John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 27:19-22

"For thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that are left in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; yea, thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Jehovah, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem: They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be, until the day that I visit them, saith Jehovah; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place." — Jeremiah 27:19-22 (ASV)

Jeremiah said, in the passage we considered yesterday, that it was more to be desired that God should keep what remained at Jerusalem than that what had been taken away should be restored, for the time of punishment had not yet passed away. Thus he condemned the false teachers because they had presumptuously and boldly promised a quick return for the king as well as for those who had been led with him into exile. He now confirms the same thing and says that what still remained at Jerusalem was already destined for their enemies, the Babylonians, and would become their prey.

Nebuchadnezzar had in part spared the Temple and the city; he had taken away chiefly the precious vessels but had not entirely spoiled the Temple of its ornaments. Since some splendor was still to be seen there, the Jews should have learned that he had acted kindly towards them. He now says that the Temple and the city would be destroyed, and this may be gathered from his words when he says that there would be nothing remaining.

Thus says Jehovah concerning the pillars, etc. There is no doubt that Solomon spent much money on the pillars, as the Scripture commends the work. He adds, concerning the sea, which was a very large vessel, because from it the priests took water to wash themselves whenever they entered the Temple to perform their sacred duties. Though it was made of brass, it was still of no small value on account of its largeness, and for this reason it was called sea.

He mentions, in the third place, the bases. Jerome reads, “To the bases,” for the preposition is אל, but it often means of, or concerning, as is well known. He then declares what God had determined concerning the pillars as well as the sea and the bases.

There were, indeed, other vessels besides, but he specified these so that the king, and also the people, might know that nothing would be left remaining in the Temple.

And he also adds, The residue of the vessels which remains, in this city. By adding, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, he indirectly condemned the Jews, because they did not acknowledge that the cruelty of their enemy had been moderated by divine power. For we know how cruel the Babylonians were, and how insatiable their avarice was, and that nothing would have been left in the Temple had not their hands been in a way restrained by the hidden power of God.

The Jews should have duly considered this, and therefore the Prophet alludes to their ingratitude when he says that Nebuchadnezzar had not taken away the vessels even when he led captive the king and all the chief men, both of the city and the whole land. There is, indeed, to be understood here a comparison between the less and the greater, as though he had said, “Nebuchadnezzar would not have been so gentle had not God moderated his spirit, for he did not spare your king; he led into exile all your chief men. How, then, was it that he left anything to remain in your city, and that the pillars were not taken away?”

“Did he despise them? They have been polished with exquisite skill, and the materials are very costly. You therefore see that God gave you a proof of his mercy, for some things still remain safe in the city as well as in the Temple; yet you disregard this so great a benefit bestowed on you by God. What, then, will finally happen to you?” We now perceive the Prophet’s design in these words when he says that the vessels were not taken away, even when the king was taken captive and when the chief men of the land were led into exile.

Useful instruction may also be gathered from this. Whenever God chastises us, let us always consider that he does not go to extremes. For the cause of murmuring, and often of despair, is this: we think that he deals with us with extreme harshness. But this happens through our sinful and perverted judgment, for God never afflicts us so severely without some portion of kindness and moderation always appearing; in a word, his judgments are always founded on his goodness.

If anyone, therefore, were to rightly call to mind how far he is from suffering extreme evils, it would greatly help to alleviate his sorrows. But when we reject all knowledge of God’s goodness and only consider his severity, we either murmur or in a way become furious against him.

But this passage teaches us that when God leaves some residue to us, it is an evidence of his paternal favor, and that therefore something more may be hoped for, provided we repent from the heart.

The design, then, of the Prophet’s warning was that the Jews might receive this remaining favor of God and not proceed in their obstinacy until God again stretched out his hand to destroy them.

He repeats again the same words, Yea, thus says Jehovah, etc.; for so the particle כי (ki) should be rendered in this place. And he emphatically expresses what was in itself sufficiently clear, so that he might deeply imprint on their minds this declaration of God, and that thus some terror might penetrate into the hearts of those who were so obdurate that it was not easy to effect anything by a simple statement of the truth.

Thus, then, says Jehovah of the vessels which still remain in the Temple of Jehovah and in the palace of the king, They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be, etc. Jeremiah intimates that the Jews had no hope, as they were perversely resisting God and refusing to be chastised by his hand.

And he says, until the day in which I shall visit them, the vessels; for the reference may suitably be made to them. But as it is often the case in Hebrew to put a pronoun when anything remarkable is spoken without any noun, or a subject, as they say, preceding it, I am inclined to refer it to the Jews themselves, for the restoration of the vessels depended on that of the people.

He means, then, that the vessels would be held captive until God allowed a free return to the people, which happened through the edict of Cyrus after he had obtained power in Chaldea and Assyria.

It was the same thing as if the Jews were reminded that the exile which had been predicted would be long, and that they foolishly hoped for what the false prophets had promised concerning the vessels. For God had no greater care for the vessels than for his chosen people, as the vessels were acceptable to God for the people’s sake.

Here, then, Jeremiah confirms what he has said elsewhere, and that often: that the people would be captives until the day of visitation, that is, until the end of seventy years. When, therefore, says God, I shall visit the Jews themselves, I will then bring back also the vessels; and so it was permitted by the command of Cyrus.

We now understand the simple meaning of the words.