John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 1:15

"For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah." — Jeremiah 1:15 (ASV)

This verse contains an explanation of the previous one, for God more clearly and more specifically expresses what he had previously referred to—that the evil would come from the north. He says that he would be the sender of this evil, and speaks of it in this way: Behold, I call all the families of the kingdoms of the north. The prediction would not have been so effective if this declaration had not been expressly added—that the Chaldeans would come by the authority of God. For people are typically accustomed to ascribe to fortune whatever takes place; and we will later see in the Book of Lamentations (Lamentations 3:37–38) that the Jews were so stupefied that in their calamities they attributed the destruction of the temple and city, and the ruin of the kingdom, to the events of fortune.

Therefore, God sharply reasoned earnestly with them, because they were so blind in such a clear matter and did not acknowledge his judgments. The Prophet, then, after having testified that the evil would come from the north, now adds that this evil would by no means happen by chance, but through the war that the Chaldeans would bring on them; that God would be the chief commander, who would gather soldiers from all parts and prepare an army to destroy the Jews.

The Prophet uses the word "to cry": Behold, he says, I will cry to all the clans, or families, and so forth. God employs various ways of speaking when he intends to teach us that all nations are in his hand and subject to his will, so that he can stir up wars whenever it pleases him.

He says, Behold, I will hiss (or whistle) for the Egyptians; and he compares them sometimes to bees (Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 7:18). Again, in another place he says, Behold, I will blow with the trumpet, and assemble shall the Assyrians. All these ways of speaking are intended to show that though people cause a great commotion and disturb the whole world, yet God directs all things by his sovereign power, and that nothing happens except under his guidance and authority.

We then see that the Prophet does not speak as a historian, nor does he simply predict what was going to happen, but also adds a doctrine or a great truth. It would have been a naked prediction only if he had said, An evil shall break forth from the north: but he now, as I have already said, performs the role of a teacher, so that his prediction might be useful, and says that God would be the chief commander in that war: Behold, then, I will cry to all the families of the kingdoms of the north.

There was then indeed only one monarchy; but as the self-confidence of the Jews was so great, and consequently their foolishness, so that they feared no evil, God, in order to arouse them, says that he would assemble all the families of the kingdoms. And undoubtedly, those whom God brought together against the Jews belonged to many kingdoms. This also took into account that empty confidence which the Jews entertained, in thinking that the Egyptians would be always ready to supply them with help. Since, then, they were accustomed to set up the Egyptians as their shield, or even as a mountain, God here exposes their folly—that trusting in the Egyptians, they thought themselves sufficiently fortified against the power and arms of the whole Chaldean monarchy. For these reasons, then, he mentions the families, and then the kingdoms, of the north.

It follows, And they shall come, and set each (man, literally) his throne at the entrance of the gates. The Prophet here means that the power of the Chaldeans would be such that they would boldly pitch their tents before the gates, and not only so, but would also close up the smaller gates, for he mentions the doors (ostia) of the gates. And by speaking of each of them, he meant to sting the Jews more sharply, for they, relying on the help of Egypt, thought themselves capable of resisting, even though the Chaldeans, who had conquered the Assyrians, would be irresistible.

Therefore, he says, not only would the army itself encamp before the gates, but each individual would establish himself there and set up his tent as if in a place of safety. In short, God indicates that the Chaldeans and Assyrians would be victorious, that they would entirely rule and make themselves at home in the fields and before the gates of the city Jerusalem. These things are later more distinctly expressed, and many circumstances are added, but God intended at first to announce this declaration, so that the Jews might know that it would be all over for them.

He then says, On its walls around, and on all the cities of Judah. The Prophet here declares that the whole country would be laid waste, as if he had said, “The Jews in vain trust their own resources and help from others, for God will fight against them; and as the Chaldeans and the Assyrians will be armed by him, they will be victorious, whatever force the Jews may oppose to them.”