John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 22:17

"But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it." — Jeremiah 22:17 (ASV)

Here the Prophet expresses more clearly how much Jehoiakim differed from Josiah his father. He indeed shows that he was wholly unlike him, because Josiah had endeavored to observe what was equitable, while Jehoiakim set all his thoughts on fraud, plunder, and cruelty.

By the eye and the heart, the Prophet means all the faculties of Jehoiakim's soul and body. Sight, as is well known, is one of the main senses of the body. Hence, the Prophet includes here everything external and internal in people, when he says, thine eye, that is, all your bodily senses are set on covetousness, and also thine heart, that is, all your thoughts, feelings, designs, meditations, and purposes are employed in the same way.

In short, he intimates that Jehoiakim was corrupt both in body and mind, so that having cast aside every fear of God, he abandoned himself to avarice, plunder, and all acts of oppression. Thine eye, he says, and thy heart is not, except on covetousness.

The verb בצע , betso, means to covet; hence the noun signifies not only avarice but also any sinful lust. He adds cruelty, for it is inevitable that all are bloody who give loose rein to their lusts. He mentions in the third place rapacity, or violent seizure; for עשק , oshek, means to take by force what belongs to another; hence the noun signifies rapacity.

What follows lastly is oppression, or disquietude. As רוף , ruts, means to run, Jerome renders it “the course of thy work,” as though ל , lamed, prefixed to עשות , oshut, were not one of the serviles, ם, ל, כ, ב , beth, caph, lamed, mem, but this cannot be admitted.

The clear meaning of the Prophet indeed is that Jehoiakim was not only intent on taking possession of what belonged to others but also oppressed and distressed all he could. Finally, the phrase to do; is added. The verb 'to do' is to be applied to what has gone before, meaning that Jehoiakim employed all his thoughts and was wholly engaged in evil deeds. He not only contrived acts of cruelty and avarice in his mind but also fully executed what he had contrived.