Commentary on Jeremiah Volume 1 John Calvin
COMMENTARY ON JEREMIAH
of true religion; and such was their oblivion and impious' contempt of the whole law, that they had need of being taught its first rudiments. This is one thing. He then shews how solicitous God had been about their welfare, so that he had not neglected any of the duties of the best of fathers, and that yet his labor had been all in vain; for they had not only been led away by their own lusts, but their inward wickedness had closed their ears, so that they deigned not to listen to God's voice; and this had not been in one age only, but from the time they came out of Egypt to that day. It hence follows that they were justly punished, for God had tried all means before he had recourse to severity; but since he had adopted all kinds of ways to reform them, and all in vain, the only thing that remained was to punish them as men past all remedy.
This is the import of the whole. He now adds ---
Jeremiah 11:9-10
9. And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
9. Et dixit Jehova ad me, inventa est conspiratio (ad verbum, colligatio; nam
proprie ligare vel connectere, sed metaphorica est significatio cum transfertur ad conspirationem) in viro (hoc est, in viris) Jehudah et in civibus
Jerusalem.
10. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
10. Reversi sunt ad iniquitates patrum suorum superiorum (qui ante fuerunt) qui noluerunt audire verba mea; et ipsi ambularunt post deos alienos, ut servirent ipsis; dissoluerunt domus Israel et domus Jehudah foedus meum, quod pepigeram cum patribus ipsorum.
Here the Prophet joins closer battle with the men of his age, and says, that they were worse than their fathers; for this is the meaning of the word, banding or joining together. For when the Israelites concurred in a body in ungodly superstitions, it was more excusable at the beginning, for they had not yet struck deep roots in true religion; but when God by his prophets had endeavored many times, and in various ways, to restore them to the right way, and when his diligence and assiduous efforts had proved fruitless, it was an evidence of confirmed and hopeless obstinacy. He then says, that this had been discovered; for this is what he means by saying, that it had been found out This verb is often used in Scripture in another sense, but it means here the same, as though he had said, that the conspiracy of the people had been discovered or proved, as it is said of thieves when found out, that they are caught in the very act. So God says here, that it was no matter of dispute whether the people had designedly and from sheer wickedness perverted his true and lawful worship; the conspiracy, 293 he says, is sufficiently notorious
We then understand the meaning of the Prophet to be, --- that not a part of the people was implicated in impiety, but that all, from the least to the greatest, were together defiled, and that this was done, not by some foolish impulse of the moment, 293Rendered "{σύνδεσμος}, binding together,'' by the Sept., --- ``conjuratio, confederacy, or conspiracy,'' by the Vulg. and Arab., --- ``rebellion,'' by the Syr. and Targ., --- ``combination,'' as given by Gataker and Blayney, would express better the meaning of the original word. --- Ed
JOHN CALVIN
but designedly, for they banded together; and further, that this was sufficiently evident, so that they could no longer contend as to the fact, for their wickedness was sufficiently manifest.
And he says between Judah and Israel 294 There is here implied a sharp reproof; for we know that these two kingdoms had not only entertained a hidden grudge, but fiercely contended with one another, Since then the discord had been such between the ten tribes and the tribe of Judah, that it was as it were an insane hatred, so that they wished wholly to destroy one another, for the Jews sent for the Egyptians when the Israelites had called to arms the Syrians and the Assyrians for the destruction of Judah. Since then they so inimically treated one another for so many ages, what did this now mean? What a monstrous thing it was, that they conspired together to subvert the worship of God, to overturn everything true in religion, and to set up their own idols! We now then perceive the meaning of the Prophet; he intimates, that they had in all other things been enemies, and that they only united in this one thing, that is, in carrying on war against God, in subverting his worship, and rendering void his law. We hence see what the Spirit of God had in view in saying, that a conspiracy was found out; which was, that the Prophet might not use many words, as though the matter was doubtful! God then bids him positively to declare this fact, like at scribe who records the sentence of a judge; and thus God shews that he dealt with the Jews, as men deal with those who are condemned.
He also adds, that they had returned, etc. He shews for what purpose they had conspired, even to return to the vices of their fathers, who had been before them
Some render the word ``ancestors;'' but the meaning of the Prophet is not thus sufficiently expressed, for what he means is, that the Israelites had been refractory from the very beginning, so that God could never subdue their wayward dispositions. It must however be observed, that he speaks not of the most ancient, as {,}הרשנים erashnim are the ancient who were before them; 295 but as there had been a continued succession or series of impiety, the Prophet calls them here, the former fathers, who had first begun to shake off the yoke of God even to that day. And he again mentions what we have before noticed, that they were unwining to hear Though ignorance does not wholly clear or absolve us, it yet extenuates a crime; but God shews that the Israelites had been disobedient from the beginning. Though he had by Moses sufficiently taught them, we yet find that they often rose up against Moses.
If we inquire of their origin, it appears to have been marked with resolute impiety; 294There is here an oversight. "Israel" is not mentioned here, but the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. "Israel" is mentioned at the end of the next verse, as having with "Judah" annulled the covenant. — Ed.
295The Sept. have "{τῶν} {πρότερον} --- who were before:'' the Vulg. improperly joins it with ``iniquities,'' --- ``the former iniquities of the fathers;'' the Syriac renders it ``ancient,'' and the Targum, ``former,'' both connecting it with ``fathers.''
The word means the ``first,'' rather than the ``former.'' If we take it as connected with ``fathers,'' then the first fathers with whom the covenant, after they came out of Egypt, was made, are meant; but it may be taken as in apposition with ``fathers;'' then the first who refused to hear God, are referred to. Taking this view, we may render the verse thus --- 10. They have turned to the iniquities of their fathers --- The first who refused to hearken to my words; And they have walked after alien gods to serve them: Annulled have the house of Israel and the house of Judah My covenant, which I made with their fathers. The word for ``iniquities'' means perversions, distortions, the turning of things to purposes not intended. These are the kinds of iniquities which are meant.
Perverting the truth rather than denying or renouncing it, had ever been the sin of the Jews. Instead of worshipping God himself, they worshipped him by means of idols, and through the mediation of inferior gods. This was the perversion. Alien gods were mediators; hence they never renounced God's worship. But God deemed this as an annulment of his covenant, by which they were required to worship him alone. --- Ed.