John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 38:23

"And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire." — Jeremiah 38:23 (ASV)

Jeremiah pursues the same subject, but he describes in detail the calamity, so that the king, being at least frightened with horror, might submit to sound counsel. For when we hear that death is near, this indeed fills us with horror; and when many evils are mentioned, we must necessarily be stirred. This, no doubt, was what the Prophet expected.

Then he says that Zedekiah would come into the hands of his enemies, but he adds other indignities which would bring greater bitterness: They shall draw out, he says, all thy wives and thy children, and so on. If Zedekiah had been right-minded, he would have preferred to die a hundred times, and thus to have died for them all, rather than to have been the cause of so many evils.

For we know that many have boldly exposed themselves to danger in defending the chastity of their wives; and undoubtedly, such a reproach is far harder to be endured by honorable minds than a hundred deaths. Therefore, we see what the Prophet's purpose was, for he saw that Zedekiah could not be sufficiently stirred by merely presenting his own death to him. Therefore, he added other circumstances, calculated to affect him still more: They shall draw out, he says, thy wives and thy children.

From this, we learn how conjugal fidelity was then violated with impunity. It was, we know, an ancient evil, but it had now become common practice, so that it was, as it were, the common law. And yet, what God had once established remained unchanged: namely, that every man should have only his own wife.

Since, then, polygamy had so prevailed and had become so licentious among the Jews, we see that the fear of God was in fact extinguished and all regard for purity. More liberty was indeed allowed to kings, but they were not to be excused on that account, because their lives ought to have been an example to others, a mirror of uprightness and chastity.

Therefore, when they married a number of wives, it became an intolerable evil. And now, when mention is made of all the wives, we conclude that the king had not only three or four wives or concubines, but a large number, so that he might gratify his lust. Thus, we learn how great the corruption of that age was.

It is also a wonder that the king was thus given to his lusts, and not brought back to some degree of moderation even when necessity itself constrained him. Thus, we see that he must have been extremely insensible in retaining so many concubines, when his only city was hardly safe, and the whole country was in the possession of enemies.

But in this way, perverse men despise God and His scourges. For though all confess, according to the common proverb, that necessity is a mistress whom all are forced to obey, yet most people struggle with necessity itself, as we see was the case with Zedekiah. He refused to bend or turn, though very poor and miserable, and allowed nothing of his royal pomp and splendor to be diminished. This is why he had a large number of wives or concubines, as mentioned here.

It then follows, This city shalt thou burn with fire. It is certain that the torch was not applied by Zedekiah, nor was he the agent in the burning. But the Prophet reminded him that the cause of all the evils might justly be attributed to his obstinacy. It was as if he had said that the Chaldeans would indeed be the authors of the burning, as they would set the houses on fire with their own hands, yet the primary and chief fault would lie with Zedekiah himself, because he obstinately resisted God.

Regarding the women, this brief notice must be added: other kings, indeed, had been very dissolute, but God now applied the remedy when the court was purged of all its old filth. For with Jeconiah, we know, the royal dignity ceased, and the city was exposed to plunder. Yet some concubines remained, and these passed by hereditary right to other kings, as they succeeded to the wives just as they did to the kingdom. But when wickedness became incorrigible, all the concubines were also taken away. It was then a sign of final destruction.