John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 13:21

"What wilt thou say, when he shall set over thee as head those whom thou hast thyself taught to be friends to thee? shall not sorrows take hold of thee, as of a woman in travail?" — Jeremiah 13:21 (ASV)

As the Prophet observed that the Jews were in no way moved, he addressed them still further and set before them what then seemed incredible—the calamity from which they thought they could easily defend themselves through their allies.

He then adds, What wilt thou then say? For the false teachers made a clamor, and whenever Jeremiah began to speak, they violently assailed him, and the common people also wantonly barked at him. As they then thus petulantly resisted God and his truths, the Prophet intimates that the time would come when they would become mute through shame. What wilt thou say then? he says, “You are now very talkative, and God cannot obtain a hearing from you; but he will check your wantonness when the enemy distresses you.” It is the same as if he had said, “It will not be the time then for your loquacity, for the Lord will constrain you to be silent.”

Some refer to God what follows, When he shall visit you; but it ought, on the contrary, to be applied to the Chaldeans, for he immediately adds, But thou hast accustomed them, etc. There is indeed a change or an anomaly of number, but this is common in the prophets.

When he uses the singular, the head of the army is referred to, but afterwards the whole forces are included. What then wilt thou say, when the enemy shall visit thee? He then adds, But then, etc.; that is, “If you seek to cast blame on others when the Assyrians and the Chaldeans will overwhelm you, you will attempt it in vain? For you have opened a passage for them and hast accustomed them to be thy leaders over thy head.”

For the Assyrians had a long time before been sent for by the Israelites, and the Jews also had formed alliances with the Chaldeans against the Assyrians before these monarchies were united.

Since, then, they had called them in as allies, they had accustomed them to rule and, as it were, had set them over themselves.

The case was similar to that of the Turks in the author's own day: if they were to cross over to these parts and exercise their authority, it might well be asked of the French kings and their counselors, “Whose fault is it that the Turks come to us so easily? It is because you have prepared the way for them by sea, because you have bribed them, and your ports have been opened to them. And yet they have willfully exercised the greatest cruelty towards your subjects. All these things have proceeded from yourselves; you are therefore the authors of all these evils.”

In the same way, the Prophet now upbraids the Jews because they had accustomed the Chaldeans to be their leaders. And as they had set them over their own heads, he tells them it was no wonder they were now so troublesome and grievous to them.

He afterwards says, Shall not sorrows lay hold on thee as on a woman in travail? By this comparison he intimates that the Jews gained nothing by their vain hopes, for when they said, “Peace and security,” destruction, such as they by no means expected, would suddenly come upon them.

This comparison, we know, often occurs, and it is a very apt one. For a woman with child may be very cheerful and quietly enjoying herself, and yet a sudden pain may seize her. So also it will be with the wicked: they cannot now bear to hear anything sad or alarming, and they drive every fear from themselves as far as possible. But the more they harden themselves, the heavier is God’s vengeance that follows them and will overtake them suddenly and unexpectedly.

Since, then, it was incredible to the Jews that the Chaldeans would soon come to lay waste their land, he says to them, “Surely sorrows will take hold of you, though you do not expect them. Though a woman with child does not think of her coming pain, yet it comes suddenly and cannot be driven away; so you will gain nothing by heedlessly promising yourselves continual peace and quietness.” I cannot finish what follows today if I go on further; I will therefore put it off to the next Lecture.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are so slothful to hear You; indeed, since our minds are so taken up with many vanities that we deceive ourselves, — O grant that Your Holy Spirit may so illuminate us that we may not despise Your threats, but may learn to anticipate Your judgment in time and thus obtain pardon; that, being mindful of Your mercy, we may pursue the course of our calling until we are at length received into that blessed rest which has been obtained for us by Your only-begotten Son. — Amen.