John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 13:19

"The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive." — Jeremiah 13:19 (ASV)

By the cities of the south, almost all understand this to mean the cities of the tribe of Judah, whose territory was towards the south. And regarding the cities being shut up, they consider this to mean that they would be forsaken, for they say that cities are open when they are frequented.

But I am constrained here also to take another view. I understand the cities of the south to have been those of Egypt, for we know that the Jews looked there for refuge whenever they were attacked by the Assyrians or the Chaldeans. Since they thought that Egypt would be a kind of asylum for them, the Prophet declares that all these cities would be closed against them, and that there would be no one to open them, as though he had said, “The Lord will drive you out and will prevent you from taking refuge there.”

He would doubtless have spoken more clearly if he had meant the cities of Judah. Besides, since he was at Jerusalem, this way of speaking must have been ambiguous and even improper. We will soon find him speaking of the Assyrians as being in the north.

So now he warns them that Egypt would be closed against them, even though they expected to be safe there and thought that an easily-borne exile was available to them. Since they foolishly trusted that they would be received by the Egyptians, the Prophet says that the gates would be closed, and that there would be no one to open them.

It then follows, carried away wholly has been Judah, carried away completely. That is, “You will all be led away into Assyria and Babylon,” which is the north country, according to what follows later.