John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 8:19

"Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: is not Jehovah in Zion? is not her King in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with foreign vanities?" — Jeremiah 8:19 (ASV)

The Prophet in this verse assumes different characters: he first denounces ruin, which, though near, was not yet dreaded by the people; he then represents the people and relates what they would say; in the third place, he adds an answer in God’s name to check the clamor of the people.

When he says that the daughter of his people uttered a cry, he is to be understood as referring to a future time. For the Jews still continued perversely in their sins, and ridiculed all threats, and regarded as nothing what was said by the prophets. Jeremiah then does not mean that his own nation cried, as if they dreaded future calamities (for they were heedlessly secure); but he condemns their indifference, as if he had said, “You indeed do now indulge your own delusions and think that your felicity is to be perpetual; but in a short time your cry will be heard.”

Interpreters apply the words, From a distant land, to the Chaldeans and Assyrians, as if the Prophet had said, “You hope for perpetual rest because your enemies are far from you. Therefore, distance and delay in marching produce this security in you, for it does not seem credible to you that your enemies will make such a journey, except with much expense and much trouble. But in this opinion you are deceived; for though the Chaldeans and the Assyrians are far distant from you, yet they will soon come and constrain you to utter a cry. You cannot now bear the warnings of the prophets; my voice you cannot endure. But God will constrain you to utter a different voice, for you will cry, but to no avail.”

This meaning is not without reason on its side: if then the Prophet’s words are understood this way, I offer no objection. For hypocrites derive confidence from the present appearance of things; when they see that there is quietness on every side, they fear no danger; when God threatens them and does not immediately show His rods, they ridicule or despise them. So we have seen in other places.

But another meaning is not unsuitable—that Jeremiah describes the lamentations of the people in exile, after having been driven into Chaldea and Assyria: The voice, then, of the daughter of my people from a distant land. That is, after having been deprived of their country, they will then begin to cry, and for this reason: because they wished the prophets to give them rest and refused to bear any reproofs. This view is also appropriate.

But I prefer the former—that the people would soon find out how foolishly they deluded themselves when God by His servants threatened them with ruin and destruction. And therefore he uses the demonstrative particle, “Behold:” Behold, he says, the voice of crying. Yet great was the silence then at Jerusalem; for though in their pleasure they uttered some voices, yet as for weeping and lamentations, the whole city was silent. The Prophet then refers to what was hidden. But God usually acts in this way, as He afterwards suddenly executes His judgment; for when the wicked say, Peace, peace, destruction comes and suddenly overwhelms them (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

He adds in the second place, Is not Jehovah in Sion? Is not her king in her? The Prophet no doubt expresses here the complaints of the people on finding themselves overwhelmed with so many and so great evils, without receiving any aid from heaven. For hypocrites always expostulate with God; and as they consider that they are unjustly chastised, they reject every instruction and avoid it as much as they can; in short, they seek stupidity, that they may deceive themselves with vain delusions.

Since it is usual with hypocrites to reject every apprehension of God’s wrath, Jeremiah strikingly describes their defiance: “Is not Jehovah in Sion? Is not her king in her?” For they accused God of falsehood, as if He had deceived them, since He had promised to be the defender of the city and of the whole land.

Since they thought that God was bound to them by this promise, they daringly raged against Him: “What does this mean? For God has chosen this place, where Abraham’s race might worship Him; it has been, so to speak, His earthly kingdom. But now what can this mean, that enemies are coming here? Can God ever permit them to do this? This is not possible, unless God Himself is overcome.”

We therefore see the significance of the Prophet’s words, for he here imitates the perverse language of the people and recites the words which he knew most of them used. We have previously found him addressing them, “Trust not in words of falsehood, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah,”
(Jeremiah 7:4).

For they were accustomed to perversely allege against God, the temple, and to regard it as a shield to ward off every evil. In the same way the Prophet says now, “Is not God in Sion?” and then, “Is not her king in her?” The Jews were not only persuaded that God would be favorable to them, but they did not doubt their own safety, while they could turn their eyes to their king.

They therefore uttered these words, as if they were beyond the chance of danger. For we know what God had declared concerning the kingdom, that it would continue forever: So long as the sun and moon shall be in heaven, shall remain the seat of David, and his posterity flourish (Psalms 89:36–37).

Therefore, they connected the king with God, as if they had said, “God is worshipped here, and His power dwells in the temple; the king also, whom He has set over us, is a sure pledge of His favor.

And the perpetuity of his kingdom has been promised to us. It then follows that either God is untrue, and that we have been deceived with vain promises, or that our enemies will come in vain; for when they make every effort, God, who is the guardian of our safety, will easily drive them away.”

At first glance this seems to be evidence of faith, as the people seemed persuaded that they would be safe and secure under the protection of God, and as they turned their eyes to that kingdom, which was a remarkable exhibition of God’s presence. For as David was a type of Christ, and also his posterity, the faithful could have sought no other refuge than that which is here described.

But we know how hypocrites swell with vain confidence, while they are nevertheless wholly destitute of faith, and how they become wantonly insolent whenever God threatens them, as if they held Him bound at their will. Since the ungodly are then accustomed to abuse God’s name in this way, it is no wonder that they imitate the language of His true servants; yet they are wholly different.

How so? They lay hold of the promises, but they have no faith nor repentance. “This is my rest for ever: it then follows that we shall always be safe, for God cannot be overcome by any force of arms, by any onset of enemies; since He has taken us under His protection, what do we have to fear?” But, at the same time, they despised God and all His teaching.

Thus we see how foolish was the boasting of that people, since they wholly despised the holy name of God and swelled only with wind, because they were altogether destitute of faith and piety.

We must also always keep in mind what I have already said—that the Jews not only entertained this vain confidence but also presumptuously rose up against God, as if He had deceived them, having promised that Sion would be His perpetual rest. They now ask Him why He did not defend the city, as He dwelt in Sion, and why the king was not their protection, since it had been said, “So long as the sun and moon shall be in heaven, shall remain the throne of David?” Now follows God’s answer.

Why then have they provoked Me with their carvings, and the vanities of the foreigner? Here God retorts their false complaints. Thus we learn that in the last clause, the defiance of the people is what is presented by Jeremiah: they raged against God because He did not aid them in time. God shows how absurdly they complained against Him and accused Him.

Why, He says, have they provoked Me? “They say now that they are forsaken because there is no faithfulness in Me. I have not betrayed them, nor forsaken them, but they have forsaken Me.” We now perceive the meaning of the Prophet. We observe, indeed, that the passage is abrupt, for the Prophet assumes different characters; but as for what is meant, there is nothing doubtful.

God says that He was provoked with carvings; it therefore follows that the temple was polluted. God had indeed promised to dwell in the temple, but on a certain condition: provided He was faithfully and in a legitimate manner worshipped there. But the people with their pollutions had defiled the temple.

God then shows that there was a just cause why He had departed, according to what is set forth more fully in Ezekiel chapter 10. God shows to His servant in that vision that He had left the temple, and for this reason—because His holiness could not be blended with ungodly and filthy profanations. He first mentions carvings generally, and then He adds, the vanities of the foreigner. And here He amplifies the sin of the people, because they borrowed here and there from foreigners such superstitions as were unknown to their fathers, as if they wished to banish God from the temple and from the whole land.