John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 52:1-34

"Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother`s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For through the anger of Jehovah did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king`s garden; (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about;) and they went toward the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he gave judgment upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem: and he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king`s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest of the people, and the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. The pots also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the cups, and the firepans, and the basins, and the pots, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the bowls-that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver,- the captain of the guard took away. The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve brazen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah-the brass of all these vessels was without weight. And as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. And a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass: and the second pillar also had like unto these, and pomegranates. And there were ninety and six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network round about. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold: and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and seven men of them that saw the king`s face, that were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land. This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty; in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons; in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments. And [Jehoiachin] did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life." — Jeremiah 52:1-34 (ASV)

Laus Deo

Commentary on Lamentations

Calvin's Preface

LECTURES OF JOHN CALVIN

ON

THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH

PREFACE

I undertake now to explain The Lamentations of Jeremiah. We must inquire when the Book was composed by the Prophet, and also what was the object of the author. Grossly mistaken was Jerome, who thought that it was the Elegy which Jeremiah composed on the death of Josiah, for we see nothing here that is suitable to that event. There is indeed mention made in one place of a king, but what is said there cannot be applied to Josiah; for he was never driven into exile, but was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers. From the whole contents of the Book we may justly conclude, that it was written after the city was destroyed, and the people led into exile.

Some think that Jeremiah, before this calamity happened, historically described it, and that he thus prophesied of what was future and yet unknown. But this is by no means probable; for Jeremiah here sets before the eyes of all, those things which they knew as facts. We shall easily discover that his manner of stating things is wholly different from that used in prophetic writings.

There is, then, no doubt that Jeremiah, after the city was destroyed and the Temple burned, bewailed the miserable state of his own nation, not in the manner of heathens.

Instead, his purpose was to show that even in such a disastrous state of affairs, some benefit could be derived from his words.

And this is what should be especially noticed. For unless we keep this in mind, the Book will lose its peculiar interest. But if we direct our minds to that desolation—which so thoroughly dejected not only the people in general but also the Prophet himself, to the point that he lost all hope—we may surely derive no small benefit from this.

It is an easy thing to extol God's favor in prosperity, and also to exhort those who have reasons to hope well to have confidence, and to bring forward God’s promises so that the minds of the godly may rely on them.

But when things are in a state of despair, and God seems to have forsaken his Church—even when prophecy still remains in force, and God appears as extending his hand to the miserable and to those who are almost in a hopeless state—we derive much benefit from this. This is the chief use of what is taught here.

But we see that Jeremiah, when the kingdom had fallen, when the king with all his children was exposed to extreme disgrace, when, in short, the covenant of God seemed wholly abolished, still continued to discharge his office, which he certainly did not do in vain.

When, therefore, he understood that his teaching would not be without fruit, he was thus led:

1. First, to speak of God’s judgments.
2. Second, to exhort the people to repentance.
3. Third, to encourage them to hope.
4. And lastly, to open the door for prayer to God, so that the people in their extreme distress might venture to flee to God’s mercy—which could not have been done without faith.

We now, to some extent, understand for what purpose this Book was written by Jeremiah.

His object was to show that even though nothing in the land appeared but desolation, and with the Temple destroyed, the Covenant of God appeared void, and thus all hope of salvation had been cut off, yet hope still remained—provided the people sought God in true repentance and faith.

And so, he proceeded in the course of his calling and made it evident that his doctrine would not be without benefit.

He indeed bewails, as I have said, the extreme calamity of his people; but he mingles with his lamentations the doctrine of repentance and faith. For, on the one hand, he shows that the people suffered a just punishment for the many iniquities from which they could not be healed. On the other hand, he gives them some intimations of God’s mercy, so that in death itself the Jews might seek life, and even in the lowest depths, they might know that God would be gracious to them.

Finally, by his own example, he stimulates them to pray; but prayer is founded on faith.

It then follows that Jeremiah, when the people had become completely alienated from the worship of God, yet labored to gather the remnant.

Therefore, though the whole Church was not only in the greatest disorder but also reduced, as it were, almost to nothing, Jeremiah still constructed some sort of building out of the ruins.

This is the substance of this Book.

The Greek Translators call this Book Θρήνους, Lamentations, and quite appropriately, as also the Hebrews call it קינוה, kinut; though the common name or title is אכה, aike, from the first word in it. But when they wish to express what the Book contains, they call it קינות, kinut, Lamentations.

Let us now proceed to the words; for what I have now briefly touched upon can be more fully explained as we proceed.