For who shall have pity ? or, for who can have pity , etc.? (the imperfect in its potential sense). The horror which will seize upon the spectators will effectually preclude pity. Who shall go aside ? As one turns aside to call at a house. So Genesis 19:2 (literally, turn aside , not "turn in"). read more
Will I stretch ; literally, I stretched—the perfect of prophetic certitude (so in next verse). I am weary with repenting ; i.e. with recalling my (conditional) sentence of punishment (see on Jeremiah 18:1-10 ). read more
God weary of repenting. I. GOD OFTEN APPEARS TO REPENT . He seems to repent of his merciful intentions when the conduct of men has called forth his righteous indignation—even repenting that he had ever made men ( Genesis 6:6 ), and to repent of his wrathful intentions when his children repent of their sins ( e . g . Exodus 32:14 ). Absolutely it cannot be said that God repents ( 1 Samuel 15:29 ). He never does wrong, never errs, is never moved from reason by... read more
The gates of the land . The phrase might mean either the cities in general (comp. Micah 5:5 ; Isaiah 3:26 ) or the fortresses commanding the entrance into the land (comp. Nahum 3:13 ). The context decides in favor of the latter view. Ewald's explanation, "borders of the earth" ( i.e. the most distant countries), seems less natural. I will bereave them , etc. The proper object of the verb is my people (personified as a mother). The population are to fall in war (comp. the same... read more
To me ; i.e. at my bidding. It is the dative of cause. Against the mother of the young men ; rather, upon … young man. The widow has lost her husband, the mother her son, so that no human power can repel the barbarous foe. The word rendered "young man" is specially used for "young warriors," e . g . Jeremiah 18:21 ; Jeremiah 49:26 ; Jeremiah 51:3 . Others following Rashi, take "mother" in the sense of "metropolis," or "chief city", in which case "young man" must be... read more
That hath borne seven ; a proverbial expression. Her sun is gone down , etc. The figure is that of an eclipse (comp. Amos 9:9 ). She hath been ashamed , etc.; rather, she ashamed , etc. Ewald supposes the sun, which is sometimes feminine in Hebrew, to be the subject (comp. Isaiah 24:23 ); but the view of the Authorized Version is more probable. The shame of childlessness is repeatedly referred to (comp. Jeremiah 1:12 ; Isaiah 54:4 ; Genesis 16:4 ; Genesis 30:1 , Genesis... read more
Sunset at noon. A premature ending of any human affairs may be compared to sunset at noon. I. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE . A nation suddenly collapses; a sovereign is overthrown in the height of his power; a life is cut off in middle age. How often do we see these things? II. THIS IS AN UNNATURAL OCCURRENCE . No such event could occur in the physical world. Therefore it proves that the human world is deranged. III. THIS IS A CALAMITOUS OCCURRENCE .... read more
The darkened home. "She that hath borne … was yet day." Perhaps in all the range of human sorrows there is none greater than that which befalls a home when the dearly beloved mother of many children, yet needing sorely her care, is early cut off. Such a piteous case is described here. The prophet, bewailing the coming calamities of his country, adopts the heartbroken language of a husband bitterly mourning the death of his wife and the mother of his many children. He seems to think of her... read more
Cast them out of my sight - Rather, “send them out of My presence, and let them go away.” The prophet is to dismiss them, because their mediators, Moses and Samuel, whose intercession had been accepted in old times (marginal references), would intercede now in vain. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 15:4
The sins of the fathers visited upon the children. This verse contains an explicit declaration that such is God's rule. The calamities about to fall on Judah and Jerusalem were "because of Manasseh the son of," etc. No doubt the sins of Manasseh were flagrant in the extreme, and they were the more aggravated because he was the son of the godly Hezekiah. No doubt his reign was one of dark disgrace and disaster. The sacred writers dismiss it with a few short statements, hurrying over its... read more