Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 12:17
17. ( :-). read more
Jeremiah 12
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12
An attempt to kill Jeremiah 11:18-12:6This pericope contains one of Jeremiah’s "confessions," a self-revelation of the prophet’s own struggles to cope with God’s actions (cf. Jeremiah 10:23-24; Jeremiah 15:10-12; Jeremiah 15:15-21; Jeremiah 17:9-11; Jeremiah 17:14-18; Jeremiah 18:18-23; and Jeremiah 20:7-18). [Note: See Kelley, pp. 172-73, for an excursus on Jeremiah’s confessions.] The heart of this one is Jeremiah 12:1-6. read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:1
Jeremiah wanted some answers from righteous Yahweh, and he approached the Lord in prayer as though he were in court. He wanted to know why God allowed the wicked to prosper and the treacherous to live in ease (cf. Job 21:7; Psalms 37; Psalms 73:3-5; Psalms 73:12; Psalms 94:3; Habakkuk 1:12-17). It appeared to the prophet that the Lord, as well as Israel, had broken covenant (cf. Psalms 1:3-4)."The problem of the prosperity of the wicked in the light of God’s righteousness is not directly solved... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:2
The Lord had been responsible for these wicked people coming into existence, growing, and flourishing, like trees. This was a result of His "common grace" (cf. Matthew 5:45; Luke 6:35). They spoke freely about Yahweh, but they did not really take Him into consideration. read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:3
The Lord knew that Jeremiah’s attitude toward Him was entirely different than those hypocrites. The prophet prayed that the Lord would drag them off to punishment like sheep going to the slaughter (cf. Jeremiah 11:19). He prayed that God would reserve them for special destruction, as He had set Jeremiah apart for his ministry (Jeremiah 1:5). read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:4
The prophet continued to ask the Lord how long the promised judgment on the land would last. He knew it would come because of the people’s rebellious and defiant attitude, even saying that they could hide their sins from the Lord. read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:5
The Lord replied by asking Jeremiah how he expected to be able to endure the rigors of coming antagonism if the present hostility he was experiencing wore him out (cf. Jeremiah 11:19; Jeremiah 11:21; Jeremiah 23:21). If he fell in a relatively peaceful environment, how could he get though the turbulence to come, which resembled the violent, overflowing Jordan River in the spring. The Jordan Valley was a sub-tropical jungle, inhabited by lions, that was hard to penetrate at any season of the... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:6
Even Jeremiah’s near relatives had been hypocritical with him: they had spoken out against him while saying nice things to his face (cf. Matthew 10:36)."The plot against him [Jeremiah] and the injustice this represented was tied inextricably to the suffering and sin of the people. He was called to announce judgment upon the people. Being one of them caused him to suffer with them because of the Lord’s judgment. As God’s messenger, he suffered as a result of his prophetic ministry." [Note:... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 12:7
Yahweh mourned that He had forsaken the nation and abandoned His people to their captors (cf. Deuteronomy 9:29; Joel 2:17; Joel 3:2). [Note: ] He had turned over the nation-that He had loved like a husband loving his wife-to her enemies’ domination. The Hebrew verbs in this section are prophetic perfects, which view future events as already past. The "house" may refer to the people, the land, or the temple, but the meaning is the same in any case. read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 12:16
16. swear by my name— (Jeremiah 4:2; Isaiah 19:18; Isaiah 65:16); that is, confess solemnly the true God. built—be made spiritually and temporally prosperous: fixed in sure habitations (compare Jeremiah 24:6; Jeremiah 42:10; Jeremiah 45:4; Psalms 87:4; Psalms 87:5; Ephesians 2:20; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Peter 2:5). read more