For behold I will call together all the families of the kingdoms of the north: saith the Lord: and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and upon all the cities of Juda,

“Here he sets down the destruction of the city itself. First is set down the rousing to see: "What dost thou see?" As above. Second, the vision: "And I said: A kindled pot," which signifies the burning of the city; and "the face" — the base — "of the north," whence the fire was kindled. Ezek. 24: Set the pot empty upon the coals, that it may grow hot, and its bronze may melt, and its filth may be melted together in the midst of it, and its rust may be consumed. Third is set down the exposition: "And the Lord said"; and first it is expounded in general: "from the north" — that is, from the king of Babylon, who was to the north with respect to the holy land — "the inhabitants of the land" — of Jerusalem, or of the other neighboring places, which were laid waste by him. Below, 10: Behold, a great commotion shall come from the land of the north, to make the cities of Judah wildernesses and habitations of dragons. Second, he pursues the whole order of the matter. And first is set down the summoning of the army: "for behold, I will call together" — by inspiring — "the kingdoms" — those subject to Nebuchadnezzar. Isaiah 5: He shall lift up a sign to the nations afar off. Second is set down the siege of the city: "and there shall come ... a throne, a tent, at the entrance of the gates," as though they will lay siege all the way to the walls. Isa. 22: Horsemen shall set their seats in the gate, and the covering of Judah shall be uncovered. Or he sets down the very captivity of the city: and what is found below, 39, is touched upon: "all the princes of the king of Babylon entered in, and sat in the middle gate." Third is set down the punishment of the inhabitants: "and I will speak judgment" — not with words, but with punishments. Ezek. 16: They shall judge thee with the judgments of adulteresses, and of them that shed blood. "Thou therefore gird thyself." Here he teaches the manner of carrying it out. And first, that he execute it promptly: "gird thy loins," as one who prepares himself to go quickly. Job 40: Gird thy loins like a man. Second, that he do it securely; and concerning this, first he excludes fear. "Be not afraid." Ezek. 3: Fear them not, neither be thou afraid of their face, for it is a provoking house. Isaiah 51: Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal man, and of the son of man, who shall wither away like grass, and hast forgotten the Lord thy maker, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast been afraid all the day at the face of his fury who afflicted thee, and had prepared to destroy? Where is now the fury of the oppressor? Second, he promises strength to resist: "for I have this day made thee a city" — for sustaining others — "a pillar." Isa. 50: The Lord hath given me a learned tongue, that I should know how to sustain by a word him that is fallen, and that he should not fail in himself. "And a wall of brass." Ezek. 3: I have made thy face like an adamant and like flint. Third, he promises the frustration of the enemies: "and they shall fight, and shall not prevail" — they will not be able to turn thee away from the truth. Below, 15: I will make thee to this people as a strong wall of brass; and they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail, for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Concerning the foregoing, it should be known, first, that God can have knowledge of someone by way of approbation, as has been said. Of foresight. Eccl. 23: To the Lord God, before they were created, all things are known; and so too, after they are perfected, he beholds all things. Of predestination. 2 Tim. 2: The Lord knoweth who are his. Of the infusion of grace. John 10: I know my sheep, and mine know me. Of special familiarity. Exod. 33: and I have known even thee by name. Of glorification. Eccl. 44: he knew him in his blessings, and gave him an inheritance. Likewise it should be noted, that the Lord touches some by reproving them. Job 19: Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me. By cleansing from sins. Matt. 8: And Jesus touched him, saying: I will; be thou made clean. By infusing grace. Cant. 5: My beloved put his hand through the hole, and my belly trembled at his touch. By strengthening in grace. Dan. 10: And behold, a hand touched me, and set me up upon my knees, and upon the joints of my hands. By rousing fervor. Ps. 143: Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Likewise it should be noted, that the sinful soul is called a pot on account of the fervor of concupiscence. Job 41: He shall make the deep of the sea boil like a pot, and shall make it like ointments boiling. On account of the carnality of the work. Mich. 3: They have broken their bones, and cut them in pieces as in a caldron, and as flesh in the midst of a pot. On account of the blackness of the stain. Nahum 2: The faces of all as the blackness of a pot. Likewise it should be noted, that the aforesaid pot is kindled by the fire of disordered love. Ps. 79: Burnt with fire, and undermined, they shall perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Of wrath, and of contention. Isa. 50: Behold, all you that kindle a fire, girded about with flames. Of eternal damnation. Deut. 32: A fire is kindled in my rage, and shall burn even to the lowest hell. Likewise it should be noted, that the Devil is called the North on account of the onslaught of temptation. Eccl. 43: The voice of his thunder struck the earth, the storm of the north, and the gathering together of the wind. Because he hinders the fruit of a good work. Cant. 4: Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and its spices shall flow. Because he dries up the river of tears. Prov. 25: The north wind driveth away rains, as doth a sad countenance a backbiting tongue. Likewise it should be noted, that the Church, or the soul, is fortified by divine help. Zach. 2: I will be to them a fire round about, and I will be in glory in the midst of it. By the guard of angels. Isa. 33: The fortifications of rocks are his height. By the example of the holy fathers. Cant. 4: The tower of David is thy neck, which is built with bulwarks. By the support of brothers. Prov. 18: A brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city. By the remedy of the sacraments. Cant. 8: I am a wall, and my breasts are as a tower, since I have become in his presence as one finding peace.”

“For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord,.... Which belonged unto and were under the jurisdiction of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and the "call" of them, as Kimchi well observes, is no other than putting it into their hearts to come: and they shall come; being influenced and directed by the providence of God, who had a principal concern in this matter: and they shall set everyone his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem; meaning, not only that they should pitch their military tents, and encamp about Jerusalem, and place themselves at the entering of the gates, in order to get in; but that they should sit down there in great safety and security, and be very successful, victorious, and triumphant: and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah; not only besiege Jerusalem, and take that, but also all the rest of the cities of the land.”

“families--the tribes or clans composing the various kingdoms of Babylon; the specification of these aggravates the picture of calamity (Jer 25:9). throne at . . . gates--the usual place of administering justice. The conquering princes will set up their tribunal there (Jer 39:3, Jer 39:5; Jer 52:9). Or the reference is to the military pavilion (Jer 43:10) [MAURER].”

“Jer 1:15 is not the precise interpretation of the picture seen, but a direct statement of the afflictions about to fall on the inhabitants of Judah. "They will set each his throne." The representatives of the kingdoms are meant, the kings and generals. To set one's throne (נתן or שׂוּם; cf. Jer 43:10; Jer 49:38) is a figure for the establishing of sovereignty. כּסא, seat or throne, is not the seat of judgment, but the throne of the sovereign; cf. the expression: set the throne upon these stones, Jer 43:10; where a passing of judgment on the stones being out of the question, the only idea is the setting up of dominion, as is put beyond doubt by the parallel clause; to spread out his state carpet upon the stones. "Before the gates of Jerusalem:" not merely in order to besiege the city and occupy the outlets from it (Jerome and others), but to lord it over the city and its inhabitants. If we take the figurative expression in this sense, the further statement fits well into it, and we have no need to take refuge in Hitzig's unnatural view that these clauses are not dependent on נתנוּ וגו' but on וּבאוּ. For the words: they set up their dominion against the calls of Jerusalem, and against all cities of Judah, give the suitable sense, that they will use violence against the walls and cities.”