John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 9:10

"For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passeth through; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the birds of the heavens and the beasts are fled, they are gone." — Jeremiah 9:10 (ASV)

The Prophet had exhorted others to lament and to bewail. He now comes forward as though no one had ears to pay attention to his admonition. Since he himself then undertakes to mourn and to lament, he no doubt indirectly condemns the apathy of the whole people. He saw by the spirit of prophecy that all the rest thought what he said was incredible and therefore mythical. For though the kingdom of Judah was at that time greatly devastated, and the kingdom of Israel completely fallen, they yet continued secure and heedless when they should have expected God’s vengeance every day, and even every hour. Since then there was such apathy in the people, the Prophet here prepares himself for lamentation and mourning.

I will take up, he says, mourning and lamentation for the mountains. The words may be explained: “I will take up mourning, which will ascend as far as the mountains.” But the cause of mourning seems rather to be intended, for it immediately follows, and weeping for the pastures of the desert. If this clause had not been added, the former meaning might be understood: that mourning would be so loud as to penetrate into the mountains or ascend into the highest parts.

But as Jeremiah connects the two clauses, for the mountains, and for the pastures of the desert, the other meaning is much more appropriate—that the confidence of the people was very absurd, as they thought themselves beyond danger, dwelling as they did on the plains. For the enemies, he says, will leave nothing untouched; they will come to the mountains and to the pastures of the desert. It therefore follows that they were foolish who promised themselves quietness on the plains, where the enemy could easily come.

So now we understand the Prophet’s meaning: he sets here his own fear and anxiety in contrast with the stupor of the whole people. I will raise, he says, weeping and lamentation for the mountains; but others remained secure and thoughtless in their pleasures. He then shows that while they were blind, his eyes were open, and he saw the coming ruin which was now near.

And he sets the mountains and pastures of the desert in opposition to the level country. For when a country is laid waste, we know that a retreat is still sought on mountains, for enemies dread ambushes there, and access is not easy where the roads are narrow. Then the Prophet says that even the mountains would not be beyond the reach of danger, for the enemies would march there; he says the same of the pastures of the desert. We therefore learn how absurd was their confidence, who thought themselves safe because they inhabited the plain country, which was the most accessible.

As to the word נאות naut, it comes from נוה hue, which means to dwell. He then takes נאות naut as signifying pleasant places, or pastures. Some render it as sheds or cottages. David uses the same word in Psalm 23:2, in speaking of God’s favor to him, who was pleased to become his shepherd:

He makes me to lie down, David says, in pleasant places.

But the Prophet no doubt means pastures here. And he calls them the pastures of the desert. The word מדבר midbar, we know, is taken to designate not only waste and sterile places, but also a mountainous country. Though the richest pastures were then on mountains, yet the Jews were accustomed to call them deserts; there is therefore nothing absurd in saying, the pleasant places or pastures of the desert.

But we must bear in mind the contrast of which I have reminded you: for he intended to condemn the foolish confidence of the people, who thought that they were dwelling in safety, when yet they were exposed to enemies and had no means to repel or slow their progress.

Because they are laid waste, the Prophet says. This word may be understood in another sense, “burnt up,” but it is not suitable here. He says then that these places are laid waste, so that no one passed through. This means that mountains would not only be without inhabitants, but would be so deserted and solitary that there would be no one passing over them. There would then be no one to frequent them. It therefore follows that there would be no inhabitants.

He then adds that no voice of cattle was heard. This is as though he had said that their enemies would take away as their spoil whatever would be found there. For the wealth of mountains consists in cattle, as there is neither sowing nor reaping there; instead, inhabitants of mountains get their living and whatever is necessary to support life from flesh, skin, milk, and cheese. When therefore the Prophet declares that there would be no voice of cattle, it is the same as though he had said that the mountains would become altogether uninhabited, because their enemies would take away all the cattle found there.

He then adds, From the bird of the heavens to the earthly beast they will migrate and depart. Here he seems again indirectly to reprove the apathy of the people. It is as though he had said that the birds would feel it to be the judgment of God, while men were completely apathetic, and that brute animals would have a similar feeling.

It is as though he had further said that there would be more understanding in birds and animals than in the Jews. For the Jews had not only been created in the image of God but had also been enlightened regarding the truth of salvation, as the truth of God in the law shone among them. Therefore, the Prophet shows that this stupidity was most shameful. They were as stupid as if they had no thought and no understanding, while birds acknowledged God's vengeance, and brute animals were terrified by it. We now perceive the meaning of the Prophet.