John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 22:14

"that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion." — Jeremiah 22:14 (ASV)

Some render the last words, “and painted with red”; but vermilion is a kind of red. They, indeed, mention three kinds of red—deep red, brownish, and the third mixed with various colors—but vermilion is a brighter color. Regarding the main point, there is no difficulty.

The Prophet reproves the ambition and pride of King Jehoiakim because he was not content with the moderation of his fathers but indulged in extravagant display. He built for himself a palace, as it were, in the clouds, as though he did not wish to have a dwelling on the earth.

Splendor in houses cannot in itself be condemned. However, since it can hardly be otherwise—indeed, as it seldom happens that such insatiable ambition does not proceed from pride—the Prophets therefore vehemently denounced sumptuous houses. They pronounced a curse on such displays because they considered the motive and the end. This was the Prophet’s design in this passage.

Therefore, he introduces King Jehoiakim in this way: who says, I will build for myself a large house and chambers of respirations. That he said this proved the foolish ambition with which Jehoiakim had been intoxicated, so that he regarded as nothing whatever was previously splendid in Jerusalem.

There were, we know, very sumptuous palaces there; and we also know that the king of Judah lived in great splendor.

For though the palaces of Solomon were not then standing in their original grandeur, what remained was abundantly sufficient to satisfy a man who was not filled with pride. It therefore appears that a fondness for excess prevailed in Jehoiakim, for he despised the royal palace and whatever remained after the death of Solomon.

For God, we know, had blessed Hezekiah, Josiah, and other kings with prosperity; but they had remained within proper bounds. Since, then, such haughtiness had crept into Jehoiakim’s heart, it is evident that he was filled with vain pride—indeed, was drunk with folly. This was the reason why the Prophet severely reproved him for saying, I will build for myself a large house and chambers of respirations, or of perflations.

He then adds, and he perforates for himself windows. This was a proof of luxury, when men began to indulge in superfluities. In old times, windows were small, for frugal men regarded only their use.

But afterwards, a sort of madness possessed the minds of many, so that they sought to be suspended, as it were, in the air. And therefore, they began to have wider windows. The thing in itself, as I have said, is not what God condemns.

But we must always remember, as I have reminded you, that men never go to excesses in external things unless their hearts are infected with pride, so that they do not consider what is useful or what is becoming, but are carried away by a fondness for excess.

It is then added, and it is covered with cedar, that is, the house is covered with cedar boards. For in my judgment, the Prophet here means the wainscoting when he says that the house was covered with cedar. It is as though he had said that King Jehoiakim esteemed the squared and polished stones as nothing unless a covering of cedar boards was added to ornament the walls.

And for the same purpose was the painting with vermilion; for paintings might justly be deemed excessive superfluities. Since, then, it was a part of luxury to adorn the walls with various paintings, as though men wished to change the simple nature of things, the Prophet here is indignant against King Jehoiakim.

Nor is it to be doubted that God also considered the circumstances of the times, for God had already warned him and all the Jews about their future calamities. This, then, was, in a way, to treat God’s threatenings with mockery. And we know how intolerable this was regarded by Him, for He thus declares by Isaiah:

“Live do I, never shall this iniquity be blotted out,” (Isaiah 22:14).

For when He had exhorted them to put on sackcloth and ashes, they said, “Let us eat and drink, tomorrow we shall die.” The perverseness of King Jehoiakim, then, was similar; for he ought to have seen the coming calamity which was set, as it were, before his eyes. But he, like one infatuated, increased the royal splendor, so that the wealth of David and of Solomon appeared as nothing compared with what he had expended.