John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 13:12-14

"Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word: Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David`s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith Jehovah: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them." — Jeremiah 13:12-14 (ASV)

The Prophet denounces here by another analogy the vengeance of God, for he says that all would be filled with drunkenness: but he is commanded at first simply to set before them the metaphor, Every bottle, or flagon, he says, shall be filled with wine. The word רבל, ubel, means a bladder; but the word bottle is more suitable here. Bladders were accustomed in those countries to be filled with water and with wine, as the custom is still in the East; as we see today that oil is put in bladders and thus carried, so bladders are commonly used there to carry water and wine. But as it is added, I will dash them against one another, it is better to use the word bottles, or flagons.

This general statement might have appeared to be of no weight; for what instruction does this contain, “Every bottle shall be filled with wine?” It is like what one might say—that a tankard is made to carry wine, and that bowls are made for drinking: this is well known, even to children.

And then it might have been said that this was unworthy of a prophet. “Eh! What do you say? You say that bottles are the receptacles of wine, even as a hat is made to cover the head, or clothes to keep off the cold; but you seem to mock us with childish trifles.” We also find that the Prophet’s address was thus objected to, for they contemptuously and proudly answered, “What! Do we not know that bottles are prepared for the purpose of preserving wine? But what do you mean? You boast of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: how strange is this? You are like an angel come down from heaven; you claim the name of God, and profess to have the authority of a prophet; now, what does this mean, that bottles are filled with wine?”

But it was God’s particular purpose in this way to rouse the people, who were asleep in their delusions, and who were also by no means attentive to spiritual instruction.

It was then His purpose to show, by the most trifling, and as it were by frivolous things, that they did not possess such clear-sightedness as to perceive even that which was most evident. They indeed all knew that bottles were made for wine; but they did not understand that they were the bottles, or were like bottles.

We have indeed said that they were inflated with so much arrogance that they seemed like hard rocks; and from this came their contempt for all threats, because they did not consider what they were. The Prophet then says that they were like bottles; though God had indeed chosen them for an excellent use, yet, forgetful of their frailty, they had marred their own excellency, so that they were no longer of any use, except that God would inebriate them with giddiness and also with calamities.

We therefore see why God had commanded a general truth to be announced here, which was received with indifference and contempt: it was so that an opportunity might be given to the Prophet to touch to the quick those stupid men to whom their own state was wholly unknown.

It had been said that they were like mountains because their foundation was the free election of God. But since they had no firmness and no constancy of faith in them, but had decayed, their glory had, as it were, melted away.

And though they still retained an outward appearance, they were like brittle vessels. So their fragility is better expressed here by the Prophet than if he had said in a plain sentence, “As a bottle is filled with wine, so will the Lord fill you with drunkenness.”

Had he spoken in this way, the prediction would not have had as much force. But when they answered with disdain, “This is known even to children,” they were then told what touched them more deeply—that they were like bottles.

It may now be asked, what was this drunkenness which the Prophet announces? It may be understood in two ways—either that God would give them up to a reprobate mind, or that He would make them drunk with evils and calamities; for when God deprives men of a right mind, it is to prepare them for extreme vengeance.

But the Prophet seems to have something further in view—that this people would be given up to the most grievous evils, which would wholly fill them with amazement. Yet it appears from the context that the former evil is intended here; for he says, I will dash them one against another, every one against his brother, even the fathers and sons together; and thus they were all to be broken, as it were, in pieces.

God then not only points out the calamity which was near the Jews, but also the manner of it; that is, that everyone would draw his own brethren to ruin, as though they inflicted wounds on one another. But God says first generally, I will fill all the inhabitants of the land with drunkenness, and then He explains the effect, such as I have stated.

But he afterwards speaks of the whole people, including the kings, priests, and prophets, so that he excepts no order of men, however honorable. And this express mention of different orders was altogether necessary, for kings thought that they ought not to have been blended with the common people. The priests also regarded themselves as sacred, and a similar pride possessed the false prophets.

But Jeremiah includes them all, without exception, in the same bundle, as though he had said, “The majesty of kings shall not deliver them from God’s judgment, nor shall the priests be safe on account of their dignity, nor shall it avail the false prophets to boast of that noble and illustrious office which they discharge.” This prediction was no doubt regarded as very unjust; for we know with what high commendations God had spoken of the kingdom of David.

As to the priesthood, we also know that it was a type of the priesthood of Christ, and also that the whole tribe of Levi was counted sacred to God. Therefore, Jeremiah must have greatly exasperated the minds of all by thus threatening kings as well as priests.

But from this we gather that there is nothing so high and so illustrious on earth which ought not to be made to submit when the power and glory of God, and the authority of celestial truth, are to be vindicated. Whatever then is precious and excellent in the world must come to nothing if it detracts even in the least degree from the glory of God or from the authority of His truth: and yet kings and priests dared to oppose the word of God.

No wonder then, that the Prophet should thrust them down from their elevations and compare them to bottles: he thus treads underfoot that frail glory by which they sought to obscure God Himself. And as the name of David was, as it were, sacred among that people, the Prophet says—in order to shake off this vain confidence—“Though kings sit on the throne of David and are his successors and posterity, yet God will not spare them.”

From this, it also appears how foolishly the Papal clergy today bring forward against us their privileges and their dignity. Doubtless, whatever these unprincipled men may claim for themselves, they cannot yet make themselves equal to the Levitical priests. And yet we see that it availed the Levitical priests nothing that God had set them apart for Himself, because they had abused their power.

There is, therefore, no reason for the Pope and his clergy—the very filth of the world—to be so proud today. We now perceive the design of the words when mention is made of kings, priests, and prophets.

It must, however, be observed that he does not speak here of faithful prophets, but of those who wore the mask, while yet they brought nothing but chaff instead of wheat, as we will see later. He then uses the word prophets in an improper sense, for he applies it to false teachers, as we do today when we speak of those savages who boast that they are bishops and prelates and governors: we indeed grant them these titles, but it does not follow that they justly deserve to be counted bishops, though they are so called. In the same way then does Jeremiah speak here of those who were called prophets, who yet were wholly unworthy of the office.

He then speaks of the collision to which we have referred—I will cause them to tear or break one another in pieces. Some render the word “scatter;” but scattering does by no means fit with the words, every one, against his brother, etc. We therefore see that the meaning is much more suitable when we render the words, I will dash them, every one against his brother, and then, even the fathers and the sons together; so that they might tear one another by a mutual conflict.

And so, as I have said, Jeremiah not only foretells the destruction of the people, but also points out the manner of it; for they would become so void of common prudence that they would willfully destroy one another, as though they were given up to mutual slaughter. They gloried, we know, in their number, but the Prophet shows that this would be no protection to them, but, on the contrary, the cause of their ruin; for the Lord would so blind them that they would fight with one another, and thus perish without any foreign enemy.

He then adds, I will not spare, I will not spare, I will not have mercy. He repeats three times that He would not be favorable to them. It would have been sufficient to declare this once, if they had been so teachable and attentive as to really consider the threats announced to them.

But being as torpid as they were, it was necessary to repeat the same thing often—not as though there was anything ambiguous or obscure in the message itself, but because hardly any vehemence was sufficient to rouse such obstinate hearts. We therefore see why the Prophet repeated the same thing so often.

He, however, does not employ words uselessly. Whenever God repeats the promises of His favor, He does not utter words heedlessly and without reason; but since He sees that there is so much dullness in us that one promise is not sufficient, He confirms it by repetitions. So also when He sees that men, owing to their stupidity, cannot be moved or terrified by His threats, He repeats them so that they may have more weight.

In short, he declares that it was all over for that people, so that he does not now call the wicked and the rebellious to repentance, but speaks to them as to men beyond remedy. This is the meaning.

And he adds, Until I shall consume them. This refers to the whole body of the people. God, in the meantime, still preserved, in a wonderful manner and by hidden means, a remnant, as has appeared elsewhere: but yet God took that vengeance, which is here announced against the people as a body; for it was, as it were, a general death, when they were all driven into exile and everywhere scattered.

Now as the Lord in so great a ruin never forgot His covenant, but some seed still remained safe and secure; so what is said here, I will not have mercy until I shall consume them, is not inconsistent with the promise of mercy elsewhere given, when He declares that he is long-suffering and plenteous in mercy (Numbers 14:18; Psalms 103:8). Though God then destroyed His people in so dreadful a manner, yet He did not divest Himself of His own nature, nor cast away His mercy; but He executed His judgments on the reprobate in a way so wonderful, that He yet lost nothing of His eternal mercy and remained still faithful as to His election.