Commentary on Jeremiah Volume 1 John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON JEREMIAH
fuller proof of God's vengeance; for under such a circumstance the contrivance and counsel of men were not so evident, but the hand of God, which he stretched forth from heaven as it were in an open and visible manner.
He afterwards adds, And I have cast, or caused to fall, upon them suddenly; some say, the city; others, the enemy; and {}עירoir, means a city, and sometimes an enemy; but another explanation seems more probable, that God had sent on them a tumult and terrors, for the word {,}עירoir, conms from the verb {,}עורour, which signifies to excite. It may therefore be taken for tumult, and this sense I prefer, for they who render the word city, are constrained to adopt a forced and far-fetched explanation, ``To fall have I made suddenly the city,'' that is, cities, ``upon them.''
There is first a change of number, and then, to fall have I made cities, that is, the ruins of cities, upon them, seems an unnatural phrase; but the sense would be most suitable were we to render the word tumult, for what immediately follows is, and terrors Some however render the word {,}בהלותbelut, adverbially suddenly, and consider that the same thing is said twice. He had said just before, ``I have cast upon her suddenly;'' but now he says, ``hastenings.'' Such is the version, but not suitable, for the two words {}עירoir, and {,}בהלותbelut, are joined together. I therefore give this simple explanation --- that the Jews were suddenly smitten with despair because they thought that their enemies were afar off, and that they had to apprehend no danger. Then it is, suddenly have I sent upon them a tumult and terrors 393 He then adds ---
Jeremiah 15:9
9. She that hath born seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.
9. Debilitata est quae peperit septem, et expiravit anima ejus (alii vetrunt, afflicta fuit, sed {}נפהsignificat sufflare; viderut autem hic metaphorice poni pro expirare: expiravit ergo anima ejus;) ingressus est sol ejus (hoc est, occidit sol) in adhuc die (id est, cum adhuc esset dies;) confusa est et erubuit: et reliquias ipsorum gladio dabo (ad gladium exportam) coram inimicis ipsorum, dicit Jehova.
He proceeds with his narrative; he says, that fruitful women had been weakened, not as we see to be often the case, for by frequent child --- bearing we know the strength of women is diminished; but here he speaks of the strength which mothers derive from their children; for a numerous offspring is the support of mothers. She then who has many children seems strong, as she is by so many shields defended.
As then mothers were wont to place much dependence on their offspring, he says that they were weakened as to their strength when they were bereaved of all their children, as though they had been barren.
He afterwards adds, that the soul, the people, had expired; for he speaks not here of women, but of the whole people. For it afterwards follows, Set hath her sun while it was yet day; that is, when prosperity seemed certain, God suddenly
393Trembling and haste, ({σπουδην},)'' is the version of the Septuagint; ``tumult and trembling,'' of the Syriac; ``terror and trembling,'' of the Arabic; the Vulgate retains only the word ``terror.'' Various have been the explanations of the word,{}עירwhich Calvin renders ``tumult,'' consistently with the general tenor of the ancient versions. Gataker renders it ``watcher;''
Blayney, ``enemy;'' and others ``city;'' but the most suitable to the passage is ``tumult,'' or commotion. --- Ed