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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 12:7-13

The people of the Jews are here marked for ruin. I. God is here brought in falling out with them and leaving them desolate; and they could never have been undone if they had not provoked God to desert them. It is a terrible word that God here says (Jer. 12:7): I have forsaken my house?the temple, which had been his palace; they had polluted it, and so forced him out of it: I have left my heritage, and will look after it no more. His people that he has taken such delight in, and care of, are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 12:13

They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns ,.... Which may be understood literally, the land of Judea being cursed for their sins, and become barren and unfruitful, as the earth originally was for the sin of the first man, Genesis 3:19 , or rather figuratively, which some interpret of the prophets as Kimchi, sowing the good seed of the word among the Jews; but it did not take place in them, and bring forth fruit; instead thereof thorns sprung up, or evil works were done by them,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 12:13

They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns - All their projects shall fail: none of their enterprises shall succeed. They are enemies to God, and therefore cannot have his blessing. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 12:13

Verse 13 Most interpreters understand this of the prophets, that they had been disappointed, after having faithfully cultivated the field of God and sown good seed, that thorns only had sprung up, and briars only had grown: but this is a strained exposition. The Prophet, I doubt not, sets forth the curse of God, which the people were soon to experience. I indeed readily admit, that when he speaks of sowing and reaping, the expression is metaphorical; but I have no doubt but that the Jews are... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 12:7-13

The hiding of God's face. Here is a most terrible condition of things set forth. It may be taken as telling of the calamities which ensue when God hides his face from his people. It is terrible every way. Because— I. OF HIM BY WHOM HIS FACE IS HIDDEN . It is God. We feel such conduct from our fellow-men according to our estimate of the person who manifests it. Now, all these facts which make the hiding of his face grievous to us meet in God—righteousness, goodness,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 12:7-17

A separate prophecy. The key to it is in 2 Kings 24:1 , 2 Kings 24:2 , where it is related that, after Jehoiakim's rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, "Jehovah sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it." The prophecy falls into two strophes or sections, 2 Kings 24:7-13 and 2 Kings 24:14-17 . In the first we have a complaint of the desolation produced by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 12:13

A description in proverbial language of the absence of "peace" (literally, soundness , i.e. prosperity, security), from which "all flesh" in Judah at this time shall suffer. The trouble of sowing has been in vain, for they have reaped thorns ( so we must render grammatically, and not shall reap , and in the next clause shall not profit ought to be have not profited ). And they shall be ashamed of your revenues ; rather, be ashamed then of your produce ; but it is more... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 12:13

Profitless labor. I. PUNISHMENT WILL CONSIST IN PART IN THE PROFITLESSNESS OF LABOR . This will perhaps be the special punishment of industrious bad people. To them it will be peculiarly painful, for in proportion to the zest and earnestness with which any work is carried on will be the bitterness of disappointment when this is seen to fail Thus the victorious general is punished by being robbed of his conquests, the statesman by having his political schemes... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 12:13

Sowing wheat and reaping thorns. It is true that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." It is also true that "men cannot gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles." And at the same time it is emphatically true that men may sow wheat and yet reap thorns. The contradiction is only on the surface; it suggests inquiry, and the further the inquiry is continued, the more it is seen what serious truth is contained in the prophet's statement. Consider, then, the statement in two... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 12:13

Shall reap ... shall not profit - Rather, have reaped ... have profited nothing. The force of the proverb is that all their labors had ended only in disappointment.And they shall be ashamed of your revenues - Or, yea, be ashamed of your produce - the produce of the fields. read more

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