John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 27

Jeremiah prefaces this prediction by saying that it was delivered to him at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign. But this beginning, as we have said, extended to the whole of his reign while it was prosperous and complete. While, then, Jehoiakim enjoyed a quiet possession of the kingdom, Jeremiah was commanded to make known what had been committed to him—not to Jehoiakim himself, but, as we learn from the third verse, to Zedekiah, who had not immediately succeeded him but eventually became king after various changes. God, then, committed this prophecy to His servant but did not intend for it to be immediately proclaimed. If it is asked why God intended for what He purposed to be made known to be concealed for so long, the answer is this: it was done for the sake of the Prophet himself, so that he might perform his office with more eagerness, knowing for certain that no one thought it could ever happen—and indeed, the event was incredible.

God’s purpose then was to communicate this to His Prophet himself, so that he might see from afar what no one, as I have just said, had thought could ever happen. This is the reason, as I think, why this prophecy was not immediately published but was like a treasure deposited in the Prophet’s heart until the due time came. I will defer until tomorrow the explanation of this prophecy.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that when at any time You grievously threaten us, we may not, on that account, become angry, but learn to acknowledge our sins, and truly to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand. May we also plead for deliverance from Your wrath, and prove by true repentance that we profit by Your word and believe Your denunciations, so that we may become partakers of that mercy through which You promise to be merciful to all who turn to You. And may we thus advance more and more, and persevere in the right course of repentance, until having at length put off all the vices of the flesh, we shall attain to a perfection of righteousness and the enjoyment of that glory which has been prepared for us in heaven by Jesus Christ our Lord. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We explained yesterday why this command was given to Jeremiah at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, which was not yet to be executed until the time of Zedekiah: it was God’s design to strengthen him in the meantime, so that he would not falter in his course. Let us now see what was the object of this prophecy and what is its meaning.

The Prophet seems to have addressed the ambassadors who were sent by neighboring kings to King Zedekiah; and he was commanded to instruct them to declare, each to his master, that they were all to come under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Moreover, there is no doubt that God designed especially and chiefly to give a lesson to Zedekiah and to the Jews, for these delegations mentioned here might have so emboldened them as to despise all prophecies and to think themselves beyond all danger.

The purpose for which these delegations were sent by the king of Sidon, by the king of Tyre, by the king of Moab and Ammon, should be particularly noted: when they saw that the king of Babylon would not spare them, they began to join their forces. At first, everyone consulted his own advantage and saw no need for mutual help; and so it was that the Chaldeans easily overcame them while they were disunited.

Experience eventually taught them that neither the king of Judah nor any ally of the neighboring kings could withstand the conflict unless they formed a confederacy. Thus, it happened that the king of Tyre, the king of Sidon, the king of Moab, and the king of Ammon offered their forces and their money to the king of Judah, and he also promised to help them in return if the Chaldean attacked them. It was therefore a new occasion for confidence for the Jews, so that they gathered courage and thus were emboldened to resist, relying on so many neighboring kings.

The Chaldeans had previously been successful, for they had attacked each one individually; but when all of them were ready with their united forces to oppose and restrain their attacks, it was hardly credible that they could be conquered. It was therefore God’s purpose to remove this false confidence and to warn Zedekiah and the whole people, so that they would not be deceived by such allurements, but that they might know that they were patiently to endure the punishment inflicted on them by God.

This, therefore, was the reason why the Prophet was sent to the ambassadors who had come to Jerusalem. He was not appointed as a teacher over them, but this was done with reference to Zedekiah and the people. It is also probable that these commands were presented to the king, so that the king might know that he had been wholly deceived and that he still foolishly trusted in the subsidies which had been offered.

We may easily imagine how grievous it must have been for the king and the people to hear this prophecy. The ambassadors were, in a way, dishonored; the kings by whom they had been sent might have complained that they were treated with great indignity. Hence, the king and the people must have been very incensed against Jeremiah. But the Prophet boldly performed what God commanded him, as was his duty. And we shall later see that his words were addressed to King Zedekiah rather than to these Gentiles.

We now understand the reason why God would have His Prophet give these commands to the ambassadors, who had been sent by Gentile kings to King Zedekiah: it was so that the king might know that it was completely useless for these kings to promise their assistance. For he had to deal not with the Chaldean king, but rather with the judgment of God, which is irresistible, and which men struggle with in vain.

Though the Prophet was commanded to instruct the ambassadors to say to the kings by whom they had been sent, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, they still might have refused to do so, and that with indignation: “What! Have we come here to be ambassadors to you? And who indeed are you who command us? Besides, do you think that we are so mad as to threaten, for your sake, our kings and masters, and to declare to them what you command—that they are soon to become the servants of the Chaldean king?” The ambassadors then might have thus treated the holy Prophet with derision and laughter.

But, as we have said, the whole was done for the sake of Zedekiah and the people, so that the Prophet might dissipate that vain splendor and pomp by which he saw that Zedekiah and all the Jews were deceived. For they thought that they had, as it were, high and large mountains to set in opposition to the Chaldean king and his army: “On what part can they attack us, since the king of Tyre is on our side, and also the king of Sidon, the king of Moab, and the king of Ammon? These rule widely, and their cities are impregnable.”

Thus, then, the Jews were convinced that they would be exempt from every trouble and disturbance; but so that they might not deceive themselves with that vain display, Jeremiah said,

“Declare, you ambassadors, to your masters what God has spoken, even that you must submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

And a visible symbol was added to confirm the prediction: the Prophet was commanded to put a yoke on his neck, or yokes, for he speaks in the plural number. מוט muth, means a pole, a yoke, a transverse piece of wood; and no doubt he applied some pieces of wood to his neck, like the yoke laid on oxen. Then he tied this yoke or crossbar; for יסר, isar, means to bind or tie, and so מוסרות, musarut, are bands; מוסר, musar, also means sometimes a girdle, but here it is to be taken for bands or ligaments.

It was a sad spectacle to see on Jeremiah’s neck, when he went out, the symbol of the bondage of all kings and nations: he was, as it were, in the place of all, a captive ahead of time. But when God laid a yoke on the Jews and on all other nations, Jeremiah was then a free man; for though he bore this mark of bondage, he still expected God’s judgment with a resigned mind, while others disregarded it.

But this confirmation made them more inexcusable, as is the case when God, to strengthen faith, adds sacraments or other aids to His word, by which means He impresses us more deeply. For He thus teaches not only our ears, but also our eyes and all our senses. When God thus omits nothing that may tend to strengthen our faith in His word, a heavier condemnation awaits us if such signs do not avail.

We then perceive the reason why the Prophet applied to his neck the symbol of future bondage: if there were any teachable people among them, seeing such a sign with their eyes must have been useful to them. But as the greater part had hardened themselves in their obstinacy, what should have done them good—by humbling them in due time before God so as to anticipate His judgment—had no other effect than to make their punishment more grievous.

Then follow these words: I have made the earth, the man and the beast, which are on the face of the earth, by my great power, and by mine extended arm. The spectacle would have been meaningless and to no purpose if Jeremiah had only put the yoke on his neck and added no instruction; for we know that all signs are, as it were, dead, unless life is given to them by the word.

As then an image is of little use, so whatever signs may be set before our eyes, they would be frivolous and without meaning if no doctrine were added as the life. And hence also is condemned the madness of the Papists, who amuse the minds of the people with many signs, while no doctrine is conveyed.

It therefore follows that they are mere figments, offering no profit. God, then, has always added His doctrine to signs, which may therefore be truly compared to the soul, which gives life to the body that would otherwise be without motion or strength. On this account, Jeremiah shows what the yoke meant.

He also speaks of the power and sovereign authority of God; for kings, though they confess that God holds the government of the world, cannot yet conceive the idea that they can be in a moment overwhelmed and cast down from their dignity. For they seem to themselves to be fixed in their nests, and so they promise themselves a permanent condition and imagine that they are not subject to the common lot of mortals.

As, then, kings are so inflated with pride, the Lord used this preface: that He made the earth and all living beings. He does not speak of heaven, but mentions only that He made the earth, and man, and the animals which are on the face of the earth; and adds, by my great power and extended arm. Why was this said, except that men might be awakened on hearing that the earth does not continue as it is, but as it is sustained by God’s power by which it was once created?

The same power preserves men and animals, for nothing can remain safe unless God exercises His hidden power from heaven. This, then, was the reason why these words were introduced. God set His own arm and power in opposition to the pride of those who thought that they stood by their own power and did not acknowledge that they were dependent on the will of God alone, who sustained them as long as He pleased, and then overthrew and reduced them to nothing when it seemed good to Him.

This doctrine, then, should be applied to ourselves: for Jeremiah did not speak generally and indiscriminately of God’s power, but adapted what he said of God’s power to the subject at hand, so that men might know that there is nothing fixed or permanent in this world. Rather, God preserves men and animals, yet in such a way that at any moment He can by a single breath reduce to nothing all those who exist and all that they have.

God, after having claimed for Himself the government of the whole earth and shown that it is in His power to transfer kingdoms to whomever He pleases, now declares His decree: He would subject to the king of Babylon all the neighboring lands, including Tyre and Sidon, the country of Moab, the country of Ammon, the country of Edom, and even Judea itself.

If Jeremiah had begun by saying that God had given King Nebuchadnezzar these lands, the prediction would not have been so easily received, for pride would have been like an obstacle closing off their minds and hearts.

But the preface, as has been stated, served to show that they were not to think they could stand against the will of God. After having then brought down the great pride which seemed fixed in their hearts, He now declares that King Nebuchadnezzar would be the lord over Judah as well as over all the countries around, for God had set him over these lands.

He also extends this subjection, of which He speaks, over the very beasts, and not without reason. For He thus indirectly condemns the hardness of men if they resisted, as if He had said, “What will it avail you to attempt with rebellious hearts to shake off the yoke? For the very beasts—tigers, wolves, lions, and every fierce and savage animal in the land—even all these beasts will know that King Nebuchadnezzar is their master, by a hidden instinct.”

“Since, then, these beasts will obey King Nebuchadnezzar, because he has been raised by God to that dignity, how great must be the stupidity of men in not acknowledging what the very beasts understand?” We therefore see the purpose of mentioning the beasts; the Prophet upbraided men for their madness if they ferociously resisted King Nebuchadnezzar, for in that case, the beasts of the field were endowed with more intelligence than they.

For why is it that beasts have fear, except that God has imprinted certain marks of dignity on kings, according to what is said by Daniel (Daniel 2:38)? Since, then, the majesty of God appears in kings, the very beasts, though void of reason and judgment, yet willingly obey through a hidden impulse of nature. Therefore, the pride of men is inexcusable if they do not at least imitate the example of the very beasts.

Nebuchadnezzar is afterwards called the servant of God, not because he was worthy of such an honor, as it had never been his purpose to labor for God. He was called a servant because God designed to employ him in His service, just as those are called sons of God in the Psalm, to whom the word of God was addressed—that is, those to whom He gave authority to rule (Psalms 82:6; John 10:35).

So also Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant because he was divinely endowed with sovereign power. He did not know this, nor was this said for his sake, nor was he honored with such a name as if God regarded him as one of His own people. Instead, this had a reference to the Jews and to all the other nations, so that they might be fully persuaded that they were obeying God in humbling themselves and in undertaking the yoke of the king of Babylon, for this pleased God.

As Paul says, There is no power but from God (Romans 13:1). That sentence is derived from this principle: all power is from God, for He gives the power to rule and to govern to whomever He pleases.

Whoever, then, are endowed with the power of the sword and public authority are God’s servants, though they may exercise tyranny and are robbers. They are servants, not with respect to themselves, but because God would have them be acknowledged as His ministers until their time comes, according to what follows.

Serve him shall all nations, and his son, and the son of his son. Most people think that Nebuchadnezzar had only two successors of his own descendants, Evil-merodach and Belshazzar; others name five, two of them between Evil-merodach and Belshazzar. Those who think that there were no more than three quote this testimony of the Prophet, for he names only the king’s son and his grandson; but this would not be a sufficient reason. I am, however, disposed to follow what has been more commonly received: that Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, who was slain by Cyrus, was the third from Nebuchadnezzar.

But this is not the main thing, for the Prophet speaks of the time of the Chaldean monarchy as well as of the king: until the time of his land shall come. The time of the land was that determined by heaven. For just as for every one of us there is a fixed limit beyond which no one can pass, so we ought to judge kingdoms.

Just as, then, the life of every individual has its fixed limits, so God has determined with regard to the empires of the whole earth; thus, the life and death of every kingdom and nation are in the hand and at the will of God. For this reason it is now said that the time of Chaldea would come, and then it is added, and of the king himself. This should not be confined to Nebuchadnezzar himself. But since his grandson represented him, the time, though not strictly, may yet be aptly said to have been that when God had put an end to him and his power, when Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians.

This was, however, at the same time for the comfort of the godly. For it was not God’s design to leave the faithful without some alleviation in their trouble, lest grief should overpower them. When they found themselves oppressed by the Chaldeans and, in a sense, overwhelmed, doubtless despair might have crept in, and therefore murmurings and blasphemies might have followed.

It was, therefore, God’s purpose to mitigate their bitterness in some measure when He added that the time of Nebuchadnezzar himself would come—that is, the time in which he was to perish. When, therefore, the faithful saw him taking possession of all lands and dreaded by all nations, they were not to despond. Instead, they were to extend their thoughts to that time of which Jeremiah had predicted, so that they might receive some alleviation for their grief and be enabled to bear with more resignation the cross laid on them.

This expression, then, includes a promise, for the hope of deliverance was set before them when they understood that reverses would soon happen to King Nebuchadnezzar.

He afterwards adds, serve him shall great, or many nations (for the word רבים, rebim, means both) and great kings. This was distinctly expressed so that no conspiracy might deceive the Jews and other nations, for they thought that when united together they could offer an effectual resistance. “Accumulate your forces and your efforts,” says God, “yet all these shall be dissipated; for My decree is that great kings and many nations shall serve the Chaldeans.”

After having proclaimed His decree through Jeremiah, God now adds a threat, so that the Jews, as well as others, might willingly and with resigned and humble minds undertake the yoke laid on them. The Prophet, indeed, as we have said, had the Jews especially in view; but he extended, as it were incidentally, his prediction to foreigners. We therefore see why this denunciation of punishment was added. Indeed, it should have been enough to say that Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant to subdue Judea; but since it was a hard thing for the Jews to accept that enemy, and they could not be persuaded to submit to him, it became necessary to add this threat: “See what you do, for you cannot be stronger than God.” This threat is indeed included in the previous verse; but we know how slow people are to learn, especially when any false impression has preoccupied their minds. Therefore, since the Jews refused the authority of Nebuchadnezzar, even though the Prophet had testified to them that he was God’s servant, they would still have not hesitated to evade and to be rebellious, if their hardness and obstinacy had not been broken by this threat.

And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom, which will not serve him, even Nebuchadnezzar, and not put their neck under his yoke, it shall be, that I shall visit that nation, etc. God speaks indiscriminately of all nations; but the Jews ought to have reasoned from the lesser to the greater. For if God would so severely punish the pride of the Gentiles, if they withdrew themselves from under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, how much heavier and more dreadful vengeance ought the Jews to have dreaded, who had been warned by the Prophet, and who doubtless knew that this did not happen to them by chance, but that it was God’s righteous judgment, by which their sins were punished?

Were they obstinately to attempt to shake off the yoke from their neck, would this not have been to fight against God? So, we now perceive that the Prophet spoke thus indiscriminately of all nations, so that he might sharply rebuke the Jews; and he showed that their ferocity would be inexcusable if they did not willingly humble themselves.

By mentioning twice, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, he seems to imply something important. For they might have objected and said, “What do we have to do with a king so distant? And by what right does he now invade our countries? Why is he not content with his own burdens? Why does he not remain in his own city and in his own land?” And the name of Babylon was at the same time hateful, for they had waged war against many nations and had subjected the Assyrians under their yoke. The Assyrians were neighbors to the Jews and were also, in a way, connected with them. Consequently, the name of Babylon was undoubtedly abhorred by the Jews because of the perpetual wars waged by them.

Therefore, God here addresses these objections and shows that however hateful Babylon might be to the Jews, and however remote Nebuchadnezzar might be from Judea, yet his yoke was to be borne, because it had been so appointed by God. This seems to me to be the reason why Jeremiah repeated the words, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.

There is also a denunciation of punishment, that God would visit with pestilence, famine, and the sword. We know that these words are commonly mentioned in Scripture when it is God’s purpose to display the signs of his wrath. He indeed has various and innumerable ways by which he chastises us; but these are his most remarkable and most known scourges: the pestilence, the sword, and the famine.

He then says that he would visit the nations who would not obey King Nebuchadnezzar with these three scourges; and at the same time he shows what the end would be: until I slay, or consume, them by his hand. He not only threatens them with pestilence, famine, and the sword, but he also shows that the end would be such that the nations who might at first obstinately resist would nevertheless be forced to accept the yoke and to acknowledge Nebuchadnezzar as their king and master. This is the reason why he says, by his hand.

Death might have seemed lighter if only they could have escaped the tyranny of Nebuchadnezzar; but since both would happen to them—namely, to be consumed by famine, the sword, and the pestilence, and yet not be able to escape bondage—it was a miserable prospect indeed. Thus, we now perceive why God speaks of the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar. It was so that the Jews might know that they could achieve nothing by seeking ways to escape, for they would at last, willingly or unwillingly, be brought under the hand and under the yoke of this king.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we do not cease in various ways to arm Your hand against us, we may, being at least touched by Your holy admonitions, humble ourselves under Your mighty hand, and thus anticipate Your judgment, so that You may meet us as a merciful and gracious God, and not only remit to us the punishments which we have deserved, but also show and perpetuate to us Your paternal favor, until, having been led by Your hand, we shall come to that celestial kingdom which You have prepared for us, and which has been obtained for us by the blood of Your only-begotten Son. Amen.

As Jeremiah had declared to the king, as well as to the citizens, that they could not escape the punishment that was at hand, he now confronts that vain confidence in them, which was an obstacle, so that they were not touched by threats, nor did they receive wholesome warnings. For the false prophets deceived them by their flatteries and promised that all things would happen prosperously for them. Therefore, when the Prophet saw that the ears both of the king and of the people were closed against him, so that he could achieve little or nothing by exhorting and threatening them, he added what he considered necessary: namely, that everything the false prophets vainly said was entirely fallacious.

He therefore said, Hear ye not your prophets and your diviners; for קסם (kosam) means to divine. Then he adds, your dreamers; in the fourth place, your augurs; and in the fifth place, your sorcerers, or charmers. Some indeed regard עננים (onnim) as observers of time, for עונה (oune) is a stated time. Therefore, those who imagine that a thing is to be done on this or that day, and promise a favorable outcome, were called, according to this view, עננים (onnim), because they superstitiously observed hours and periods of time. But as ענן (onen) means a cloud, those who divined by the stars, and therefore took counsel about what should be done, may also be called עננים (onnim).

But let us now inquire whether Jeremiah is speaking of such dreamers and others who were among the Jews, or whether he also includes those found among the neighboring nations. It seems probable to me that what he says should be confined to the Jews, for I take the word ye as emphatic in Hear ye not, etc. Afterwards, an explanation follows: According to these words have I spoken to the king; and then he adds that he spoke to the priests and to the people. Therefore, we conclude that this entire part was probably addressed to the Jews alone.

Divinations, auguries, and incantations were indeed prohibited in the Law, but we know well how often the Jews gave themselves up to these tricks of the devil, completely despising the Law of God. It is no wonder then if at this time there were magicians among them, as well as augurs and diviners, despite the clear prohibition of the Law.

However, we may understand these words to mean that the Prophet compared these false prophets to diviners, as well as to augurs and sorcerers. He mentions prophets first, but in doing so, he seems to mark them with disgrace because they had departed from their own office and had assumed another character; for they deceived the people, just as augurs, diviners, and magicians customarily deceived the nations.

It is indeed certain, as I have reminded you before, that the Prophet spoke, not for the sake of other nations, but so that the Jews might be made inexcusable or, if there was any hope of repentance, that they might be reminded not to continue in their usual course. Thus, we see the meaning of the words, and at the same time, we perceive the design of the Prophet, or rather of the Holy Spirit, who spoke through his mouth.

I said at the beginning that the Prophet countered an objection that might have diminished or undermined the authority of his teaching; for it was no small trial that the false prophets denied that any evil was at hand. For the title 'prophet' was always held in great esteem and respect among the Jews.

But we also see today, and experience teaches us sufficiently, that people are more ready to accept error and vanity than to receive the Word of God. And so it was then: the Jews imagined that they honored God because they paid attention to His prophets. But when anyone faithfully performed the prophetic office, he was often despised. The Jews, therefore, were preoccupied only with a mere name and thought they did all that was required by saying that they listened to the prophets, while at the same time they boldly despised the true servants of God.

It is so today: while the name of the Catholic Church is boasted of under the Papacy, it seems that regard is shown for God. But when the Word of God is brought forward, when what has been spoken by apostles and prophets is presented, it is regarded as almost nothing. Thus, we see that the Papists, so to speak, separate God from Himself, just as the Jews formerly did.

And thus we also see how necessary it was for Jeremiah to remove such a stumbling block. For the Jews might have stubbornly insisted on this objection: "You alone threaten us with exile; but we have many who glory in being prophets and who promise safety to us. Would you have us believe you alone rather than these many others?" Thus the Prophet, being alone, had to contend with the false prophets, who were many.

And we now have a similar conflict with the Papists, for they boast of their number. Then they object that nothing would be certain if everyone were allowed to appeal to the Word of God. They therefore conclude that we ought simply to believe the Church and to accept whatever is presented under the pretense of being Scripture.

But Jeremiah had confidence in his own vocation and had truly proved his divine mission and that he proclaimed the messages he had received from the mouth of God. Since he had given certain proofs of his vocation, he had a right to oppose all those false prophets, and not only to disregard their lies but also, in a way, to tread them under his feet, as he seems to have done: Hear ye not, he says, your prophets.

He concedes an honorable name to them, but improperly. It is therefore a catachrestic way of speaking when he names them prophets; but he leaves them their title, as it was not necessary to contend about words. Yet at the same time he shows that they were wholly unworthy of being heard. Therefore, no authority was left to them, though a mere empty name was conceded.

It is the same today when we call those priests, bishops, and presbyters who cover themselves with these masks, and yet show that there is in them nothing episcopal, nothing ecclesiastical, and, in short, nothing that belongs to the doctrine of Christ or to any lawful order.

He afterwards adds, Who say to you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon. We have said that the last clause is interpreted by some as an exhortation, Serve ye not the king of Babylon, as though the false prophets were urging the Jews to shake off the yoke. But the proper meaning of the verb can still be retained: Ye shall not serve.

For we know that the false prophets, when they came forward, pretended to be God’s ambassadors, sent to promise tranquility, peace, and prosperity to the Jews. Thus they feigned to act, even though God, as has been stated and as we will see again shortly, had testified that there was no other remedy for the people than to submit to the king of Babylon.

This verse also confirms what I have said—that this discourse was designed for the Jews, and that it was particularly for them; for what is said here could not be applied to Gentile nations. What then had recently been said of augurs, magicians, and diviners, should undoubtedly be understood of those impostors who, under the name of prophets, deceived that miserable people.

He says that they prophesied falsehood. Many, no doubt, brought forward their own evasions to oppose him: “Are you alone to be believed? Do you alone tell the truth? How do you prove that what you teach is an oracle from heaven, and that these others deceive us?” For this is how the ungodly usually clamor, as we see to be the case today with the Papists, who cover themselves with a pretext of this kind.

For whatever abomination there may be, they cover it over by means of this sophistry alone—that Scripture is obscure, that controversy is uncertain, and that therefore nothing is to be believed but what the Church has decreed. So with them, the pronouncements of men, as they say, are the only rule of faith. Consequently, the whole authority of Scripture is trodden underfoot by them, as though God had spoken in vain through his own prophets and apostles.

There is no doubt that the doctrine of Jeremiah was opposed by such clamors. He, however, persevered in the course of his office and boldly condemned the prophets, declaring that they only deceived the Jews with their lies.

He adds, that they may remove you far from your land. I have said that this cannot be applied to other nations: but God gave a hope of mercy to his people, provided they willingly obeyed the king of Babylon. It was not indeed a full pardon; yet it was owing to his kindness that God did not treat the Jews with strict justice, but chastised them with gentleness and paternal moderation. For it was an endurable punishment: to remain in their own country and to pay tribute to the king of Babylon.

God then would have mitigated the punishment of the people, if only they had willingly undertaken the yoke. This is what Jeremiah now says: “The false prophets seek only this, to drive you far from your country; for they would have you think that you shall be free from all punishment. But God is prepared to deal gently with you; though he will not wholly pass by your vices, yet your chastisement will be one easily borne, for you shall remain in your own country. But if you will believe these impostors, they will lead you away into distant exile; for God says, I will cast you away, and ye shall perish.”

If it is objected again that the Jews could not form a certain opinion whether Jeremiah was to be believed rather than the others who were many, the answer is at hand: they were themselves conscious of being wicked, and there was no need for long debates to ascertain what was true.

For everyone found God’s judgment to be against himself, as they had departed from the pure worship of God, had polluted themselves with many ungodly superstitions, and a license for all kinds of sins had also prevailed among them. They had been warned, not once, nor for one day, but by many prophets, and also continually and for a long time.

Since they had thus provoked God’s vengeance by their obstinate wickedness, how could they be in doubt about Jeremiah—whether he had, as from the mouth of God and as a celestial herald, declared to them what they deserved? And surely, whenever people pretend that they have fallen through error or ignorance, they can always be deprived of this evasion, for their own conscience convicts them and is sufficient to condemn them.

God adds that the Jews would perish, unless they anticipated extreme judgment, that is, unless they submitted to paternal chastisement. This passage deserves to be specially noticed, as we shall soon see again; for we are here taught that whenever God shows some signs of displeasure, there is nothing better for us than to prepare ourselves for patience. For in this way we shall always yield and allow free passage to his mercy; but by stubbornness, we gain nothing and do nothing but kindle his wrath more and more. This then is what Jeremiah means when he declares that those who did not submit to the king of Babylon would perish.