Jeremiah 2

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:17

Verse 17 Now follows the cause; the Prophet, after having shewn that Israel were forsaken by God, now mentions the reason why it so happened, Has not this done it for thee? Some read in the second person, “Hast thou not done this for thee?” but the meaning is still nearly the same. More probable, however, is the rendering which others have given, “Has not this happened to thee, because thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God?” Jeremiah, in short, teaches us that the cause of all the evils was the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:18

Verse 18 As I have just stated, the Prophet confirms what I said, — that the people could not ascribe the cause of their evils to others; for they ought to have imputed to themselves whatever they suffered; and at the same time their sin was doubled, because they looked here and there for vain remedies, and thus accumulated for themselves new causes of misery; for they ought to have acknowledged no other remedy for their evils except reconciliation with God. If, for instance, any one being ill... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:19

Verse 19 Here again, the Prophet confirms what I have before stated, — that the people would at length find, willing or unwilling, what it was to deport from God; as though he had said, “As thou hast not hitherto learnt by so many evidences, that thy perfidy is the cause of all thy evils, God will heap evils on evils, that thou mayest at length know, even against thy will, that thou receivest, a reward due to thy wickedness.” This is the sum of the whole. But he says first, chastise thee shall... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:20

Verse 20 As there are two readings in Hebrew, two meanings are given; for some think the verb to be, עבד ob ed, and others, עבר ob er, the two letters being very similar. If we read, “I will not pass over,” or, I will not transgress, the sense is, “When I broke thy yoke;” that is, “When I delivered thee from the tyranny of Egypt, then thou didst pledge thy faith to me.” The covenant then made between God and the Israelites was mutual; for as God received them under his protection, when he... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:21

Verse 21 God here confirms what is said in the last verse; for he condemned the Israelites for having perversely run here and there after their superstitions, when yet they had been redeemed for this end, — that they might be ruled by the hand of God. Hence he says, I planted thee as a choice vine; that is, “When I redeemed thee from thine enemies, I did not give thee permission thus to prostitute thyself without any restraint, without any shame; for I planted thee as a choice vine.” The... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:22

Verse 22 We have already seen, and the Prophet will often repeat the same thing, — that the people were become so refractory that they would not willingly give way to any reproofs; for they were almost all of such a hard front, and so obdurate in their wickedness, that they dared insolently to raise objections against the prophets; whenever they severely reproved them: “What! Are not we God’s holy people? Has he not chosen us? Are we not the holy seed of Abraham?” It was therefore necessary for... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:23

Verse 23 Jeremiah goes on here with his reproof, and dissipates the clouds of hypocrites, under which they thought themselves to be sufficiently concealed: for hypocrites, when they allege their fallacious pretences, think themselves already hidden from the eyes of God and from the judgment of all men. Hence the Prophet here sharply condemns this supine self — security, and says, How darest thou to boast that thou art not polluted? How darest thou to say, that thou hast not walked after Baalim?... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:24

Verse 24 As Jeremiah had called the people a dromedary, so he now calls them a wild ass: “Thou,” he says, “art both a dromedary and a wild ass.” For when a wild ass has caught the wind according to her desire, that is, when she has pantingly sought it, and has caught the wind of her occasion, that is, such as may chance to be; for he meant to shew, by this expression, that there is no choice made by beasts, no judgment shewn, no moderation exercised; — when, therefore, she has caught the wind,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:25

Verse 25 The words of the Prophet, as they are concise, may appear at the first view obscure: but his meaning is simply this, — that the insane people could by no means be reformed, however much God might try to check that excess by which they were led away after idols and superstitions. In the first clause, God relates how he had dealt with the people. All the addresses of the prophets had this as their object — to make the people to rest contented under the protection of God. But he employs... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:26

Verse 26 Some render the words in the future tense, “So ashamed shall be the house of Israel,” etc.; and they think that the Prophet is speaking here of the punishment which was impending over the people: but I explain the words as they are, — that the impiety of the people was so gross, that there was no need formally to prove it, as it was so very palpable. Hence the Prophet compares the Jews to open thieves, as though he had said, that hypocrites among that people gained nothing by their... read more

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:17

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:18

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:19

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:20

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:21

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:22

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:23

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:24

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:25

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 2:26

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