Commentary on Jeremiah Volume 1 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
he shews that they were extremely swift, Arise ye, and let us ascend at mid-day.
But they who come to assail a city do so usually in the morning. When the heat prevails, it is not a suitable time, for the heat of the sun debilitates the body. Then enemies rest when night comes, except an unexpected advantage should offer itself: but having been refreshed, they rise early with recruited strength for fighting; they scale the walls or assail the city by other means, or beat down the walls by warlike instruments: but to begin the work at mid-day, when a city is to be attacked, is by no means usual. Hence the Prophet intimates, that so ripened was God's judgment, that the Chaldeans, after having come to the walls of the city, would not wait, no, not even a few hours. Arise ye, and let us ascend at mid-day
He then subjoins, Alas for us, for declined has the day, and the evening shadows are extended. He employs a military language; for soldiers, we know, are for the most part fierce and barbarous, and never speak in moderate terms. They have ever in their mouths, ``Alas for us!'' or they use some other words, reproachful either to God or to men. The Prophet then expresses the words of the soldiers; for he describes the Chaldeans, and represents, as I have said, to the Jews the scene as present, that he might dissipate their delusions, in which they were wholly asleep. Alas, then, for us! for declined has already the day, already have the evening shadows extended: they who have added, ``Too far,'' because they had declined more than usual, have mistaken the meaning of the Prophet. It is the same as though he had said, ``Already the night is nigh, and why should we give over? and why do we not make such an impetuous assault as to take the city in a moment?'' This is the real meaning of the words.
He afterwards adds, Arise ye, and let us ascend in the night; that is, ``As we cannot take the city in six hours, (from mid-day to night were six hours, for they divided the day into twelve hours, and the first hour began at the rising of the sun, and the twelfth hour closed the day,) as then we cannot take the city in six hours, let us attack it in the night.'' We see here how graphically is described the extreme ardor of their enemies; for they were urged on by the hidden power of God; and this is what Jeremiah intended to express. 165 He afterwards adds ---
Jeremiah 6:6
6. For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
6. Quia sic dicit Jehova exercituum, Excidite ligna et fundite super Jerusalem aggerem (alii vertunt, balistam; sed nomen aggeris hic melius convenit;) ipsa est urbs visitationis (hic variant interpretes, et quidem exercitati in lingua Hebraea sic depravant sensum ut piqeat referre quid ipsi ausi sunt scribere,) tota oppressio (vel, rapina; nam {}עשקsignificat rapere, rapina ergo) in medio ejus.
165These two verses seem to have been the language of the enemies on their march towards Jerusalem. When men go to a chief city from any quarter, it is always ascending. When on their march, they encouraged one another to ascend by mid-day, as {{בmay be rendered, but the day declined before they reached the city; then they encouraged each other to continue their march in the night, --- Proclaim ye against her war: Rise, and let us ascend by mid-day. --- Alas for us! for declined has the day, For extended have become the shadows of the evening: Arise, and let us ascend by night, And destroy her palaces. The last word is rendered ``foundations'' by the Septuagint, --- ``houses'' by the Vulgate, --- and ``palaces'' by the Targum. This is an instance of the loose way in which the versions were often made. To ``sanctify war,`` is not to prepare it, but to proclaim it, as Calvin says, by a solemn ceremony. --- Ed.