John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 22:8-9

"And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them." — Jeremiah 22:8-9 (ASV)

The Prophet shows in these words how blind the Jews were regarding their own ruin, by disregarding God's judgment in such a refractory manner. The words undoubtedly embrace two contrasts: he compares mortal men with God, and those many nations with Him alone.

The Jews could not bear God as their judge and were still refractory, striving by their perverseness to overcome Him. Then the Prophet says that since they would not endure being judged by God, judges would come who would pronounce a free, impartial sentence on them. And who would these be? The heathens. Furthermore, since the Jews would not obey the one true God, the Prophet contrasts many nations with Him.

We therefore see the full meaning of these words, Pass shall many nations through this city; that is, God has until now adorned this city with many privileges, so that it became like a miracle to foreigners. For the dignity of this city was so conspicuous that it attracted everyone's notice, and its fame was known far and wide.

Now, he says, this city will be deprived of all its ornaments when God departs from it. Pass, then, he says, shall many nations through this city, and they will inquire, every one of his friend, Why hath Jehovah done thus to this city? Jeremiah, no doubt, indirectly condemns not only their sloth but also the insensibility that had so demented the Jews.

Because of this, they never properly reflected on God’s judgment, nor were they ever touched by the curses of the Law.

He then shows that there would be more understanding and wisdom among the Gentiles. For upon seeing Jerusalem overthrown and wholly demolished, they would know that this had not happened by chance but was evidence of vengeance from heaven. We therefore see that he rebuked the Jews for their own stupidity, since they did not consider God's judgment. But he ascribed wisdom and a spirit of inquiry to the nations, for they would ask, Why has Jehovah done thus to this city?

“The nations,” he says, “will understand what you do not comprehend: that this city will exhibit an example of dreadful vengeance, and this will be the subject of their inquiry. But while God now of His own free will foretells this to you, you close your ears.

Surely there would be no need for much inquiry in a matter so clear, if you were not deaf and blind, and indeed obstinate, for God of His own accord warns you beforehand. What, then, can it mean that God forewarns you, yet you refuse to hear Him, except that the devil bewitches you?”

And he says, this great city; for its ruin was more remarkable on account of its greatness. When a small town is destroyed, the event is hardly noted; but when a city falls that was everywhere celebrated for its size, and also for the extraordinary benefits God conferred on it, it excites everyone's wonder, as though it had fallen from the clouds.

He afterward adds that there would not only be a spirit of inquiry among the nations, but that each one would spontaneously become a judge of the whole people: they shall answer, he says, because they have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah their God. Now, when Jeremiah declares that all the nations would become the judges of the people, he no doubt intended to condemn the false confidence in which they proudly indulged.

At the same time, he says, they have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah their God, so that he might remove the plea of ignorance. For they had not only deprived the eternal God of His own right and authority, but they had become doubly wicked, because God had made Himself familiarly known to them.

Since, then, true religion had been fully revealed to them in the Law, their perverseness and wicked and base ingratitude became apparent. For they had rejected God, who was thus made known to them, and they bowed down before foreign gods and served them. I only touch on these points here, as they have been explained elsewhere.