John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 15:10

"Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; [yet] every one of them doth curse me." — Jeremiah 15:10 (ASV)

The Prophet, when he saw that his labor was of no use, or was not as fruitful as he wished, no doubt felt somewhat like a man, and showed his own weakness. It must however be observed, that he was so restrained by the secret power of the Holy Spirit, that he did not erupt intemperately, as is the case with many; but he kept the right end so in view, that his sorrows always had regard for his object, namely, to make his labor useful to the people. A clear example of this is seen in these words.

But he addresses his mother, as though he counted his own life a curse; what does this mean? “Why,” he says, “have you begotten me, my mother? Woe to me, that I have been born a man of strife and of contention!” We learn from these words, that the Prophet was not so composed and calm in his mind, but rather felt angry when he saw that he accomplished less than he wished; and yet it is evident from the context, that all this was expressed for the benefit of the public, so that the Jews might know, that their hardness of heart in despising God’s devoted servant, indeed, in maliciously opposing him, would not result in their benefit. This is the meaning of the whole.

He calls himself a man of strife, not only because he was compelled to contend with the people, for this he had in common with all prophets. God does not send them to flatter or to please the world; they must therefore contend with the world, for no one is brought to a right state, so as to undertake the yoke of God willingly and submissively, until he is shown to be guilty.

Hence men will never obey God, they will never submit to his word, until they know that they are in a way condemned; and for this reason I have said, that this evil is common to all prophets — that they have to contend with the world. But Jeremiah calls himself a man of strife and contention, because he was slanderously spoken of throughout Judea, as one who through his moroseness drove the whole people to contentions and strifes.

This then is to be referred to the false judgments formed by the people; for there was hardly any one who did not say that he was a turbulent man, and that if he was removed, there would have been tranquility in the city and throughout the whole land. The same objection is today made by the enemies of the truth and godliness; they say, that we needlessly create disturbances, and that if we were quiet, there would be the most delightful peace throughout the whole world, and that dissensions and strifes arise only from us, that we are the fans by which the whole world is kindled into contentions.

It was then for this reason that Jeremiah complained that he was born a man of strife and contention; not that he was contentious — not that he gave any occasion to the people to speak so slanderously of him; for the subject here is not about the character of the Prophet, as he knew that his courage was approved by God; but as he saw that he was pressed and charged with these false accusations, he calls himself a man of strife and a man of contention; the last word is from דן, den, which means to contend.

But as to the exclamation regarding his mother, I have already reminded you that it was an evidence of an intemperate feeling; for had he spoken in a composed state of mind, what had he to do with his mother, so as to make her an associate in the evil he complains of?

He indeed seems to ascribe a part of the blame to his mother, because she had given him birth. Now this appears unreasonable. But it may at the same time be easily inferred, that the Prophet was not led away by so great a vehemence, except for the sake of promoting the public good, and that it was for this purpose that he uttered his complaint; for it was not his purpose to condemn his mother, though at first view it appears so; but though she was innocent, he still shows that he was unjustly loaded with such calumnies, as that he was a man of strife and contention; as though he had said, “Inquire of my mother, who has begotten me, whether I was contentious from the womb? Has my mother been the cause why you say that I am a turbulent man and the author of strifes? Undoubtedly nothing can be attributed to my mother; and I am as innocent as she is.”

We now see that the Prophet indirectly condemns the wickedness of the people, because they slandered him, as though he stirred up tumults and strifes through the whole land; and this he more fully confirms by the words which follow:—

I have not given on usury, nor have they borrowed of me on usury; yet every one curses me. He shows here that it was not for a private reason that he was hated by the whole people and loaded with calumnies: for from where do hatreds, and strifes, and complaints, and quarrels, and contentions among men come, except through unfair dealing in their dealings with one another?

When, therefore, every one is bent on his own private advantage, he can hardly bear anything to be taken from him. It is indeed a rare thing in the world, that they who carry on business with one another are really friends, and that they wholly approve of each other’s conduct; for, as I have already said, covetousness so prevails, that justice and equity disappear among most men.

Hence the Prophet says, that he had not lent on usury. Under one kind he includes all transactions of life, as though he had said, Je n’ay point traffique, I have had no contention about money affairs, for I have neither lent nor borrowed money, so that I have had no contention with the people over a private matter, nor have they quarreled with me as though I had injured them or defrauded them, as though they had suffered any loss on my account: yet they all curse me.”

We see that the Prophet here testifies that he had not incurred the displeasure of the people through his own fault, or on account of any private matter, but because he had faithfully discharged his duty to God and to his Church. He then brings against the people a most awful accusation, that they carried on war, not with a mortal man, but rather with God himself. We now understand what the Prophet intended.

But all faithful teachers are here reminded, that if they perform their office strenuously and wisely, they will surely be loaded with many calumnies, and be called tumultuous, or morose, or disturbers of the peace. They ought then to be fortified against such stumbling blocks, so that they may persevere in the course of their calling.

They ought at the same time to take care not to create enemies through any private matters. For when the pastors of the Church abstain from every public business, yet when they contend, as they ought, with the world, all immediately cry out that they are contentious and turbulent; but if the other be added, if they quarrel with this or that man about worldly things, then it is inevitable that the word of God will be spoken evil of through their fault.

Hence great care ought to be taken that those who sustain the office of public teaching should not engage in worldly business, and be thus exposed to the necessity of contending about worldly things: they have enough to do, and more than enough, in the warfare in which the Lord has engaged them.

Now when the Prophet says that they all cursed him, it was a sad instance of impiety; for he speaks not of pagans but of the seed of Abraham. There was no Church then in the world but at Jerusalem, and yet the Prophet was regarded there as contentious and a man of strife. It ought not then to appear strange to us, that not only professed enemies of Christ load us with reproaches, but that they also curse us who consider themselves to be members of the Church.