cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished?
JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS
The Prophet, in a few words, very sharply goads the minds of the Idumeans, when
God thus presents himself, and says by way of mockery, that he would be a protector to their orphans and widows; for they had indiscriminately vented their rage on orphans and women, and spared neither sex nor age. Then God shews here that there was no reason why they should expect any comfort as to their children, for he would be their avenger to the third and the fourth generation. And forced, no doubt, is what some say; at least I do not see how the words, I will nourish them, can comport with the rest of the context. This clause, then, I apply to God himself, because his vengeance would consume them with their brethren, their neighbors and their seed.
And the irony is the most suitable to the whole passage; that is, that God meant to show, that he could bring no help to orphans or aid to widows, since they had been so cruel both to orphans and widows. 398 Then follows a confirmation ---
Jeremiah 49:12
12. For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished?
thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it
12. Quia sic dicit Jehova, Ecce, quibus non erat judicium (ad verbum, quibus non judicium ipsorum,) ad bibendum calicem bibendo bibent; --- tu vero ipse immunis eris? vel, immunis immunitatem adipisceris? vel tu, vero immunis evades?) non evades immunis, quia bibendo bibes.
He confirms the last verse, as I think, --- that God's vengeance awaited the whole seed of Esau, because it would be unreasonable to deal more severely with God's people than with aliens, who had wholly shaken off the yoke. For I explain what is said here of the Church, Those to whom it was not their judgment to drink the cup shall surely drink Some apply this to neighboring nations who had not become so wicked as the Idumeans. But this exposition is frigid, and we ought always, as we have said elsewhere, to have regard to the design of the Prophet. What then was his object but to show to the faithful, that there was no reason for them to despond, however grievously God might afflict them, because the punishment which he would inflict on the Idumeans would in no way be milder; for we know that we are greatly tempted by envy when we see that the state of the impious and the reprobate is better than that of God's children. And it was for this purpose that Psalm 37 was composed,
not the wicked, nor let their prosperity vex thee, because they shall soon perish.''
398Neither of the two explanations here given are satisfactory, though the first especially has been adopted by many, such as Henry and Scott. It is difficult to know the meaning of the Sept.; the Vulg. and the Syr. are literally our version. The Targ. goes wide astray, representing this verse as addressed to the people of Israel, of whom there is no mention here. Blayney supposes a typographical mistake, joins {{עזבto the preceding verse, and puts ,{}הto the next word, and gives this version,
--- And there is nothing of him left. 11. Shall I preserve the life of thy fatherless children? Or shall thy widows trust in me? The questions he considers as strong negatives. The simpler view seems to be this: in the preceding verse the destruction not only of Esau, but also of his brethren and neighbours, is announced. His ``seed'' means his posterity, the nation, and he was was not to be, that is, as a kingdom. There would be still some ``orphans'' and ``widows,'' and as ``brethren'' and ``neighbors'' would be destroyed as well as Esau himself, as to all grown up people, forming the nation, and thus orphans and widows would be left helpless, God was pleased to give the promise here stated: Leave thy orphans, I will preserve them, Thy widows also, in me let them trust. The last verb is both masculine and feminine, and refers both to the orphans and widows. This is substantially the explanation given by Venema, and is the most satisfactory. --- Ed.