Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations Volume 2 John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
the LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
7. Propterea ecce dies veniunt, (venient,) dicit Jehova, quibus non dicetur (ad verbum, et non dicetur, --- non dicent) amplius, Vivit Jehova, qui eduxit filios Israel e terra Egypti;
8. But, the LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
8. Quin potius, Vivit Jehova, qui eduxit et adduxit (ascendere fecit et introduxit, ad verbum) semen domus Israel e terra Aquilonis, et ex omnibus terris, ad quas expuleram eos illue; et habitabunt super terram suam. 83
The Prophet, after having spoken of the Redeemer who was to be sent, now sets forth in high terms that great favor of God, and says that it would be so remarkable and glorious, that the former redemption would be nothing to the greatness and excellency of this. When the children of Israel were brought up out of Egypt, God, we know, testified his power by many miracles, in order that this favor towards his people might appear the more illustrious; and rightly did the Prophets exhort and encourage the faithful to entertain good hope by calling to their minds what was then done. But our Prophet enhances the second redemption by this comparison, that hereafter the kindness of God, with which he favored his people when he delivered them from the bondage of Egypt, would not be remembered, but that something more remarkable would be done, so that all would talk of it, and that all would proclaim the immense benefit, which God would confer on them in delivering them from their exile in Babylon. 84
He then says that the days would come in which it would not be said, Live does Jehovah, who brought his people from Egypt, but who brought his people from the land of the North 85 Yet he does not mean that the memory of God's favor towards the Israelites, when he brought them from Egypt, was to be abolished; but he reasons here from the less to the greater, as though he had said that it was an evidence of God's favor that could not be sufficiently praised, when he delivered his people from the land of Egypt, that if it were taken by itself, it was worthy of being for ever remembered; but that when compared with the second deliverance it would appear almost as nothing. The meaning is, that the second redemption would be so much more remarkable than the first, that it would obscure the remembrance of it, though it would not obliterate it.
And this passage deserves to be especially noticed, for we hence learn how
83These two verses are omitted here in the Sept. and Arab., but are given at the end of the chapter. — Ed.
84It is a fact worthy of being observed, that what God effected in the course of his providence was more remarkable, and is represented as more astonishing, than what he did by means of many and wonderful miracles: the secret working of his providence on the minds of men is more wonderful and effects greater things than his power when put forth to reverse the course of nature. Though he performs no miracles now, yet he works in a way more wonderful than if he did. We cannot but see this if we notice the course of events with enlightened eyes. — Ed.
85The verse begins with {,{לכןrendered ``therefore,'' or, ``on this account,'' by the Vulg., the Syr., and by our own version; but, ``after this,'' by Blayney, and ``moreover,'' by Gataker. It might be rendered ``surely,'' or doubtless, as it is by Venema, --- Surely, behold the days are coming, saith Jehovah, When they shall no more say, Jehovah lives, etc. It is better to render the ,{`` }וwhen,'' than ``that,'' as in our version. The Sept. and Vulg, render it ``and,'' which gives no meaning in either language. Calvin follows the Syr., and gives the sense, ``in which.'' --- Ed