John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 49:32

"And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter unto all winds them that have the corners [of their hair] cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 49:32 (ASV)

The explanation will be given tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that though the things related to us today from your Prophets, concerning ancient nations, may seem outdated, O grant that we may however be seriously impressed whenever we read of your judgments as executed on any part of the world, so that we may learn today to submit wholly to you and flee to your mercy, and that whatever may happen to us, we may never doubt that you will be gracious to us, if we seek you with a sincere heart, and with unfeigned faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

In the verse we read yesterday, Jeremiah again repeated that the Kedareans would be so plundered by their enemies that nothing would remain for them. He therefore speaks again of camels and of cattle: he says that the abundance of cattle and the camels would be for a spoil and plunder. But why he names camels and cattle rather than fields and vineyards, I briefly explained yesterday.

For when a fertile country is the subject, whether abounding in grain or in vines, the Prophets spoke of such possessions. However, when, as now, a reference is made to a country abounding in cattle and also mountainous, the Prophet speaks only of camels and of cattle. This is because the mode of living in that nation, as has been stated, was austere and hard, and almost below the human condition. When food for their cattle failed them, they went elsewhere and carried all their belongings in their wagons.

It now follows, I will disperse them to every wind. Here Jeremiah predicts the scattering of that nation. It sometimes happens that a country is plundered by enemies, yet the inhabitants, stripped of their goods, remain there and live in poverty. But together with poverty, Jeremiah declares that there would be no ordinary exile, for the words are emphatic: I will scatter them to every wind. There is an implied contrast here between that people and chaff; for as the chaff is carried away in all directions by blasts of wind, so, as Jeremiah shows, would be the scattering of that people.

He also mentions the utmost corners, קצוצי פאה, kotsutsi pae. Jerome usually renders these words as “shorn of hair,” but very improperly. For there is no reason why the other people mentioned before should be called this, because in Jeremiah 7 and Jeremiah 25, Jeremiah did not speak of the Kedareans, and yet he called many nations קצוצי פאה, kotsutsi pae.

The verb קצף, kotsets, from which this word comes, means to cut off; and פאה, pae, signifies the extremity of anything. This phrase, then, is the same as if he mentioned those bordered by an extremity or a corner.

And this is most suitable for this passage, for it was not probable that those who dwelt in remote places would be scattered in this way. When any wealthy country is plundered by enemies, its people flee here and there in all directions. For instance, if a part of Italy were laid waste, they would flee to those parts that could receive fugitives. But when a nation dwells in an extreme corner, where could it turn when routed by enemies? The Prophet, therefore, enhances the misery of exile when he says that people at the extremities would become fugitives, so as to be scattered through all parts of the world.

He adds, and from all its sides will I bring their destruction. He confirms the same thing, for when an evil enters on one side, neighbors may assist. But when calamity presses in on every side, miserable men must then necessarily be scattered, and they must seek a distant exile, as there is no place that can offer them hospitality. All this, then, refers to their scattering.