John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah prophesies here against the Philistines, who were enemies of the Israelites and had devised many cruel and unjust things against them. There is then no doubt that God intended to testify, by this prophecy, His love toward the Israelites, for He undertook their cause and avenged the wrongs done to them. We therefore perceive why God had predicted the ruin of the Philistines: so that the Israelites might know His paternal love toward them, as He set Himself against their enemies. Thus, He gave them a reason for patience, because they needed to wait until God fulfilled this prophecy.

He also points out the time: Before Pharaoh smote Aza, or Gaza. The ancient Gaza, as far as can be determined, was near the sea. After it was destroyed, another was built, which Luke mentions (Acts 8:26). It appears from pagan writers that it was a celebrated and wealthy city.

However, those who think its name is derived from the Persian word “Gaza,” meaning treasures, are mistaken, for they say that when Cambyses led an army against Egypt, he left his riches there. But the word עזה, Oze, is a very ancient Hebrew word. It is well known that the ע, oin, has been pronounced like our 'g'. This is also the case with other words; for instance, with Gomorrah, עמרה, the ע, oin, has the sound of ג, gimel; so also with צער, Tsor, the Greek and Latin interpreters have rendered it Segor. Therefore, Gaza did not derive its name from treasures; rather, it is a Hebrew word meaning “fortitude” or “strength.”

Now Jeremiah says that he prophesied against the Philistines before Pharaoh smote that city, though Pharaoh did not demolish it. But we see that the Prophet issues no threats against it from the Egyptians, but rather from the Chaldeans. Why then does he speak here of Pharaoh?

We must refer to history, and then we will see what the purpose of the Holy Spirit was. When Pharaoh came to bring assistance to the Jews under Zedekiah, as we have already seen, he was soon compelled to return to Egypt. This was because the Chaldeans, having lifted the siege, went against the Egyptians; for if they routed them, they knew that they could soon take possession of all Judea.

Having then left the Jews for a time, the Chaldeans went against the Egyptians. Pharaoh, lacking confidence in himself, as I have said, retreated. However, he plundered Gaza on his way, because it was very hostile to the Jews; and he wished to show that he did not come entirely in vain, though this afforded no relief to the Jews. But thus in insignificant things earthly kings make a display.

So Pharaoh, at that time, plundered Gaza, but he did not retain it. It was at this time that Jeremiah predicted greater calamities. And this should be carefully noted, for there would be no reason why the Prophet spoke of the Philistines unless he had something further in view. Let us now turn to the second verse.

The Prophet, no doubt, wished to remind the Jews that Gaza's plundering would only be a prelude, and that a far more grievous punishment was impending for that ungodly nation, which had done so many wrongs to God’s people. For if Gaza had suffered only that loss, the Jews might have complained about their fate, seeing that those ungodly men—who had acted so wickedly and in so many ways provoked God’s vengeance—had suffered lightly.

They might then have objected and said, “What can this mean? God has indeed struck Gaza lightly; but we would willingly redeem our lives in this way: just as those who wish to avoid shipwreck throw their goods into the sea, and whatever precious thing they may have, so we, if only our lives are spared, are prepared to part with all our property.” The Jews then might have deplored their fate in this manner.

Therefore, the Prophet says that something more grievous awaited that city.

“When you see Gaza plundered,” he says, ““think not that this is the last judgment of God; for, behold, waters shall rise from the north, that is, the Chaldeans shall complete the work of executing God’s vengeance. The Egyptians shall only plunder the wealth of the city, which will be endurable; but eventually the Chaldeans will come to exercise boundless cruelty, and they shall be like a flood, and shall overwhelm Gaza, so as to destroy it utterly.”

We now see, then, what the Prophet meant: a comparison is implied between the plunder carried out by the Egyptians and the final ruin brought upon Gaza by the Chaldeans.

The rising or ascending of waters is evidently a metaphorical expression. He adds that they would be an overflowing torrent, that is, the waters would be like an inundating river; and they will inundate the land. He speaks of the land of the Philistines, where this city was located.

They will inundate, he says, the land and its fullness. ‘Fullness’ is taken in Hebrew for opulence or wealth; trees, grain, and animals are called the fullness of the land. For when the land produces no grain and no fruits, when it breeds no animals, it is considered bare and empty.

As God, then, clothes the land with such ornaments, the land is said to be full when it abounds in those products with which God enriches it. He afterwards speaks of men: the city, he says (he speaks not now of the city Gaza, but of the whole country, so the singular noun here is to be taken as plural).

Finally, he says, Cry shall men, and howl shall all the inhabitants of the land. The verbs here change in number, but there is no ambiguity in the meaning.

And by these words the Prophet indicates that a most grievous punishment would be inflicted on the Philistines, so that they would not only cry out in sorrow, but even howl.

He continues the same subject, for he says that the calamity would be so grievous that fathers would not care for their children, which is a proof of extreme sorrow; for even in adversity, men do not lose their natural feelings. When a father has children, he would willingly undergo ten deaths, if necessary, to save their lives; but when men forget that they are parents, it is a proof, as I have said, of the greatest grief, as though men, having changed their nature, had become logs of wood.

But the Prophet expresses the cause, not only of sorrow but also of anxiety: From the voice, he says, of the noise of the hoofs of his valiant ones; he does not name the horses, but פרסות, peresut, refer to horses; hoofs, he says, will make a great noise by stamping.

And then such would be the commotion from the driving of chariots, and such a tumult would the revolving wheels create, that fathers, being astonished, would not look at their children. Finally, he adds, through dissolution of hands.

By "dissolution of hands" he means loss of courage or fainting. For just as vigor spreads from the heart through every part of the body, so also the hands are the chief instruments of all actions. Therefore, when the hands are relaxed and become feeble, it follows that men become as though inanimate.

The Prophet now means that the Philistines would become like the dead, so as not to move, not even their fingers; and why? Because they would be so terrified by the stamping of horses, by the commotion of chariots, and by the rumbling of wheels, that they would lose their senses.

Jeremiah shows now more clearly, and without a figure, his meaning: that destruction would come on the Philistines when their time was completed. He mentions Tyre and Sidon, neighboring cities, and formerly under their own jurisdiction. But Tyre in the time of Isaiah had its own king; yet afterwards, in the time of Alexander the Great, the city was free, as is well known. These, however, were cities of Palestine, and the people then called Philistines were contiguous to these cities, so that the Prophet rightly includes them, as it were, in the same bundle. Coming, he says, is the day to destroy all the Philistines, and also to cut off the most opulent cities, even Tyre and Sidon.

Sidon was more ancient than Tyre, but the daughter devoured the mother, according to the common proverb. For Tyre in time flourished, and Sidon became almost forsaken. It, however, always retained a name and also some wealth on account of its commodious harbor. But Tyre was an island in the time of Alexander the Great and was therefore more commodious for ships, as it had many harbors. The Prophet connects them both together because they then formed a part of the land of the Philistines. There is no doubt that the destruction was especially denounced on these cities so that the Jews might know that nothing would be safe throughout the whole land, inasmuch as these cities, the defenses, as it were, of the whole country, were destined to perish.

He further adds that, because of the day which is coming against all the helping remnants, for Jehovah will destroy, that is, he will destroy the Philistines, who are the remnants (it is indeed another word, but means the same) of the island of Caphtor. He confirms here the same thing in other words: that God’s hand would be on these cities and the whole land, though external aids might come. These he calls all the remnants of courage, or auxiliaries. Though they might have many friends alive, ready to bring them help, yet the Lord would demolish them all, as it follows, for Jehovah will destroy the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor.

By the island of Caphtor he no doubt means Palestine; but it is doubtful for what reason the Hebrews called the Cappadocians Caphtorim. As it is hardly credible that those who inhabited this land had come from such a distant country, interpreters have supposed that others, and not Cappadocians, are here called Caphtorim. Yet Moses intimates (Deuteronomy 2:23) that those who inhabited the land from Gaza to Jordan were not natives—that is, were not born in those places—but that they were a wandering people, for he says that

The Caphtorim went forth and dwelt there
in the place of the natives.

We may hence conclude that the Caphtorim were foreigners who, wandering from their own country, sought a habitation elsewhere and took possession of this land. Whether they were Cappadocians, I leave undecided; nor should we toil much on a subject of this kind. But as the Caphtorim had emigrated into Palestine, Jeremiah calls that region the remnants of the island of Caphtor.

The Prophet returns again to what is figurative, that he might more fully illustrate his prophecy and more powerfully move the Jews. Now by baldness he points out a sign of mourning, for they even used to tear their faces with their nails and pull out their hair.

He then says that baldness, or the loss of hair, had come upon Gaza; because the inhabitants of the valley and of the whole land, according to what was usually done in despair, would pull out their own hair. It is added, Destroyed is Ashkelon. This city, we know, had a great name in the land of the Philistines and was near Gaza, as it appears from many parts of Scripture.

He mentions the remnants of their valley, or depth, for the word is עמק, omek. And though it means a valley, the Prophet, no doubt, alludes to the situation of that region, because they were hidden, as it were, in a safe place. They thought themselves secure, like those hidden in caverns to which access is not easy. And then Tyre and Sidon, as well as Gaza, were cities on the seaside.

Since they lived in these deep and hidden places, they thought themselves far away from every danger and trouble. The Prophet derides this confidence and says that the remnants of their valley should perish, as though he had said that there would be no place so deep and hidden where God’s vengeance would not penetrate.

Finally, he addresses the whole country: How long wilt thou tear thyself?

By tearing he means, no doubt, mourning or lamentation; for, as it has been said, they would tear their faces with their nails in the greatest grief.

The meaning is that there would be no end to their calamities, because the Palestines would mourn perpetually. For otherwise, even those who are most grievously afflicted do not mourn perpetually, for time alleviates grief and sorrow.

The Prophet then shows that God’s vengeance would be so dreadful that evils would be heaped on evils, and thus the cause of mourning would be renewed daily for the Palestines.

He adds afterwards—