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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 5:20-24

The prophet, having reproved them for sin and threatened the judgments of God against them, is here sent to them again upon another errand, which he must publish in Judah; the purport of it is to persuade them to fear God, which would be an effectual principle of their reformation, as the want of that fear had been at the bottom of their apostasy. I. He complains of the shameful stupidity of this people, and their bent to backslide from God, speaking as if he knew not what course to take with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 5:21

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding ,.... or, "heart" F1 ואין לב "et non cor", Pagninus, Montanus; "qui non habes cor", V. L. "excors", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "cui cor non est", Cocceius. ; See Gill on Jeremiah 4:22 , which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not ; like the idols they served, Psalm 115:4 . this is an upbraiding of them with their folly and stupidity, their want of common sense, their blindness and ignorance;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 5:22

Fear ye not me? saith the Lord ,.... They did not fear the Lord, and this is a reproof to them for the want of it, which is a reproof of their ignorance and folly; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Proverbs 9:10 , and where that is there is true wisdom; but, where it is not, there is nothing but ignorance and stupidity: will ye not tremble at my presence ? or "face"; his wrath and anger, justly resenting their carriage to him. The Targum is, "from before my Word;' ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 5:23

They are not so obedient as the sea and its waves; nor so firm and stable as the sand that is set for the bound of it. This is a reproof and an aggravation of the revoltings and rebellions of this people: they are revolted and gone ; they had departed from the ways of the Lord, and were gone back from his worship, as the Targum; and were gone into evil ways, and to a false worship; they not only had revolted, but they went on, they continued therein, and went further and further, off from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 5:24

Neither say in their heart ,.... It came not into their mind, they never once thought of it, namely, of what follows, let us now fear the Lord our God ; they were not influenced and engaged to the fear of God, neither by his power in the preceding instance, nor by his goodness in the following one: that giveth rain ; in common, all the year round, at proper times, for the use of men and beasts. This is a pure gift of God, and an instance of his goodness, and is peculiar to him, what... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 5:22

Which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea - What can I not do, who confine the sea, that enormous mass of waters, and prevent it from overflowing the earth; not by immense mountains and rocks, but by the sand, no particle of which is in cohesion with another? The most tremendous waves cannot displace nor pass over this simple barrier. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 5:23

They are revolted and gone - They have abandoned me, and are gone farther and farther into transgression. They are gone entirely away from truth and righteousness. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 5:24

Giveth rain, both the former and the latter - See the note on Jeremiah 3:3 . The appointed weeks of the harvest - As the early rains fell in the northern parts of Judea about the end of September, in the civil year of the Hebrews, so the latter rains fell before harvest, in the months of March and April. The appointed weeks of the harvest were those which fell between the passover and pentecost. In the southern parts the harvest was earlier than in the northern. Dr. Blayney translates,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 5:21

Verse 21 Declare ye then this; and what is it? Hear, O foolish people, etc. Here he first reproves the Jews and Israelites for their stupidity, because they were even without common sense; for the heart in Hebrew means the mind or understanding, as we have seen elsewhere. He then says, that this people were destitute of all understanding. He first calls them fatuous or foolish; but as many are slow and heavy and yet not without common sense, he adds that they were a people without heart or... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 5:22

Verse 22 God shews here why he had said that the people were foolish and without understanding. It was indeed a monstrous stupidity, not to fear at the presence of God, since even inanimate elements obey his bidding: and he takes the sea especially as an example; for there is nothing more terrific than a tempestuous sea. It appears as if it would overwhelm the whole world, when its waves swell with so much violence. No one can in this case do otherwise than tremble. But the sea itself, which... read more

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