John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 42

I have said that John, and his associates, and the whole people acted much more culpably by coming to the Prophet than if they had not done so and had gone directly to Egypt. For they either came deceptively, and thus intentionally spoke what was false, or they were extremely foolish, and hypocrisy had wholly deprived them of their understanding.

They came to the Prophet to ask for counsel; indeed, that he might be God’s interpreter for them, so that they might know what to do; and they promised to obey, as we will later see.

Be that as it may, they sought an oracle to which it was their duty to submit, unless they resolved openly to shake off the yoke and to show themselves to be blatant and profane despisers of God.

They came to the Prophet, even though it was their fixed purpose, as we will see, to go to Egypt.

Anyone who asks for counsel should first ensure he is without prejudice, but is open and honest. It is, however, a very common fault that people deliberate and ask for counsel when they have already settled what to do; indeed, nothing is more common than this.

For those who consult usually do not wish to learn what is right, but that others should support their own inclinations. Someone who has already decided on a particular course of action pretends to be in doubt and undecided; he asks what should be done.

If the answer is according to his wishes, he accepts what is said; but if the one consulted disapproves of what he has already decided to do, he rejects the advice given. Such was the deception described by the Prophet, when the leaders of the forces and the whole people came to him.

He mentions, first, the leaders of the forces, and then John the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshiah. He adds these last two, but it was to give them honor, as when the angel said,

Go and tell his disciples and Peter (Mark 16:7).

He did not set Peter aside, as if he were inferior to all the rest; but for the sake of honor, he mentions his name after having spoken generally of them all. Similarly here, the Prophet generally names the leaders, but as John the son of Kareah and Jezaniah were the chief men, he expressly gives their names.

He adds, the whole people, from the least to the greatest. This does not refer to age; rather, he means that all, of every rank, came with one accord to Jeremiah.

It was not, then, the conspiracy of a few men, but all, from the least to the greatest, had resolved to go to Egypt. And yet they came, as if with an honest purpose, to the Prophet. For what reason?

They wished their own perverse design to be approved by God, and thus to subject God to their own will and whim; for they did not allow themselves to be ruled by His Spirit, but audaciously disregarded His word. The Prophet then shows that they were all implicated in the same sin.

It is added that they said, as if they were ready to obey, Let our prayer fall before thee. This, as we have said, when addressed to God, is an evidence of humility; but it is applied here to man.

And when the Hebrews make a humble request, they say, Let my prayer fall before thee, that is, Hear what I humbly and submissively ask. Pray, they said, to Jehovah thy God for us.

They called Him the God of Jeremiah, not that they intended to exempt themselves from His authority; they did not mean that they were estranged from God. Rather, in this way they praised Jeremiah and acknowledged him to be God’s true and lawful Prophet.

In short, this saying refers to the prophetic office, as if they had said that Jeremiah had until now confirmed his calling, so that it was clearly evident he had been sent from God.

We thus see why they called Jehovah the God of Jeremiah: not as if they had rejected God, and as if He was not their God in common with Jeremiah, but they acknowledged that the Prophet possessed a higher honor, and that his faithfulness and integrity were beyond controversy.

But this admission justly came back to condemn them. For if Jeremiah was God’s Prophet, why did they not immediately obey him, after knowing that what he faithfully told them, he had received from God? And why did they insolently and ferociously resist him and accuse him of falsehood?

Their admission, then, was not sincere, but a deceptive flattery, as is the case with all hypocrites, who never speak in sincerity and truth.

They afterward added, Pray for all this remnant, for we are left, a few from many. This they added to evoke pity, so that they might more easily obtain from Jeremiah what they asked; nor was that difficult.

But as they felt conscious of their wrongdoing, they sought the Prophet’s favor through flattery. If they had asked him openly, they knew that he was naturally inclined to seek the well-being of the people.

But as they were double-minded, they set before him their miserable state, which might have roused the Prophet still more to make intercession to God for them.

And for this reason they added, as thine eyes see us. They set this sad spectacle before him to create sympathy in the Prophet.

And it then follows, And may Jehovah thy God shew us the way in which we are to walk. They now explained more clearly why they wished prayer to be made for them: namely, that God might answer and show what He wished them to do.

They came then, as has been stated, as if they were ready to obey. They then professed humility, because they did not wish to do anything rashly, but only to follow where God called them.

Had they spoken from the heart, it would have been a rare virtue thus to have fled in perplexities to God, and to have allowed themselves to be ruled by His word. But we will see that it was all a pretense.

We have, then, set before us here the hypocrisy of that people, so that we may learn that whenever we ask what pleases God, we should bring a pure and sincere heart. This ensures that nothing may prevent or hinder us from immediately embracing whatever God may command us.

But their hypocrisy is discovered to have been even more contemptible, when the Prophet adds,

To prepare them to obey, he testified that he would be a faithful messenger of God, for there is no doubt that the Prophet, as we will see, regarded them with suspicion. Therefore, so that they might be teachable and obedient to the answer expected from God, he stated beforehand that he would honestly and faithfully fulfill his role as a prophet.

I have heard, he says; here he shows how ready he was to listen, and how he neglected nothing contributing to their well-being. I have heard, he says, Behold, I will pray according to your words. There is no doubt that he thus indicated that he wished them well; and knowing that the Prophet was motivated by love might have made them more attentive to the oracle. Nor is there any doubt that the Prophet testified his love towards them, so that his doctrine might subsequently carry more weight with them.

By saying, Whatever your God will answer, he did not mean that the oracle would be revealed to everyone directly, for the words could only be explained through the Prophet, who would openly make known to the whole people what he heard from God’s mouth. But he says that the answer would be given to them, because God would give the answer that was to be communicated to all, just as it is said that God spoke to Moses, and also to all the people, for the doctrine was intended for all. Moses did not receive the law, nor its interpretation, in his private capacity, but so that the people might know what was right. Jeremiah did the same here; the answer he received from God he made known as belonging to all the people collectively.

But in calling God their God, he did not mean to flatter them or to praise their piety. Instead, his purpose was to exhort them to surrender and devote themselves wholly to God. It was as if he had said that they had to do with God, who had bound them to Himself when He adopted them as His own special people and then favored them with so many blessings.

Since God had therefore made Himself known to them, they could not reject His counsel without punishment, for there was no excuse of ignorance. Thus, we see the weight in this phrase, your God. For Jeremiah reminded them that they could not trifle with God without punishment, because they did not belong to themselves but had been chosen as God’s people, on the condition that they be wholly subject to His authority.

So, the sum of it all is this: the Prophet would faithfully convey to the Jews the answer God would give them, and he said this so that his doctrine might have greater authority among them.

It therefore appears that the people understood why Jeremiah, before consulting God, assured them of his faithfulness and sincerity.

For they did not promise without reason to be obedient to God. Since they saw that Jeremiah suspected them of insincerity, and since he had promised to be a true and faithful teacher, they, in turn, declared that they would be sincere disciples and would receive whatever God might command them.

But they soon betrayed their perfidy. For when they heard that what they had resolved to do did not please God, they not only rejected the counsel of God and the Prophet but also treated him insolently and even heaped reproaches on the holy man, as if he had told them something false.

Their hypocrisy should also be a lesson to us, so that when God is pleased, as a special favor, to show us the right way to act through faithful instructors and competent teachers, we might not be like them. Instead, we should be teachable and ready to obey, proving this not only with our words but also by our deeds.

The Prophet then says that they spoke as follows: Let God be a faithful and true witness between us. Not content with a simple affirmation, they dared to invoke God's name; and so we see how blind hypocrisy is.

For if people truly consider what it means to profane God’s name, they would surely dread and detest all perjury. Since they rushed so boldly into swearing an oath, it is evident that they were, as it were, stupefied. Indeed, no intoxication confuses the minds and senses of people as much as hypocrisy does.

They then added, According to whatever word which Jehovah thy God shall send to us, so will we do; that is, whatever Jehovah shall command us through you. For God is said to send to people when He sends a messenger in His name to bring His commands. Jeremiah then was, so to speak, an intermediary addressing the people in God’s name, as if he had been sent from heaven.

They therefore said that they would do whatever God commanded. A stronger expression follows: Whether good or evil, we will obey the voice of Jehovah our God.

Here, they did not accuse God’s word of being wrong, as if it contained anything unjust. Instead, they used good in the sense of joyful, and evil as meaning what is sad or grievous. It was as if they had said that they asked for nothing other than for God to declare what pleased Him, and that they were so submissive that they would refuse nothing, even if it were contrary to the flesh.

If this declaration had proceeded from the heart, it would have been a testimony of true piety. For the minds of the godly ought to be so formed as to obey God without making any exception, whether He commands what is contrary to their purpose or leads them where they do not wish to go. For those who wish to make a pact with God, stipulating that He should require nothing but what is agreeable to them, show that they do not know what it is to serve God.

Therefore, the obedience of faith especially requires this: that one should renounce one's own desires, that one should not set up one's own counsels and wishes against the word of God, nor object and say, "This is hard," or "That is not quite agreeable."

Whether then it is good or evil—that is, though it may be contrary to the feelings of the flesh—we ought still to embrace what God requires and commands. This is the rule of true religion.

Since the Jews spoke deceitfully by assuming a character not their own, they profaned God’s name.

But if we desire to prove our fidelity to God, the only way to act is to regard His word as binding, whether it is agreeable or not, and never to murmur, as the ungodly do. For when God would lay a yoke on them, they complain that His doctrine is too hard and burdensome.

Away, then, with all those things that can render God’s word unacceptable to us, if we desire to give sure proof of our fidelity! Hence they said, Whether it is good or evil, whatever God will lay down, we will obey His voice.

They afterward added, For which we send thee to him. Here they further ensnared themselves.

Jeremiah did not expressly require them to make an oath, yet they did make an oath; and then in various ways bound themselves even more to punishment if they became perjurers.

They now show that it would be a twofold crime if they disobeyed God. How so? If the Prophet had been sent to them, they might have made excuses; though vain, they might still have had something to allege.

But when they of their own accord asked God, when they themselves offered to do this and promised to be obedient in all things, it is evident that if they did not afterward act according to their pledged faith, they would be more inexcusable, because they tempted God. For who induced them to come to the Prophet?

We therefore see that God extorted from them what doubled their crime. But the more hypocrites attempt with disguises to conceal their impiety, the faster they bind themselves, and the more they kindle God’s wrath against themselves.

They then added, That it may be well with us when we obey the voice of Jehovah. By this circumstance, they also aggravated their crime.

For if the Prophet had promised them a prosperous outcome, they might not have believed. In that case, they would have indeed sinned, but their wickedness would have been more tolerable than it was when they themselves had spoken as if they were the organs of the Holy Spirit.

They themselves said, "It shall be well with us; it will be our chief happiness to follow the voice of God and to obey Him."

Since, then, they protested in this way to God and the Prophet, so that they might appear to be God’s faithful servants, they brought greater condemnation on themselves.

For if they believed that nothing would turn out well except according to God’s command, how was it that they did not submit to God? Why did they despise what was afterward said by the Prophet?

But as we have already said, since they deceived themselves by dealing falsely with God and profaning His holy name, let us learn and know that we can expect a happy outcome in all that we do in no other way than by obeying the voice of God. For whatever people may attempt on their own, it will be accursed before God.

This, then, is our only sure hope: that when we attempt nothing but what is according to God’s word, there will be a good and happy outcome, though many things may happen otherwise than we hope or think.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God—as we are here tossed to and fro, uncertain, doubtful, and blind in thick darkness unless ruled by Your word—O grant that while You shine on us by Your Law and Your Gospel, we may be illuminated in our minds by Your Holy Spirit. May we then wholly surrender ourselves to You, never deviate from the right way which You have made known to us, and so pursue our course through life that at last we may come to that blessed life, which has been prepared for us in heaven by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here Jeremiah declares what answer he received from God, and he delivered it in God's name to the leaders of the forces and to the whole people. The answer was that they were to continue in the land, for this would be for their good. We will later see that they had falsely asked counsel from God, whom they had already resolved not to obey, as has been previously stated. But the Prophet shows again more clearly how perversely they acted after God had commanded them to remain quiet and especially not to go to Egypt.

Now he says that on the tenth day God answered him. God could have answered immediately, but He delayed so that the prophecy might have more weight. If the Prophet had been asked any question concerning the common rule of life, as a faithful interpreter of the Law, he could have explained to them what their duty was. But since he had been asked about a special subject, he could not have answered them immediately. And God, as I have said, kept them in suspense for a time, not only so that the Prophet’s answer might be given without ostentation, but also so that the people might embrace what the Prophet would say as coming from God. For his doctrine could not have been doubted, because he did not instantly present what had arisen in his own mind, but prayerfully waited to know what pleased God, and at length announced His commands. We now, then, perceive the reason for the delay—why God did not immediately convey the required answer to His servant.

Let us also learn from this passage that if God does not immediately free us from all perplexity and doubt, we ought to wait patiently, according to the instruction of Paul, who, when speaking of doctrine, urged the faithful to remain content until what they did not know should be revealed to them (Philippians 3:15). We should do so all the more when we ask for counsel about any particular matter. When God does not immediately make known to us what we ask, we ought, as I have already said, to wait with calm and resigned minds for the time and season when it will be made known to us.

Jeremiah says that he called John and the other leaders of the forces and all the people, from the least to the greatest. This is stated so that we may know that the disregard for this prophecy happened not through the fault of one or two, but because all the people were united together. The people themselves, then, could not have pretended that they were free from blame, for we see that they were all involved. The leaders are particularly mentioned, and on the other hand, the people, so that the leaders could not object and say that they were forced by a popular tumult, nor could the people throw the blame on the leaders. The Prophet then shows that they all rebelled against God, and that there was no exception.

He then says that he faithfully recounted to them what God had commanded: Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me. By this circumstance, he shows that they were more bound to obey. For if God had sent His Prophet to them, they ought to have obeyed His voice; but when they, of their own accord, came to him, prayed for a favor, and wished God’s will to be made known to them, they became doubly culpable when they refused the answer given to them in God’s name. And he adds, That I might prostrate, or make to fall, your prayer before God. We have stated what is meant by this way of speaking, but there is a difference to be noted. For he had been requested to ask God humbly, and he says here that he had not only prayed but had presented the prayer of the whole people, because he acted for the public; and he was then an intermediary between God and the people. On this account, he says that he had been sent to present the prayer of the people to God, for he asked nothing for himself but acted for them all and asked God to answer the people.

He now adds, If you will indeed remain in this land, I will build you up and plant you; I will not pull you down nor root you up. Here the Prophet testifies that the counsel he gave them in God’s name would be for their good; and what is good or useful is considered by people, when they theorize, as they say, to be of great value. The simple authority of God ought, indeed, to be sufficient; and if God had only commanded them in one word to remain, they ought to have agreed. But God here adapted Himself to their weakness and was pleased, in a way, to lower Himself in order to promote their well-being, and did not require obedience according to His authority and sovereign power, as He might have justly done. We therefore see how kindly God dealt with this people, as He did not demand what He could have, but gave His counsel and testified that it would be good and useful to them.

Now when orators bring forward what is useful in order to persuade, they resort to conjectures and state human reasons; but the Prophet here promised in God’s name that if they remained, it would be for their good. God’s promise, then, is brought forward here instead of conjectures and reasons. Therefore, the obstinacy of the people was without excuse when they rejected the authority of God, then despised His counsel, and also disbelieved His promise. Then to the contempt of God was added unbelief, and we know that no greater insult can be offered to God than when people do not believe Him.

The metaphors used here occur often in Scripture. God is said to build up people when He confirms them in a settled state; and in the same sense, He is said to plant them. This we have already seen, and it is especially evident from Psalm 44:2, where God is said to have planted in the land of Canaan the people He had brought out of Egypt.

He then promised that the condition of the people would be secure, safe, and perpetual, if only they did not change their place. When He adds, I will not pull down nor pluck up, He follows what is commonly done in Hebrew. Neither the Latins nor the Greeks speak in this manner; but negatives of this kind in Hebrew are confirmations, as though the Prophet had said, ‘God will so plant you that your root will remain.’

There will then be no danger of being plucked up when you have been planted by God’s hand, nor will He allow you to be overthrown or pulled down when He has built you up by His own hand. What then they ought to have especially sought, God freely promised them—namely, to be safe and secure in the land—for this was especially what the Prophet meant.

It afterwards follows, For I repent of the evil which I have brought on you. The verb נחם (nuchem), sometimes means to repent and often to comfort, but the former sense agrees better with this passage: that God repented of the evil. If, however, we prefer this rendering, ‘For I have received comfort,’ then the meaning would be, ‘I am satisfied with the punishment with which I have visited your sins,’ for those to whom satisfaction is given are said to receive comfort.

Since God was then content with the punishment He had inflicted on the Jews, the words may be rendered thus: ‘For I have received satisfaction from the evil,’ or, ‘I am satisfied with the evil,’ etc. The other meaning, however, is more generally accepted: that God repented of the evil.

But this way of speaking is, indeed, somewhat harsh, yet it contains nothing contrary to the truth, for we know that God often applies to Himself what peculiarly belongs to humans. Thus, repentance in God is nothing else than that, having been pacified, He does not pursue people to an extremity, so as to demand the punishment which they justly deserve.

Thus, then, God repented of the evil which He had brought on the people, after having sufficiently punished their sins, according to what we read in Isaiah, when God says that He had exacted double for their sins (Isaiah 40:2). He called the punishment He had inflicted ‘double,’ not because it exceeded a just measure, but He spoke according to His paternal feeling, as if He had treated His people in a harder way than He wished—like a father who is even displeased with himself when he has been very severe towards his children.

We now, then, perceive what is meant by the reason given here: the Jews were not to fear if they lived in the land, because God had sufficiently punished them, and He was so pacified that He would not further pursue them with severity. Jeremiah at the same time reminds us that whatever evils happen to us ought to be ascribed to God’s judgment and not to adverse fortune. We therefore see that by these words the people were exhorted to repent; for as they were commanded to entertain good hope, because their safety was in God’s hand, so also the Prophet shows that, regarding the past, they had suffered nothing by chance, but had been punished because they had provoked God’s wrath.

The Prophet removes the doubt which might have grieved or agitated the minds of the people. They ought, indeed, to have rested on God’s promise alone; but it was difficult to be without doubts in a state of things so uncertain and confused.

For the king of Babylon, as it has been stated, was greatly offended when the governor of the land was slain. The king had received wrong from the people, and the heat of war since the late victory had not cooled. They then justly feared, being conscious of the evil that had been done. Then they had to deal with a proud and cruel enemy. God therefore removed from them this doubt; and thus he confirmed the paternal care which he had shown towards them by kindly freeing them from every fear, and taking away every ground of terror.

Though Nebuchadnezzar had been offended, and might avenge the wrong done to him, yet God promised to prevent this, and declared that he would not suffer him to do any evil to the Jews. He says, You fear Nebuchadnezzar, but cease to do so; let this fear be dismissed, for he will not hurt you. And the reason is added, Because I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. Here he instructed the Jews to entertain good hope, because, while relying on his protection they would be safe: for there is no longer any reason for doubting, when God declares that he will stand on our side. For if he is ours, we may be confident, as David was, when he said,

I will not fear what man may do to me; for you, God,
he says, are with me;

and also,

I will not fear though hosts surrounded me on every side (Psalms 23:4; Psalms 27:3).

We ought then to feel fully assured, that the help of God is above that of all creatures. Thus, if the whole world were to rise up against us, we might, as from a secure and safe place, look down with indifference on all attempts, forces, and preparations. This then is the sum of what is here said; and it is according to what Christ says,

My Father, who has given you to me, is greater than all (John 10:29).

Had there then been a grain of faith in the Jews, they would have taken hold of this promise; and then had they tenaciously held it, as though it were a plank in a shipwreck, it would have led them safe to the harbor. It ought then to be sufficient to shake off all cares, to drive away all fears, and to put to flight every doubt, when God promises to stand on our side.

I am, he says, with you to save you, and he adds, to deliver you. He expresses the way and manner of saving them; for they might still have objected and said, “What will be this salvation? For Nebuchadnezzar is like a furious lion; how then can we be saved, since we cannot think otherwise than that he will be enraged against us?” To this God answers, by pointing out the manner, for he would deliver them from his hand.

He confirms the same thing in other words, I will shew mercies to you. Some explain this as meaning, that God would be merciful towards them; and I allow that this is the first reason why they should have entertained hope. But I doubt not that the Prophet refers here to Nebuchadnezzar, as if he had said, “I will turn the heart of the king of Babylon to mercy, so that he will deal mercifully with you.”

For God is said to show mercies when he forgives, and when he reconciles to himself those who have sinned; but he is also said to show mercies when he inclines the hearts of men to mercy. For this reason Jacob says,

God will shew you mercies before the man (Genesis 43:14).

But I abstain from other proofs on a point which should be well known.

The sum of what is said then is, that Nebuchadnezzar would be humane and merciful towards the Jews, because it was in God’s power to change his heart. For we know that God turns as he pleases the hearts of men; and he often changes wolves into sheep.

The meaning then is, that though Nebuchadnezzar boiled with hatred towards the people, and was prepared to completely destroy the remnant, there would still be a remedy in God’s hand, for he could soften his hardness, pacify his wrath, and from a savage wild beast make him a father, merciful, as it were, towards his children.

Now this passage teaches us that the hearts and purposes of men are governed by a power from above, so that enemies, even the worst, while they rage against us, are moved not only by their own feelings, but also by the hidden working of God, and according to his counsel, as he would have them thereby try our faith.

For if God moderates those who boil with anger and wrath, and renders them peaceable to us, so also he lets loose the reins to those who rage against us. And not only so, but he also stirs them up, when his purpose is to punish us for our sins, according to the doctrine taught us everywhere in Scripture.

So in Psalm 106, it is said that God turned the hearts of the heathens to hate his people. But here, on the other hand, God promises that Nebuchadnezzar would be kind and humane, so as to spare the Jews, because he would control his heart, and show them mercy by inclining the king to forgive the people.

This then should be carefully noticed. For when we see ourselves surrounded on every side by the ungodly whom Satan drives to madness, so that they seek nothing other than to tread us under their feet (especially when they have the power to destroy us), if we do not feel fully assured that their hearts, feelings, and all their thoughts are in God’s hands, we will inevitably be completely disheartened.

Hence, to mitigate all our fears, it helps us greatly to hear that men’s hearts are turned and ruled according to the will of God.