Commentary on Jeremiah (In Jeremiam)

Here the prophet disputes concerning the justice of the one who punishes: and first the prophet's disputation is set forth; second, the Lord's response, at the place, "I have left my house." Concerning the first, three things.

First he captures goodwill from the person of the judge: "Righteous indeed are you, Lord." Ps. 118: "You are righteous, Lord, and your judgment is right." And from the uprightness of the cause: "yet I will speak to you accordingly." Job 13: "I will speak to the Almighty, and I desire to dispute with God." And so each of them holds the place of an objector. But Habakkuk holds the place of the one responding, ch. 2: "I will stand upon my watch, and fix my step upon the fortification."

Second, he sets forth the cause as regards the adversaries, setting forth their prosperity as regards the abundance of temporal things: "why does the way" — the course — "of the wicked prosper" — through unbelief — "who transgress" — by acting against the law — "and deal unjustly" — against the neighbor? Job 12: "the tabernacles of robbers abound, and they boldly provoke God, though he himself has given all things into their hands." Ps. 72: "I was zealous over the wicked, seeing the peace of sinners." And as regards the increase of their prosperity: "you have planted" — in temporal goods; and by the likeness of a tree — "and they have sent down root," their prosperities being confirmed, "they prosper," as a tree grows, by the increase of prosperity, "and they make fruit," fulfilling in deed what they dispose in mind. Job 21: "why do the wicked live, are exalted, and strengthened with riches?" And he sets forth their iniquity: "you are near to their mouth, and far from their reins" — their affections — which two things together seem to be opposed to divine justice. Isa. 29: "this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." By which it is given to be understood that, for imperfect goods, they receive imperfect recompense.

But on his own part he gives to understand his justice: "and you, Lord, know" — from eternity, you have seen — "how rightly I walk before you"; for even though I speak these things, yet I do not suffer scandal in them. Above, ch. 1: "before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." And he gives to understand correction: "you have proved" — proved by punishments, I have been found walking with you. Ps. 16: "you have proved my heart, and visited it by night, you have tried me by fire, and iniquity has not been found in me."

Third, he shows the punishment by way of imprecation: and first he calls down the infliction of punishment: "gather them together"; as if he were to say: because you are just, it cannot be that you would not punish the wicked. Therefore you so exalt them in prosperities, as one who fattens a flock for the slaughter. Therefore, since they have been fattened, and are unjust, "gather them together": by which it is signified that at the paschal time, when they had come together in the city for the feast, they were besieged. "Sanctify them": he speaks by the likeness of animals, which were killed for immolation. Isa. 34: "the victim of the Lord is in Bosra, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom." And he excludes delay of the punishment, because it is time that they be punished in their own persons, not in their possessions, nor in the things born of the earth: "how long shall the earth mourn?" Ps. 106: "I have turned rivers into a desert, and the outlets of waters into thirst; a fruitful land into saltiness, because of the wickedness of those dwelling in it." As regards animals: "the animal is consumed." Ezek. 9: "they said: the Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see."

Second, as though heard, against those to be punished he sets forth a taunt: and first on the part of the enemies as regards power: "if running with footmen you have grown weary, how will you be able to contend with horses?" As if he were to say: if the neighboring nations, who fight on foot, have caused you much toil, how will you be able to resist the Chaldeans and the Egyptians, who are mighty in horses? Job 6: "those who fear the hoarfrost, upon them snow shall fall." And as regards the land of captivity: "but when you have been secure in a land of peace" — that is, even if you had always had peace in your own land — "what will you do when you are beyond the Jordan," whose depths are swelling, namely because they are proud? Ecclus. 10: "let him who glories in substance fear poverty."

Second, as regards those joined by blood, recalling the former injury: "for even the brothers" — namely the Idumeans — "and the house" — namely the Moabites and Ammonites. Cant. 1: "the sons of my mother have fought against me." And he enjoins caution: "do not believe them, when they shall have spoken good things to you," as though wishing to ally with you to resist the Chaldeans. Below, ch. 27: "make for yourself bonds and chains, and put them on your neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab," etc. Above, ch. 9: "let each one guard himself from his neighbor, and let him have no trust in any brother of his: for every brother will thoroughly supplant, and every friend will walk deceitfully, and a man will mock his brother, and will not speak the truth."

Here the Lord's response is set forth: and first he sets down the threat of punishment; second, the consolation of punishment, there, "Thus says the Lord," etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he threatens punishment as to the withdrawal of divine help: "I have left the house," namely the temple, so that I do not defend it; "the heritage," the people of Israel. Isa. 19: "But my heritage is Israel." Above 9: "I will forsake my people, and withdraw from them, because they are all adulterers, an assembly of transgressors," etc. And as to the oppression of enemies, "I have given up the beloved," that is, the Jews, whom I loved as my own soul.

Second he sets down the fault; first signifying the greatness of the fault: "my heritage has become to me," namely the people, "like a lion," fierce to attack me. "She has given forth a voice" — blasphemies. Psalm. 9: "He lies in wait in hiding like a lion in his den." Second he marvels at the instability of mind: "Is my heritage to me a speckled bird?" As if he were to say: now cleaving to me, now to idols — dyed, with the filth of sins, throughout, since all are wicked. 3 Reg. 18: "How long do you halt between two sides? If the Lord himself is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him." Or the sense can be: Do I hold her as dear as such beautiful birds, that I should at last not cast her off? So that the particolored quality may be referred to beauty. Ezech. 16: "I clothed you with varicolored things, and shod you with hyacinth."

Or what he says, "I have left the house," etc., can be the words of the prophet, who, that he might announce the word of God, exposed himself to the danger of death, and left house and homeland, and suffered snares from his own countrymen, who were like lions, and various in deceit, and full of malice. Mystically they are the words of Christ, who is said to leave house and homeland in coming into the world, because he conducted himself after the manner of one departing, when in weakness he hid his majesty. "The heritage" — the heavenly homeland.

The wicked prosper on account of the loss of the heritage. Genes. 25: "Abraham gave to Isaac his son all that he possessed, but to the sons of the concubines he gave gifts." On account of imperfect recompense. Matth. 6: "Amen I say to you, they have received their reward." Because they are not worthy of divine correction. Ezech. 16: "My indignation shall rest in you, and my jealousy shall be taken away from you." Oseae 4: "I will not visit upon your daughters when they shall have played the harlot, nor upon your brides when they shall have committed adultery." Hebr. 12: "If you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are adulterers, and not sons." On account of the despair of the disease. Thren. 2: "Great as the sea is your affliction. Who shall heal you?" Below 30: "Incurable is your fracture, grievous is your wound." On account of their casting down. Psal. 72: "But indeed because of deceits you have set it for them; you cast them down while they were being lifted up." Rom. 1: "For which reason God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not fitting," etc.

Here he threatens punishment in particular: and first the punishment of captivity; second the punishment of the sterility of the land, there, "they have sown wheat, and reaped thorns." Concerning the first, three things. First he sets down the punishment, designating the magnitude of the slaughter, unto the devouring of a multitude of corpses. Ezech. 39: "Thus says the Lord God: Speak to every fowl, and to all birds, and to all the beasts of the field: Assemble, and make haste, come together from every side to my victim, which I sacrifice for you, a great victim upon the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh, and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, etc."

The affliction of the enemies as to those slain, "many shepherds," that is, the princes of the Chaldeans. Supra 6: "To her shall come shepherds, and their flocks." "The vineyard," the house of Israel. Isa. 5: "For the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel." Or "shepherds," the princes of the people; "have destroyed," through slaughter. And as to those oppressed by servitude and captivity, "they have trodden down." Isa. 5: "I will take away its hedge, and it shall be for a spoil." And the desolation of the land: "they gave the portion (...) and it mourned over me, though late." Osee 2: "And she shall say: I will go, and return to my former husband: for it was better with me then than now."

Second, he sets down the cause of the punishment: "the whole land is made desolate with desolation, because there is no one who considers," the commands and benefits of God. Isa. 5: "Therefore my people are led captive, because they had not knowledge."

Third, he sets down the measure of the punishment: first showing the multitude of the enemies, "upon all the ways"; as if to say, they fill all the ways of the desert, which is between Jerusalem and Babylon. Supra 4: "A burning wind in the ways that are in the desert, the way of the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, etc." Second, the multitude of the slain, because the sword is either of pestilence, or even of the Chaldeans. Deuteron. 32: "My sword shall devour flesh." Third, the lack of consolation: "there is no peace"; as if to say, no one shall be exempt. Isa. 57: "There is no peace to the wicked, says the Lord God."

Here he threatens the punishment of barrenness: and first, the frustration of the seed, they have sown; as if to say, the seeds will be corrupted. Matthew 13: Did you not sow good seed in your field? Whence then does it have cockle? Isaiah 5: I waited that it might yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes. Second, the loss of the inheritance: they have received an inheritance, and it will not profit, because it will be snatched away by enemies. Lamentations, last chapter: our inheritance has been turned over to strangers. Third, he concludes with confusion, you shall be confounded, namely on account of the failure of the fruits. Isaiah 24: the vintage has mourned, the vine has languished; all who rejoiced in heart have groaned.

Here he sets down the consolation drawn from the punishment of the enemies: and concerning this there are three points.

First, he sets down their deportation: those who touch the inheritance, harming it. Zechariah 2: he who touches you, is as one who touches the pupil of my eye. Above, ch. 1: Behold, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, that thou mayest pluck up, and destroy, and ruin, and scatter, and build, and plant, etc.

Second, their leading forth: and when I have plucked up, I will take you from among the nations, Ezekiel 36.

Third, he sets down their instruction, from the promise of good things, if they do well: and it shall be, if, being taught, they shall have learned the ways of my people... they shall be built up; as if he were to say: they shall be reckoned among my people: which pertains to conversion.

And the threat of punishments: but if they will not hear, I will pluck up that nation with plucking up, and with perpetual destruction. Isaiah 1: if you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land.

Note, that prelates destroy the people on account of the perversity of their work. Above, ch. 10: because the shepherds have done foolishly, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they have not understood, and all their flock is scattered.

On account of the falsity of their doctrine. Below, ch. 50: my people have become a lost flock: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, and have made them wander in the mountains, etc.

On account of the faintheartedness of fear. Zechariah 11: O shepherd, and idol, forsaking the flock: the sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye.

On account of the harshness of their dominion. Ezekiel 34: with austerity you ruled, and with power, and my sheep were scattered, etc.

On account of the slackening of care. Zechariah 11: I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit what is forsaken, nor seek what is scattered, nor heal what is broken, nor nourish that which standeth, and he shall eat the flesh of the fat ones, and break their hoofs.