Commentary on Jeremiah Volume 1 John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON JEREMIAH
for the Jews to deceive themselves, because God has hitherto spared them, and restrained the assaults of enemies; for now shall come shepherds. He keeps to the same metaphor; ``come, ``he says, ``shall shepherds, ``together with their flocks; that is, come shall leaders of armies with their forces. But I have already reminded you, that the Prophet here has a regard to the city where he had been born, and adopts a pastoral language. Come then shall shepherds with their flocks; fix shall they their tents, and feed shall each in his place, he means that the whole of Jerusalem would be so much in the power of enemies, that each one would freely choose his own part or his own portion; for when there is any fear, then the shepherds gather their flocks, that they may assist one another; but when everything is in their own power, they move here and there as they please. This free acting then intimates, that the Jews would have no strength, and would be helped by no aid; but that the shepherds would surround the whole city and besiege it: every one, he says, would be in his own place. 164 It follows ---
Jeremiah 6:4-5
4. Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
4. Sanctificate super eam proelium; surgite et ascendamus meridie: vae nobis, quia inclinavit dies, quia extensae sunt umbrae vespertinae.
5. Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
5. Surgite et ascendamus noctu, et demoliamur palatia ejus.
The Prophet leaves here the similitude he had adopted; for he does not now speak of shepherds, but expressly describes the enemies, as coming with great force, and furiously attacking and laying waste both the city and the whole of Judea. He was before like God's herald, proclaiming war; but he now, by a sort of personification, introduces the Chaldeans encouraging one another to fight. Sanctify, he says, war against her. So the Hebrews speak; for in all ages wars, we know, were proclaimed by a solemn rite. God, no doubt, has implanted this feeling in all nations, that no wars should be suddenly undertaken, and that no arms should be taken up except for a lawful reason: for the proclamation of war was a testimony, that they did not contend with one another but for causes just and necessary. It is indeed true, that wars have been often undertaken rashly, and for no just causes; but yet it was God's will that this custom should remain and continue in use, in order to take away excuse from men given to cruelty, or led by ambition to disturb the world and harass others.
This then is the reason for this manner of speaking, Sanctify war; it is the same as though they declared and proclaimed a just war by a solemn ceremony. It was according to the common practice that the Prophet spoke when he said, Sanctify war against her, as we say in our language, Sommez --- la
Then follows the readiness of the enemies, yea, their incredible quickness, for 164There is evidently a {or{וa {}יwanted before the second verb in this verse. The Septuagint and the Syriac read with ,{}וand the Targum with .{}יThe same is the case with the third verb, ;{}רעוbut there are two MSS. which have the ,here{}ו with which the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Targum agree. Then the version would be, --- To her shall come shepherds and their flocks, And pitch by her their tents around, And they shall feed, every one in his border. ``To pitch against her'' seems improper: the proposition means{}עלby or near, as well as against. And does{}ידnot mean properly place, but side or border. It is indeed rendered place often in our version. See Numbers 2:17; Deuteronomy 23:12; Isaiah 56:5, 11; and in Isaiah 57:8, ``quarter.'' The ancient versions differ; the word seems not to have been understood. It is rendered by the Septuagint, ``by his hand;'' by the Vulgate, ``those under his hand;'' and by the Targum, ``his neighbor.'' --- Ed