John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 12:9

"Is my heritage unto me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her round about? go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour." — Jeremiah 12:9 (ASV)

The beginning of this verse is explained in various ways. Some think that a kind of bird is meant here, which has various colors, a variegated one, which incites all other birds against itself; but this is meaningless. Others, and indeed the majority, are of the opinion that birds tinged with blood were against His heritage. They therefore explain the words this way: "Is a bird, tinged"—that is, with blood—"my heritage"—that is, about my heritage; "is there a bird around it?" They consider both clauses to have the same meaning, and therefore they think that the same thing is repeated in different words: that birds were flying against the Jews, like those which are drawn by the smell of carcasses and which come in great numbers so that each may have a share; and then wild beasts follow them.

But I approve of neither of these explanations, nor indeed do they even appear to be correct.

I therefore think that the people are now compared to foreign birds, as they were before to lions. It is as though He had said, "I had chosen this people for Myself, that they might be My friends, as birds which are usually gathered into their own cages, as sheep into their own folds, and as oxen and other animals which are tamed stay within their own enclosures. So when I gathered this people, I thought that they would be to Me like domesticated sheep; but now they are like speckled birds; that is, like wild birds, or birds of the wood."

For I have no doubt that by a "speckled" or "colored bird" is to be understood a strange bird, which by its novel appearance attracts the attention of men.

Is then a variegated bird, or a bird of the wood, become My heritage? As we know, questions were often used by the Hebrews, and the Prophet here simply affirms the fact. Just as God had said before that His heritage had become like a lion in the forest, so He adds now that His heritage was like a speckled bird.

A question has much more power and force than a simple declaration, for God assumes here the character of one in astonishment: "What does this mean, that My heritage should become to Me like some bird from the wood, or a foreign bird?" He then adds, All birds then shall be around and all beasts of the field.

We now see how fittingly the words of the Prophet run. God had complained that His heritage was like a lion in the forest, and also like a wild and foreign bird. And now He says, Then all birds will fly to the prey and all the beasts of the field; as though He had said—"Since they have dared to act so wantonly, and have dared to assail My servants like wild beasts, and have also become wild birds which cannot be tamed, I will show what they will gain by their ferocity. For I will now send for all the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the wood, that they may fly together quickly and that they may come together to the prey."

That we must understand the Prophet’s meaning this way, we learn from the very words. For God not only says, A speckled bird has My heritage become, but He adds, to Me, As He had before said that His heritage had become to Him as a lion, so He says now, Is not My heritage become to Me? etc. This pronoun then ought to be carefully noted, for from this we learn, as I have said already, that the intractable disposition of the people is here condemned, for they could by no means be tamed.

But the latter clause ought also to be especially observed, for it means as much as though God had said, "As then your wickedness is such that you are to Me lions and wild birds, take your course. But I will yet check this your barbarous and untamable ferocity, for I have under My command all the birds of the air and all the wild beasts of the field; let them then come together to this one bird, and to this one beast.

You are but one bird; you are indeed terrible at first view, for you are worse than all the hawks. But you are only one bird, and around you all birds shall come, which shall make war on you. You are as one lion in a forest, or one boar, or one wolf; but all the savage beasts of the wood shall come together against you and shall come together to devour you."

This passage deserves special notice, for from this we learn how foolishly men deceive themselves when they oppose God and perversely shake off His yoke, and do not allow themselves to be corrected by His word. They are lions, they are savage birds; but the Lord can easily destroy them, for all birds and all wild beasts are ready to obey Him. And thus it follows: