John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 6:28

"They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly." — Jeremiah 6:28 (ASV)

The Prophet now shows what he found the Jews to be, whose manners and proceedings he had been commanded to observe. If he had said this at first, either the fury of the people would have been kindled, or his judgment would have been treated with contempt. But when God showed what He had known through His servant, it had more weight, and then the fury of thepeople was also repressed, when they understood that it would be of no use to them to fight against God.

He says that they were all the apostates of apostates, or the transgressors of transgressors. Some read סרי, sari, with a ש, shin, and render the words, “the princes of transgressors.” But I adopt the first as the more approved reading.

Those who read “princes” elicit a meaning from the words which appears strange, but not the true one. They say that they were the princes of transgressors because the people were no better than their rulers, and because servants imitated their masters in all kinds of wickedness. But this, as all must see, is a strained meaning. Why then should anything be changed, since the sentence, as it is, has a most suitable meaning?

They are then called the apostates of apostates, or the transgressors of transgressors, סרי סררים, sari sarerim. The Hebrews, we know, express the superlative degree by doubling the word, as in the heaven of heavens, the holy of holies, the God of gods. He then says that they were not only wicked but most wicked, who had reached the extreme point of depravity. For when impiety reaches its summit, then men may justly be called the apostates of apostates. This, I have no doubt, is what the Prophet means.

He afterwards adds that they walked in slander. The same mode of speaking, if I mistake not, is found in Leviticus 19:16.

“Go not,” or walk not, “among thy people with slander.”

Yet this phrase may be explained otherwise; that is, that they walked in calumnies, or that they perverted everything. But in this place, the word “slander” seems too feeble, as the Prophet, in my judgment, means more: even the audacity of the people, so that they allowed themselves every liberty in sinning and thus walked in their own wickedness.

He adds, Brass and iron. Many render these words as “Brass mixed with iron;” that is, that the noble and the common people were mingled together, so that there was a common consent among them. I do not wholly disapprove of this meaning, but as it is rather refined, I do not know whether it is well-founded.

I therefore prefer to regard this as designating their hardness: they were like brass and iron, for they were inflexible. So the Prophet, after having called them transgressors who had alienated themselves from God, and after having said that they walked in their own depravity, now adds that they were untamable, not capable of any improvement; and hence he compares them to brass and iron.

Finally, he adds that they were all corrupters. This, I think, refers to their habits, for this is what enemies are called who plunder everything and commit all excesses. But here they are corrupters who not only plunder everyone's goods like thieves but are also leaders to others in wickedness, so that all things were in confusion, as is usually said, from head to foot. He afterwards adds—