CHAP. XII. Jeremiah, complaining of the prosperity of the wicked, by faith seeth their ruin. God admonishes him of his brethren's treachery against him, and lamenteth his heritage: he promiseth to the penitent a return from captivity. Before Christ 608. read more
Jeremiah 12:1. Righteous art thou, O Lord— Righteous, &c. therefore will I plead with thee: but I will speak nothing but what is just with thee. Wherefore, &c. Jeremiah speaks this concerning those same wicked persons who consulted to take him off by poison; and he seems to wonder that all things succeeded well with them. But he expresses his wonder by an interrogation, that he may thence take an opportunity to prophesy that their prosperity would not be of long continuance. See Psalms... read more
Jeremiah 12:2. They grow, &c.— Thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins; signifies, agreeably to another passage in Scripture, They honour thee with their lips, while their heart is far from thee, See Isaiah 29:13.Matthew 15:8; Matthew 15:8. read more
Jeremiah 12:3. Pull them out, &c.— Thou wilt separate them as sheep to be sacrificed, and set them apart, &c. Houbigant. read more
Jeremiah 12:4. Because they said, &c— And yet they said, &c. He will not regard our ways; Houbigant; who follows the LXX. According to our interpretation the meaning is, that those impious people said that God had no regard for human affairs. The word אחרית acharith, rendered last end, signifies, as in Proverbs 23:18, reward or recompence. read more
Jeremiah 12:5. In the swelling of Jordan— Houbigant thinks that these are the words of Jeremiah to his fellow-citizens, and to the king and the leaders of the army, whom he addresses in the next verse. He compares the footmen to the horse, says St. Jerome, because all Persia, Chaldea, and those countries, excel in cavalry. Calmet observes, that the manner of expression is proverbial. "The Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, &c. have been too strong for you; what then will you do with the... read more
Jeremiah 12:6. For even thy brethren, &c.— "The Edomites and Ishmaelites, the Moabites and Ammonites, sprung from the same original, from Abraham and Lot, joined the army of Nebuchadnezzar, to make war against thee, O Judah and Jerusalem." They, however, spoke fair words to the Jews before they did so; against which Jeremiah here warns them. See ch. Jeremiah 27:3, &c. Instead of, Yea, they have called a multitude after thee, Houbigant reads, Yea, they will pursue thee with full cry. read more
Jeremiah 12:8. Mine heritage is unto me as a lion, &c.— "Judah hath exalted himself against me; he hath roared like a lion, and carried his wickedness to the last extremities. Therefore I look upon him as a ravenous beast; I view him with horror and detestation. Therefore, never more say, that I suffer wickedness to go unpunished, and that the wicked are the most happy in this world." See Calmet. read more
Jeremiah 12:9. Mine heritage, &c.— Bochart and the LXX. read Mine heritage is unto me as the ravenous hyena; the ravenous beasts are round about it. The context seems indisputably to prove the propriety of this interpretation עוט aiit, unquestionably signifies a wild beast, as well as a rapacious bird. See Parkhurst on the word. In this view the meaning of the prophet is, "Wherefore do the Jews, whom I have adopted for my sons, and chosen for my heritage, roar, rage, and clamour against me?... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Jeremiah 12:14
THE RETURN OF CAPTIVES; JUDGMENT OF NEIGHBORS"Thus saith Jehovah against all mine evil neighbors, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if... read more