Jeremia 32:17 Kommentar

In this chapter we have, I. Jeremiah imprisoned for foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of king Zedekiah (Jer 32:1-5). II. We have him buying land, by divine appointment, as an assurance that in due time a happy end should be put to the present troubles (Jer 32:6-15). III. We have his prayer, which he offered up to God upon that occasion (Jer 32:16-25). IV. We have a message which God thereupon entrusted him to deliver to the people. 1. He must foretell the utter destruction of Judah and Jerusalem for their sins (Jer 32:26-35). But, 2. At the same time he must assure them that, though the destruction was total, it should not be final, but that at length their posterity should recover the peaceable possession of their own land (Jer 32:36-44). The predictions of this chapter, both threatenings and promises, are much the same with what we have already met with again and again, but here are some circumstances that are very particular and remarkable.

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 32 This chapter contains an account of Jeremiah's imprisonment, and the cause of it; of his buying a field of his uncle's son, and the design of it; of his prayer to God, and of the answer returned to him. The time of his imprisonment, the place where, and the reasons of it, are observed in Jer 32:1; that his uncle's son would come and offer the sale of a field to him was told him by the Lord, which he did accordingly, Jer 32:6; of whom he bought the field, paid the money, had the purchase confirmed in a legal way, before witnesses, Jer 32:8; and the writings of it he committed to Baruch, to put in an earthen vessel, where they were to continue some time as a pledge of houses, fields, and vineyards, being possessed again after the captivity, Jer 32:13; then follows a prayer of his to the Lord, in which he addresses him as the Maker of all things; as the Lord God omnipotent; as a God of great grace and mercy, as well as strict justice; as a God of wisdom, counsel, and might, and an omniscient and righteous Being, Jer 32:16; and recounts the wonderful things he had done for the people of Israel, Jer 32:20; and observes the ingratitude and disobedience of that people, which were the cause of the present siege of the city, which should surely be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, Jer 32:23; to which prayer an answer is returned, Jer 32:26; in which the Lord describes himself as the God of all flesh, and as able to do what he pleases, Jer 32:27; and confirms the delivery of the city of Jerusalem unto the Chaldeans, Jer 32:28; and assigns the causes of it, the backslidings, disobedience, and dreadful idolatry of the people, Jer 32:30; and, notwithstanding, promises a restoration of them to their own land again, Jer 32:36; when an opportunity is taken to insert the covenant of grace, and the special articles and peculiar promises of it, for the comfort of the spiritual Israel of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, Jer 32:38; and the chapter is concluded with a fresh assurance of the return of the captivity, and of the punctual performance of the promise of it; when fields should be bought in every part of the land, in like manner as Jeremiah had bought his, Jer 32:41.

Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands,.... Not to thousands of persons only, but to a thousand generations, even such that love, fear, and serve him; see Exo 20:6; this is very properly added, for the further strengthening of faith; for though the omnipotence of God assures us that there is nothing but what he can do, yet it gives us no certain encouragement he will do this, or that, or the other, in a favourable and gracious manner; but this his loving kindness, experienced by a multitude of persons in all ages, gives reason to hope for: and recompensest the iniquities of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; it is added in the decalogue, from whence these words are taken, "of them that hate me", Exo 20:5; and here the Targum adds, "when they go on to sin after them;'' when they imitate their fathers in their wickedness, and commit the same sins they have done, and continue in them; wherefore, having tilled up the measure of their fathers' sins, they receive a just and full recompence of them into their bosom; which denotes both the certainty of it and the fulness of it: the prophet formed in his mind just notions and ideas of the divine Being, as being not only gracious and merciful, but holy, just, and righteous; and it may be he strikes at the Jews, who might complain of God, as they sometimes did, for being punished for their fathers' sins, as if they themselves were innocent and guiltless: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts is his name: "great" in all the perfections of his nature, and greatly to be praised, loved, and feared; "mighty" to do whatsoever he pleases; and who, agreeably to his name, has all the hosts and armies of heaven and earth at his command; and what is it that he cannot do?

(Verse 17) Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God (or who you are, O Lord God). Behold, you have made the heaven and the earth with your great power, and with your outstretched (or exalted) arm nothing will be difficult (or impossible) for you (or according to the Septuagint, nothing is hidden from you). Alas, alas, alas, Lord God: for which the Septuagint translated, ὁ ὢν, that is, who is, Lord God, according to what is said to Moses: Go, speak to the people of Israel: The One who is, has sent me to you (Exod. III, 14). Not that there are no others; but it is one thing for the Creator to exist by His own beneficence, another for Him to exist by the eternity of His nature. He praises the Lord and proclaims the Creator through His creatures. First, with his voice, he extols His power, mercy, and justice towards all of mankind; then he turns to Israel and describes in a famous discourse the great things He has done for them. And after so many blessings, he says that they, being forgetful of His goodness, provoked His mercy to bitterness, so that the city was besieged, and before the enemy broke in, it was consumed by famine, sword, and plague. But he first put forward all these things so that he could subsequently present what seemed to be a reproach to the divine judgment. And you say to me, Lord God, buy a field for silver, and have witnesses, when the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans? This portion of the text contains the entirety of this passage. Now let us return to each point individually. You made heaven and earth in your great power. And John says of the Son: All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3). For this is the strength of the Lord, as the Apostle confirms: Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. I, 24). And in your outstretched or lofty arm, both of which are indications of striking. But what is this arm, of which Isaiah speaks: And the arm of the Lord, to whom it is revealed (Isa. LIII, 1)? No word will be difficult for you. For what is impossible for men is possible for God; to whom nothing is hidden (Mic. XIX), according to the saying of the Psalmist: For the darkness shall not obscure you, and the night shall be as bright as day (Psalm CXXXVIII, 12).

JEREMIAH, IMPRISONED FOR HIS PROPHECY AGAINST JERUSALEM, BUYS A PATRIMONIAL PROPERTY (HIS RELATIVE HANAMEEL'S), IN ORDER TO CERTIFY TO THE JEWS THEIR FUTURE RETURN FROM BABYLON. (Jer 32:1-14) tenth year--The siege of Jerusalem had already begun, in the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah (Jer 39:1; Kg2 25:1).

hast made . . . heaven--Jeremiah extols God's creative power, as a ground of humility on his part as man: It is not my part to call Thee, the mighty God, to account for Thy ways (compare Jer 12:1). too hard--In Jer 32:27 God's reply exactly accords with Jeremiah's prayer (Gen 18:14; Zac 8:6; Luk 1:37).