John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 4:27

"For thus saith Jehovah, The whole land shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a full end." — Jeremiah 4:27 (ASV)

The Prophet briefly explains here what he understood by the four things he had seen and about which he had spoken. He then declares, as if in the person of God, that there would be a dreadful desolation throughout Judea. "Wasted," he says, "shall be the whole land, or, in the whole land there shall be desolation." Some explain what follows as if he softened the severity of his language. Therefore, as they think, a softening element is added to relieve the faithful with some hope of mercy, so that they would not completely lose hope. And indeed, if he were only to threaten, he might fill a hundred worlds with terror. So that despair would not overwhelm the faithful to such an extent that it would prevent them from fleeing to God for mercy, it is often added, by way of softening, that God would not consume the whole land.

The word כלה, cale, sometimes means perfection, but in most places, consummation, because the verb signifies both to perfect and to consume, and for the same reason. Although these two things seem inconsistent, what is consumed is said to be perfected, because it comes to an end. If this explanation is accepted, we now see why he declares that he would not bring about a consummation, however severely he might punish the sins of his people. This was so that some hope might remain for the faithful, preventing them from being completely discouraged, which would have happened if God had not promised to be merciful and mindful of his covenant.

Some, perhaps, may prefer reading the sentence as a question, thinking that the purpose is to crush the pride of the ungodly and to dispel the boasting of those who relied on the hope of impunity, as if he had said, "Do you still deny that I will bring about a consummation?"

Now, although the former explanation contains a richer truth, I prefer to take כלה, cale, as signifying an end, as if he had declared that he would observe no moderation in executing his vengeance; similar language appears in the next chapter.

The real meaning then is that God would carry on his work of desolation to the very end. Indeed, the prophets do not always speak in the same way when they announce God’s judgments. Sometimes they denounce ruin where no one seems to be safe; yet God always preserves some hidden seed, as it is said in Isaiah 1:9. There it also becomes evident what the prophets understood by "making a consummation."

For God threatens there and says, "Behold I will make a consummation;" yet he afterwards adds, "The consummation shall bring forth fruit," that is, what remained of the consummation.

The prophets elsewhere compare the Church of God to olive trees when shaken, or to vines after vintage (Isaiah 17:6; Isaiah 24:13). For some grapes always remain that escape the eyes of the gatherers; so also, when the olive trees are shaken, some fruit remains on the highest branches. Thus God says that the consummation he brings about in his Church is like the vintage or the shaking of olive trees, when some fruit remains and escapes the eyes of the gatherers.

We now perceive what the Prophet means: that there would be the ruin of the whole people, so that they would have neither a name nor existence as a collective body. This also happened when they were driven as exiles into Babylon, for the people, as a civil community, then ceased to exist, so that an end was made of them.

I indeed acknowledge that God’s threats cannot contribute to our salvation unless they are connected with the promise of pardon, so that, being lifted up by the hope of salvation, we may flee to him. For as long as we consider God unyielding, we shun every approach to him, and thus despair drives us into a rage like that of demons.

This is why the reprobate rage so fiercely against God and make such a great outcry; they would willingly thrust him from his throne.

Therefore, it is necessary that a hope of salvation should be set before us, so that we may be touched with repentance. And as this promise is perpetual, whatever may happen—even if earth and heaven were mixed together, and ruin on every side were filling us with dread—we must still remember that there will always be some remnant, according to the passages we have referred to in Isaiah chapter 1 and chapter 10.

But as the people were not prepared to receive consolation, the Prophet's purpose here is different, for he only mentions punishment. He afterwards adds—