John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 30:11

"For I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to save thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished." — Jeremiah 30:11 (ASV)

He repeats in other words what we have already stated, but for the purpose of giving fuller support to trembling and wavering minds. God then promises that he would be present with his people to save them. Now, as this could not easily be believed, and as the Jews, looking only on their state at that time, could not help but despair, the Prophet added this comparison between them and the Gentiles. The Chaldeans and the Assyrians flourished for seventy years in every kind of wealth, in luxuries, in honor—in short, they possessed everything necessary for earthly happiness. What, then, could the Jews have thought, except that unbelievers and God’s enemies were happy, while they themselves were miserable, being oppressed by hard servitude, loaded with many reproaches, living in poverty, and counted as sheep destined for the slaughter? Therefore, when all these things were plain before their eyes, what but despair must have laid hold of their minds? Therefore, God counteracts this evil.

And he says that he would make a consummation among the nations, as though he had said, “When I begin to punish the Gentile nations, I will destroy them with an utter destruction; no hope will remain for them. But as to you, I will not make a consummation.” Thus he makes a difference between the punishment inflicted on the reprobate and ungodly and that by which he would chastise the sins of his people. For the punishment he would inflict on the wicked would be fatal, while the punishment by which he would chastise his Church would be only for a time; it would therefore be for it like medicine and salvation.

We now, then, perceive what the Prophet had in view: he mitigated the bitterness of grief for the faithful, because God would not wholly cast them away. And he shows that their scourges ought to be patiently borne, because they were to hope for an end to them; but that it would be different when he visited the reprobate, because he would leave them without any hope. In short, he says that he would be a severe judge to the utmost degree towards the unbelieving, but that he would chastise his own people as a Father.

Other passages seem, however, to conflict with this view, for God declares that he would make a consummation concerning his chosen people, as in Isaiah 10:23, and in other places. But the explanation is obvious, for there he refers to the whole body of the people, who were alienated from him; but here his word is addressed to the faithful,

the remnant of grace,

as Paul calls them (Romans 11:5). We ought, therefore, always to consider whom the Prophets are addressing; for at one time they refer to the general populace, and at another time they address the faithful separately and promise them salvation. Thus, then, we have previously seen that God would make a consummation concerning his people, that is, the reprobate; but the Prophet here turns his discourse to the Church and the seed whom God would preserve in safety among a people apparently cut off and lost. Therefore, whenever the devil would drive us to despair, whenever we are harassed in our minds when God deals with us more severely than we expect, let this consolation be remembered: that God will not make a consummation with us. For what is said here of the Church may and ought to be applied to every individual believer. God, indeed, often handles them roughly when he sees it is necessary for them, but he never wholly consumes them.

I will not make, he says, a consummation with you, but I will chastise you in judgment. Here the conjunction 'but' should be taken as a contrasting particle, and 'judgment' has the sense of moderation, as we have seen in Jeremiah 10:24, Chastise me, O Lord, but not in your wrath; he had mentioned 'judgment' before. In this sense, 'judgment' is used here, that is, for that moderation which God adopts towards his chosen, for he is always mindful of his mercy and considers not what they deserve, but what they can bear. Therefore, when God withholds his hand and gently chastises his people, he is said to punish them in judgment, that is, moderately. For 'judgment' is not to be taken here for rectitude, because God never exceeds due limits so as to be subject to the charge of cruelty. 'Judgment' is also opposed to just rigor, and it is often opposed to injustice; but in this place, we are to understand that the contrast is between judgment and the just rigor of God. Then 'judgment' is nothing else but the mitigation of wrath.

At last he adds, By cleansing I will not cleanse you, or, “by cutting down I will not cut you down.” The verb נקה, nuke, sometimes means to cleanse or to render innocent; it also means intransitively to be pure and harmless, but it is to be taken here transitively.

It cannot, then, be rendered otherwise than “by cleansing I will not cleanse you,” or, “I will not cut you down,” for it also has this meaning, and either of the two senses is suitable. If we read, “I will not cut you down,” it is the continuation of the same subject: “I will chastise you in judgment, and I will not therefore cut you down,” that is, I will not make a consummation.

It would then be, as is evident, a very suitable connection, and it would run smoothly if we were to read, “I will not cut you down.” But the other version is also appropriate, though it may admit of a twofold meaning. Some take it in a contrasting sense: “Though I shall not make you innocent;” that is, though I shall not spare you but chastise you moderately. And this intimation was very timely, for the flesh always seeks impunity. Now God sees that it is not good for us to escape unpunished when we offend. It is then necessary to bear in mind this doctrine: that though God will not allow us to be exempt from punishment, nor indulge us, but smites us with his rods, he is yet moderate in his judgment towards us. But others refer to this passage in Isaiah: I made you to pass through the furnace and refined you, but not as silver, otherwise you would have been consumed (Isaiah 48:10).

God then tries his people, or cleanses them with chastisements; but how? Or, how long?—not as silver and gold, for that would wholly consume them. For when silver is purged from its dross, and also gold, the purer and clearer portion remains; but humans, as there is nothing in them but vanity, would be wholly consumed if God were to try them as silver and gold. But as this interpretation is too refined, I am more disposed to adopt one of the first two interpretations: that God would not wholly cut them down, though he would chastise them; or, that though he would not count or regard them as wholly innocent, nor so indulge them as to let them go unpunished, he would yet be merciful and propitious to them, as he would connect judgment with his chastisements, so that they might not be immoderate.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are born wholly alienated from Your kingdom and the hope of salvation, and as a dreadful scattering awaits us unless You gather us by the power and grace of Your Spirit—O grant that, as You have once adopted us as Your people and have been pleased to gather us under the yoke of Christ, we may remain in obedience to him, and thus continue under Your government, so that after having completed our course in this life, we may at length come to that kingdom where we shall enjoy all those good things which we now only taste by hope, through the same Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.