Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations Volume 2 John Calvin (continued)
JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS
as it has been said, were to be expected. The Prophet then wished to shew to the people how foolishly they hoped for an end to their evils in so short a time. And this is what ought to be carefully observed, for it was not without reason that the Prophet dwelt much on this point; for nothing is more difficult than to lead men to a serious acknowledgment of God's judgment. When any thing adverse happens, they are tender and sensitive as to the evils they endure; but at the same time they look not to God, and comfort themselves with vain imaginations. It was therefore necessary for the Prophet to dwell on his doctrine at large; for he saw that the Israelites promised to themselves a return after two years, though they had been warned by the Prophets that they were to bear the scourge of God for seventy years.
This is the reason why the Prophet speaks here of the grievousness of evils, not because the Israelites were insensible, but because they had been credulous, and were still hoping for a return, so that they deceived themselves with false comfort.
He therefore says, that the breaking was grievous; some give this rendering, ``Unhealable, or hopeless, is thy bruising.'' But {,}אנושanush, is here a substantive, for it is followed by the preposition {,}לlamed; nor can what the Prophet says be rendered otherwise than in this manner, ``Grievousness is to thy bruising,'' or breaking.
He afterwards adds that the wound was grievous, that is, difficult to be healed; for so I understand the passage. 235 But the end was to be hoped for; yet the people were not to think it near at hand; they were, on the contrary, to prepare themselves for patient waiting until the end prescribed by God had come. It follows, ---
Jeremiah 30:13
13 There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
13. Nemo judicans (hoc est, nemo est qui judicet) judicium tuum (hoc est, qui suscipiat causam tuam) ad sanitatem medelae et curatio non sunt tibi (alii vertunt, Nemo judicans judicium tuum, ut emplastrum adhibeat; sed hoc durius; deinde, medela et curatio non sunt tibi; sed videtur mihi simplex esse verborum sensus, quod nemo judicet judicium, deinde quod nihil ad curationem remedii suppetat)
The Prophet speaks first without a figure, then he illustrates the simple truth by a metaphor. He says that there was no one to undertake the cause of the people; as though he had said, that they were destitute of every aid. This was, indeed, in a measure already evident; but so supine was the security of the people, that they daily formed for themselves some new hopes. Then Jeremiah declared what had already in part happened and was still impending; and thus he proved the folly of the people, who still flattered themselves while they were involved in evils almost without a remedy. ``Thou seest,'' he says, ``that there is no one to stretch forth a hand to thee, or who is ready to help thee; and yet thou thinkest that thou wilt soon be free: whence is this vain expectation?'' He then comes to a metaphor, There is no one to apply medicine for thy healing In one sentence he includes the whole first chapter of Isaiah, who handles the subject, but explains more fully his meaning.
235The {{לin Hebrew is sometimes the, {κατὰ} in Greek; it means, as to, with regard to; so here, --- Incurable as to thy bruise, Grievous has been thy stroke. Or we may give this rendering, inverting the order, --- As to thy bruise, it is incurable; Grievous has been thy stroke. The ``bruise'' occasioned by the ``grievous stroke'' was incurable, that is, by human means. The effect is mentioned first, ``the bruise;'' then the cause, ``the stroke.'' --- Ed.