Commentary on Jeremiah (In Jeremiam)

Here he shows the obstinacy of the people, as it were, by a trial: first, because they scorn the preaching; second, because they persecute the preacher, there, "and they said: Come, and let us devise plans against Jeremiah." Concerning the first, two things. First is set down the preaching that calls them back to penance; second is set down the despair of those who scorn it, there, "who said: We have despaired: for we will go after our own thoughts." Concerning the first, two things. First the Lord designates for the prophet the place of the revelation: into the potter's house, so that the prophecy might be taken from the likeness of that very work — in which it is signified that to one who descends into consideration of his own weakness, the words of the Lord are revealed. Prov. 3: "His communication is with the simple." "I went down" — I drew near to the lower part of the city, where craftsmen of this sort dwelt. Second, the revealed word is set down. And first he sets down the likeness; second, from the likeness he draws the argument, there, "I will suddenly speak against a nation." Concerning the first, two things. First is set down the deed of the potter, from which the likeness is taken, setting forth the destruction of the vessel: "and behold, he was doing his work upon the wheel," Eccl. 58: "the potter sitting at his work, and turning the wheel with his feet, who is always set in care for his work, and all his work is without number." And the restoration of the destroyed vessel: "and turning, he made it another vessel." Wisdom 15: "the potter, pressing the soft earth, laboriously fashions each vessel for our uses, and from the same clay fashions vessels that are clean for use, and likewise those that are the contrary of these." Second, he sets down the application of the likeness: "and the word of the Lord came to me." And first is set down the question: "Shall I not be able to do to you as this potter, houses of Israel?" Isa. 64: "And now, Lord, you are our father, but we are clay; and you are our fashioner, and we all are the works of your hands." Second, the response: "behold, as clay." Wisdom 7: "in his hand are both we and our words, and all wisdom, and the discipline of the knowledge of works."

Here he draws an argument from the aforesaid comparison. But an objection is raised against what is said here, from what is found in Num. 23: God is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. But this cannot happen without a lie, that someone should say a future thing that does not come to pass, nor without change, if he repents. Therefore, etc. To which it must be said that there is a twofold prophecy, according to Jerome in the Gloss on Matthew, chapter 1: namely, of predestination, in those things which do not depend on free will but only on the disposition of God, which is immutable; and therefore this must come to pass in every way. The other is of foreknowledge, concerning those things too which are not subject to free will, but proceed from God according as God foreknows finally the outcome of each thing. And thus also the divine sentence is not changed, a change being made in man, but not in God. And therefore repentance is taken not according to a change of the divine disposition, but of the divine sentence pronounced according to lower causes. And therefore he says, suddenly, and at once, speaking of God after the likeness of man: for someone is said to speak suddenly, when he speaks without premeditation. But this applies when he looks only to the present, the consideration of the future being set aside.

Concerning this, therefore, he does two things. First, he sets forth the revocability of the divine sentence in evil things, setting down the pronouncement of the sentence, that I may root out, taking away all firmness. Above, 1: I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, that thou mayest root out, and pull down, and destroy, and scatter, and build, and plant. And the revocation of the sentence: if that nation shall repent of their evil (...) I also will repent. Hosea 11: my heart is turned within me, my repentance is stirred up together. And in good things, setting down the promulgation of the sentence, and at once. Job 22: if thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle. And the revocation, if he shall do evil. Ezekiel 18: if the just man turn away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man is wont to work, shall he live? All his justices which he had done shall not be remembered: in the prevarication by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin which he hath sinned, in them he shall die.

Secondly, he induces knowledge: and first he sets forth the devised punishment: now therefore speak to the man of Juda (...): thus saith the Lord: behold I frame, as a potter, evil — of punishment. Isaiah 45: I am the Lord that make peace, and create evil. Secondly, he concludes with repentance: let every one turn back from his evil way, and ways — works, pursuits, thoughts — direct: make right. Ezekiel 33: return from your most evil ways.

Here is set down the despair of those who scorn: and first the despair itself is set down, "we have despaired." Above, ch. 2: you have said: I have despaired, I will not do it: for I have loved strangers, and after them I will go. Second, the condemnation of those who despair is set down: therefore thus says the Lord. And first he charges in them a horrible fault by comparison with the nations: ask the nations. Above, ch. 2: pass over to the isles of Cethim, and see, and send unto Cedar, and consider diligently, and see if such a thing has been done, if a nation has exchanged its gods. And surely they are not gods. Ezech. 5: she has despised my judgments, so as to be more wicked than the nations, and my precepts more than the lands that are round about her. From the likeness of insensible things, which keep the order fixed for them by God: shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? And it should be noted that Lebanon is a great mountain, and has at its summit a great breadth, in which are fields, and caves of rock, into which, because the ray of the sun does not reach, the snows are kept perpetually. Or can the waters that break forth be plucked up, so that they do not flow down from Lebanon, and from other high mountains? As if to say, no. Eccle. 3: I have learned that all the works which God has made continue forever. We cannot add anything to them, nor take away, which the Lord has made that he may be feared. From the condition of the works, because useless: pouring out libations in vain, namely to idols. Rom. 6: what fruit then did you have at that time in those things of which you are now ashamed? Because harmful, and stumbling, that is, giving offense. Isa. 59: we have stumbled at midday as if in darkness, in the dark places as dead men. Because base, in the paths of the age, namely of idolatry, after which the whole age goes. Job 22: do you desire to keep the path of the ages, which wicked men have trodden, who were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation, who said to God: depart from us, and we do not want the knowledge of your ways. And difficult: that they might walk through them in a path not trodden by the holy fathers. Or because they devised vain sins. Wis. 5: we have walked through difficult ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known. Num. 20: we will go by the beaten path. Second, he threatens a stupefying punishment. First, as to the desolation of the land: that their land should become a desolation. "Ut" taken consecutively. Lam. 1: O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow. Second, as to the destruction of the nation: like a wind, which dries up all the crops, the enemy, the Babylonian. Above, ch. 4: a burning wind in the ways that are in the desert of the way of the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse. Third, the withdrawal of divine help. The back, after the manner of an angry man. Deut. 32: I will hide my face from them, and I will consider their latter end. Ps. 73: why, O Lord, have you cast us off unto the end, why has your fury raged against the sheep of your pasture?

Here their obstinacy is shown from the fact that they persecuted their preachers, as a figure of the persecution of Christ: and first the persecution of the adversaries is set down, giving the counsel of persecuting: "Come." Wisdom 2: "the wicked said, thinking within themselves, not rightly." And further on (in the same place): "let us circumvent the just man, because he is useless to us, and contrary to our works," etc. The argument for the persecution: "for the law will not perish" — the ordinance of the law — "the word" — of divine revelation; as though he had falsely predicted this to come. On the contrary, Ezekiel 7: "the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders." And the manner of persecuting: "with the tongue" — by detracting and accusing. "Let us not attend" — as though fearing his threats. Psalm 63: "they have sharpened their tongues like a sword, they have made ready for themselves a wicked word." Ecclesiasticus 28: "the blow of a scourge makes a bruise, but a blow of the tongue will break bones."

Secondly, the prayer of the prophet is set down: and first he asks for a hearing: "Attend, O Lord, to me" — that is, to my merits. Lamentations 3: "you have heard their reproach, O Lord, all their thoughts against me." Secondly he sets forth the fault of ingratitude, stating the ingratitude: "shall evil be rendered for good?" As if to say: it is not customary, it is not just. "A pit" — a deception — "that they might take away my life." Psalm 108: "they have set against me evils for good things, and hatred for my love." And the proof of the ingratitude: "remember." 2 Maccabees, last chapter: "this is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel; this is he who prays much for the people, and for the whole holy city, Jeremiah the prophet of God."

Thirdly he calls down punishment: and first the infliction of the punishment as regards the children: "therefore give the sons." Above, 15: "he who is for the sword, to the sword; and he who is for famine, to famine; and he who is for captivity, to captivity." As regards those who use marriage: "let their wives be without children." Hosea 9: "give them a womb without children, and dry breasts." And as regards warlike men: "let their young men be pierced through with the sword in battle, let a cry be heard" — a wailing. Isaiah 15: "they shall raise up a cry of destruction." Secondly, the concealment of the punishment, so that they cannot guard against it: "you will bring a robber" — Nebuchadnezzar — who comes upon them suddenly. Obadiah: "if thieves had come in to you, if robbers by night, how would you have been silent?" And he assigns the reason: "because they have dug a pit"; as if to say: it is just that those who wished to deceive me should be deceived. Psalm 56: "they have prepared a snare for my feet, and have bowed down my soul." And he brings forward the proof: "but you, O Lord, know." Lamentations 3: "you have seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me; judge my judgment."

Secondly he excludes the revocation of the sentence, excluding mercy: "may you not be propitious" — by cleansing from guilt — ; "let it not be blotted out" — by freeing from punishment. Psalm 108: "let the iniquity of his fathers return into remembrance in the sight of the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out." And he calls down punishment: "let them be overthrown" (...) "deal harshly with them," that is, use them for evil, or against your custom of clemency. Isaiah 3: "Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue, and their devices, are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his majesty."

It should be noted that there is a certain good hiss, of divine inspiration. Zechariah 10: "I will hiss for them, and gather them, because I have redeemed them." Of humble confirmation. 3 Kings 19: "after the fire, a hiss of a thin breeze." Of compassion. Below, 49: "everyone who will pass through it will be astonished, and will hiss over all its plagues." Likewise there is an evil hiss, of wicked persuasion. Wisdom 17: "moved by the hissing of serpents, they perished trembling." Of insult. Lamentations 2: "all who passed by the way hissed, and shook their heads over the daughter of Jerusalem, saying: is this the city, of perfect beauty, the joy of the whole earth?" And of astonishment. Below, 25: "I will make them into astonishment, and a hissing, into everlasting solitudes."

Likewise, on that word, "that I might speak good for them," note that Christ speaks good for us to obtain pardon. Luke 23: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." To excuse the fault. 1 John 2: "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just; and he is the propitiation for our sins." Hebrews 12: "you have come to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood that speaks better than Abel." To obtain glory. John 17: "I will that where I am, they also may be with me, that they may see my glory, which you have given me."