John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 46:27

"But fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid." — Jeremiah 46:27 (ASV)

The Prophet now directs his discourse to the Israelites, for we have already said that he was not appointed as a teacher to Gentile nations. Whatever, then, he spoke of Gentile nations related to the benefit of his people. For this purpose, as we have said, the Prophets extended their prophecies concerning God’s judgments to all nations. Otherwise, the Israelites would have been disheartened, as if their condition were worse than that of others: “What can this mean?

God has chosen us as His special people; meanwhile, we alone are miserable. God pours out His full severity on us, and yet He spares the unbelievers. It would have been better for us to have been completely rejected by Him, for the covenant He has made with us only makes us more miserable than others.” Thus, the suffering Israelites might have rushed headlong into despair if nothing had been done in time to relieve them.

Moreover, the Prophets, or rather the Spirit of God who spoke through them, had another purpose in mind. For if nothing had been predicted, they would have ignored those judgments God executed on all their neighbors, because everything that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel had predicted was fulfilled.

Had they been silent concerning the ruin of Egypt, of the Philistines, and the Moabites, the people, due to their sluggishness, would not have considered God’s judgments but would have thought that these events all happened by chance. The Prophets, therefore, reflected God’s power as in a mirror, so that the Israelites might know that it extended to the whole world and to every nation.

This is the reason why Jeremiah now directs his message to the chosen people and says, Fear not, my servant Jacob. He still speaks in God’s name. God calls Jacob His servant, not because of their obedience, but because He had chosen him. Thus, by this word, God highlights the favor of adoption, not the obedience of the people.

For we know how rebellious and disobedient they were; we know that they were continually shaking off the yoke and insulted God Himself, so to speak. They were very far from quietly submitting to His authority as servants should. Here, then, the obedience of the Israelites is not commended, but that election is highlighted by which God had set them apart from other nations.

How then was Jacob God’s servant? Not because he deserved that honor by his own merits, but because God had been pleased to graciously choose him for Himself. So also David says:

I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
(Psalms 116:16)

He means that he was a hereditary servant, so to speak, who had already been dedicated to God before he was conceived in his mother’s womb. But as this way of speaking often occurs, I will only briefly comment on it.

Fear not, O Jacob, he says, and be not broken in mind, O Israel. There are indeed two names used, but God often addresses His people this way. And why? Because I will save you. We now see, then, why God called Jacob His servant: because the salvation of the chosen people depended on this special privilege, that God had chosen them for Himself.

I will save you, He says, from far. The ten tribes, as is well known, had already been driven far away, and a part of Judah had been led into exile.

Distance took away the hope of a return. Therefore, God here declares that a long distance would be no hindrance to Him in restoring His people when it seemed good to Him. Behold, I will save you. He then addresses this objection: “What! Why then does God allow us to be driven to foreign lands?

Why have we not stayed in our own land?” God, he says, will be no less able to save you in the remotest places than if you had remained in your native country and in your own dwelling. And he adds, and your seed, from the land of their captivity.

From this we learn that although the Prophet spoke of the temporal restoration of the people, he still considered higher and greater things: namely, that the captives should rely on God’s mercy and believe that He would be favorable to them even when dead. This passage then shows that the hope of God’s children is not confined to this life but extends further, so that they may know that God will be favorable to them after death and that they may sustain themselves with the assurance of His favor.

Otherwise, this promise that God would restore their children after their death would have been absurd. The Jews might have raised this objection: “But why is He implacable to us? Why does He not restore us sooner?” The Prophet, however, reminds them that though they were not to be restored immediately to their country, God’s covenant would remain valid, and its stability would become apparent after seventy years.

We now understand why the Prophet said, Jacob shall return and rest, and shall be secure. I am surprised that some have translated the last words as, “and shall be happy,” for שאנן, shanun, means to be secure, or to rest. Then the Prophet explains himself: nor will there be any to terrify. Indeed, we know that the main part of happiness is when no fear disturbs us, when our minds are calm and peaceful.

Furthermore, by these words he implies the continuance of God’s favor, as if he had said that His favor would not only be evident in restoring the people from exile, but also in restoring the afflicted in such a way as to grant them full and lasting happiness.