Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations Volume 2 John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
again, he confirms what I lately referred to, that his office was farther extended than to teach in the middle of the Church, but that he had also been chosen to proclaim as a herald God's judgments on all nations. He was, indeed, sent to the Jews otherwise than to heathen nations, for he was set over them as a teacher, and that for their salvation, provided they were not irreclaimable; but he was sent to the heathens expressly to threaten them with what was nigh at hand. He was, however, sent both to the Jews and to all other nations, as he will hereafter more distinctly shew in due order.
We now see the design and object of what is here said; --- to add authority to his last prophecy, Jeremiah, in the first place, sets forth the vision which had been presented to him; and then he testifies that he brought nothing of his own, but only obeyed God and faithfully performed his commands; and thirdly, he intimates that he was not only appointed a teacher in the Church of God, but was also a witness of his vengeance on all nations. It follows, ---
Jeremiah 25:16
16. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
16. Et bibant et moveantur et insaniant (ad verbum legendum esset, bibent et inebriabuntur; est enim ubique, {}וconversivum; sed potius resolvi debet copula in particulum finalem, ut bibent et inebrientur et insaniant) a facie gladii, quem ego mitto in medio ipsorum (inter ipsos.)
Here the Prophet more fully shews what we have before stated, that they were not vain terrors when he denounced God's judgments on all nations, for we call those threatenings childish which are not accomplished. But the Prophet here declares that however obstinately the Jews and others might resist, they could not possibly escape God's vengeance, as he was the judge of all. Hence the Prophet is bidden to take a cup and to give it to others. But the Jews might have still objected and said, ``We may, indeed, take the cup from thine hand, but what if we refuse? what if we cast away from us what thou givest us to drink?'' Hence the Prophet says that, willing or unwilling, they were to take the cup, that they might drink and exhaust whatever was destined for them by God's judgment; he therefore says that they may drink
He then adds, that they may be incensed and become distracted 137 These two words refer, no doubt, to the grievousness of their punishment; for he intimates that they would become, as it were, destitute of mind and reason. When God kindly chastises us, and with paternal moderation, we are then able with resignation to submit to him and to flee to his mercy; but when we make a clamor and are driven almost to madness, we then shew that an extreme rigor is felt, and that there is no hope of pardon. The Prophet, then, intended to express, that so atrocious would be the calamities of the nations with whom God was angry, that they would become stupified and almost insane; and at the same time frantic, for despair would lay the peculiarity of one language to another, which is often the ease with the Septuagint. The Welsh is literally the same with the
Hebrew. --- Ed
137The Versions vary as to these two verbs: the best rendering is, — And they shall drink and reel; And they shall be distracted on account of the sword, Which I shall send among them. Blayney's version is nearly the same, "drink and stagger and be out of their wits;" but it is better to connect "the sword" with the latter verb only. — Ed.