John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 22:29-30

"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah." — Jeremiah 22:29-30 (ASV)

The Prophet more fully confirms what I have recently referred to; and the repetition was not superfluous in exclaiming “earth” three times, for as the hardness of iron is overcome by the repeated strokes of the hammer, so the Prophet repeated the word “earth,” that he might subdue that perverseness in which the Jews had so hardened themselves that no threats of God moved them.

He did not adopt this vehemence, as rhetoricians do who aim to appear eloquent; but it was necessity that constrained him thus to assail that refractory people, who would have otherwise turned a deaf ear to what we have observed and read. By this preface, then, the Prophet especially shows that he spoke of God’s dreadful judgment, and also reminded the Jews of the certainty of this prophecy, though they were persuaded that the kingdom would never fall. Hence in this repetition we see that there is an implied reproof, as though he had said that they were indeed deaf, but that it was to no purpose, for they would be constrained to see the fulfillment of what they did not then believe. Earth, earth, earth, hear, he says.

Then he adds, Thus says Jehovah, Write you this man solitary, or childless. Some think that these words were addressed to angels or to prophets; but I do not regard such a notion as well founded: this mode of speaking seems rather to me to have been taken from common practice, for decrees which were to continue in force for a long time were usually written.

When an edict was proclaimed, and was to be in force only for a few days, it was not commonly recorded in the public monuments; but when a law was enacted, which was to be binding on posterity, it was written in the public tablets. Then the Prophet intimates that this judgment of God could not be rendered void, nor would be momentary like decrees which in a few days are disregarded and soon forgotten, but that it would be certain and permanent. Write you, then, this man childless. This bereavement is set in opposition to the promise of God, that there would be perpetual successors to David on his throne as long as the sun and moon were in the heavens (Psalms 89:37). And the Prophet shows here that this promise regarding Jeconiah would not be fulfilled.

And he adds, Write you this man as one who will not prosper in his days; nay, (for כי, it seems to me, is emphatic here) no one of his seed shall prosper; and then he adds an explanation, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Now, it is no wonder that the Jews regarded this judgment of God with abhorrence, as though it was something monstrous, for God seemed to them to be inconsistent with Himself, because He had testified that His covenant would never be rendered void, and had appealed to the sun and moon as witnesses. Hence, when the posterity of David failed, at least when his throne was subverted, and no one appeared as his successor, the truth of the promise seemed to have failed, which was very strange. But it was possible for God, who does wonders, to execute such punishment on Jeconiah and on those like him, and yet in a secret and incomprehensible manner to bring things about, so that the covenant which He had made should not wholly fail. The grace of God, then, was hidden for a time, but never extinguished; for at length a rod did grow up from the stem of Jesse, as it is said by Isaiah.

However, the words seem to imply otherwise, for Jeconiah is said to be solitary, and then unprosperous; and lastly, the Prophet declares that no one of his seed would sit on the royal throne. But we must bear in mind that these words are to be confined to a temporary punishment, and extend only to the coming of Christ, though the posterity of David, as we shall see later, did begin to arise in Zerubbabel, but this was only an obscure and a small prelude. We must, therefore, come to the time of Christ if we would reconcile these two things which seem contradictory: that Jeconiah became childless, and yet that a successor from the seed of David never failed. This was so because this childlessness was only for a time. This interruption of God’s grace was something like death; but in the course of time, it appeared that God was mindful of His covenant, even at a time when He seemed to have forgotten it. And this prophecy, therefore, should be connected with that of Ezekiel,

Remove you, remove, remove the crown until he comes whose it is.
(Ezekiel 21:26–27).

There, also, Ezekiel repeats the word “remove” three times, as though he had said that there would be no kingdom of David, not only for a few months or years, but through a series of many ages.

There is no wonder, then, that the Prophet declares here that Jeconiah would be childless, for such a sad calamity for so many ages, as the throne of David trodden under foot with scorn and contempt, might have overwhelmed the faithful with despair. This, then, was the reason why he said that he would be childless, and also that his whole posterity would be under a curse. But we must bear in mind that exception, which is expressed by another Prophet,

until he comes whose the crown is (Ezekiel 21:27).

For it was reserved for the head of Christ, though for a long time it had been exposed to dishonor and to the reproaches of all nations.

Now it is useful to know this, for we are taught that God is ever so consistent with Himself, that His covenant, which He has made with Christ and with all His members, never fails, and that yet He punishes hypocrites even to death. If anyone, during a long period, had sought for the Church in the world, there was none in appearance; yet God showed that He was faithful to His promises, for suddenly there arose a people regenerated by the Gospel, so that His covenant was not dead, but as it were for a time buried. The truth of God, then, was proved by the event; and yet He took a dreadful vengeance on the ingratitude of men when He thus blinded the whole world.