John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 49:28

"Of Kedar, and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote. Thus saith Jehovah: Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and destroy the children of the east." — Jeremiah 49:28 (ASV)

There is here another prophecy added concerning the Kedareans, who inhabited a part of Arabia. Mention is made of them elsewhere, and it is probable that they were neighbors to the Syrians and not far from Judea; for David complained (if he was the author of that psalm) that he dwelt among the children of Kedar,

“Woe to me, because I am compelled to dwell in Mesech and with the children of Kedar,” (Psalms 120:5)

Whoever, then, composed that psalm, it is a probable conjecture that the Kedareans, though not bordering Judea, were not far distant; and we have said that they were the inhabitants of Arabia. And the Prophet adds, the children of Kedem; so some render the word, as if it were the name of a nation; and Moses tells us that Kedem was one of the sons of Ishmael. It may be that for this reason Jeremiah joined this people to the Kedareans (Genesis 25:13–15). However, I am inclined to the opinion that he mentions here the children of the East, that is, with respect to Judea; not that they were near the Persians or other oriental nations, but he only points out a land to the east of Judea.

But why God took vengeance on that people, the cause is not expressed. It may be that they had formerly greatly injured the Israelites; therefore God, after long sparing them, at length appeared as their severe judge.

And though the reason was unknown, it still benefited the Jews to know that God’s hand extended to every part of the world to execute vengeance. From this, they might have concluded that they themselves were justly punished because they had rebelled against God. For we know that a servant who willfully and disdainfully disobeys his master deserves double punishment (Luke 12:47).

When the Jews then saw that these barbarians, who were like wild beasts, could not escape God’s vengeance, they might have reflected on how just God’s judgments executed on them must have been, since they had knowingly and willfully despised Him. This, then, was one of the benefits derived from this prophecy.

And then, as we have said elsewhere, this general rule should be kept in mind: when changes happen in the world, it is necessary—since human thoughts and feelings are fleeting—that this warning should be given: God so rules in all these changes that chance has no place in them.

For when calamities, like a deluge, spread over the whole world, then we think, as has been stated, that such confusion happens by chance and without any cause.

When God afflicts only a certain part, the difference may lead us to reflect, “One part is afflicted and another escapes.” But when evils overwhelm the whole world, then, there being no difference, we think that all things are in a state of confusion. Nor can we collect our thoughts to realize that God, in taking vengeance on all, still regulates His judgments rightly, according to His infinite and incomprehensible wisdom and justice.

Since, then, this adjustment that God makes in His judgments is not evident to human minds and perception, it was necessary, when God was at the same time fulminating throughout the whole world, that the Jews should be reminded to be always attentive to the operations of His hand.

They saw themselves ruined; they saw the same thing happening to the Egyptians and to all other neighboring nations. Eventually, Assyria was to have its turn, then Chaldea, and afterwards the Medians and Persians. Since, then, no part was to remain untouched, who would not have thought that all things revolved, as it were, through blind and uncertain fate?

God, therefore, not without reason, forewarned the faithful, so that they would not think that in such great vicissitudes and violent changes all things were indiscriminately mixed together, but so that they might know that God, from heaven, regulated and overruled all these confusions. This is the reason why the Prophets spoke so particularly of the calamities of all nations.

Let us come now to the Kedareans: To Kedar, he says, and the kingdoms of Hazor. These kingdoms, no doubt, included a large country, for it is hardly credible that Hazor was the name of a city. For who would have said, the kingdoms of Hazor, if it had been only the name of a city?

It is, indeed, certain that there was a city of this name, as it is mentioned by Joshua. But here it means a large region, neighboring the Kedareans. And he says that all these nations had been smitten by Nebuchadnezzar, because these barbarous people were probably little known to the Jews.

It must, however, be observed that they had not yet been smitten by Nebuchadnezzar at the time the Prophet spoke of their destruction. But Jeremiah spoke this way to confirm his prophecy, as if he had said that what many disregarded, and even treated with disdain, was eventually truly fulfilled.

For when he threatened ruin to these remote nations, it is probable that he was derided by his own people. Therefore, he says that he had not spoken in vain, but that by the event itself his vocation was proved, because these nations were smitten as he had predicted.

And this is the prophecy: Arise ye, ascend against Kedar, and destroy the children of the East. Here the Prophet speaks of the Babylonians, and in the person of God, as His herald.

We have said that God’s servants commanded and ordered what was future with supreme authority to gain more reverence and honor for their words or doctrine. For prophecies were despised by ungodly men, who insultingly said that they were only words.

Therefore, the servants of God, to show that their words had accomplishment connected with them, assumed the person of God. Thus they boldly commanded the greatest kings, as Jeremiah does here: Arise ye. For whom does he address here? The king of Babylon, that greatest of monarchs, and also the Assyrians as well as the Chaldeans. And he commanded them to arise and to ascend, as if he had them ready for his service, precisely because he did not speak except by God’s command.

This manner of speaking should be especially noted, so that we may learn to embrace whatever is announced in God’s name as if the thing itself were already before our eyes. We should also learn that the power of the whole world is so under God’s control that all the kingdoms of the earth are ready to fulfill His word.

When, therefore, God Himself speaks, we ought to regard the efficacy of His word as if heaven and earth were ready to obey and fulfill what He has commanded.