John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 25:27

"And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink ye, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you." — Jeremiah 25:27 (ASV)

Here the Prophet returns to his previous discourse. He had said that a cup was extended to him by God’s hand, so that he might give it to all nations to drink. He now repeats and confirms the same thing.

This was not, indeed, because he brought this message to all the nations, for we have said the benefit arising from these predictions belonged only to the Jews. Neither the Tyrians nor the Sidonians ever knew that they were punished by God’s hand when they were plundered by their enemies; this never came to their minds, nor had this ever been taught to them. The Prophet had not been appointed their teacher; his duty was only to warn his own nation.

However, so that his predictions might have greater authority, the Prophet is here introduced as God’s herald, denouncing ruin on all nations: You shall therefore say to them, Thus says Jehovah, etc. The true God was unknown to these pagans, unless they had heard that God was worshipped in Judea; but at the same time they despised, indeed, even hated true religion. But, as I have already said, the Prophet addressed his own people, the Jews alone, even though he spoke of foreigners and distant nations. I cannot proceed further now.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since there are before our eyes so many evidences of Your judgments and of Your goodness, we may advance in the fear of Your name, and not continue to kindle Your wrath more against us. Instead, being touched with true repentance, may we seek to be reconciled to You. And, sympathizing with the many evils by which the world is afflicted today, may we also strive to restore to the right way those who seem to give themselves up to their own ruin. In this way, by converting to You those who are now far away and foreigners, Your name may be more glorified and proclaimed by us with one accord, through Christ Jesus our Lord. — Amen.

We began yesterday to explain the verse in which Jeremiah instructs all nations to drink of the cup until they were drunk. An explanation of the metaphor of the cup has already been given. The reason for it is that God, in His infinite wisdom, knew what everyone deserved, or how just it was to chastise at one time in a lighter, and at another time in a heavier degree. Since the measure is not the same, the simile of a cup is most suitable. Furthermore, God sometimes gives a cup to drink so that he who cannot bear a heavier punishment may only taste it. For we know that God deals more severely with the strong and the obstinate; but when anyone is weak, he is treated more gently and is made only to sip or to taste of the cup.

But the Prophet says here that they were to drink until they became drunk, according to what is said in another place, when pagans are spoken of: They shall even exhaust the very dregs. And God makes men drunk, as I have said before, even when He blinds them and gives them the spirit of giddiness or stupor (Obadiah 26).

But the word drunkenness refers to external chastisements. Drink, then, and be drunk; that is, “do not think that you have suffered all when God begins to punish you and has given you only one draught; but the Lord will make you thoroughly drunk.” And therefore he adds, Vomit and fall; for those who indulge in excess and fill themselves, so that they almost burst, must necessarily disgorge themselves.

And vomiting disorders the brain, so that the feet can no longer perform their function, and no part of the body retains its power.

The meaning then is this: God had for a long time deferred His judgment, and all nations had hardened themselves when His long-suffering invited them to repentance. Consequently, the most dreadful vengeance was now near them all.

This vengeance would compensate for the delay or the length of God's endurance.

Some interpreters therefore conclude, that the punishment of all the nations of whom the Prophet now speaks would be of no avail to them, but this does not seem to me to be well founded. For he has spoken of the chosen people; and it is certain that some of them repented, however small the number was, and we shall also see that pardon and salvation are promised even to pagans, after the execution of God’s judgments.

I therefore interpret these words simply: they should not only taste of the cup but also drink to excess, so as to become like drunk men, wholly stupefied.

This is because the heaviness of their punishment would deprive them of reason.

The reason given by Jerome is no more solid, when he says that the Prophet’s discourse refers to the reprobate because he adds, And rise no more. Jerome thought that by this expression extreme despair is intimated.

But the Prophet, in my judgment, meant nothing else than that God’s vengeance on all the nations would be so great that vestiges of it would remain after a long time.

This is similar to the case of a drunkard, who cannot get rid of the effects of his excess in a night or a day, but remains stupid for some time, or becomes frantic. This is what the Prophet means when he says, and they shall rise no more.

It now follows: On account of the sword which I send among you. He now expresses without a figure of speech what he had said of drunkenness and vomiting: that so great a horror would seize their minds that they would lie down wholly stupefied. But God declares that He would send a sword against them, so that the Jews might understand, as it has already been stated, that when all things would be in a state of almost entire confusion, God’s judgment would nevertheless be within the limits of moderation.