John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 32:42

"For thus saith Jehovah: Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them." — Jeremiah 32:42 (ASV)

God shows here again to His Prophet that exile would be temporary for the remnant, for we know that the greater part of the people had been wholly rejected. But it pleased the Lord that His Church should survive, though very small in number. Therefore, this promise is not to be extended indiscriminately to all the twelve tribes but refers especially to the elect, as the event sufficiently proved, and Paul also is a most faithful interpreter of this truth.

This truth ought to be carefully kept in mind, because hypocrites always steal for themselves whatever God promises to His faithful people, while they falsely claim His name. Let us therefore understand the design of God: that His purpose was to support His chosen with strong confidence, lest despair should block the way to prayer.

Since, therefore, a portion of the people remained, so that the Church might not be entirely cut off, this promise was fulfilled. And as we can never embrace the promise of mercy unless repentance and acknowledgment of sin precede, these two things are referred to here by the Prophet.

He says that God had caused to come, or had brought, a dreadful calamity; and it then follows that He would bring on them all the good that He had promised. By these words God indicates that what He had previously promised would not be difficult for Him to accomplish, because He could heal the wound which He had inflicted.

Had the Chaldeans, as has been said elsewhere, taken the city according to their own will, the remedy might have been difficult. But since God had employed the Chaldeans, and they had fought, as it were, under His banner, it was an easy thing for Him to restore the city and to recall from exile those whom His righteous vengeance had banished.

We must especially notice what is said, I will render to them all the good which I have spoken concerning them. For God shows on what support the faithful were to rely in hoping for their liberation; He bids them to depend on His own mouth, for whatever humans may promise is fleeting and fruitless.

If, therefore, we would have our hope firmly fixed, so that it may not disappoint us, let us learn to rely on God’s promises, so that none of us may presumptuously dream of this or that (for we often deceive ourselves in this way), but let us instead acquiesce in the word of God.

But when the evidence of God’s grace fails us, we may resort to many other assurances, but it will be without profit. We now perceive why the Prophet expressly added this detail concerning God’s word.