Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations Volume 2 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
before his eyes; but he, like one infatuated, increased the royal splendor, so that the wealth of David and of Solomon appeared as nothing compared with what he had expended. It now follows, ---
Jeremiah 22:15
15. Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?
15. An regnabis, quia tu permisces se in cedro? (hoc est, quia to involvis cedro? pater tuus annon comedit et bibit et fecit (hoc est, cum faceret) judicium et justitiam?
Tunc bene fuit ei.
The Prophet here derides the foolish confidence of King Jehoiakim, because he set up empty things against his enemies instead of strong defences. Kings are wont to indulge themselves when there is quietness and security; that is, when they fear nothing; when no danger appears, they then give way to their own gratifications; and this is commonly the case with all; for we see that kings especially indulge in excesses, when there is no war, when no one gives them trouble, and no one threatens them; but Jehoiakim, had he the least particle of wisdom, might have known that he had many dangers to dread. Now, when he applied all his thoughts to the painting of his walls, and to the splendor of his palace, to its wainscotting and other trifles, must he not have been insane, and not of a sound mind?
It is this madness that Jeremiah now condemns when he says, Shalt thou reign, because thou surroundest thyself with cedar board? 51 that is, ``Can this confirm thy kingdom to thee? or, shalt thou be more happy on this account, because thou art surrounded by cedars?'' The meaning of the Prophet may be more fully learnt from the remaining part of the verse; for it immediately follows, Thy father, did he not eat and drink when he did judgment and justice?
Some so understand the passage, as though the Prophet meant to obviate an objection; for Jehoiakim might have referred to the example of his father Josiah, who had not been a sordid man, but had displayed some royal dignity and grandeur through the whole course of his life. Some interpreters, then, think that the Prophet answers here what Jehoiakim might, have objected: ``What! did not my father also make a royal display?'' Thus they explain the words, as though the Prophet made at first a concession, but that by adding a correction, he shewed that the excuse of Jehoiakim was frivolous: ``I allow that thy father was royally adorned, but he executed judgment and justice; why dost thou not imitate thy father in his virtues?
God forgave what was superfluous or excessive, for through his great indulgence he bears with many things in kings; but thou art far different from thy father, for thou extortest labor from thy poor subjects, and buildest thy palaces by means of 51The general sense is given, but not a literal rendering. The last verb is variously rendered; "because thou betakest thyself to cedar," is the Vulg.; "wilt thou delight thyself in cedars?" the Syr.; the Targ. is a loose paraphrase, and the Sept. and Arab. wholly depart from our present text, "because thou art stimulated by Ahaz thy father." Then what follows is widely different, but wholly inconsistent with the original. The verb is the Hithpael of {,{חרהto burn, to be hot; and it means to be hot or warm with anger, exertion, grief, or delight. In the second sense it is used in Jeremiah 12:5; but here in the last sense, ``because thou art inflamed with cedar,'' or greatly delightest thyself in cedar; and this meaning is countenanced both by the Vulg. and Syr. Blayney takes the third sense --- ``hot with grief,'' and gives this version, which is approved by Horsley, though its meaning is not very evident, --- Shalt thou reign because thou frettest thyself in cedar? Venema is more to the point, --- Shalt thou reign, because thou art in great heat for cedar? --- Ed.