John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 44:9-10

"Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives which they committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers." — Jeremiah 44:9-10 (ASV)

The Prophet now explains how extremely shameful was the insensitivity of the Jews, in not acknowledging that God had most severely and grievously punished the superstitions to which they had previously been devoted. At the same time, if we consider the word used, he seems not to mean punishments by evils, but rather the wicked deeds by which they had provoked God.

And this should be noted, for some interpreters offer this interpretation, "Have you forgotten your evils and those of your fathers?"—that is, how severely God had afflicted you? But there is no doubt that the Prophet means by רעות, rout, their sins, by which they had exposed themselves to God’s judgment; for it immediately follows, which they did, or committed, in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem. But although he means the sins of the people by this word, there is still no doubt that he also includes the punishments by which they should have known that the impiety in which they most obstinately persisted had displeased God.

When therefore the Prophet says, Have you forgotten your evils and those of your fathers? he assumes it was well known that God had taken vengeance on them for their sins; for he does not address the Jews in their prosperity, but when they were fugitives from their own land and under the curse of heaven. Since, then, they were evidently condemned by God, the Prophet justly asks them, "Have you forgotten that you have been condemned for the sins of your fathers and those of your kings, even for those which they had committed?" This he asked, because it was a terrible stupidity, that though the city had been overthrown and the temple burnt, they still did not abandon their superstitions, especially when such a remarkable vengeance of God should have kept their descendants in fear and obedience for even ten generations. Thus we see that punishment is linked with sins.

He says, of the kings of Judah and of their wives. The relative is singular, his wives; but it undoubtedly refers to the people. Some read, of every one of them; but there is no need, as it is a singular number referring to a collective noun, Judah. He afterwards adds, which they did. This should not be confined to the women (nor is it suitable), but it refers to all the Jews as well as to kings of Judah, and also to the women—which then they did in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem.

When he mentions the streets of Jerusalem, he emphasizes their wickedness. For we know that city was, as it were, the earthly sanctuary of God. It was then a most disgraceful impiety to pollute that place which God had consecrated for himself. The whole land of Judah was indeed under his authority and power, but he had favored the city, and especially Mount Sion, with unique privileges. Then the Prophet further highlights the greatness of their sin when he says that Jerusalem had been polluted by their superstitions.

He afterwards mentions how great the perverseness of that people had been: They are not humbled, he says, to this day, though they had been most severely struck by the rods of God. Even fools, when struck, become wise, as the old proverb says. Since the Jews then had been so grievously chastised by God’s hand, and had experienced extreme severity, should they not have considered what they had deserved? But the Prophet shows that their wickedness was past remedy, for though broken down they were not yet humbled, like those who are of a perverse disposition, who could not be reformed even if they were broken down a hundred times. Then the Prophet rebukes the Jews for their obstinacy, because not even the greatest calamity had brought them to obedience.

They were not then humbled to that day, nor did they fear. Fear should also be referred here to the calamities which they had experienced, for God had sufficiently shown that he had been grievously offended by their impiety. Since then God’s dreadful judgment had been made clear to all, the Prophet here condemns their dullness, because they had not been brought back to a sound mind so as to fear God.

He now adds another instance of obstinacy: that they had not walked in the Law of God and in his commandments. Then he shows that their obstinacy was twofold: they had profited nothing from his teaching, and they had disregarded his punishments. The Law itself was a rule for them according to which they were to worship God, nor should they have sought elsewhere what they were to do.

Since, then, they had a revelation in the Law regarding true religion, it was an intolerable contempt to depart from it of their own accord and to abandon themselves to all kinds of errors. But the Prophet shows that they had been extremely unteachable, because they had not only cast aside all regard for the Law, but they had also despised God’s hand and refused to be corrected by any punishments.

To show still further that they had sinned through sheer wickedness, he says, They have not walked in my Law nor in my statutes. This second clause seems to be superfluous; but the Prophet here commends the clear teaching of the Law, as though God had said that he had not only shown in a brief manner what was true and right, but that he had also by many statutes taught the Jews, so that they had no pretext for their ignorance.

And he confirms the same thing in other words, when he says that he had put these statutes before their face; for by these words he intimates that there is nothing obscure in the Law, and that the Jews therefore had not gone astray through lack of knowledge. For men always downplay their sins with excuses when their impiety is condemned. The Prophet then says that the Jews were inexcusable, because the rule of true religion had been set before their eyes.

Now this passage testifies that the teaching of the Law is not doubtful, as some profane men say, who hold that Scripture may be turned any way like a nose of wax. But God declares that he had not spoken ambiguously.

Since, then, the Prophet affirms that the Law had been set before the eyes of the Jews, that they might surely know the will of God, we should maintain today that in the Gospel, clearly revealed to us by the coming of Christ, there is nothing obscure. Instead, the treasures of all knowledge have been made known to us, as far as it is necessary.

Therefore, those who now go astray vainly pretend that they do so because the will of God is hidden from them; for they can only err by dissembling and willfully closing their eyes, lest the brightness of the sun should reach them.

Yet let us know that the more plainly God is made known to us, the more grievously we sin when we turn aside from his true worship and service; for he has omitted nothing in his word which is necessary to worship him acceptably. Since, then, we have before our eyes the rule of a godly life, unless we follow it, this reproof belongs to us: that God has set his statutes before our eyes.