John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 22:7

"And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire." — Jeremiah 22:7 (ASV)

He expresses the manner, for he had only said before that the ruin of the city Jerusalem was near at hand. He adds that destroyers would come, well armed with warlike instruments, who would cut down all the choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. But he reminds them that these destroyers would not come of their own accord or through their own impulse, but through the secret operation of God. For if the Jews had thought that they were dealing only with the Chaldeans, there would have been nothing to call forth the exercise of a religious principle; but the Prophet distinctly declares that the Chaldeans would be the ministers of God, for they would be stirred up and led by Him, as is often taught by the Prophets.

In short, these two things should be noted:

1. God had many ways ready by which He could punish the Jews. For the contempt of the ungodly arises because they dream that God is unarmed and does not always have the means of execution, as they say, ready at hand. Therefore, the Prophet shows that the Chaldeans would be ready as soon as God hissed for them or gave them a sign.

2. He reminds them that the Chaldeans would be the scourge of God, so that the Jews might not think they were contending with mortals, but might know they were summoned to give an account of their lives, because they had been rebellious against God and His prophets for too long. This is what we must understand by the word prepare.

Now, concerning the choice cedars, the Prophet again alludes to Mount Lebanon and to the forest of Jerusalem, which was mentioned previously. The word 'forest' may, however, be applied to the buildings, for the Jews, as is well known, built their chambers mostly of cedar wood; thus, we may apply this to their splendid and sumptuous houses. Alternatively, we may also take it literally and apply it to the trees of Mount Lebanon. But the noble trees on that Mount were the chief ornament of the country; therefore, by 'cedars,' the Prophet undoubtedly designated whatever was splendid in Jerusalem and in the surrounding country.