Commentary on Jeremiah Volume 1 John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
Jeremiah 1:18 18. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
18. Et ego, 24 ecce posui to hodie in urbem munitionis (vel, munitam) in columnam (vel, fulturam) ferream, et in murum aeneum, super totam terram, contra Reges Jehudah, contra principes ejus, contra sacerdotes ejus, contra populum terrae ipsius.
God supplies here his servant with confidence; for courage was necessary in that state of trembling which we have observed. Jeremiah thought himself unfit to undertake a work so onerous; he had also to do and to contend with refractory men, and not a few in number; for the whole people had already, through their ungodly and wicked obstinacy, hardened themselves in the contempt of God. As, then, there was no more any care for religion, and no regard manifested by the people for heavenly truth, Jeremiah could not, diffident as he was, undertake so heavy a burden, without being supported by the hand of God. For this reason, then, God now declares that he would make him like a fortified city and an iron pillar 25 Indeed, the word prop would be more proper; for {}עמורomud, comes from the root {,}עמדomed; and the Prophet understands by it, not a pillar that is raised and stands by itself, but that which sustains a building or a wall. There is no ambiguity in the meaning; for God means that his servant would be invincible, and that whatever his enemies might devise against him, they would not yet prevail, as we find it said in the next verse.
Now, though this was said formerly to Jeremiah, yet godly teachers may justly apply it to themselves, who are honestly conscious of their Divine call, and are fully persuaded that they do nothing presumptuously, but obey the bidding of God. All, then, who are thus confirmed in their legitimate call from God, can apply to themselves this promise — that they shall be made invincible against all the ungodly.
But the particulars of this passage deserve to be noticed. It might have seemed enough that God called his servant a fortified city; but he compares him also to an iron pillar or column, and to a brazen wall This repetition only confirms what we have explained, — that Jeremiah would be victorious, and that though Satan might rouse many to assail him, yet the issue would be prosperous and joyful, as he would fight under the protection of God.
24We find here nearly the same form or mode of speech as at the beginning of the previous verse, "And I, behold I have made thee," etc.: and Blayney renders it so here, though not in the preceding instance. — Ed.
25There is the preposition {{לbefore ``city,'' ``pillar,'' and ``wall.'' It is an idiom. The full meaning is, ``I have made thee to be for a fortified city.'' The same idiom exists in Welsh, the preposition yn is used, which implies that the verb to be is understood. But it is not necessary to retain the preposition in a language in which a similar idiom does not exist. The Septuagint render the preposition by ``{ὡς} --- as,'' and Jun and Trem , by ``velut --- as,'' or like. And such a word would be suitable in our language, --- And I, behold I have made thee this day Like a city that is fortified, And like a pillar of iron, And like a wall of brass, With regard to the whole land, To the kings of Judah, to its princes, To its priests, and to the people of the land. ``To'' here means in opposition to-he was to stand opposed to the kings, etc., as a fortified city, etc. ``Wall'' is plural in the received text; but many
MSS., the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Targum, and the Vulgate, have it in the singular number, which seems most suitable. --- Ed.