Commentary on Jeremiah (In Jeremiam)

Here he shows their obstinacy in sins that are directly against the neighbor: and first his compassion is set down as to the punishment: "who will give"? As if to say: for sorrow and compassion moisture, which is the matter of tears, does not suffice — water, as to abundance; a fountain, as to unfailingness. Lam. 3: "my eye has brought down divisions of waters, in the destruction of the daughter of my people." And as to the fault: "who will give me in the wilderness"? As if to say: I would rather dwell in the wilderness than see their sins — "of diverse wayfarers," that is, in which, although no one dwells, yet diverse ones pass through. Or, in a wilderness of diverse wayfarers, through which, namely, either no one, or rarely anyone, passes. Below, 12: "I have left my house, I have forsaken my inheritance."

Secondly the condition of the people is described: that they are all adulterers: and first as to the fault; secondly as to the punishment, at the place, "therefore thus says the Lord of hosts." Concerning the first, two things. First he sets down the sin which is from the violation of another's bed. "They are adulterers." Above, 5: "Every one neighed after his neighbor's wife." From the transgression of a human or divine pact: "an assembly of transgressors"; as if to say: for this they have conspired together. Isa. 24: "the transgressors have transgressed, and with the transgression of the faithless they have transgressed." From the utterance of falsehood: "they have bent their tongue like a bow," from which comes the arrow of the deceitful word. Hosea 7: "they returned that they might be without a yoke, they have become like a deceitful bow,"

secondly he aggravates it: and first from the increase of faults: "they are grown strong in the land," that is, in earthly sins; or, deprived of heavenly things, in earthly goods. Ps. 72: "I was zealous over the wicked, seeing the peace of sinners." "They have gone forth from evil to evil," adding sin to sin. Hosea 4: "cursing and lying, killing and theft and adultery have overflowed, and blood has touched blood."

Secondly from the condition of the sinners, because it is even among those who are joined together, toward whom they are more bound to extend the works of charity. And first he counsels caution: "let every one beware of his neighbor," who is joined by some civil or spiritual communication; "of his brother," who is joined by a natural bond. Micah 7: "do not trust a friend, do not have confidence in a leader."

As to the second, he assigns the cause on the part of the fraudulence: and first he sets down the sin of fraud: for "every brother is a supplanter," unjustly stealing another's thing. Gen. 27: "he has supplanted me, behold, a second time: he took away my birthright before, and now a second time he has stolen my blessing." In the manner of doing it, because "every friend will walk deceitfully." Isa. 32: "the vessels of the deceitful are most wicked." And in word, "and a man will mock his brother." Job 12: "he who is mocked by his friend as I am, shall call upon God, and he will hear him." The future tense indicates perseverance.

Secondly he assigns the reason, because "accustomed to lies, they have taught," through custom; and "zealous for evil works, they have labored." Prov. 4: "for they do not sleep unless they have done evil, and sleep is not taken from them unless they have supplanted." Wis. 5: "we have wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and of destruction, and we have walked hard ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known."

Thirdly he draws the conclusion: "your dwelling, O Jeremiah," or O Jerusalem, "is in the midst of deceit," that is, of a deceitful people. Ezek. 2: "the unbelieving and subverters are with you, and you dwell with scorpions."

Here is set forth the pitiable condition of the people as to punishment: and first he sets forth the sentence; second he determines the punishment, at the place, "upon the mountains I will take up weeping." Concerning the first, two things. First he sets forth the sentence, "I will melt, as gold in the fire," that at least in this way they may be cleansed. Ecclesiasticus 27: the furnace tests the potter's vessels, and the trial of tribulation, just men. Second he shows the justice of the sentence: first excluding the way of mercy: "for what else shall I do, from the face of the daughter of my people?" As if he were to say: nothing else remains but that I punish, all other ways having been tried. Isaiah 5: what is it that I ought further to have done for my vineyard, and have not done for it? Second he sets forth the fault, "an arrow," which strikes from afar, and penetrates even to the inmost parts. Proverbs 26: the words of a whisperer are as it were simple, and they themselves reach to the inmost parts of the heart. And 25: a dart, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, a man who speaks false witness against his neighbor. Psalm 63: the arrows of little children have become their wounds, and their tongues have been weakened against them. Psalm 27: who speak peace with their neighbor, but evils are in their hearts. Third he concludes the punishment: "shall I not visit for these things?" As above, 5.

Here he determines the punishment in particular: and first he determines the punishment; second he excludes the false confidence of escaping, at the place, Thus says the Lord: let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Concerning the first, three things. First he sets down the devastation of the lands. Second, the affliction of men, at the place, therefore thus says the Lord, etc. Third, the casting away of corpses, at the place, Speak: thus says the Lord, etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he determines the destruction of the land as to its possessions, indicating the burning. Because they have been burned. Joel 1: to you, O Lord, I will cry, because fire has devoured the beautiful places of the desert, and the flame has burned up all the trees of the region. Because there is no man passing through. Above, 4: I looked, and behold there was no man, and every bird of the heaven had fled. And they have not heard the voice of the possessor, because he was no longer going there. And as to the cities: and I will make Jerusalem into heaps of sand. Isa. 17: behold, Damascus will cease to be a city, and it will be like a heap of stones in ruin. Second, he assigns the reason. And first the question is set down: who is the man who understands, of himself, to whom the word of the mouth of the Lord comes? That he may know through revelation. Isa. 42: who is there among you that hears this, that attends, and listens to the things to come? Second, the response is set down: and the Lord said, as to the turning away, because they have forsaken — as it were not diligent in meditating; they have not heard — as it were prompt to obey; they have not walked — as it were effective in fulfilling. 1 Mach. 1: many of the people of Israel determined within themselves not to eat unclean things, and chose rather to die than to be defiled by unclean foods, and would not break the holy law of God; and they were slain. And as to their turning, they were not willing; that is, they followed their own wicked desires, the Baalim, plural in number, and masculine in gender. Eccli. 18: go not after your lusts, and turn away from your own will.

Here he threatens punishment as regards the men themselves. And first he determines the punishment as regards affliction: "I will feed with wormwood" — the distresses which they suffered from the Chaldeans; "drink" — because the help of the Egyptians will be turned for them into bitterness, by which they believed they would escape the tribulations, just as food is easily carried along by drink. Lamentations 3: "He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunk with wormwood." And as to captivity, "I will scatter"; and as to the slaying, "and I will send," as before. Ezechiel 5: "A third part you shall scatter into the wind, and you shall unsheathe the sword after them."

Secondly he invites to the sorrowful lament: "Thus says the Lord." And first he summons the mourning-women, according to the custom of the Jews, that they may provoke to weeping: "Call for the mourning women"; which custom is touched upon below, 22: "They shall not clamor for him: alas, lord! and alas, illustrious one!" Luke 23: "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep over me, but weep over yourselves, and over your children."

Secondly he sets down the precept of weeping. First, addressed to the people, declaring the present mourning: "Let our eyes shed tears." Lamentations 2: "Let tears run down like a torrent day and night, and give yourself no rest, neither let the pupil of your eye be silent." And foretelling the future, which is as it were the matter of the present: "for a voice was heard," by the spirit of prophecy; or he puts the past for the future. Below, 31: "A voice was heard on high." And he assigns the cause, how — (the voice of those lamenting in Sion) — "we are laid waste," as to the devastation of the region; "we are confounded," as to servitude? "We have forsaken," as to captivity. Above, 4: "Woe to us, for we are laid waste."

Secondly, addressed to the mourning-women themselves, declaring the mourning: "Hear therefore, women, the word of the Lord." Isaiah 32: "Rise up, you wealthy women, and hear my voice, et cetera." And determining the cause: "for death has climbed up," that is, the Chaldean bringing death, in which is signified their swiftness and strength, who, not content to enter through the doors, climbed up through the roofs and the windows. Joel 2: "They shall climb up on the houses, they shall enter through the windows like a thief."

Here he sets down the punishment as regards the very corpses that remained unburied, like hay, which is neglected by the reaper as something worthless. Isa. 5: Their corpses have become like dung in the midst of the streets.

Here he excludes the false confidence of escape: let him not glory — as if believing himself thereby to be freed — in wisdom, which is the chief among the human goods of the soul; in strength, chief among the human goods of the body; in riches, which are chief among external goods. 1 Reg. 2: do not multiply to speak lofty things, glorying. And he shows the true confidence: but let him who glories glory in this, in knowing (scire), through knowledge in the intellect, and in knowing (nosse), through the experience of sweetness in the affection. Psal. 61: in God is my salvation, my glory, and my hope is in God. 2 Cor. 10: he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. And he assigns the cause: because I am the Lord who does mercy, that I may free you, judgment, that I may crush enemies, justice, that there be equality — these are pleasing, in you. Mich. 6: I will show you, o man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you. Namely, to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitously with your God.

Secondly he excludes confidence in the legal ceremonies, and especially in circumcision, which is chief, which is also from the fathers: because it is imperfect, of the flesh only, and not in the heart. Hence they are punished together with the uncircumcised. Behold, the days come. Act. 7: stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in ears and hearts, you have always resisted the Holy Spirit.

Note, that man ought not to glory in wisdom, because it is transitory. Isa. 29: the wisdom of its wise men shall perish, and the understanding of its prudent men shall be hidden. Because it is imperfect. Eccl. 8: I understood that of all the works of God, man can find no reason of those things that are done under the sun. Because it is harmful. 1 Cor. 8: knowledge puffs up, but charity builds up. Because it is laborious. Eccl. 1: in much wisdom is much indignation; and he who adds knowledge, adds also labor.

Likewise he ought not to glory in strength, because it is fragile. Job 6: neither is the strength of stones my strength, nor is my flesh of brass. Because it is frequently useless. Eccl. 9: I saw under the sun, that the race is not of the swift, nor the battle of the strong, nor bread of the wise, nor riches of the learned, nor favor of the skillful; according to time and chance in all things. Because it is not acceptable to the Lord. Psalm. 146: he will not take delight in the strength of the horse, nor will the legs of a man be pleasing to him. Because it is an occasion of sin. Sap. 2: let our strength be the law of justice, for that which is weak is found useless.

Likewise he ought not to glory in riches, because they are transitory. Jac. 5: your riches are rotted, and your garments are eaten by moths. Because they are insufficient. Prov. 17: what does it profit a fool to have riches, since he cannot buy wisdom? Because they impede the word of God. Matth. 13: the deceitfulness of riches chokes the word, and it is made without fruit. Because they are harmful. Eccl. 5: riches are hoarded to the harm of their owner.