John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 23:23-24

"Am I a God at hand, saith Jehovah, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 23:23-24 (ASV)

Here he especially dispels the self-delusions of hypocrites, for they were lethargic in their vices because they thought that they could somehow blind the eyes of God. They did not indeed say so, but the careless security of men would never be so great as it is if they believed that nothing is hidden from God, that he penetrates into the innermost recesses of the heart, that he discerns between the thoughts and the feelings, and does not leave even the very marrow unobserved. If, then, this truth were established in the hearts of all, they would certainly obey God with more reverence and also dread his threats.

Since, then, they are so carelessly lethargic, it follows that they imagine God as not having clear sight, seeing only things near him, like one who has deficient vision, who can see what is nearby but not what is far away. This is what hypocrites dream God to be, who, like men, either overlooks things, or is blind, or at least does not clearly see anything except what is nearby. We now understand the Prophet's purpose in saying that Jehovah is God far away as well as nearby.

Grant, Almighty God, that as nothing necessary to be known for salvation is lacking in your holy and heavenly oracles, we may carefully and diligently study them and so labor to make progress in the fear of your name, relying on the grace offered to us in Christ, so that we may derive real fruit from reading and hearing your word. May we also learn to turn everything to edification, so that your name may be truly glorified in us, and that throughout our entire lives we may make progress in faith and repentance, until at last we attain that perfect holiness to which you daily invite us, when we will be completely stripped of all the defilement of our flesh and become fully renewed in the image of your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Am I a God at hand, saith Jehovah? and not a God afar off? Will a man hide himself in darkness, or in coverts, and I shall not see him, or that I could not see him, saith Jehovah? Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith Jehovah? Here the Prophet very sharply reproves the hypocrites, who thought that they had no concern with God, as is always the case with those who delude themselves in their sins.

Although they always profess this truth—that God is the judge of the world and that an account must at some time be given to him—they afterward think that they can escape by some evasion, so that God will forgive them. In short, it is usual for hypocrites to trifle with God in an almost childish manner.

On this account, God is greatly displeased with them and declares that he is far different from what they imagine him to be. For while they set themselves up as judges in this way, subjecting God to their own laws, they think him to be, so to speak, full of anxiety, and that he sees nothing, or at least very little. He says that he is not only a God nearby but also far away.

Some apply this to time, as if he denied that he had recently come into existence; and so they think that the only true and eternal God is compared with idols, which men presumptuously make for themselves. But the other meaning is far more suitable—namely, that he is a God far away, for as it is said elsewhere:

Though he dwells on high, yet he sees everything
that is done on earth. (Psalms 102:19)

Since, then, nothing escapes his sight, he is said to be a God far away, while hypocrites thought him to be a God only nearby, as we say in French, De courte veue, who sees only things near, as if they were right before his eyes. But a question has much more force than if it were stated that he was not merely a God nearby; and this way of speaking conveys reproof, for hypocrites greatly diminish his majesty when, according to their own notions, they thus imagine that he can see no more than a mortal man.

They would not, indeed, have dared to speak this way; but if anyone examined all their plans and their actions, he would have found that they could never have shown so much audacity if they had not deceived themselves with the vain notion that God could be deceived. Therefore, Jeremiah does not relate their words but points out the wickedness that sufficiently showed itself in their actions, though they professed otherwise with their tongues.

That this is the meaning appears more clearly from the next verse, which should be read in connection with this: Will a man hide himself in coverts, that I should not see him? This verse is added by way of explanation; therefore, there can be no doubt about the words 'far off' and 'near'—that God is said to be a God far away, because his eyes penetrate into the lowest depths, so that nothing can escape him.

It is a wonder that the Greek translators made such a great mistake, for they completely changed the sense—that God is God nearby, but not far away. In the first place, they did not consider the question, and then, as they did not see the drift of the passage, they devised from their own minds what is entirely remote from the Prophet's words. This sentiment, that God is near and not far away, is indeed true; but what is meant here is quite different—that God sees in a way very different from men, for he fully and perfectly sees what is furthest from him, according to the passage we have quoted from Psalm 102:19. There is another in Psalm 139:7-12, where the Psalmist says:

Where shall I flee from thy face? for if I ascend into heaven, thou art there;
if I lie down in hell, there thou stretchest forth thine hand;
if I take the wings of the dawn and fly to the clouds, even thine hand will lay hold of me there;
if I seek coverts, even the night itself is before thee as the light, and darkness shines as the light.

If, then, we combine these two passages, nothing ambiguous will appear in Jeremiah's words—namely, that God penetrates with his eyes into the lowest depths, so that nothing is hidden from him.

But Jeremiah not only explains the meaning of the last verse but also makes practical use of it: Will anyone, he says, hide himself in coverts that I should not see him? God's seeing refers to his judgment. Therefore, all frivolous speculations should be cast aside, since Scripture says that God sees all things. We ought especially to consider for what purpose he sees all things. This purpose is evidently that he may at last call to judgment whatever is done by men. There is, then, an application of the doctrine to us, for from this we learn that whatever we do, think, and speak is known to God.

By coverts, or hiding places, he means all the secret frauds that men think they can cover; but by such an attempt, they gain nothing but a heavier judgment. By coverts, then, we are to understand all those vain thoughts that hypocrites entertain, for they think that they can so hide themselves that God cannot see their purposes. Therefore, God scoffs at them and says in effect, “Let them enter into their coverts, let them hide themselves as much as they please, I still see them in their coverts no less clearly than if they were very close to me.”

To confirm this he adds, Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith Jehovah? This must not be explained with excessive subtlety as referring to the infinite essence of God. It is indeed true that his essence extends through heaven and earth, as it is limitless. But Scripture does not want us to dwell on frivolous and unprofitable notions; it teaches only what serves to promote true religion. Therefore, what God declares here—that he fills heaven and earth—should be applied to his providence and his power, as if he had said that he is not so preoccupied with things in heaven that he neglects earthly concerns, as profane men imagine. Instead, he is said to fill heaven and earth because he governs all things, because all things are noticed by him, and because he is, in short, the judge of the world.

We now perceive what the Prophet means, and this passage deserves particular attention because this error of imagining a God like ourselves is almost innate in all of us. This is why men allow themselves so much liberty, for they consider it a trivial thing to fulfill their duty towards God because they do not reflect on what sort of being he is, but they think of him according to their own understanding and character. Since, then, our ideas are so crude, it is fitting for us to reflect carefully on this passage, where God declares that he is not only a God nearby—that is, that he is not like us, who have only a limited power of seeing—but that he sees in the thickest darkness as well as in the clearest light. Therefore, it profits those nothing to deceive themselves who dig caverns for themselves, as it is said in Isaiah, and hide themselves in deep labyrinths (Isaiah 2:21). He thus denies that they gain anything and gives this as the reason:

Because he fills heaven and earth;

that is, his providence, his power, and his justice are so spread everywhere that wherever men may go, it is impossible for them to be hidden from him.