Jeremiah 31:39 Kommentar

This chapter goes on with the good words and comfortable words which we had in the chapter before, for the encouragement of the captives, assuring them that God would in due time restore them or their children to their own land, and make them a great and happy nation again, especially by sending them the Messiah, in whose kingdom and grace many of these promises were to have their full accomplishment. I. They shall be restored to peace and honour, and joy and great plenty (Jer 31:1-14). II. Their sorrow for the loss of their children shall be at an end (Jer 31:15-17). III. They shall repent of their sins, and God will graciously accept them in their repentance (Jer 31:18-20). IV. They shall be multiplied and increased, both their children and their cattle, and not be cut off and diminished as they had been (Jer 31:21-30). V. God will renew his covenant with them, and enrich it with spiritual blessings (Jer 31:31-34). VI. These blessings shall be secured to theirs after them, even to the spiritual seed of Israel for ever (Jer 31:35-37). VII. As an earnest of this the city of Jerusalem shall be rebuilt (Jer 31:38-40). These exceedingly great and precious promises were firm foundations of hope and full fountains of joy to the poor captives; and we also may apply them to ourselves and mix faith with them.

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 31 This chapter is connected with the former, respects the same times, and is full of prophecies and promises of spiritual blessings; of the coming of Christ; of the multiplication of his people, and the increase of their joy; of the conversion of the Gentiles; of the covenant of grace; and of the stability of the saints. It begins with the principal promise of the covenant, confirmed by past experience, of divine goodness, and with a fresh declaration of God's everlasting love, Jer 31:1; an instance of which would appear, in planting vines or churches in Samaria, the metropolis of Ephraim or the ten tribes, under the ministry of the apostles, the watchmen, on Mount Ephraim; whereby the Israel of God would be built, beautified, and made to rejoice, Jer 31:4; yea, it would be matter of joy to all that heard of it; since, notwithstanding distance and other difficulties, a great number should come to Christ, and to his church, drawn by the Father's love to them, and as owing to the relation he stands in to them, Jer 31:7; redemption out of the hands of Satan, and every spiritual enemy, must be published among the Gentiles; which would cause great joy, and give great satisfaction to the priests and people of the Lord, expressed by various metaphors, Jer 31:10; and though, upon the birth of the Redeemer, there would be an event, which might tend to damp the joy of saints on account of it, the murder of the infants at Bethlehem; yet some things are said to encourage faith, hope, and joy, and to abate sorrow and weeping, Jer 31:15; Ephraim's affliction, and behaviour under it, his repentance and reception, are recorded, Jer 31:18; backsliding Israel are called upon to return, in consideration of the birth of the Messiah, Jer 31:21; the happy and flourishing estate of the people of God is promised; all which were made known to the prophet by a dream in the night, Jer 31:23; and fresh promises are made, that the Lord would do them good, and not punish the children for their fathers' sins, but everyone for their own, Jer 31:28; and then an account is given of the new covenant of grace, as distinct from the old, and of the articles of it; the inscription of the law in the heart, spiritual knowledge of the Lord, and remission of sin, Jer 31:31; then follow assurances of the everlasting continuance of the true Israel and church of God, Jer 31:35; and the chapter is concluded with a promise of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, and of the holiness of it, and of its abiding for ever, Jer 31:38.

And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it,.... Or, "before it" (p); the gate proceeding right on from it; of the length of the measuring line, or reed; see Eze 40:5; though some render it, "before him" (q); before the Lord, under whose direction and powerful providence the work went on; so the city gates and walls of the New Jerusalem are said to be measured with a reed, Rev 21:15; upon the hill Gareb; which signifies a "scab", so called, as is supposed, from scabby and leprous persons sent here to dwell, which was a "lazaretto" for them. Lightfoot, following Lyra, takes it to be the same with Mount Calvary: it was on the north side of the city, bending to the west; and, if the same with Calvary, it was on the west side. The Targum renders it, "the hill which was near to Gareb:'' and shall compass about to Goath; so called perhaps from the difficulty of its ascent, it being a laborious work to go up to it, enough to make a man breathe. Lyra takes it to be Golgotha, which is not very likely; it seems to be at some distance from the former; since from that there was a round about, a compass fetched to this: it is supposed to lie on the west side of the city, towards the south. The Targum renders it the calves' pool, or the round pool; it is thought by some more likely to be the hill Josephus (r) speaks of, that hung over the valley of Siloam. (p) "ante ipsam", Tigurine version, Gataker (q) "Coram eo", Pagninus, Montanus; "coram ipso", Calvin. (r) De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 12. sect. 2.

Those who accept the reign of the Messiah for one thousand years in the land of Judea—clearly the Jews and our Judaizers—strive to claim and to demonstrate that the sanctuary of the Lord, that is, the temple, must be maintained forever in one location, specifically that of the tower of Hananel and the corner gate and the hill Gareb and Goah and the entire valley of corpses and ashes and the river Kidron and the corner of the eastern Gate of Horses. Because they are unable to show that it was completed after their captivity in the times of Zerubbabel and Ezra, they pass to the times of the Messiah, whom they say is coming at the consummation of the world, so that a golden and bejeweled Jerusalem can descend, according to the Apocalypse of John, and be built within this space of land, that is, beginning at one place and ending at another. And they receive this whiff of a suspicion that the foundation of the city is to be laid from the tower at Anathoth, which today is called Jeremiah’s and is separated from Jerusalem by three thousand [sic], to the river Kidron, where there is a garden in which Judas the traitor betrayed the Savior, as written in the Gospel.“We are about to read in what follows,” they say, “that Hanamel the son of Shallum was Jeremiah’s uncle and that Jeremiah bought Hanamel’s field and that this is the tower of Hanamel.” Yet, they did not know the truth of the Hebrew, for this is what is written: “from the tower of Hananel,” with an n clearly as the fifth letter, whereas the name in the other phrase has an m as the fifth letter: “Behold, Hanamel, son of Shallum, your uncle, will come to you.”

Invoking the Lord and Savior “who has the key of David, who opens and no one closes, who closes and no one opens,” … let us approach the edifice of the city to which the prophetic words were directed: “Glorious things are said of you, O city of God,” and “the river’s flow delights the City of God.” Thus, the church is built from the tower “of obedience” or “grace” or “the gifts of God”—for this is what Hananel means—to the corner gate. Even though the church may appear to have a sublime beginning, we are unable to possess the straight line of truth as long as we are in the flesh, but we stand on a corner with broken lines, where the measuring line goes out beyond the corner gate to the hill Gareb, which, in our language, is translated either “sojourn” or “itch,” to teach us that we are foreigners and wanderers with ears itching to provide easy agreement to the worst of new doctrines.And “it will go around Goah,” it says, which the Septuagint translates as “a circuit around chosen stones,” who wish to be on the face of the earth and are bound together by the cornerstone, with the apostle Peter saying, “like living stones, be built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” It continues, “And it goes around the entire valley of Phagarim,” which means “ruins” and “ashes,” so that even though we appear to be in the hills, we may always yet fear the ruins and consider the ashes and say penance with David: “I ate ashes like bread and mixed tears into my drink.” Hence, to the sleeping it is said, “Is it not true that one who falls rises again, says the Lord?” It also says “the entire Sademoth,” which we translate as the “region of death,” from sade, which means “region,” and moth, which means “death.” But Aquila translates it “suburban,” or “field” and “country.” But the “region of death” is the region of sinners and “suburban” the region of pleasures, which continues all the way to the river Kidron, where the Lord was betrayed, which is translated “darkness.” See how many places the church has and how the apostolic word that it is to be “without spot or wrinkle” is reserved for the future in heaven. You heard about the corner, you heard about the itchy ears, you heard about the ruins and the ashes and the region of death and the darkness, and still you glory in your virtue and your sinlessness!

Then it continues, “to the corner gate.” It is made a corner lest any true justice or any certain victory be thought demonstrable in this world. And the corner gate itself, though it may be “in the east,” whence the light originates, is nevertheless called “horse gate,” this to teach us that we need to ride and to fight, so that we may deserve to hear with the Lord, “You mounted your horses and the salvation of your chariot.” The sanctification of the Lord is placed in the eastern gate, the gate of chariots, that we may be deemed perfect when we say to the Lord, “The chariot of God is tens of thousands of joyful people, for the Lord is among them.” In this way, the building that is established on the foundation of Christ, about which the apostle also said, “as a wise architect, I laid a foundation,” will never be destroyed but will remain forever.

CONTINUATION OF THE PROPHECY IN THE THIRTIETH CHAPTER. (Jer. 31:1-40) At the same time--"In the latter days" (Jer 30:24). the God of--manifesting My grace to (Gen 17:7; Mat 22:32; Rev 21:3). all . . . Israel--not the exiles of the south kingdom of Judah only, but also the north kingdom of the ten tribes; and not merely Israel in general, but "all the families of Israel." Never yet fulfilled (Rom 11:26).

measuring-line-- (Eze 40:8; Zac 2:1). Gareb--from a Hebrew root, "to scrape"; Syriac, "leprosy"; the locality outside of the city, to which lepers were removed. Goath--from a root, "to toil," referring to the toilsome ascent there: outside of the city of David, towards the southwest, as Gareb was northwest [JUNIUS].