John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 6:29

"The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away." — Jeremiah 6:29 (ASV)

He says that the bellows was consumed by the fire and without any benefit. The whole sentence is metaphorical. Interpreters refer it simply to what was taught; and thus they consider the mouth of the Prophet to be the bellows by which the fire was kindled. So the meaning would be that the Prophet was, as it were, burned through his incessant crying, like the bellows, which by being continually used is eventually consumed, especially when the fire burns fiercely.

They then suppose that the Prophet complains that his throat had dried up, like the bellows, which being burned by the fire can no longer do its work. But what if we refer this to the punishments and judgments by which God had chastised his people, and yet without benefit? For he complains in this way in Isaiah chapter 1 and in other places.

“In vain,” he says, “have I chastised thee.”

And Jeremiah has said before, “In vain have I chastised my children; they have not received correction.” (Jeremiah 2:30)

Isaiah also says, “Alas! Vengeance must I take on my enemies,” (Isaiah 1:24), but to what purpose? He afterwards adds that it was without any benefit, because their wickedness was incurable.

The first meaning, however, is not to be rejected, for it was not inappropriate to say that the Prophet's tongue was worn out with constant crying and that his throat was nearly dried up. But I prefer what I have just stated. Let each make his own choice.

If we consider prophetic teaching to be intended here, we may also draw another meaning: that the Prophet’s mouth was consumed by God’s terrors, for it was like burning whenever God threatened the people with final destruction. The Prophet then says with good reason that his throat was burned by fire, even the threatenings of God.

He afterwards adds that the lead was entire. This sentence rather favors the view that Jeremiah is speaking of the judgments by which God sought to humble the people and lead them to repentance, for it cannot be suitably applied to doctrine or teaching that the lead was unmixed. By lead, I understand dross. Some consider it to be silver and say that lead was mixed with silver so that the silver might more easily be melted. As I am not skilled in that art, I cannot say whether this is done or not. But the Prophet says that the lead was unmixed; that is, nothing was found but dross and filth.

He then adds, “In vain has the melter melted, for evils have not been purged away;” that is, the dross had not been removed so as to leave behind the pure metal. He means, in short, that there was nothing but dross and filth in the people, and not a particle of pure silver.

Therefore, it followed that they had been, as it were, melted in vain. Now, this applies more suitably to punishment than to teaching, as all must see. I therefore do not doubt that the Prophet shows here that the Jews were not only wicked, apostates, and despisers of God, but were also so obstinate that God had often tried in vain to purify them.

And it is a manner of speaking, we know, which occurs often in the prophets and throughout Scripture, that God is said to melt, purge, or refine people when He chastises them. But the Prophet says that there was only filth in that people, that lead was found, and that they were not melted. From this we learn how great their hardness was: though they were tried by fire, they still did not melt but continued in their perverseness. He afterwards adds—