Commentary on Jeremiah (In Jeremiam)

Here he shows the dignity of the people from this, that they were bound in a covenant entered into with God: and first he sets down the covenant, and threatens punishment to those who transgress it; second he disputes concerning the justice of the one who punishes, chapter 12: "You indeed are just, O Lord." Concerning the first, two things. First he sets forth the making of the covenant; second, the transgression of the covenant, there, "because testifying I have testified." Concerning the first, two things. First the prophet is led on to announce, "hear, you, and those who are with you": they are good, and so as it were privileged. "And you shall say to them." Concerning this covenant, Ezech. 16: "I covered your shame, and I swore to you, and I entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became mine." Second the people are led on to keep it: and first he sets forth two reasons, of which he takes the first from the punishment of those who transgress, "Cursed is the man." Deut. 27: "Cursed is the man who does not abide in the words of this law, nor fulfill them in deed." And he assigns the justice of it: "in the day when I brought them out of the land of Egypt"; as if to say: it is just that those be punished who, after so many benefits, are ungrateful: "furnace," on account of affliction; "of iron," on account of harsh dominion. Deut. 4: "But you the Lord took, and brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt, that he might have a people for an inheritance, as it is at this present day." And he sets down the form of the covenant: "saying," in which he asks something, namely obedience: "hear"; and he promises something, namely the glory of divine familiarity: "and you shall be to me a people, and I will be to you a God." Above, 7: "This word I commanded them, saying: hear my voice, and I will be God to you, and you shall be my people, etc." He takes the second reason from the reward of those who keep it: "that I may raise up," since it had already almost perished with captivity impending; "milk," on account of the abundance of animals; "honey," on account of the abundance of the things the earth brings forth. Or hyperbolically, in these two the abundance of all good things is signified. Deut. 6: "that you may be multiplied the more, as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you, a land flowing with milk and honey." Second, the assent of the prophet is set down: "I answered, Amen"; that is, truly you have done what you promised; or, let this be done which you promise. Deut. 27: "And all the people shall say, Amen." Third, the conclusion is drawn, namely that they should observe it: "And the Lord said." Isa. 40: "Lift up your voice with strength."

Here he shows how they transgressed the covenant: and first, by sinning against God; second, by sinning against the prophet, at the place, "But you, Lord, showed me, and I knew." Concerning the first, two things. First he sets forth the fault; second he threatens the punishment, at the place, "Therefore thus says the Lord." Concerning the first, three things. First the diligent admonition is shown: both from the swearing of an oath, testifying, as it were adjuring; and from the continuity of time, "in the day that I brought [them] out"; and from the opportuneness of the time, "rising early in the morning," since man is then more disposed to understand. Above, 7: "And I spoke to you, rising early in the morning, and speaking." Second, the transgression of the disobedient people is set forth: "and they did not hear." Isa. 56: "All have turned aside into their own way, each one to his own avarice, from the greatest even to the last." Third, the aggravation of the fault from obstinacy is set forth: "and I brought upon them": because neither by the punishments nor by the benefits which were contained in the covenant of the law proclaimed to them were they corrected. Prov. 1: "Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded; you have despised all my counsel, and neglected my rebukes: I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock, when that which you feared comes upon you." From the conspiracy: "a conspiracy is found"; as if he were to say: all sin in common, as if they had conspired to this: for a conspiracy is a consent confirmed by oath to do something. Isa. 8: "All that this people speaks is a conspiracy." And from custom: "they have turned back." Hosea 7: "They have turned back, that they might be without a yoke; they have become like a deceitful bow." Fourth, the conclusion is drawn: "they have made void." Hosea 6: "But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; they themselves have dealt treacherously against me." Prov. 2: "She has left the guide of her youth, and has forgotten the covenant of her God."

Here, against the incorrigible fault, he threatens an inescapable punishment: and first the punishment is set forth, Behold I. Isa. 24: he who frees himself from the pit shall be caught by the snare. Second, he excludes the remedies of escape: and first, that they will not be helped by their own prayers poured out to God: they will cry out to me, and I will not hear them. Proverb. 1: they will call upon me, and I will not hear. And by prayers poured out to idols: and the cities of Judah will go. Isa. 45: they have not known, who lift up the sign of their graven image, and pray to a lord who does not save. And he adds the multitude of idols: for according to the number of your cities were your gods, Judah. Ezech. 16: you made a brothel in every street, at the head of every way you built a sign of your prostitution. Above, 2, the same. Nor even by others' prayers: therefore do not pray for this people, and do not take up praise for them, as though, praising me as merciful, you might provoke me to mercy. 1 Reg. 16: how long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him, that he should not reign over Israel? Above, 7, the same. Second, that they will not be helped by the offerings of sacrifices, assigning the reason for the rejection: what is it that the beloved? Namely the people of Judah, in the house, in the temple, worshipping idols there. Ezech. 8: son of man, do you think you see what these are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel does here, that they may go far from my sanctuary? And he sets forth the rejection of the sacrifices: shall the flesh? Namely, of the animals immolated. Heb. 10: it is impossible that sins be taken away by the blood of goats and bulls. Third, he shows that they will not be helped by their own powers: and concerning this there are two points. First he recalls the former glory: a fruitful olive tree, as to the abundance of branches, in which is signified the multitude of the people; fair, as to the greenness of its color, in which is flourishing prosperity, and the flourishing vigor of the soul; fruit-bearing, as to the abundance of fruits, in which is the abundance of good works, and great ones; beautiful, as to the arrangement of its parts, in which is designated the due ordering of the people. He called, that such a reputation might go forth about you from every side. Oseae 14: his glory shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Second, he foretells the future punishment, first setting forth the punishment itself: at the voice of the speech, that is, at the command of Nebuchadnezzar; the vine, that is, the house of Israel; fire was kindled in it, literally; the thickets, namely the people, and the things that belonged to them. Or, of a great speech, because from such a calling you sensed great things about yourself, and therefore you deserved punishment. Is. 27: in battle I will go against her, I will burn her up together. Second, the power of the one punishing, the Lord of hosts. 1 Reg. 2: the Lord kills and brings to life, leads down to the netherworld and brings back, et cetera. Third, he sets forth the cause: for the evils. Deut. 32: they have provoked me with that which is not God, and have angered me with their vanities; and I will provoke them with that which is not a people, and I will anger them with a foolish nation.

Here he shows how they transgressed by sinning against the prophet himself: and indeed what is said here applies literally to Jeremiah, who came into the hatred of the people on account of the evils he foretold; but the persecution of Jeremiah prefigured the passion of Christ, as that Gloss says. But this seems to contradict the preceding statement, in which we applied what was said to the person of Christ, not to Jeremiah, et cetera. But all the prophets did many things as a type of the Savior, and what was fulfilled in the present in Jeremiah, this he prophesied for the future concerning the Lord.

Concerning this, then, three things. For first the prophet sets forth the guilt of his adversaries: and first the revelation of the common guilt: "thou hast shown" — by interior revelation; "thou hast disclosed" — by exterior signs; "their designs" — their machinations against me. Isa. 8: "with a strong hand he instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people," et cetera. And he sets forth the necessity of the revelation, because by himself he could not know their thought, nor suspect it, on account of his innocence, which did not deserve such things. "And I was like a lamb, and I did not know." Christ too, according to his manhood, received that knowledge in this life from God, by which he knew all things through the grace of union, just as others receive what they know through the grace of revelation. Isa. 53: "like a lamb before him that shears it he shall be dumb, and shall not open his mouth." 1 Cor. 2: "for who among men knows the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him?" Ps. 93: "the Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain." "Let us put wood," that is, yew, so that thus poisoned he may die; "let us root [him] out," so that no memory of him may remain, as in a tablet wiped clean of the writing that was on it before. Mystically, "let us put wood" — that is, the body of Christ, upon the wood of the cross; or "wood into bread," that is, through the wood of the cross let us raise up a scandal against his teaching, which is bread. Isa. 53: "for he is cut off from the land."

Second, the prophet asks for vengeance, alleging the authority and power by which he is able: "but thou, O Lord Sabaoth," that is, of hosts; the justice by which he wills: "who judgest justly"; the knowledge by which he knows: "and triest the reins," that is, the affections, "the heart," that is, the thoughts: "let me see thy vengeance upon them" — from the person of Christ, that is, upon those who are obstinate; for he prays for the others. Luke 23: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Lamentations 3: "thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment." And he assigns the cause: "for to thee have I revealed," not as to one who does not know, but placing my whole cause in thee. Ps. 54: "cast thy thought upon the Lord, and he will nourish thee."

Third, the Lord threatens punishment: and first he resumes their malice: "therefore thus saith the Lord to the men of Anathoth, who seek thy life" — to kill thee. Ps. 37: "they that sought my soul did violence." And he adds the cause of this malice: "and they say: thou shalt not prophesy"; as if to say, only thus will you be able to escape death, if you cease to prophesy. Isa. 30: "who say to the seers, See not." Second, he threatens punishment, first foretelling the visitation: "therefore thus saith the Lord." Ps. 88: "I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with stripes." Second, the determination of the punishment: "their young men." Below, 15: "such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for famine, to famine," et cetera. Third, the power of the one punishing: "for I will bring evil," namely, I who am able. Below, 17: "bring upon them the day of affliction, and destroy them with double destruction."

Mystically, by the men of Anathoth, which is interpreted "obedience," are signified the men of Jerusalem, who, once obedient to the Lord, afterward persecuted Christ.

Note, that a saint is called an olive on account of its fatness, in which is devotion. Rom. 11: "thou art made partaker of the root, and of the fatness of the olive tree." On account of the brightness of the oil, in which is contemplation. Zach. 4: "these are two sons of oil, who stand before the ruler of the whole earth." 3 Kings 6: "he made in the oracle two cherubims of olive tree, of ten cubits height." On account of the greenness of its leaves, in which is strength of mind. Gen. 8: "the dove returned in the evening, carrying a bough of an olive tree with green leaves in her mouth." On account of its fruitfulness, in which is the abundance of good works. Ps. 31: "but I, like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God for ever, and for ages of ages." On account of its beauty, in which is the glory of the saints. Eccli. 24: "as a beautiful olive tree in the fields, and as a plane tree I was exalted near the waters." Hosea 14: "his glory shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as that of Libanus."