OF THE GREAT.
I. The character of many of the poor as here described. Seeing them impudent in sin, and unreformed by the judgments of God, Jeremiah says, “Surely these are the poor,” &c.
1. Their obstinacy in sin was owing to their ignorance—(1.) Of religion; “the way of the Lord.” (2.) Of God’s providences; “the judgments of our God.” Ignorance is still the source of error and sin. (a.) Men misapprehend the nature of God; presume upon His mercy. (b.) Form vague and incorrect views of the salvation of Christ; ignore that it is a “doctrine according to godliness” (Eph_4:18.)
2. Their ignorance was in great measure occasioned by their poverty. (a.) This deprived them of education; uninformed as to principles and religion. (b.) All their thoughts and cares are about their worldly wants. (c.) They absent themselves from God’s house because of poor attire. (d.) They associate with persons like-circumstanced and like-minded, who encourage one another in neglect of religion; and, (e.) They thereby lose all self-respect, sin impudently and “glory in their shame.” Yet their ignorance was culpable; they lived in a land of light, had more advantages than the rest of the world. So with the poor in Britain, who yet live in a most stupid and lamentable ignorance as to God, their souls, and eternity.
II. The character of the great as here described. Not only men of honourable birth, large fortunes and considerable learning; but those of easy circumstances, educated, having capacity and leisure to learn Divine things.
1. They had a better knowledge of religion than the poor. Their minds cultured; kept from learning the manners of the vulgar; attained a general knowledge of the world; had some knowledge of religion—its theory; they could consequently enter into the prophet’s reasoning and address.
2. They acted as bad as the poor, or worse. Like headstrong, refractory oxen, that struggle and break the yoke. Men should submit to the restraints of reason and conscience, to the authority and law of God. But though light was in their understandings, their wills were perverse and affections misplaced. They would not submit to prophets’ reproofs, offered violence to reason and conscience, “broke the bands of the Lord asunder” (Psa_2:5).
3. Their conduct was chiefly owing to their greatness. (a.) Lifted up with pride, they resented admonition. (b.) They think religion is only to restrain the vulgar, not to bind those in rank. (c.) They shrink from showing reverence for God and being exact in religious observances. (d.) Worldly things have mischievous influence upon their hearts. (e.) Flattered by others, they forget or but formally pay homage to the Most High. (f.) They mind earthly things, neglecting the culture and interests of the soul.
Christ met chief opposition from the great, learned, and rich men.
Application: 1. Learn what is the most important and profitable knowledge. 2. The advantages of being placed in the middle condition of life (Pro_30:8). 3. What an excellent charity it is to furnish the poor with the means of knowledge. Let “the poor” know that to be wilfully ignorant is an inexcusable crime. And “the great” that they “have no cloak for their sin,” if they allow their wealth to fortify themselves against God’s truth and calls. “The rich and poor meet together” at death: “the small and great” shall stand before the bar of Christ in judgment.—Rev. Job Orton, A.D. 1775, Abstract.
Jer_5:7. Theme: IMPOSSIBILITY OF PARDON.
Can it be? Is it in accordance with God’s dealings with man? (Comp. Isa_1:18; Mic_7:18.)
I. Pardon is possible to chiefest sinners.
II. Yet only on the terms of repentance and return to God.
III. But, by “forsaking Him,” men forsake all possibility of salvation.
“When I fed them to the full,” &c. (See Literary Criticisms on verse; also Addenda to chap, 5, Jer_5:7.)
Jer_5:9. Theme: AN OUTRAGED AND AVENGING GOD (See Literary Criticisms on Jer_5:7, “I fed them to the full.”)
God had bound them in oath to allegiance; yet they violated their spiritual relationship by abandoning themselves to idols; and, in following the defiling indulgences of idolatrous orgies, they had repudiated God’s laws which they covenauted, at Sinai and under Josiah’s reformation, to keep (Exo_24:3; Exo_24:7; 2Ki_23:3); and thus violated the sanctity of social relationship.
I. By evil deeds of men God is outraged.
II. For evil deeds of men God will be avenged. “The harlots’ houses” are preferentially and metaphorically, if not exclusively, idol temples; but the charge glides from this religious sense, viz., spiritual inconstancy to God, into the physical sense, viz., carnal uncleanness among themselves; for prostitution formed part of idolatrous worship.
Jer_5:10. Theme: A COMMISSION TO DESTROY.
How alien it is to the Divine heart to destroy is clear from Eze_18:31-32; Joh_3:16. And Zion was God’s beloved city, dear to His eye (Psalms 48). Yet, though slow to anger, averse from destroying, and tender towards Jerusalem, the edict goes forth. God summons the foe to waste and destroy the Holy City, and those who dwelt therein.
I. The scene depicted. A vineyard enclosed by walls (see Lit. Crit. on verse); the enemy scales them; his swords ruthlessly cut off branches, shoots, down to the very root-stem, but there his destructive work ends. Its meaning: Judah, a noble vine (Jer_2:21), but its outgrowth had deteriorated, yielding now only sour and poisonous grapes (Deu_34:2-3). All these sinful descendants of the stock of David should perish, but the race must not become extinct.
II. The destruction commanded. Judea is God’s vineyard (Isa_5:1-7); none could enter except He permitted. But He calls the invader, and commissions him to use his weapon freely. What a lamentable case for that people! Not only had God withdrawn His care—a negative calamity, but He summoned the enemy to destroy—a positive calamity.
III. The reservation enjoined. The wilful destroyer was not free: limits were imposed. Our enemies are not omnipotent. God’s will rules the issues of war: His mercy limits the ravages of justice. The Jews must not be exterminated; for the promise must stand (Lev_26:44).
IV. The explanation furnished. This overthrow, this abandonment of God’s people to an imperious, impious foe, is startling,—requires explanation: given, “They are not the Lord’s.” Yet they were outgrowths of the stock of David. 1. Ancestral privileges may be forfeited. 2. Descendants do not always retain the same piety which distinguished their forefathers. 3. Consequently the covenant of promise is annihilated. Every man stands out singly responsible to God; he cannot escape the punishment of his own sin by any ancestral relationships. The children of best of parents may come to ruin.
Jer_5:11. (See chap. Jer_3:20.) Though Judah and Israel were at variance with each other, they agreed in wronging the Lord, who had given them all the national blessings, victories and honours they ever knew. Israel had reaped the bitter fruits: O that Judah would be forewarned! Otherwise, they would be united in misery. Alike faithless, a like fate.
Jer_5:12-13. Theme: ALIENATION, THE ROAD TO ATHEISM. “They have belied the Lord,” i.e., denied Him, Either: 1. Denied that God was such as Jeremiah described,—a punisher of evildoers; or, 2. Denied that the coming disasters were in any sense God’s doing,—He has nothing to do with it, they come apart from Him; or, 3. Denied the existence of Jehovah as God, as their God,—repudiated Him, wanted to hear nothing of or from Him.
I. Moral degeneracy produces mental obscurity. Sin deadens the sensibility, excludes God from thought, until practical indifference and defiance of Him rule the life. Easy and natural, when we dislike God, to ignore Him and revolt from F is claims.
II. Mental obscurity issues in spiritual darkness. Conscience seared, past feeling, desiring not the knowledge of God’s ways, till “the fool says in his heart, There is no God.” And “the god of this world blinds the minds of them that believe not.”
Theme: OBSTINATE UNBELIEF. i. Its nature. It denies God, and therefore despises (a.) God’s Word, (b.) God’s messengers. ii. Its punishment. The tables are turned. (a.) The unbeliever, before fire, now becomes wood. (b.) The Word of God, before regarded as Wood, becomes fire.—Naeg.
“The Word is not in them,” rather speaker is not, &c. It is not a noun, but a verb with the article instead of the possessive pronoun; so that literally it means, And he who speaketh is not in them, i.e., there is no one who speaketh in them,—what the prophets say has no higher authority than themselves.—Speaker’s Com.
Jer_5:14. Theme: GOD’S METHOD OF CONFUTING UNBELIEF. (Addenda, Jer_5:14, “My words shall devour them.”)
i. Withering the intellectual vanity in the unbeliever: giving to His Word a fiery penetrating power, consuming his pride, confidence, and hopes. It may be as a “fire in his bones,” destroying all peace, ravaging his conscience and heart with burning terrors.
ii. Fulfilling His Word upon the unbeliever: he finds out its truth by experiencing the doom it threatened: the fire of Divine anger descends upon him.
Note: Unbelief must and will be consumed with fire. Happy he in whom it is consumed in this life by God’s Word; but, failing this, it will be consumed in the life to come by God’s wrath. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all them that forget God.”
Jer_5:15-17. Theme: WRATHFUL AGENTS OF DESTRUCTION.
God can summon them: historically He has done so; prophetically He will. This “day of salvation” intervenes. “For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” Yet 2Th_1:7-10. In the past He used the armies of earth; in the future He will use the “armies of heaven.” “Mighty” were the Chaldeans (Jer_5:15): He will come with “mighty angels” (comp. Rev_10:1; Rev_18:21; Psa_103:20); agents of Divine wrath (Rev_16:1; 2Th_1:8; 2Ki_20:15).
I. Unmeasured resources of Divine justice. Jews knew nothing of Chaldeans (Jer_5:15); we cannot penetrate the unknown realms, or measure the might and terrors of God’s ministers (Mat_26:53).
II. Pitiable insecurity of transgressors. They make “defences,” and trust in them (Jer_5:17); but what can shut away affliction, death, the judgment?
III. Merciful interval of propitiation. Why forewarned? That we may “flee from the wrath to come” (Heb_6:18).
Jer_5:18. Theme: A LIMIT TO JUST JUDGMENTS. Light gleams beyond the dreadful vision. Would that a word as definite could anywhere be found to encourage hope after the great judgment of the world! How contrasted with this promise for Judah are the deliberate, multiform, and emphasized threatenings of the New Testament as to the eternal fate of the rebel soul!
Jer_5:19. Theme: GOD’S EXPLANATION OF MAN’S SPIRITUAL MISERIES. The bewildering inquiry is ever rising, Why is humanity spiritually enslaved and banished? Why under alien tyranny? Why outlawed from the promised land? God answers all: Man makes his own misery; seeks his own enslavement; forfeits his rightful inheritance. And this, not because God has made man subject to sin, but despite God’s remedies for man’s redemption from sin. He forges his own chains, and procures his own banishment.
I. Wilful self-destruction.
1. Desertion of our only Saviour. For God was Judah’s Saviour (Isa_45:21). Even as revealed in Jesus and on Calvary, men “despise the Lord that bought them.”
2. Deliberate enslavement to alien gods. Admitted “strange gods” to Jehovah’s territory; then “served them.” This is voluntary slavery (Rom_6:16; 2Pe_2:19). “Thou has destroyed thyself.”
II. Retribution in kind. “Answer them, Like as,” &c. The penalty corresponds to the sin. 1. Forsaken. They having “forsaken” God, would be “forsaken” by God; left to the enemy and to exile. 2. Serve strangers. They had preferred strangers, foreign gods, and voluntarily bowed to them; they should perforce serve strangers, foreign rulers, and know the bitterness of alien tyranny. 3. In a land not theirs. They had introduced these strange gods into a land which was not theirs, but Jehovah’s; they should be carried into a land not theirs, slaves into captivity.
Serve the spiritual usurper, rejecting Christ, you shall be “led captive at his will” into grievous exile, “a land not yours,” but “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Deu_28:47-48).
Jer_5:21. Theme: INDIFFERENCE. An evil ruinous to the soul: indifference to true and saving religion. How it prevails! Text exhibits it.
I. What God has done to produce pious consideration.
1. He has given powers of mind adapted to it. “Eyes,” to see, discern, read, &c. “Ears,” to hearken, messengers of truth. “Understanding,” to know, weigh, reflect, &c.
2. He has given us the means to answer to these powers. His Word; His servants; His providence, &c. So men are excuseless.
3. His Holy Spirit to strive, convince, &c.
II. The indifference men often exhibit.
1. The indifference of some is total, without any concern. Like stocks and stones.
2. Others are considerate only of the externals of religion. They hear and see and attend, &c., to the outward, and that only.
3. The consideration of some is only to the intellectual parts of the truth. A mental study; philosophical attention; such as they give to literature.
4. The consideration of others is occasional. Under very arousing discourses, providences, sickness, bereavements, &c.
III. The consequences of this indifference.
1. It is extreemly “foolish.” Moral insanity: opposite of wisdom and prudence.
2. Detrimental to the soul. Makes it “blind,” “deaf;” robbing it of spiritual food and enjoyment; degrading it.
3. Specially offensive to God. Infatuated rebellion; ingratitude.
4. Must end in the soul’s ruin. Now is the period of soul’s probation. No moral fitness without devout consideration.
Application. 1. Examine and test yourselves. 2. Seek the quickening influences of the Divine Spirit. 3. Be resolved and wise now, lest perish.—Rev. Jabes Burns, D.D.
Jer_5:20-24. Theme: PERSUASIVES TO THE FEAR OF GOD. The prophet having reproved their sin and threatened God’s judgments, is sent on another errand which he must “publish in Judah,”—to persuade them to fear God. This would be an effectual principle in their reformation, as its absence explained their apostasy.
I. He complains of the shameful stupidity of this people. 1. Their understandings were darkened. They possessed intellectual faculties and capacities, but did not employ and improve them (Jer_5:21). Note: We cannot judge men by the advantages and opportunities they enjoy: sit in darkness in land of light; live in sin in holy land; bad in best of places. 2. Their wills were stubborn; not submit to rules of Divine law (Jer_5:23). Observe: The revolting heart is a rebellious one: those who withdraw from their allegiance to God do not stop there, but, by siding with Satan, take up arms against Him.
II. He ascribes this to the want of the fear of God. 1. Their being without understanding (Jer_5:21) he accounts for by this absence of fear (Jer_5:22). If you keep up awe of God, you would be more observant of what He says. 2. Their rebellion and revolt (Jer_5:23) he explains likewise (Jer_5:24). They did not encourage the “fear of the Lord,” hence apostasy. Because we neglect to stir up our hearts to holy awe of God, we are so apt to rebel.
III. He suggests some things proper to possess us with a holy fear of God.
1. We must fear the Lord and His greatness. (Jer_5:22). Shall we not “tremble at His presence,” be afraid of affronting or trifling with Him who, in nature and providence, gives such incontestable proofs of almighty power and sovereign dominion? He keeps and manages the sea! (1.) By this we see His universal sovereignty; therefore to be had in reverence. (2.) This shows how easily He could drown the world again, by withdrawing His “decree;” therefore we lie continually at His mercy, and should fear to make Him our enemy. (3.) Even the unruly waves obey Him,—neither revolt nor rebel; why then should our hearts? (Jer_5:23).
2. We must fear the Lord and His goodness (Hos_3:5). We must “fear the Lord our God” (Jer_5:24), i.e., worship Him, give Him glory, and keep ourselves in His love. (1.) Because He is always doing us good. (2.) Because these blessings are consequent upon His promise (Gen_8:22). 3. Because we have such a necessary dependence upon Him. The fruitful seasons rendered the heathen inexcusable in their contempt of Him (Act_14:17), yet the Jews were not wrought upon to fear Him, though it appears how much it is our interest to do so.—M. Henry. (Addenda, Jer_5:22, “Sand for bound of the sea.”)
On the fear of God. i. Motives from without. 1. God’s displays of power (Jer_5:22; Jer_5:24). 2. God’s displays of grace. ii. Inner conditions. 1. That we open our eyes and ears (Jer_5:21.) 2. That we allow ourselves to be impelled by what we see and hear (Jer_5:23).—Naeg. in Lange. (Addenda, Jer_5:23. “Revolting heart.”)
“Neither does God’s power move the obdurate people to the fear of Him, nor do the proofs of His love make any impression.”—Keil.
“This is a glorious discovery of the omnipotence and majesty of God. But that men are so secure, and think not of Him who allows them to live so securely, this is indeed an insane business.”—Zinzendorf, quoted in Lange.
“They had the power of perception, and were responsible for the exercise of it”—Henderson.
“The sea, the mightiest of God’s works, cannot prevail, cannot break His laws, because God has not endowed it with free-will. Man, physically impotent, can prevail, because, being made in God’s image, he is free.”—Speaker’s Com.
“The appeal to God’s care for man (Jer_5:24), offers proof which addresses itself chiefly to the thoughtful; hence he says, ‘in their heart.’ By the intelligent study of God’s dealings, men perceive that they are not merely acts of power, but also of love.”—Ibid. (Addenda, Jer_5:22, “Tremble at my presence, which made the sea.”)
Jer_5:22-24. Theme: ADORATION OF GOD IN NATURE.
This the end of all the privileges with which Israel had been crowned from one generation to another! they had a revolting and rebellious heart. And as was the heart, so the life,—revolted and gone from their God and Father. There was to them no Lord of heaven and earth to fear for His power or love for His goodness.
i. The more blessings they enjoyed, the more thankful they should have been. Yet it seems that the more gracious our Heavenly Father, the more thoughtless are His children; the more boundless His love, the more resolute man’s ingratitude.
ii. Having rejected God spiritually, He yet continued to manifest Himself to them in nature. They absolutely refused Him as the object of soul-homage and love; would have no God but idols, no king but their own wild will. Either He must altogether hide Himself, or reveal Himself no longer in grace, but in nature.
iii. Gratitude to God for the fruits of the seasons is a common ground on which to argue effectually even with the darkest heathen. Thus Paul at Lystra (Act_14:15-17). No one except those who “say in their hearts there is no God,” doubt God’s gifts in nature’s bounties.
iv. The heathen are denied excuse for their ignorance and idolatry, because of the marks of God’s love and power in the world around them (Rom_1:20-21).
v. Yet the heathen, in outward forms at least, surpassed Jews and Christians. Though they “felt after God” rather than reached Him, the great multitude of the heathen never denied God in His gifts. They made offerings and sacrifices in acknowledgment of harvest, and sang thanksgivings to their gods. It wanted but a little more knowledge for them to join in David’s song (Psa_65:9-13).
vi. There was, then, great sin on the part of Israel when, even as natural men, they ignored the mercies of God’s ordinary providence, and were not softened and converted by His unmerited goodness (Jer_5:24).
vii. A bounteous season ought to awaken love and thankfulness to God. Yet this is not the feeling of all who bear the name of Christ. Peculiar to Christians to be ashamed of confessing God as the Orderer and Giver of all things. Where heathen and Mahometans would have a manly pleasure, as a matter of course, in acknowledging the heavenly Giver, Christians falter.
viii. God is exceedingly jealous of the honour due unto His name. He plagued guilty and thankless nations. He may do the same to us (Deu_11:13-17; Deu_8:10-18). Bethink that this God might call a man away in the midst of his thanklessness and unbelief! What measureless woe filled the heart of the Son of God as He thought of the curse upon sin and sinners,—self-condemned, by the hardness of their hearts, to the dwelling-place of the thankless and wicked!
ix. The eye is blind to God in natural wonders, and the ear deaf amid His works, because the heart has not embraced Him in the Gospel of His Son. We refuse to bless the Creator because we have no portion in the Redeemer. Come to Him before you are removed from the world of nature and of grace.—Arranged from Sermons by Rev. J. Garbett. (Addenda, Jer_5:24, “God, that giveth rain.”)
Jer_5:26. Theme: WICKED PROFESSORS THE BANE OF THE CHURCH.
Men as atrociously wicked might be found among the people of Jehovah as among the worst of the Gentiles. They were guilty of overreaching and defrauding one another, and thus their houses were replenished with the gains of deceit. Thus in every age: thus now.
The Church in glory is pure, undefiled; not so on earth. No society of Christians is endued with the spirit of infallibility; hence tares grow with wheat.
I. God has a people on earth. “My people” (comp. Isa_63:7-9; Rom_9:23-26). 1. His creation (Isa_43:21). 2. Called by Him, “from darkness to light.” 3. Privileged people; pardoned, regenerated, adopted. (Comp. also Rom_2:28-29; Php_3:3; 1Pe_2:9)
II. In the Church there is an unhappy admixture of “wicked men.” This truth illustrated in Lord’s parables—of ten virgins, tares and wheat, net cast into sea.
God’s people are not sinless, yet not allowedly “wicked” (Job_10:7; Job_10:15). A real Christian is anxious to be right (Psa_139:23). Yet among them “wicked men” are found. This applies—
1. To those religious establishments whose constitution and discipline offer no restraints to the admission of such characters. The gate is not strait, but wide. Baptismal regeneration of infants necessitates a lax admission to communion, &c.
2. The description is applicable to mere hearers of the Gospel. They are among God’s people (Eze_33:31). Gospel preached to them in vain; Holy Ghost resisted; neglect great salvation. Is not this wicked?
3. Applicable to those who have entered the Church without real conversion. “Walk according to the course of this world, and are by nature children of wrath.” Such in our religious assemblages. None in heaven.
(1.) Some professors are secretly wicked (Tit_1:16; 1Ti_5:6). As Achan in camp of Israel, Judas among the twelve, Ananias at Jerusalem, Simon Magus in Samaria, Jezebel at Thyatira: such in all churches of saints.
(2.) Some professors are deceivers; hypocrites impose on others, and also on themselves. Say “The temple of the Lord are we,” but are of the synagogue of Satan (Joh_8:54; Rev_2:2; Rev_2:9).
4. Applicable to those wilfully inactive in the Church. They belie their profession. Where is their zeal? &c.
5. Applicable to those who interrupt the peace and harmony of the Church.
Some have entered through the gate of human excitement, of creature passion, of filthy lucre, of ambition.
III. This mixture of the wicked with the godly is a fact. “Are found,” &c. By whom are they discovered?
1. Frequently by themselves (1Jn_2:19).
2. Persecution has, and so has temptation.
3. By Christians, to whom their unholy course, &c., is a grief.
4. They are found by God (Rev_3:18; Rev_3:22). Odious to Him.
5. Some will not be found till the day of judgment (Mat_3:12; Mat_13:28-30).
IV. The injurious influence of the conduct of such professors.
1. They bring reproach upon religion (Rom_2:24).
2. The hearts of the godly are grieved and their hands weakened (Jos_7:12; Jos_7:25; 1Jn_2:7; Php_3:18).
3. The Church is in danger of being injured by them (Hos_5:3). A little leaven will leaven the lump (1Co_5:6-8; Gal_5:9-10).
4. It frequently prevents accessions to the Church.
5. The guilt of such persons is highly aggravated, and their punishment will be awful. “Many stripes” (Isa_5:5; Hos_10:1; Mat_11:21).
Application: 1. Self-examination. “Lord, is it I?” 2. That may be a true Church though disorderly persons are found in it. 3. How little is a mere profession of religion to be trusted in or boasted of. The goat, though folded among the sheep, is a goat still, and must finally be separated from the flock (Mat_25:32-33).—Helps for the Pulpit.
Jer_5:26-29. Theme: DECEITS OF THE WICKED.
God retains His claim: “My people.” Sees the snares (Jer_5:26) and miseries (Jer_5:28) they endure. Estimates the evil influences to which they are exposed (Jer_5:26), and the calamities wrought by the wicked (Jer_5:27).
I. Wickedness forces itself into every society. The Church, the home.
1. By hypocritical pretensions. 2. For predacious ends. The “wicked” are active, deceptive, plotting.
II. Wickedness is intent on human ruin (Joh_8:41; Joh_8:44).
1. Angry at goodness. 2. Reckless in mischief. 3. Envious of happiness. 4. Greedy of gain. Alas! “men” are the spoiler’s prey.
III. Wickedness can boast appalling success (Jer_5:27).
1. Evil devices prosper. 2. Evildoers aggrandise themselves. Fill their “houses” with the gains of ungodliness: alas! fill the abode of doom with decoyed and destroyed souls.
IV. Wickedness thrives by utter heartlessness (Jer_5:28; Isa_32:17). Even “the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” 1. The man who will wrong God will not scruple to wrong his fellows. 2. Mournful when the wicked are in great power. 3. How contrasted the treatment of the poor and oppressed by Christ (Psa_72:12-14). 4. What need to pray and work that “the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end.”
V. Wickedness ensures God’s sure revenge (Jer_5:29). God will: 1. Avenge His insulted honour. 2. His outraged laws. 3. The suffering victims. 4. The spoliation of His heritage. Oh, the doom of him on whom lies the blood of murdered souls! (Addenda, Jer_5:26, “They set a trap;” Jer_5:27, “Retribution in kind.”)
Jer_5:30-31. A CRY OF WARNING IN A PERIOD OF UNIVERSAL APOSTASY.
i. The condition of the people is shocking and abominable: for (a.) The leaders of the people mislead them. (b.) The people wish to be misled, ii. The consequences correspond to the guilt (comp. Jer_5:25; Jer_5:14; Jer_5:16).—Naeg.
“My people love to have it so.” It is criterion of false teaching that it lightens the yoke of God’s law, removes His fear from the conscience, and leaves man to his own nature; and with this man is only too ready to be content.—Speaker’s Com.
“The credulous confidence of the ignorant has in all ages been at the command of an interested priesthood.”—Hend.
“It appears clear from various parts of the Old Testament, that a great number of persons pretending to prophecy arose among the Hebrews, by whom the exertions of the true prophets were greatly counteracted, and the ruin of the nation accelerated.”—Ibid.
“Like sought, like found. The people wish to have false preachers, and get them, and a blind man leads the blind, until both fall into the ditch (Luk_6:39).”—Cramer.
The fatal consequences. Consider:
i. What reckoning would be for their wickedness (Jer_5:29). Sometimes mercy rejoices against judgment; How shall I give thee up? Here judgment is reasoning against mercy; Shall I not visit? It denotes:
1. The certainty and necessity of God’s judgments. Vengeance must come.
2. The justice and equity of God’s judgments. He appeals to the sinner’s own conscience. Do not such guilty abominations merit punishment.
ii. What was the direct tendency of their wickedness (Jer_5:31), i.e.—
1. What a pitch of wickedness you will come to at last! “What will you do?” What will this grow to? Worse and worse.
2. What a pit of destruction you will come to at last! Nothing can be expected but a deluge of wrath from God.
Note: Those who walk in bad ways would do well to consider the tendency of them both to greater sin and utter ruin.—M. Henry.
Theme: THE DISMAL OUTLOOK. Text: “What will you do in the end thereof?” A troublesome question, ghastly in its subtle suggestiveness. Lifts veil of imagination on dark outlook. Vague horrors. There is something beyond the immediate present. That beyond is solemn and dreadful enough to dwarf the consideration of the present. Man has a future. Life goes on to stupendous issues. All things verge to a crisis. “What will you do in the end thereof?”
I. That wicked courses come to an “end.” The book of human history will close. Angel swear, “Time shall be no more?” The Archangel’s trump will sound. Every life must be reckoned.
1. The interval may be delusively pleasant.
2. Men may dream away life in heedlessness.
3. The inevitable close comes on. Death. Judgment.
II. The in “the end” wicked courses are calamitous. Boat in the current over the rapids. Spendthrift comes to penury. Prodigality leads to squandered health and “husks.”
1. The terror of a defenceless soul. “What do?”
2. The urgency of preparation. “Do” something now.
3. The value of a good hope. Need to do nothing but hide in Christ. How blessed to feel sure (2Ti_1:12).
III. That in the calamitous “end” the wicked will have no refuge or plea. “What will you do?” Having “neglected great salvation;” alienated infinite love; despised and offended Jesus; lost your sole interval of escape?
1. Utter dismay (Isa_2:19; Rev_6:16).
2. Utterly defenceless. Deserted by all human comforters; every false hope gone; and the sinner’s Friend your avenging Judge. Not a plea left you to excuse or extenuate your guilt.
IV. That without a refuge or plea “the end” of all is irremediable ruin (Jer_5:29). (Addenda, Jer_5:31. “What do in the end?”)
1. Use the auspicious present. 2. Forsake evil and live. 3. Flee for refuge to the hope set before you in the Gospel.
NOTICEABLE TOPICS IN CHAPTER 5
Topic: HARVEST SERMON. Text: “Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest” (Jer_5:24).
Three lamentable habits and attitudes of thought:
1. Readiness to see the worst side of God’s natural providences. “He giveth rain;” untimely, insufficient, or excessive.
2. Bowing the God of nature out of all active management of His own world. A delusion to suppose weather, rains, and fine “weeks of harvest” are regulated by special providence. God is above such affairs: so say not, “Let us fear, Lord,” &c.
3. Ignoring the fact that human conduct affects God’s providential dispensations (Jer_5:25). There is a continual administration of judgment going on in this life, admonitory of the final.
I. The benignant order of natural providences. “Early rain,” and “latter; but rain “reserved” during “weeks of harvest.” Without “early,” seed not germinate; if “latter” not come, grain dried and withered prematurely; then ripening suns.
1. Each aspect of nature is welcomed in its season. God rolls the seasons found, and every change is beneficent and congenial. So in the ages of man: childhood lovely, youth winning, mature have grace, snowy age majestic. But these are only welcomed in their season. “Snow in harvest” not welcomed; ruinous. So childishness in manhood, &c. “In season.”
2. The certain revolution of the seasons. Every year appointed times come round. Cannot alter; cannot hasten spring, nor delay winter. So seasons of life. (1.) Seasons cannot be hurried. Youth must bear its yoke, manhood its toils; reaping and rest cannot be forestalled. “Race not to swift,” &c. (2.) Seasons cannot be delayed. Winter refuses to pause. Youth not long with the young: age comes on; or, what is oftener than age, death.
Let not seasons pass unused, lest “weeks of harvest” bring no ingathering.
II. An interval reserved for harvest ingathering. God kept these “weeks” from intrusion of unseasonable weather, and “rain.”
1. The reaping season has a fixed duration: “weeks.” Soon gone. Squander golden opportunity: “past!” “What hands do, with might.” All gracious seasons are brief. Therefore reapers ply with industry. Men, wise in worldly concerns, take heed that fine opportunities not squandered. Right; God sends favourable times, when, if equal to occasion, reap large gains. Make most of every good occasion in life. Special opportunities of grace: “Work while day.” Gather in while you may, fruits of Spirit, bounties of Divine love, blessings of redemption.
2. The work of harvest ingathering. Fields laden, swept with scythe, crops garnered. Some will complain, dissatisfied with results: so ever. Fear many will be surprised at results of life, when “reap what sown.” None expect a bad end or adverse judgment before God. Strange infatuation! Madness to “sow to flesh” and expect other than “corruption.” Bitter the ingathering of lost hopes and ruined joys! But glad the ingathering of the Christian; joyous the harvest.
3. The Divine law of multiplying. From handfuls come “harvest.” “Thirty, sixty, a hundred.” “Heap up treasures.” Sow wind, reap whirlwind. Live benignly and devoutly, “receive into everlasting habitations.” Same in quality, but increased in quantity. Think on this immeasurable and eternal reaping of the issues of life! Ingathering will come, for God hath “reserved weeks.”
III. Man’s becoming response to God’s gracious bestowments. “Let us now fear the Lord.”
1. With discerning adoration, let us receive God’s favours. “Bless the Lord, and forget not benefits.” “What render unto the Lord?”
2. With diligent promptitude let us use the auspicious seasons God sends. Turn “weeks” to account; waste them not for “more convenient season.” Wise husbandman works eagerly to. “fill his barns.” Make your hearts garners of spiritual peace and joy.
3. With devoutest service let us show our “fear of the Lord.” The harvest-song God loves, but the harvest-fruits He requires. Lay on His altar life and love. “I beseech you by mercies of Lord, present your bodies living sacrifice,” &c.—(Addenda, Jer_5:24, “God recognised in the harvest.”)
ADDENDA TO CHAPTER 5 ILLUSTRATIONS AND SUGGESTIVE EXTRACTS
Jer_5:1. “Streets of Jerusalem.” In ancient times the streets of Jerusalem seemed to have names. (They have none now.) Several are mentioned: “East Street” (2Ch_29:4), “Street of the house of God” (Ezr_10:9), “Water-gate Street” (Neh_8:1; Neh_8:3), “Ephraim-Gate Street” (Neh_8:16), Bakers’ Street” (Jer_37:21).
The number of the “streets” was great (Jer_11:13). Jeremiah makes frequent allusion to the “streets of Jerusalem” (Jer_5:1; Jer_7:17; Jer_7:34; Jer_9:21; Jer_11:6; Jer_11:13; Jer_14:16; Jer_33:10; Jer_44:6; Jer_44:9; Jer_44:21). He was distinctively the prophet of the thoroughfares; and this because the “broad places and streets” were scenes of idolatry, altars and idols being erected therein.
“Seek, if ye can find a man.” Diogenes, the cynic, having lighted a lamp, ranged the streets peering about as if searching for something. Being asked what he looked for, he answered, “A man;” or, as is usually recorded, “An honest man!” But the words in Laertius are ἄνθρωπον ζητῶ, “I seek a man.” He sought not alone a man with honesty and truth in his character, but a MAN in whom all right and noble qualities were combined. He constantly reviled the society of Greece with its lack of manhood.
“The host of Nola being bid to summon the good men of the town to appear before the Roman censor, gat him to the churchyard, and there called at the graves of the dead; for he knew not where to call for a good man alive.”—Trapp.
One true man would avert the coming woe. “Ghislerus reminds us of a story which Pliny relates of King Demetrius, who retired from the city of Rhodium because he could not take it on its only accessible side without destroying some celebrated paintings of Protogenes.”—Lange. This one man’s merits saved the city.
“When the good man mends his armour,
And trims his helmet’s plume,
When the good wife’s shuttle merrily
Goes flashing through the loom,
With weeping and with laughter
Still is the story told
How well Horatius kept the bridge.
In the brave days of old.”
—Lays of Ancient Rome.
Jer_5:4. Ignorance and irreligion. Ignorance of the price of pearls makes the idiot slight them. Ignorance of the worth of diamonds makes the fool choose a pebble before them. Ignorance of the satisfaction learning affords makes the peasant despise it. So with religion.—Anthony Horneck.
Jer_5:7. “When I fed them to the full,” &c. Fulness in good men often breeds forgetfulness, and in bad men filthiness. Gula vestibulum luxuriœ—gluttony is the gallery that incontinency walketh through. The Israelites ate and drank, and rose up to play, scil., with their Midianitish mistresses. Fulness of bread made way to Sodom’s sin. Lunatics, when the moon is declining and in the wane, are sober enough; but when full, more wild and exorbitant.—Trapp.
Jer_5:14. “My words shall devour them.” “Though men were hard as rocks, the Word is a hammer which can break them; though as sharp as briers and thorns, the Word is a fire which can devour and torment them.”—Bishop Reynolds.
An infidel said, “There is one thing that mars all the pleasure of my life.” “Indeed!” replied his friend; “what is that?” He answered, “I am afraid the Bible is true. If I could know for certain that death is an eternal sleep, my joy would be complete. But here is the thorn that stings me, the sword that pierces to my very soul: if the Bible is true, I am lost for ever.”
Jer_5:22. “Tremble at my presence, which have made the sea?”
“Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty’s form
Glasses itself in tempests; in all time,
Calm or convulsed,—in breeze, or gale, or storm,
Icing the pole, or in the torrid olime
Dark heaving, boundless, eternal, and sublime—
The image of eternity, the throne Of the Invisible.”
—BYRON.
“In contemplation of created things
By steps we may ascend to God.”
—MILTON.
“Sand for the bound of the sea.” Modern science has shown that the resisting power of sand is enormous. By the mechanical laws which govern it, the shock of a blow is distributed laterally, and produces little effect. An egg buried a few inches deep in the sand would not be broken by heavy blows falling upon the surface. And so a wave which would shatter rocks falls powerless upon sand.—Dr. Payne Smith.
Jer_5:23. “Revolting heart.” The forcible and true meaning of the word “revolt” has become obscured. It suggests affections which had been drawn back from God through dislike of His claims; then followed active resistance,” rebellion.”
Jer_5:24. God recognised in the harvest. Dr. Guthrie tells us, that as a traveller in a lonely district drew near to a cottage, he heard a man exclaiming, “Thanks be to God for this and Christ!” So earnest was the tone of the speaker, that the traveller ventured to go in to see what the gift was that called forth such thanksgiving. It was but a crust of bread, on which the poor occupant of that cottage was about to make his mid-day meal. To the devout old man a crust and Christ was something to thank God for. How much more it behoves us, when the valleys are covered with corn, and when the fruits of the earth are safely stored in the garner, to lift up our hands and our hearts unto God, and say, “Thanks be unto God for all this and Christ!”—Rev. R. A. Bertram.
“God, that giveth rain.” The vast reservoir of the ocean provided for the supply of vapour; the laws which cause these vapours to rise and float in the air; the winds which waft them to the land; the attraction there exercised upon them by trees, mountains, &c.; the currents of air moving in different directions, which, by their differences of temperature cause the vapour to condense and be deposited in drops; the laws of congelation, which store up part of the winter excess in the shape of snow and ice upon the mountains for summer use; the diversified strata of the earth, which store up another portion, causing it in some places to break forth in springs, in others keeping it out of the reach of evaporation, but available for man’s use by the digging of wells: all these complicated arrangements show such a thoughtful care for the supply of one of the first necessaries of human life, that those capable of understanding them ought to say in their hearts, “Let us fear the Lord.”—Speaker’s Com.
Jer_5:26. “They set a trap; they catch men.”
“Proud Nimrod first the bloody chase began,
A mighty hunter—and his prey was man.”
—POPE.
Plans adopted for catching birds. 1. Trap; the usual method (Job_18:9; Ecc_9:12; Pro_7:23); made of two parts—a net stretched over a frame, a stick supporting it, so placed as to give way with the least touch (Amo_3:5, “gin;” Psa_69:22, “trap”). 2. Snare; was a cord (Job_18:10, cf. Psa_18:5; Psa_116:3; Psa_140:5) so placed as to catch a bird by the leg. 3. Decoy; (Jer_5:26-27), a cage filled with birds, the door being kept open by stick (or cord), which suddenly closed on the entrance of any bird.
Hunting, with its snares, may remind us of that mighty hunter, Satan, and his devices. Decoys, snares for the unwary. Hence the duty of watchfulness. “In vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird” (Pro_1:17).—J. Comper Grey, “Topics.”
Jer_5:27. “Retribution in kind.” “They that will be rich fall into a snare” (1Ti_6:9). “Thou fool! this night thy soul is required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God” (Luk_12:20-21).
Jer_5:31, “What do in the end?” On that day, if all your unforgiven sins are against you; if Jesus Christ, wounded and driven back, is against you; if the Holy Ghost is against you, with whom you have striven; if the offended Lord God Almighty is against you; ah! coming as you are, into that day, you must perish. It will be too late to pray then. Even the granite rocks will fall the other way as you pray to them, “Fall on us,” &c.—Talmage.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Sermon Bible 1900 · Public Domain On v1 The lot of the prophet Jeremiah resembled that of…
Jer 5:1
The lot of the prophet Jeremiah resembled that of most true prophets in that it was sad; but it was, perhaps, exceptionally sad. The age in which he lived was one which, in many particulars, recalls our own; it was an age of crisis, of decaying faith, of change impending and actual. Jeremiah was not naturally a man of strong fibre. Timid, shrinking, sensitive, he was yet placed by God in the foreground of a forlorn hope, in which he was, as it were, predestined to failure and to martyrdom.
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I. In this chapter Jeremiah is striving to bring home to his people that things are not as they should be. The days were evil, alike among high and low; there were carelessness, unbelief, self-seeking, insincerity, and, amid all, men were completely at their ease, they were quite secure that no evil could happen to them. Jeremiah thought differently; he knew that greed, falsity, unreality, corruption cannot last. They may be long-lived, but doomsday comes to them in the end.
II. No one will understand the Hebrew prophets who does not feel that they are not uttering vulgar, material oracles, but impassioned, imaginative, metaphorical appeals to eternal principles. The first step in understanding them consists in knowing that they were mainly forthtellers, not foretellers; mainly moral teachers, not predicting seers. The certain doom of sin, the sure hope of a Saviour—these are the two simple and awful principles which, on page after page, they set forth with so inspired a force.
III. A sneer has been made on the very name of the prophet of whom we are speaking, and the world thinks it has effectually depreciated any warning about present danger or future peril when it has called it a Jeremiah. Neither the world nor the Church can tolerate a prophet until they have killed him. One thing only can support him, and that is faith. He must see things as they are, see them steadily, and see them whole. For truth and faith the prophet will face death; he will gladly take his place by the side of God’s victors, who have been earth’s defeated. All men may hate him for Christ’s sake, but he will be content.
F. W. Farrar, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxiii., p. 161.
I. In the search for a man—look out, in the first place, for one who has a conscience. A true man will aim at having his conscience so healthily active, so acutely, yet not morbidly, sensitive, that it shall not be misled by any specious reasoning, nor deceived by any evil example; but will sharply recoil from what is evil, and sting its possessor if he dare to yield to it.
II. If you are hunting for a man, look out for a being that has a heart. I use the word in its popular sense, and mean a warm, loving, affectionate nature.
III. If you want to find a man, look out for a being who has a soul. I mean that is capable of earnest, serious, solemn thought.
IV. Do not forget to look for a being that has a mind. Our Divine religion is given us, not merely to save souls, but to save man—man in the entirety of that complex life which Christ Himself assumed and redeemed. Do not be afraid that in cultivating your minds you will weaken the foundations of your piety.
V. In your efforts to find a man, you must further seek for a being who possesses a will. The brute is guided by its instincts and passions, it is the glory of man to keep his foot upon his nature, and to hold the reins of appetite with a tight hand.
VI. In your search for a man, look out for one who has a creed and a faith.
J. Thain Davidson, Talks with Young Men, p. 31.
References: Jer 5:1.—G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 146; J. R. Bailey, Contemporary Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 166; W. M. Arthur, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxviii., p. 276; A. W. Momerie, Preaching and Hearing, pp. 197, 209, 222.
Jer 5:2
Commonplace belief in God.
I. Commonplace belief is the assent we give to something which is told us, because we see no reason for thinking the thing untrue in itself, nor yet for calling in question the trustworthiness of the teller; we see no reason why we should deny it; it would imply more interest in the subject than we possess to deny it. We assent to it, and forget all about it the next minute; we have other things to think about, other things to take into consideration, to arrange for, to be anxious about; but it makes no difference to us, whether it be false or true. It neither excites our intellects nor warms our hearts. But let a man believe that the dearest being in all the world is unfaithful to him, and mocks at his fondness when he is absent, and boasts how easily he is duped. Let a beleaguered garrison closed in by ferocious enemies, with food and ammunition spent, at last about to give in and take its grim chance, unable longer to resist—let it for a moment believe that to-morrow help will come, let but the sounds of familiar notes be carried on the breezes to ears growing indifferent and dead, and men will start up, cry, and look strong—wasted and gaunt though be their frames—and beat the drums and shout defiance, till the waiting wolves around them, just ready to spring, are daunted. These are not commonplace beliefs; these are what I will call realistic beliefs.
II. Many of us believe in God in a commonplace way, and because we do so the sensualists around us, who only care to eat and amuse themselves, are right when they say that our belief makes us no better than they are. It is quite possible that to many of us it would matter little if there were no God. We should be neither much better nor much worse. We should do the same work, think about the same things. We should only have to give up our private and family prayers, and perhaps that might almost be a relief. But there cannot be any worth in such a belief. If you do not believe in God as much as you believe in your children, your office, or your horse, how can you think that saying you believe in Him is a virtue which will secure your everlasting salvation?
"First amend, my son,
Thy faulty nomenclature; call belief
Belief indeed, nor grace with such a name
The easy acquiescence of mankind
In matters nowise worth dispute."
W. Page-Roberts, Liberalism in Religion, p. 89.
Jer 5:3
There are many thoughts rolled up in this grand proposition. Perhaps this stands first: That if God is always looking at the truth, then the shortest way and the best, by which we can see truth, is to look as God looks.
I. If God’s eyes are upon the truth, then He looks more upon the true than He looks upon the false in everything. He does so: (1) as respects truth in the world; (2) as regards our actions.
II. If God’s eyes are upon the truth, are they not there for this very purpose, to defend and secure it. Is not then the truth quite safe? Why then are we anxious lest truth should fail in this world? Why do we talk as if truth were a poor, weak, sickly thing, and likely to decay; and its existence very precarious? Is not God the Guardian of truth?
III. Take the thought a step higher. The "truth" is Christ. All religious truth, all moral truth, in its highest aspect, all physical truth, in its first germ, all gathers and centres itself there. Where then are the eyes of God fixed? In Christ He sees His own dear Son; Him in everything, everything in Him. And what does He see there? A world forgiven; a propitiation; the pardon, the restoration, the salvation, the peace, the life, of the whole earth.
IV. Many events which are to be, lie for a long time wrapped up in the mysteries of prophecy. All the while—as much before the fulfilment as afterwards—it is truth to Him to whom all time and all eternity are one ever-present now. The subject of prophecy is a fact; as much a fact as it will be when it comes to pass. And the eyes of the Lord are upon it. That great flight of yet undeveloped truth is soaring on its high way, though man sees it not. The courses of nature—the history of our world—it is all ordained by a Secret Hand to secure that undeveloped "truth." We are only travelling on to the purpose of the Almighty. That purpose is truth.
J. Vaughan, Sermons, 14th series, p. 45.
Jer 5:3
I. Who is the rebel here spoken of? To rebel is properly to renew warfare. In this its original meaning the word "rebel" is applicable to every sinner. The war between man and his God was ended once for all when Christ suffered. Therefore, whosoever sins, also rebels—renews a finished war, and breaks an established reconciliation. The rebel spoken of is, in general terms, a rebel against his God. He is: (1) a rebel against right; (2) a rebel against power; (3) a rebel against love.
II. Observe, as the text and the subject bid us, that even this rebel was not let alone. The hand of God is far-reaching. It is not only in the home of the son, it is not only within the paradise of the upright, it is also over the remote exile, over the wilful wanderer, over the obstinate rebel, that that hand is stretched out still, for correction, for control,—if he will, for blessing. So long as we live, God is dealing with us; we cannot get away from His presence; we cannot really make our escape from His Spirit.
III. Note the use made by the rebellious of the Divine discipline. "Thou hast stricken them, but they have refused to receive correction." The correction is there, not for all only, but for each; only the rebel refuses to receive. (1) He misunderstands them. For a long time he does not connect them at all with the thought of God. (2) And when this cannot be; when the arrow fastens itself too deeply and too unmistakably within to leave doubt of whence it comes; then the misunderstanding of the Author changes into a misunderstanding of the motive. Then the man says, "Not because God loved me and would save, but because He hated and would destroy, is this misery come upon me; let me alone, that I may curse God and die." (3) He who has misunderstood the correction goes on to neutralise it by a slight and superficial treatment.
C. J. Vaughan, Voices of the Prophets, p. 272.
References: Jer 5:3.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxvii., No. 1585; Ibid., My Sermon Notes: Ecclesiastes to Malachi, p. 271. Jer 5:5.—D. Moore, Penny Pulpit, No. 3401. Jer 5:10.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. i., No. 38; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 148; W. M. Punshon, Old Testament Outlines, p. 244. Jer 5:13.—G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 147. Jer 5:14.—Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vi., p. 156. Jer 5:21.—Ibid., vol. iv., p. 206.
Jer 5:21-24
Notice the results of self-will as shown in the text.
I. Self-will in relation to the Divine government destroys the natural capacities and faculties of man.
II. Self-will in relation to the Divine government plunges the soul into irreverence.
III. Self-will dissociates the gifts of nature from the Giver.
Parker, City Temple, vol. ii., p. 246.
References: Jer 5:22.—Homiletic Magazine, vol. xi., p. 201. Jer 5:22-23.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iv., No. 220.
Jer 5:23-24
I. One of our besetting sins is the habit of overlooking God’s hand in the midst of His own works. It is a sin of very old standing in the world, and it has its root in unbelief, because men will not trust God’s word—will not in their hearts believe that He careth for them.
II. Note the practical lessons brought home to us by the return of the season of harvest. (1) One lesson is a lesson of patience, of trustful waiting upon God, arising out of a conviction that He will not fail in anything He has said; that "whilst the earth remaineth seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." (2) Another lesson which this season teaches us is a lesson of thankfulness. God has reserved to us the appointed weeks of the harvest. He has again brought food out of the earth, and bread to strengthen man’s heart. Surely we should praise the Lord for His goodness, and lift up our hearts with our hands to Him in the heavens. (3) "The harvest is the end of the world." And why is it so? Because it shows forth what will happen in the end—what will be the proceedings of the day of judgment. Everywhere we are taught that the day of judgment will be a day of sifting and separation. If the righteous scarcely be saved in that day, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
R. D. B. Rawnsley, Village Sermons, 2nd series, p. 80.
References: Jer 5:24—Plain Sermons by Contributors to "Tracts for the Times," vol. viii., p. 185; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xv., No. 880; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iv., p. 179; R. Tuck, Christian World Pulpit, vol. ii., p. 216; J. B. Heard, Ibid., vol. xx., p. 294; E. Blencowe, Plain Sermons to a Country Congregation, 1st series, p. 318. Jer 5:25.—Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xiii., p. 140.
Jer 5:31
In more modern phrase the text reads: (1) People decline to look facts in the face; (2) No state of things exists anywhere but that it has its results as well as its cause.
I. You may read and know, if you will, that as our country advances, as we say, in wealth and the products of wealth, there is something else which is increasing too, and a very strange spectre it is, to be growing as it does under such circumstances. That spectre is poverty. Can we think on this and not know that there is the further question to be asked, "What will ye do m the end thereof?" Whatever might be the various ways in which the economist or politician might describe the working of the phenomena, the evil cause lies farthest back, of course, in our feelings on the subject, and in the thoughts of our hearts; and the selfishness of classes, which have the history of the country for the present in their own hands, is the real root of all.
II. I know not that there have ever been in the world any principles, save those of Christ, which strike at selfishness as the root of all evil in society; and selfishness is a thing that can only be cured from within. No rules can put a stop to it, and unselfishness must be learnt as everything else has to be learnt, by practising—by beginning on a small scale, by going on to more difficult exercises; and the grammar of unselfishness is self-discipline and self-denial on a small scale. Any religion or religious sect which tells you not to trouble yourself about self-denial as a real discipline is an instrument of self-deception. It will not promote unselfishness; it will not in the end have any good or large effect upon society; and if churches become leavened into a general feeling that there is no special work for them in this direction, that it is not their business to teach self-discipline to each subject of their influence, the work of that church is nearly over, or at any rate it must make a new beginning.
Archbishop Benson, Boy Life: Sundays in Wellington College, p. 89.
References: Jer 5:31.—S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit, 4th series, No. 4; Plain Sermons by Contributors to "Tracts for the Times, vol. x., pp. 258, 266. Jer 6:14—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vi., No. 301.
The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. R. Dummelow 1909 · Public Domain On v1 1-9. The universal corruption of the city prevents forgiveness.
1-9. The universal corruption of the city prevents forgiveness.
2. Though they say, The Lord liveth] i.e. though they take the most solemn form of oath, as opposed to those held by the Jews to be of less obligation: cp. Mat_5:34, Mat_5:35.
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3 The truth] RM 'faithfulness.' It is this that God looks for.
4. These are poor, etc.] i.e. the ignorant ones who know no better.
5. Yoke.. bonds] i.e. restraints of God's law.
6. Lion] i.e. the invader: cp. Mat_4:7. Evenings] RM 'deserts.'
7-8. All idolatry was unfaithfulness to God, to whom Israel was espoused, but gross licentiousness was literally the common accompaniment of the worship of the reproductive powers of nature, such as was practised by the Canaanites.
8. In the morning] RM 'roaming at large.'
10-31. In spite of fancied security desolation is at hand in requital for rébellion and faithlessness.
10. Jerusalem is likened to a walledÎin vineyard, and the Chaldean host is bidden to batter and trample it. Yet the overthrow shall not be complete, for Israel is, after all, a chosen nation. Battlements] RV 'branches,' so as to keep up the figure of the vine. Though the tendrils be cut away yet the stock shall be left.
12. It is not he] It is not God who sends these messages of woe.
13. The prophets, etc.] These are still the words of the scoffing Jews.
15. A nation] the Assyrian.
16. Is as an open sepulchre] for it is filled with missiles dealing death.
19. Note the distinct prophecy of the captivity of Judah.
24. Jeremiah reminds them of the providence of God, who sends the winter and spring rains, so needful for the crops, and maintains a dry season between Passover and Pentecost for harvesting.
25-28. A strong testimony to the deception, avarice, and oppression of the time.
28. Yet they prosper] RV 'that they' (the orphans) 'should prosper.'
31. Prophets, priests, and people alike connived at and took part in these crimes. By their means] RM 'at their hands.' Formerly the prophetic guilds had borne witness for righteousness and withstood the priests: now they are become false prophets, abetting the priests in their idolatry and wickedness.
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Arno C. Gaebelein 1922 · Public Domain On v1 1. The apostate conditions of Jerusalem (Jer 5:1-9)
CHAPTER 5
1. The apostate conditions of Jerusalem (Jer 5:1-9)
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2. The impending judgment (Jer 5:10-18)
3. Sowing and reaping (Jer 5:19-29)
4. The horrible thing (Jer 5:30-31)
Jer 5:1-9. So degenerate had the inhabitants of Jerusalem become that the Lord promised if but one man could be found in the city who executed judgment and sought the truth, He would pardon Jerusalem. It was a general apostasy. A similar apostasy is predicted for the end of our age. “Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall He find the faith on the earth?” “They were foolish, saith the Lord; they broke the yoke and burst the bonds; they have refused to return. They were as fed horses in the morning; every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not visit these things, saith the Lord; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?”
Jer 5:10-18. The judgment messages had not been believed by the people (Jer 5:12). What the invader from the north will do to Israel is described in Jer 5:15-18. Again the promise is given, “I will not make a full end with you.” The Lord keeps in the midst of His people a remnant.
Jer 5:19-29. Their sowing was bringing a harvest. They asked, “Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us?” He answers them that they had sown their evil seed in forsaking the Lord and serving strange gods; the harvest would be serving strangers in a strange land. The good things promised had been turned away by their sins and iniquities. The question of Jer 5:9 is repeated in Jer 5:29. And what was true of that generation, is true of this present age also. The seed which is being sown is Bible rejection; the rejection of the gospel of Christ, the seed of apostasy, will bring a harvest of judgment as it did with Israel.
(Jeremiah 1:30-31. False prophets, false priests and the people were satisfied with it. How is it going to be in the end? Both prophets and priests were in league against the prophet of God. They misled the people; they were a curse instead of a blessing. It is not unlike the religious conditions in Christendom today.
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v1 Lack of Truth and Faith in Public Life
Lack of Truth and Faith in Public Life
v. 1. Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, searching the lanes of the city, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, in the wider streets and intersections of streets, where many people come together, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, carrying out justice and righteousness, that seeketh the truth, to possess and practice faithfulness in all intercourse with all his fellow-men, and I will pardon it, grant His pardon to the city. Jerusalem was so corrupt in those days that among all the leaders of the people, the counselors, the priests, the false prophets, not one just person was found, and therefore the attitude and the testimony of the faithful few, such as Baruch and Zephaniah, disappeared in the general depravity.
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v. 2. And though they say, in a form of assurance which had become habitual with them, even as with many thoughtless people in our days, The Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely. The oath under such circumstances had no validity, it was just as insincere as their profession of the worship of Jehovah.
v. 3. O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Does not Jehovah seek faithfulness and sincerity in all things? Is He not ever the God of truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved, they do not feel the pain, the punishment makes no impression upon them; Thou hast consumed them, destroying them as a nation, but they have refused to receive correction, to accept the Lord’s discipline; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Such is the perversity of deliberate wrong-doing that it hardens the heart of the sinner against every influence for good, producing such a degree of callousness that every effort of the Lord is vain. It is in such cases that His judgment of hardening the heart of the sinner is often enacted.
v. 4. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor, the prophet here interrupting himself to voice an objection to the Lord; they are foolish, acting foolishly on account of their ignorance; for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of their God. The prophet assumes that only the untaught poor are guilty of such depravity, and that a better state of affairs may be expected in the higher ranks of society.
v. 5. I will get me unto the great men, those of the so-called higher classes, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord and the judgment of their God, that is, Surely one might expect to find better knowledge among these people, considering their position. But these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds. Matters were worse here than in the so-called lower class of people; for education, wealth, and rank alone are no guarantee against wickedness. The entire class had defiantly set aside the Law of God and despised the restrictions laid down in His holy will.
v. 6. Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them and a wolf of the evenings, one of those found in the great steppes and deserts, shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities, lurking for his prey nearby, the strongest, the most ravenous, and the swiftest of the beasts of prey being chosen as types to represent the formidable character of the Babylonian invaders; every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased, their acts of rebellion against God had become a great multitude. That is the feature which ever makes sin so reprehensible: it always amounts to a rebellion against God, the Father of all mankind.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv1, 4 General Information:
General Information:
Jeremiah often wrote prophecy in the form of poetry. Hebrew poetry uses different kinds of parallelism. (See: Poetry and Parallelism)
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Rush about through the streets
"Go quickly through the streets"
Then look and think about this
"look and find out"
city squares
broad and open places in a city where people can gather
who is acting justly
"who does what is just"
Although they say
The word "they" refers to the people of Jerusalem.
As Yahweh lives
"as surely as Yahweh is alive." The people use this expression to show that what they say next is certainly true. This is a way of making a solemn promise. See how you translated this in Jeremiah 4:2. AT: "I solemnly swear" (See: Idiom)
do your eyes not look for faithfulness?
Jeremiah uses this question to emphasize that what Yahweh really wants is faithfulness. Wanting people to be faithful is spoken of as looking for faithfulness. AT: "you look for faithfulness." or "you want people to be faithful." (See: Rhetorical Question and Metaphor)
You struck the people, but they do not feel pain.
God punished his people in various ways. Here it is spoken of as if he hit them. AT: "You punish the people, but they do not pay attention" (See: Metaphor)
they still refuse to receive discipline
Here "to receive discipline" represents learning from discipline to do what is right. AT: "they still refuse to learn their lesson" (See: Metaphor)
They make their faces harder than rock
Hard faces represents the expression on their faces that shows that they are stubborn. The simile "harder than rock" shows that the people are extremely stubborn. AT: "They are extremely stubborn" (See: Metonymy and Simile)
translationWords
Jerusalem
just
faithful
forgive
life
Yahweh
oath
people of God
receive
discipline
face
repent
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv1, 3, 4 5:1-2 A just person lives according to God’s laws…
5:1-2 A just person lives according to God’s laws and deals with other people accordingly. An honest person is dependable, truthful, and faithful to God. Jeremiah did not find either justice or honesty. Although some people were under oath, their claims of innocence were false. Their behavior showed that they had perjured themselves (4:2; 7:9; Gen 18:23-32; Isa 48:1; Ezek 22:30; Titus 1:15-16).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.