Commentary on Jeremiah (In Jeremiam)

Here he excludes the false consolations of the prophets who were consoling the captives in Babylon: and first he excludes the false consolations; second he inveighs against the false consolers themselves, at the place, "Thus says the Lord," etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he sets down the title of the prophecy, in which he assigns three things: namely the manner of prophesying, since it is by way of a letter; the words of the book, that is, of the letter, Isa. 30: "Go in, write it for him upon boxwood, and in the book, carefully, outside of it. And it shall be, in the last day, for a testimony even unto eternity." The time of the prophecy, after he had gone out: 4 Kings 24. Isa. 3: "Behold the Lord the ruler will take away the army from Jerusalem and from Judah, the strong and the mighty, all strength of bread, and all strength of water; and the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet," etc. And the messenger of the prophecy: by the hand of Elasa the son of Saphan, and Gamarias the son of Helcias, whom he sent, that he might make peace with the Chaldeans, terrified at the death of the false consoler Hananias, and at the threat of Jeremiah. Prov. 19: "When the pestilent man is scourged, the fool will become wiser."

Second, he sets down the word of the prophecy: "Thus says the Lord": and concerning this, two things. First he gives them good and wholesome counsel, that they should attend to those things which pertain to the use of necessity: "Build houses," which they were neglecting to do, believing that they would soon return, according to the promises of the false prophets. Psalm 106: "They sowed fields, and planted vineyards, and made fruit of birth." Likewise, that they should attend to those things which pertain to the succession of offspring: "Take wives." Gen. 1: "Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth." And that they should attend to those things which pertain to the tranquility of peace: "and seek peace." Baruch 1: "Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son," etc. 1 Tim. 2: "I beseech, first of all, that supplications, petitions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and all who are set in high places, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all piety and chastity," etc.

Second, he excludes false and useless counsel: for "thus says the Lord": and first he excludes the vain confidence which they had conceived from the promise of the prophets; second he excludes foolish repentance, at the place, "for thus says the Lord," etc. Concerning the first, three things. First he excludes the saying of the false prophets, who promised liberation in a short time: "Let not the prophets deceive you, who speak to you in the name of the Lord," and "the diviners," who fit together the answers of demons. Ezech. 12: "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and see nothing." Second he states the time of the liberation as regards consolation: for "thus says the Lord, I will visit," consoling you, and afflicting the enemies. Above, 25: "When seventy years shall be completed, I will visit upon the king of Babylon, and upon that nation, says the Lord, their iniquity," etc. And as regards the restoration of the homeland: "and I will raise up," "I will fulfill." Ecclus. 36: "Raise up the predictions which the former prophets spoke in thy name." Third he sets down the manner of the liberation, first promising the state of former prosperity as regards the tranquility of peace: "for I know"; as if no other knew. 1 Cor. 2: "The things that are of God no one knows but the Spirit of God." Isa. 64: "Eye hath not seen, besides thee, the things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee." "Thoughts of peace," which I prepare for you: "the end," of captivity; the patience of labors, that you may bear them more easily. Psalm 27: "They speak peace with their neighbor, but evils are in their hearts." And as regards the hearing of prayer: "you shall call upon," with the mouth; "and you shall go," with the mind; "you shall adore," with the body. Or, "you shall go," to the temple. Isa. 30: "At the voice of thy cry, as soon as he shall hear, he will answer thee." Another text has: "You shall call upon me, and you shall live; and you shall pray to me, and I will hear you." And the sense is plain. And as regards the help of divine protection: "you shall seek," by desire and prayers; "and you shall find" him ready to help; as if he should say, I will offer myself. John 14: "He who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Isa. 53: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." Second he promises the proper place of birth: "and I will bring back." Ezech. 36: "For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the lands, and bring you into your own land." "Because you have said": as if he should say: it was not necessary for you to write, because you trust in false prophets.

Here he excludes a false repentance: for on account of the long captivity they could repent of this, that they had given themselves up, seeing that others had remained still in Jerusalem; and therefore against those who remained he threatens a grave penalty of death. Behold, I will send. Above, 21: he who dwells in this city shall die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who shall have gone out, and shall flee over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, shall live, etc. And of affliction, and I will make; that is, they shall not find favor with me, nor with those by whom they are held captive, just as bad figs do not please those who gather them. Above, 24: as the very bad figs which cannot be eaten, because they are bad, thus says the Lord; so will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the rest of Jerusalem who have remained in this city, and who dwell in the land of Egypt, etc. And he assigns the cause: because they did not hear, namely, that they should give themselves up to Nebuchadnezzar, and cease from sins. Above, 11: rising up early I bore witness, and said: hear my voice. And they did not hear, nor did they incline their ear; but each one went away in the wickedness of his evil heart, etc. Secondly he brings in the intended conclusion: you therefore hear the word of the Lord, lest, namely, you suffer punishment, because in this you obeyed me. Prov. 4: hear, sons, the discipline of a father.

Here he inveighs against the false prophets themselves: and first against certain assertors of falsehood; second against a certain assailant of truth, at the place, and to Shemaiah, et cetera. Concerning the first, three things. First he threatens the punishment; second he charges the guilt, at the place, because they have committed folly in Israel; third he argues the justice of the judgment, at the place, I am judge and witness. Concerning the first, three things. First is set down their being brought low in guilt, I will deliver them up, namely so that he might have occasion of punishing those whom he first had in his power. Lamentations 1: the Lord has given me into a hand from which I shall not be able to escape. Second is set down the infliction of the punishment, and he will strike. Below, 30: incurable is the fracture, most grievous is your wound. Third is set down the consequent curse: and there shall be taken away from them. The Hebrews, however, say that these are the two elders of whom it is told in Daniel 13. Whence from this passage they wish to show that that is fabulous. For there they are said to have been killed by the people, but here by Nebuchadnezzar. And moreover there they are said to have been stoned, here killed by fire. And to the first it must be said that both can be true: for Nebuchadnezzar killed, by authority, those convicted by Daniel, and the people by execution of the sentence. To the second it must be said that any punishment is called fire on account of the affliction, and this especially on account of the likeness to the guilt of adultery. Hosea 7: all committing adultery are like an oven heated by the baker. Job 31: it is a fire devouring even to destruction, and rooting out all increase.

Here he sets down the fault: and first, adultery: "folly," that is, a foolish thing, "and they committed adultery." Daniel 13: "Thus you did to the daughters of Israel, and they, fearing, spoke to you." Above, 5: "each one neighed after the wife of his neighbor." Second, the lie: "and they have spoken a word in my name falsely": for they said that the deliverance was near, and that Christ was to be born from them, so that thus they might deceive women into adultery. Above, 23: "I did not speak to them, and yet they prophesied."
Here he sets forth the justice of judgment: the judge, for inflicting punishment; the witness, for convicting guilt: because by divine prompting, and miraculously, they were caught. Daniel 13: "The Lord stirred up the spirit of a younger boy, whose name was Daniel," et cetera.

Here he inveighs against an assailant of the truth, because, since he was a false prophet, and was promising the people a liberation close at hand, being angered against Jeremiah on account of the letter which he had sent to Babylon, he wrote in Jerusalem a letter to the chief of the priests against Jeremiah. And concerning this there are two things. First, the assault on the truth is set down; second, a threat against him is set down, there: "And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah." Concerning the first there are two things. First he sets down the tenor of the letter: "Because you have sent." It is a defective expression, as if to say, "you shall suffer," which he will state afterward, certain things having been interposed. In this letter he does three things. First he recalls the example of his predecessor: "The Lord has given you in place of Jehoiada," who killed the false priests, so that you may do likewise concerning Jeremiah the false prophet. 4 Kings 11. Second he recalls the office: "that you should be ruler in the house of the Lord over every man that is mad," who, seized by an unclean spirit, usurps the act of a prophet. For it pertained to the office of the priest to discern between spirits. 1 John 4: "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they be of God: for many false prophets have gone out into the world," etc. He also accuses certain things, namely the letter of Jeremiah: because concerning this he sent to Babylon: because he is not content to foretell evils to us. Amos 5: "They have hated him that rebuked in the gate, and have abhorred him that speaks perfectly." 3 Kings, last chapter: "I hate him, because he does not prophesy good to me, but evil, Micaiah the son of Jemla." Second he shows how it came to the knowledge of the prophet. Therefore Zephaniah the priest read this book in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet, that he might reproach him. Above, 20: "The word of the Lord has become to me a reproach, and a derision all the day."

Here a threat is set forth against him. And first he charges the fault: because he prophesied. Isa. 28: We have made a lie our hope, and by a lie we have been protected. And the word is directed to the captives through a certain other letter. Second he threatens the punishment: Therefore thus says the Lord. And first as to his sons: he shall not have a man; as if he were to say: he will leave no survivor among the people. Exod. 20: I am the Lord your God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, unto the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. Second as to himself: and he shall not see the good that I will do for my people. Above, 17: for he shall be like the tamarisk in the desert, and he shall not see when good comes. Third he resumes the cause: because he has spoken transgression against the Lord — because by his words he transgressed against the Lord in speaking, promising prosperous things, while the Lord foretold adverse things. Job 39: Does he who contends with God so easily grow quiet?