John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 33:12-13

"Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. In the cities of the hill-country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him that numbereth them, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 33:12-13 (ASV)

Jeremiah still pursues the same subject, but he speaks here of the settled happiness of the people, as though he had said that the Israelites had no reason to fear that God would not open a way for them to return to their own country, and preserve and protect them after their return.

But in setting forth their quiet and peaceable condition, he speaks of shepherds, for we know that it is a sure sign of peace when flocks and herds are led into the fields in security. For enemies always eagerly seek prey, and the experience of wars proves this: whenever enemies make incursions, they send spies so they may know whether there are any shepherds or keepers of cattle, and then they know that there is prey for them.

So, when shepherds dread an invasion from enemies, they dare not go out, and as there is then no liberty, the Prophet, to intimate that the Jews would be in a tranquil state, says, There shall again be in this place the habitation of shepherds, who will make their sheep, or their flock, to lie down.

We now perceive the Prophet’s design, for someone not sufficiently acquainted with Scripture might raise a question: Is this promise to be confined to shepherds and herdsmen? But, as I have already intimated, the answer is obvious — the promise is general but expressed in this way — that God would be the guardian of His people, so that shepherds would drive their flocks here and there, and herdsmen their cattle, in perfect safety and without any fear of danger.

And in the next verse, Jeremiah confirms the same thing, where he mentions, as before, the cities of the mountains, the cities of the plains, and then the cities of the south, and also adds the land of Benjamin, which was a different part of the country. He also mentions generally the circuits of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. What then?

The flocks, he says, shall pass under the hands of a numberer. Here, again, a greater security is described, because shepherds would not, as it were, lead out their sheep by stealth and afterward gather them in a hurry, as is usually done when there is any fear of danger.

The sheep, he says, shall pass under the hands of a numberer. This could only be the case in a time of perfect peace and quietness. For where there is fear, shepherds can hardly dare to send out their flocks. At such times, they dare not number them but instead shut them in, and they are also often compelled to drive their flocks into forests and desert places to conceal them.

When, therefore, Jeremiah mentions the numbering of them, he intimates that the whole country would be in a state of peace, as he will soon tell us in other words and without a figure. But the Prophet, in this way, exalted God’s benefits and at the same time strengthened the minds of the weak, for, as has been said, this favor could hardly have been tasted by the Jews while in such a despairing state. The Prophet, then, used a homely and ordinary style when he spoke of flocks and herds.