John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 20:5

"Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all the gains thereof, and all the precious things thereof, yea, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them a prey, and take them, and carry them to Babylon." — Jeremiah 20:5 (ASV)

He goes on with the same subject, but amplifies what he had said in order to confirm it. At the same time, there is no doubt that Pashur was more exasperated when he heard these grievous threatenings; but it was right in this way to inflame more and more the fury of all the ungodly. Therefore, though they may a hundred times raise a clamor, we must not desist from freely and boldly declaring the truth. This is the reason why the Prophet now more fully describes the future calamity of the city.

I will give up, he says, the whole strength of this city, and so on. This word 'strength' is sometimes taken metaphorically for riches or wealth.

Then, the whole strength, or substance, of this city and all its labor will I give up, and so on. This second clause is still more grievous, because what had been acquired with great labor was to be given to plunder.

For when anyone becomes rich without labor—that is, when riches come to someone by inheritance, without any trouble or toil—he is not so distressed when he happens to be deprived of his wealth.

But he who has through a whole life of labor obtained what he expects would be for the support of life—this person grieves much more and becomes really distressed with anguish when enemies come and deprive and plunder him of all he possesses.

Therefore, there is no doubt that 'labor' is mentioned here, as in other parts of Scripture, to amplify the evil. He then adds, all its precious things and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I deliver into the hand of their enemies; who will carry away not only riches, labor, and treasures, but also the men themselves, and bring them to Babylon.

The rest tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that we may not by our perverseness increasingly provoke Your wrath, but that whenever You threaten us, we may immediately fear and tremble at Your word, and also obey You in the true spirit of meekness, and so dread Your threatenings as to anticipate Your judgment by true repentance, and thus strive to glorify Your name, that You may become our strength and glory, and that we may be able not only before the world, but before You and Your angels, truly to glory that we are that peculiar people whom You have favored with Your adoption, that You may to the end carry on in us the work of Your grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Amen.