John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 18:13

"Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ask ye now among the nations, who hath heard such things; the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing." — Jeremiah 18:13 (ASV)

God shows here that the Jews had become completely beyond reform, for they reached the height of impiety when they were so bold as to reject the salvation offered to them. For what was the Prophet’s aim but to rescue them from ruin? God Himself, through His Prophet, wished to ensure their safety.

How great, then, was their ingratitude to reject God’s fatherly care and not to listen to the Prophet, who was to be an instrument of salvation for them? Now, since they were utterly deaf and foolish, God turns to the Gentiles.

Inquire, or ask, he says, among the Gentiles, Has anyone heard such a thing? It is as though he had said, “I will no longer contend with these brutish animals, for there is no reason in them; but the Gentiles, lacking the light of knowledge, can be made witnesses of such flagrant impiety.” And he says the same thing in Jeremiah 2:10:

“Go, pass through the isles and survey the whole world, has any nation forsaken its own gods, and yet they are no gods?”

It is as though he had said, “Religion so greatly prevails among miserable idolaters that they remain steadfast in their superstitions. Since they consider it a terrible thing to change their god, they therefore avoid it as something monstrous. This is why they are devoted to their superstitions, for the god whom they have once received, they think it the greatest impiety to abandon, even though these are not gods. But My people have forsaken Me, who am the fountain of living water.” Jeremiah now repeats the same thing in other words: that such an example could not be found among pagans.

He then adds, A base thing has the virgin of Israel done. Some indeed translate שעררת, shorret, as “a monstrous thing,” and it may be taken this way metaphorically, for the verb שער, shor, means to count, or to think. This meaning could be adopted here, but as in many places it signifies baseness, I will not depart from that usual meaning.

He says then, that it was an exceedingly shameful thing for the people to forsake Him. He does not call the people the virgin of Israel as a mark of honor, but to increase their shame.

For God, as we have seen before, had betrothed the people to Himself. Therefore, it was their duty to maintain marital faithfulness, like a virgin betrothed to a husband, who ought not to regard any other, for she is not to look for any other after she has given her pledge.

But the people of Israel, who ought to have been, as it were, the bride of God, sinned most shamefully, indeed, most disgracefully and infamously, when they prostituted themselves to wicked schemes as well as to superstitions. He now adds comparisons by which he more fully exposes their wickedness.