Jeremiah 13:17 Komentář

Still the prophet is attempting to awaken this secure and stubborn people to repentance, by the consideration of the judgments of God that were coming upon them. He is to tell them, I. By the sign of a girdle spoiled that their pride should be stained (Jer 13:1-11). II. By the sign of bottles filled with wine that their counsels should be blasted (Jer 13:12-14). III. In consideration hereof he is to call them to repent and humble themselves (Jer 13:15-21). IV. He is to convince them that it is for their obstinacy and incorrigibleness that the judgments of God are so prolonged and brought to extremity (Jer 13:22-27).

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 13 In this chapter, under the similes of a girdle and bottles of wine, the destruction of the Jews is set forth. Some exhortations are given them to repent and humble themselves, even men of all ranks and degrees among them; and their sins, the source of their calamities, are pointed out to them. An order is given to the prophet to get him a linen girdle, with instructions what to do with it, and which he observed, Jer 13:1, a fresh order to take it and hide it in the hole of a rock by the river Euphrates, which he accordingly did, Jer 13:3 and he is bid a third time to go and take it from thence, which he did; when he found it spoiled, and good for nothing, Jer 13:6, then follows the application of this simile, or the signification of this sign; that in like manner the pride of Judah and Jerusalem should be marred, and for their wickedness and idolatry should become good for nothing, like that girdle; whereas they ought to have cleaved to the Lord, as a girdle does to a man's loins, and to have been an honourable people to him, Jer 13:8. By the simile of bottles filled with wine is signified that all the inhabitants of the land, king, priests, prophets, and common people, should be like drunken men, that should dash one against another, and destroy each other, which the mercy of God would not prevent, Jer 13:12, some exhortations are made to the people in general, to be humble, and confess their sins, and give glory to God, before it was too late; which are enforced by the prophet's affectionate concern for them, Jer 13:15 and to the king and queen in particular, since their crown and kingdom were about to be taken from them; the cities, in the southern parts, going to be shut up, and not opened; and even the whole land of Judea, and all its inhabitants, in a little time would be carried captive, Jer 13:18, and, to certify them of the truth of these things, they are bid to look to the north, from whence the enemy was coming to carry them captive, even the beautiful flock committed to their care, Jer 13:20, and to consider what they could say for themselves, when their punishment should come upon them suddenly, as the sorrows of a woman in travail, Jer 13:21 and should they ask the reason of this, it was owing to the multitude of their iniquities, and to their habit and custom of sinning, which made their case desperate, Jer 13:22, wherefore a resolution is taken to disperse them among the nations, and that this should be their lot and portion, because of their many abominations, and yet not without some concern that they might be purged from their iniquities, Jer 13:24.

Say unto the king, and to the queen,.... Jehoiachin, and his mother Nehushta, as it is generally interpreted by the Jewish commentators, and others; who, with many princes and officers, were carried captive into Babylon, Kg2 24:12 or rather Zedekiah and his wife; since the captivity after threatened is a perfect and complete one, which Jehoiachin's was not: humble yourselves, sit down; or, "sit down humbled" (d); come down from your thrones, and sit in the dust; humble yourselves before the Lord for your own sins, and the sins of the people; in times of general corruption, and which threatens a nation with ruin, it becomes kings and princes to set an example of repentance, humiliation, and reformation; though it may be this is rather a prediction of what would be, that they should descend from their throne, and lose their grandeur, and be in a low and abject condition, than an exhortation to what was their duty; since it follows: for your principalities shall come down; their royal state and greatness, and all the ensigns of it; and especially such as they had upon their heads, as the word used denotes, and as the following explanation shows: even the crown of your glory; or glorious crown, which should fall from their heads, or be taken from them, when they should be no more served in state, or treated as crowned heads. (d) "degite humiliter", Castalio; "abjectissime considite", Junius & Tremellius; "loco humili considite", Piscator.

(Verse 16, 17.) Give glory to the Lord your God ((or our)) before it grows dark, and before your feet stumble upon dark (or gloomy) mountains. You will wait for light, but there will be only darkness (or according to the Hebrew, he will put it in darkness and gloom). And if you will not listen, your soul ((or mine)) will weep in secret because of arrogance (or injury). To those to whom the divine discourse had been spoken, saying: 'Listen and perceive with your ears, and do not be exalted', now it calls to repentance, so that before they are led to Babylon, and their feet stumble upon dark or gloomy mountains, they may give glory to God. Hence, it is often said to sinners: 'Give glory to God' (Psalm 67:35). And as for why Babylon and the whole region of the Chaldeans are called dark or gloomy mountains, we read in the beginning of the vision of Isaiah against Babylon, where it is written: 'Raise a signal on a dark mountain' (Isaiah 13:2), which in Hebrew is called Nesepha. Therefore, he commanded them to repent before they are led into captivity and experience the evils of slavery. And while they wait for light, they should sit in darkness. But if, he says, you refuse to listen to me in secret, near the Eagle, in darkness, your soul will weep, or according to the Septuagint, from the face of pride; so that not even a sigh or a cry may be free, so that the eyes of the conquerors may not be offended. But we can interpret this place in the following way: The Savior says: Work while it is day: the night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4). Concerning this time, there is also the prophecy of Isaiah: For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light (Isaiah 13:10). Zephaniah also agrees with these words, saying: A day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness (Zephaniah 1:15). Therefore, before the time of judgement comes, and our feet stumble upon dark mountains, the opposing fortitudes, which are placed in front of us with torments and tortures, let us repent, lest while awaiting the light, we be enveloped in the darkness of night; and let us know that unless we do this, we shall refuse to hear the weeping soul, either of God or of the Prophet, because of our own arrogance. Hence, the Prophet himself also says: Jerusalem will weep, weeping the eye pulls down a tear: for the flock of the Lord has been captured (and I cannot hide my grief with silent groans). But the cause of all torments is that the flock of the Lord has been captured. Let us say to the Jews and to our Judaizers, who only follow a simple and superficial history, unless you hear secretly, that is, in mystery or in darkness, which God has established as His hiding place (Ps. XVII), and according to Solomon, so that they may understand the parable and the obscure discourse, the soul of the Prophet will weep, or rather, their own souls from the face of pride, while they resist God through stubbornness. And so there will be weeping and perpetual tears on the hills, because the flock of the Lord has been captured and corrupted by the true Nebuchadnezzar.

SYMBOLICAL PROPHECY (Jer 13:1-7). (Jer. 13:1-27) put it upon thy loins, &c.--expressing the close intimacy wherewith Jehovah had joined Israel and Judah to Him (Jer 13:11). linen--implying it was the inner garment next the skin, not the outer one. put it not in water--signifying the moral filth of His people, like the literal filth of a garment worn constantly next the skin, without being washed (Jer 13:10). GROTIUS understands a garment not bleached, but left in its native roughness, just as Judah had no beauty, but was adopted by the sole grace of God (Eze 16:4-6). "Neither wast thou washed in water," &c.

hear it--my exhortation. in secret--as one mourning and humbling himself for their sin, not self-righteously condemning them (Phi 3:18). pride--(see on Jer 13:15; Job 33:17). flock-- (Jer 13:20), just as kings and leaders are called pastors.

The Humiliation of Judah's Pride. - The first section of this chapter contains a symbolical action which sets forth the corruptness of Judah (Jer 13:1-11), and shows in figurative language how the Lord will bring Judah's haughtiness to nothing (Jer 13:12-14). Upon the back of this comes the warning to repent, and the threatening addressed to the king and queen, that the crown shall fall from their head, that Judah shall be carried captive, and Jerusalem dishonoured, because of their disgraceful idolatry (Jer 13:15-27).

Knowing their obstinacy, the prophet adds: if ye hear it (what I have declared to you) not, my soul shall weep. In the concealment, quo secedere lugentes amant, ut impensius flere possint (Chr. B. Mich.). For the pride, sc. in which ye persist. With tears mine eye shall run down because the flock of Jahveh, i.e., the people of God (cf. Zac 10:3), is carried away into captivity (perfect. proph).