Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Jeremiah 8:1-22
Balm in Gilead Jeremiah 8:21-22 The lament of a good man over the sins of his countrymen. I. The Nature of the Malady. 1. Hereditary. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.' 2. Universal. 'All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.' 3. Dangerous. 'The wages of sin is death.' II. The Means of Cure. The medicine here referred to is a resinous substance obtained from the balsam-tree, which flourished near Gilead, and was far-famed for its healing properties; often... read more
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Jeremiah 8:4
(4) Shall he turn.—Better, as both clauses arc indefinite, Shall men fall and not arise? Shall one turn away and not return? The appeal is made to the common practice of men. Those who fall struggle to their feet again. One who finds that he has lost his way retraces his steps. In its spiritual aspect the words assert the possibility of repentance in all but every case, however desperate it may seem. St. Paul’s question, “Have they stumbled that they should fall?” (Romans 11:11), expresses... read more