Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord ,.... The Targum adds, "to bring evil upon them.' Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? the Targum is, "or of a people whose works are such, shall I not take vengeance according to my pleasure?' See Gill on Jeremiah 5:9 . read more
Verse 9 We have already met with this verse; it will therefore be enough briefly to refer to what it contains. God shews here, that except he denied himself he must necessarily punish the Jews. How so? He takes it as granted that he is the judge of the world: he had said that the Jews were not only become wicked in one thing, but were so given up to all kinds of wickedness, that they wearied themselves; what then was to be done? God would not have acted in a manner worthy of himself, nor... read more
Complaint of the treachery and folly of the people; lamentation over their consequences. read more
A visitation of God. I. CHASTISEMENT IS A VISITATION OF GOD . The phrase "a visitation of God' has been too much confined to calamitous events. God visits us every hour in gentleness and mercy. Still, it is important to recognize that he also comes in chastisement. He comes , does not simply order, but himself executes chastisement. 1. We should recognize the Divine visitation. Outwardly the trouble may have a human origin. The calamities of the Jews arose out of a... read more
From their punishment the prophet now turns to their sins.Jeremiah 9:2The prophet utters the wish that he might be spared his daily striving, and in some lone wilderness give way to his sorrow, without restraint.A lodging place - It was usual to build in the desert, either by private charity or at the public expense, caravanserais, to receive travelers for a single night, who had however to bring their own supplies with them.An assembly - Or, a gang.Treacherous - Faithless toward one... read more
Mourning for Judah (8:18-9:22)The prophet is overcome with grief as he foresees the tragic end of the nation. The people wonder why God their King does not save them. God replies that it is because of their idolatry. They now realize that they can no longer expect his salvation (18-20). Nothing can heal Judah’s spiritual sickness now; the end has come. And nothing can heal the wounds of grief in Jeremiah’s heart as he sees his people suffer (21-22).Jeremiah is unable to express the extent of... read more
My soul = I myself (emphatic). Hebrew. nephesh. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. avenged. Compare Jeremiah 5:9 , Jeremiah 5:29 . read more
9. (Jeremiah 5:9; Jeremiah 5:29). read more
Judah’s depravity 9:2-9 read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 9:1-11
The prophet, being commissioned both to foretel the destruction coming upon Judah and Jerusalem and to point out the sin for which that destruction was brought upon them, here, as elsewhere, speaks of both very feelingly: what he said of both came from the heart, and therefore one would have thought it would reach to the heart. I. He abandons himself to sorrow in consideration of the calamitous condition of his people, which he sadly laments, a one that preferred Jerusalem before his chief joy... read more