John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 31:14

"And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 31:14 (ASV)

This verse is connected with the previous one. For what the Prophet had said generally about the whole people, he now distinctly declares concerning the priests, because they were, so to speak, the heart of the people. By this order, God gave a vivid representation of His favor. This is the reason why Scripture, in describing God’s blessing to His chosen people, speaks especially of the priests, as is apparent from many places.

Then the Prophet intimates that God would be bountiful indiscriminately to all the Israelites, but that His special favor would be conspicuous towards the priests. For the condition of the people would not be complete without the priesthood, for the priesthood was, so to speak, the soul. They would have lived like the heathens if God had not prescribed how He was to be called upon and worshipped.

And having mentioned the priests, he does not confine himself to them, but God's favor is extended to the whole people. So, it is not only of the priests that the Prophet speaks; he also declares that the people would be made blessed through God’s bounty, and yet His special kindness would be manifested towards the Levitical priests. This is according to what we read in the Psalms, where a special blessing is promised to the priests, accompanied with happiness for the godly. And David, when rejoicing over the many blessings from God by which he was distinguished, does indeed mention the provisions of his table and the abundance of all other things, yet he immediately adds:

“I will dwell in the house of the LORD.” (Psalms 23:6)

By this conclusion, he intimates that he considered what profane men desire as nothing, unless he enjoyed the worship of God as the first thing, for this is the main part of our happiness. For why do we live, unless we learn, while we partake of blessings from God’s hand, that He is our Father, and that we are stimulated by His bounty to worship Him, and unless we surrender ourselves wholly to His word?

We now perceive, then, the Prophet’s object in saying that the priests would be satiated with fatness.

As the word דשן (deshin), meaning fatness, denotes an abundance of all things, so the word satiate indicates the great extent of God’s bounty. Some translate it as “inebriate,” but improperly, as it would be inappropriate to say, “I will inebriate with fatness.” But רוה (rue) means to irrigate and also to satiate. Therefore, the Prophet said, in what we considered yesterday, that the soul of the faithful would be like a watered garden; the word used there is רוה (rue).

So God also means now that He would be so bountiful towards His people that nothing would be lacking for the full abundance of all good things. And He again says the same thing with regard to the whole people: My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith Jehovah. Therefore, we see that nothing is promised to the priests except in connection with the whole Church.