Commentary on Jeremiah (In Jeremiam)

Here he threatens the digging up of corpses. And first he sets down the digging up itself: "bones," they will say, believing to find gold, or something of the kind. Isa. 14: "But you are cast forth from your sepulcher, like a useless stock, defiled, and wrapped up with those who have been slain by the sword, and have gone down to the depths of the pit, like a rotten corpse." Second, the scattering of the things dug up: "and they will spread them out." 4 Kings 17: "they worshipped the whole host of heaven." Wisdom 11: "by what things a man sins, by these also is he tormented." Third, their vileness. "They shall not be gathered." Isa. 5: "Their carcasses have become like dung in the midst of the streets."

Here he shows the oppression of those who remain, signified by the very choice of death; which indeed is not in itself desirable, but insofar as it is the end of evils. Apoc. 9: in those days men will seek death, and will not find it; and they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

Here he shows their obstinacy and hardness in sin; hence this is divided against the whole preceding. And first he shows their obstinacy in sins committed against God, or against themselves, and against their neighbor. Then, concerning those which are committed directly against the neighbor, chapter 9: who will give water to my head, and to my eyes a fountain of tears?

Concerning the first, two things. First he argues their hardness; second he threatens punishment, there, gathering I will gather them.

Concerning the first, four things. First he shows their hardness as to idolatry; second as to pride, there, how do you say: we are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Third as to avarice, there, therefore I will give their wives to strangers; fourth as to shamelessness, there, they are confounded, because they have committed abomination, et cetera.

Concerning the first he shows their astonishing hardness from three things. First from common custom, setting forth the custom: shall not he that falleth rise again? Spiritually, or also bodily, as to the turning back from sin — he who has turned away, as to the turning-away: as if he were to say, this is the custom. Psalm 40: shall not he that sleepeth, add that he may rise again? Amos 5: the virgin of Israel is cast down upon her land, there is none to raise her up. And he concludes with wonder: why then is this people in Jerusalem turned away, as to sin, with a contentious turning-away? As though contending against the Lord, or despising him. Deuteronomy 31: I know thy contention, and thy most stiff neck. They have seized — as to conversion — falsehood, deceit. Isaiah 28: we have set falsehood as our hope, and by falsehood we are protected.

Second, the universality of sins, showing universal negligence as to doing good: I attended, and hearkened; no man speaketh what is good, and much less doth he do it. Psalm 13: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one. And universal impenitence concerning evils committed: there is none that doth penance. Romans 2: but thou, according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thyself wrath, in the day of wrath. And unbridled concupiscence: they are all turned. Ecclesiasticus 30: an unbroken horse becometh stubborn, and a son left to himself becometh headstrong. Job 15: he hath run against God with his neck erect, and is armed with a fat neck. And 40: he will swallow up a river, and will not wonder, and hath confidence that the Jordan may flow into his mouth.

Third, from a comparison with irrational creatures, setting forth their knowledge: the kite in the sky — that is, in the air — hath known its time, suited to its works, of its coming, because they pass over in winter to warm places and return in spring, and this by the instinct of natural estimation. Job 12: ask the beasts, and they will teach thee; and the birds of the air, and they will tell thee. And he sets forth the ignorance of the people: but my people hath not known the judgment, of the propitiation that was to come upon them. Isaiah 1: but Israel hath not known me.

Here he shows their pride arising from the boasting of wisdom; and concerning this, three things. First, he sets down the boasting: We are wise. Isaiah 5: Woe to you who are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own sight. Second, he shows the injustice: truly, a lie — whether by wrongly expounding the Scriptures, or by establishing unjust laws. Isaiah 10: Woe to those who make unjust laws, and writing, have written injustice, that they might oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people. Third, he sets down the punishment: they are confounded — the past tense standing for the future. Job 12: He leads counselors away to a foolish end, and judges into stupor. And he resumes the cause: they have cast away the word of the Lord. Ecclesiasticus 1: The fountain of wisdom is the word of God in the highest. Isaiah 5: Therefore my people has been led captive, because it had no knowledge. Hosea 4: Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you, that you may not exercise the priesthood for me.

Here he shows their avarice: and first he sets down the punishment, "to heirs" — that is, those who hold the inheritance firmly and securely, as if it were their own. Deut. 28: You shall take a wife, and another shall sleep with her. Secondly he sets down the fault: and first, the desire of avarice, because from the least even to the greatest all follow avarice, as though it were an end. Isa. 1: Every head is faint, and every heart is mourning; from the sole of the foot even to the crown there is no soundness in it. Secondly he sets down the deceit in pursuing it, "from the prophet." Thirdly, the manner of the deceit, "and they healed." Ezech. 13: They gave life to their souls, and profaned me before the people for a handful of barley and a piece of bread, that they might slay souls that do not die, and give life to souls that do not live, deceiving my people that trusts the liar.

Here he shows the shamelessness: and first, the cause of shame, "they are confounded"; as if to say: they suffer punishments by which they ought to be confounded. Eccl. 4: "and confusion bringing sin." Second, he shows the shamelessness: nay rather, with confusion they are not confounded. Above, 3: "The forehead of a harlot woman has been made yours; you would not blush." Third, the punishment: therefore they shall fall among those who are falling, as above, 6, Thr. 1: "when his people fell into the hand of the enemy, and there was no helper."

Here he sets down punishment upon the punishment already foretold, together: and first he sets down the sentence of the Lord as to the affliction of men, "I will gather into Jerusalem" — by besieging. Below, 12: "Gather them as a flock for the sacrifice, and sanctify them for the day of slaughter." And as to the plundering of the fruits: "There is no grape, for you, but for the enemies," who, while you look on, eat what is yours. Passed over — from them into the hands of the enemies. Habakkuk 3: "For the fig tree shall not blossom, and there shall be no bud in the vineyards."

Second, the misery of the people: "Why do we sit still?" Or: he sets down their preparation, setting down their mutual exhortation: "Why do we sit still?" — in the places of the cities, as though at rest. "Let us be silent" — as though stunned, or from the tumult of war. Above, 4: "Gather yourselves together, and let us enter." And the reason of those who exhort, while they foresee the punishment: "because the Lord our God has made us to be silent" — with stupor. Lamentations 3: "He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunk with wormwood." And they confess their guilt: "we have sinned." Psalm 105: "We have sinned with our fathers: we have acted unjustly, we have done iniquity." And they acknowledge the folly of their expectation: "and we waited," according to the sayings of the false prophets, "for good" — the reward of peace. Proverbs 10: "The expectation of the just is joy, but the hope of the wicked shall perish."

He also sets down the persecution of the enemies, and the report, "from Dan." Above, 4: "The voice of one announcing." He also sets down the effect of the report: "at the sound of the neighing of his warriors the whole earth is moved" — hyperbolically, or by metonymy. Psalm 17: "The earth was moved, and trembled." And also the punishment inflicted through them: "and they came, and devoured the land, and the fullness thereof" — namely, its fruit. Psalm 78: "They have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his place." And he excludes the remedy: "for behold, I will send you serpents" — the Chaldeans — "for which there is no charm," because they can in no way be appeased. Psalm 57: "Their fury is according to the likeness of a serpent, like the deaf asp that stops her ears." Apocalypse 9: "Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man."

Third, he sets down the mercy of one showing compassion; and first, over the affliction of the people, setting down compassion — "sorrow" — in the person of the Lord; and this is anthropopathy; or in the person of the prophet. Lamentations 1: "O all you who pass by the way, attend, and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow." And the affliction of the people: "Behold the voice" — of the enemies from a far land; or of the people against those same enemies; or from the land of captivity. Above, 4: "I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail." And the reason for the affliction: "Is not the Lord in Sion?" Indeed, God himself could give both counsels and help and answers: hence you have no reason to seek other gods. 4 Kings 1: "Is there not a God in Israel, that you go to consult Beelzebub, the god of Accaron?"

Second, compassion over the length of it, setting down the length of the affliction: "The harvest has passed, the summer is ended, and we are not saved" — from the danger of famine, because we have not gathered in the fruit — in the person of the people. Thus 4 Kings 6: "From where can I save you?"

Third, compassion over the contrition — in the person of the Lord, as above. Isaiah 63: "He became their savior in all their tribulation." Or in the person of the prophet. Lamentations 2: "My bowels are troubled."

Fourth, he assigns the reason for the length of it, namely, that they were unwilling to be healed of sin: "Is there no balm" — by which is meant the medicine of penance against guilt, or of divine wisdom — "no physician" — the prophet, or the priest — "in Galaad"? Where the practice of medicine flourished. Below, 4: "Go up to Galaad, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt." "Why then has" the scar "not" been closed up, healed, "of" sin? Isaiah 1: "Wound, and bruise, and swelling sore, it has not been bound up, nor dressed with medicine, nor fomented with oil."

Note, that silence is manifold: namely, of stupor. Amos 8: "In every place silence shall be cast forth." Of security. Isaiah 32: "And the work of justice shall be peace, and the cultivation of justice, silence, and security even for ever." Of longsuffering. Lamentations 3: "It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of the Lord." And of quietness of heart. Ecclesiastes 12: "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in."

Also note, that the company of evil men is to be fled, because they entice by their words. 1 Corinthians 15: "Evil communications corrupt good manners." They draw one in by examples. Psalm 17: "With the innocent man you will be innocent, and with the perverse you will be perverted." They affect one as to reputation. Ecclesiasticus 13: "He who touches pitch shall be defiled by it." They involve one as to punishment. Numbers 16: "Depart from the tabernacles of the wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins."