John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 30:18

"Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will turn again the captivity of Jacob`s tents, and have compassion on his dwelling-places; and the city shall be builded upon its own hill, and the palace shall be inhabited after its own manner." — Jeremiah 30:18 (ASV)

Jeremiah continues with the same subject and dwells on it more extensively; for just as it was difficult to lead the people to serious repentance, so it was difficult to uplift despairing minds after they had suffered numerous calamities. God then declares here again that He would come to restore His people from captivity.

Behold, he says, I restore, etc., as though He was already prepared with an outstretched hand to liberate His people. Let it be noticed that the Prophet did not represent God as present in vain; but he, no doubt, considered the people's lack of faith and sought to remedy this deficiency.

Since the Jews then thought themselves completely forsaken, the Prophet testifies that God would be present with them, and he introduces Him as speaking, Behold, I restore, etc., as though He was already the liberator of the people. He names the restoration of tents and habitations because they had long been sojourners in Chaldea and other countries where they had been scattered. Since they then had their own dwellings, the Prophet reminds them that they were still only strangers among the nations, for God would restore them to their own country, which was their true dwelling-place. This is the reason why he speaks of tents and habitations.

At the same time, he points out the cause of their redemption—namely, mercy—so that the Jews might finally learn to flee to this, their only asylum, and know that there was no other remedy for their calamities than this: that God should look on them according to His mercy, for He might have justly destroyed them altogether. In short, the Prophet reminds them that they must have perished forever had God not finally shown mercy to them.

He mentions a fuller display of His favor—that He would again build Jerusalem upon its own heap, or hill, as some translate it; for the city's location was high and towered above other parts of Judea. But it seems to me that the Prophet means that the city would be built on its own foundations, for he here calls the ruins heaps, or piles. For the city had been destroyed in such a way that some ruins still remained, along with some vestiges of the walls. It is then as if he had said that the city, however splendid and wealthy in former times, would nevertheless be so restored that its dignity would not be less than before. But he speaks of its extent when he says that it would be built upon its heaps—that is, on its ancient foundations.

And this point is confirmed by what immediately follows: the palace shall be set in its own form or station, על משפטו al meshephthu. The word שפט shepheth properly means judgment, but it also means form, measure, manner, or custom. Here, no doubt, the Prophet means that the king’s palace would be as splendid as it had been, and in the same place.

Some think that ארמון armun means the Temple, and I do not reject this sense; but as the Hebrews mostly understand this term to mean a splendid, large, or high building, I prefer the former sense—that is, that he speaks of the royal palace: stand then will the king’s palace in its own form or place, as though it had never been destroyed.

In short, he promises such a restoration of the city and kingdom that no less favor from God was to be expected in the second state of the Church than it had enjoyed previously; for God would obliterate all memory of calamities when the Church flourished again, and the kingdom became so distinguished in wealth, honor, power, and other excellent qualities, that it would evidently appear that God had only for a time been displeased with His Church.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since we are so slow to consider Your judgments and continually become hardened in our sins—O grant, that being truly touched by those many warnings by which You not only invite but also stimulate us to repent, we may learn to humble ourselves and so Submit to Your chastisements, that we may be capable of receiving that mercy which turns whatever evil may happen to us to our good and salvation, until we are finally gathered into that blessed rest which is prepared for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord.—Amen.