John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 9:23-24

"Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ASV)

This is a remarkable passage, and often on people's lips, like other notable sentences known as proverbial sayings. But few rightly consider how these words are connected with the previous context. Therefore, many are satisfied with a simple explanation, as if it were a subject abruptly introduced, and as if the Prophet began something new. They limit themselves to these words, and thus they misrepresent the Prophet's meaning, or at least greatly diminish the force of what is taught.

The Prophet no doubt refers to what has gone before. He saw, as I have often said, that he addressed the deaf, for the Jews were so swollen with false confidence that they regarded the word of God as worthless. Since some were proud of their riches, others thought themselves so prudent that they could not be deceived in any way, and still others thought themselves so fortified by wealth and power that they could easily resist any evil—since the minds of all were possessed by so much pride—the Prophet, to confirm what he had said, declares here that people foolishly gloried when they set up their riches, their strength, or their wisdom in opposition to God. For all these things would vanish like smoke.

So now we perceive why the Prophet here forbids anyone to glory except in God alone, and how the passage should not be considered abrupt but connected with what he said when he denounced destruction on the Jews—destruction they nevertheless did not dread because they were filled with this ungodly and foolish conceit: that they had more than sufficient protection in their own strength, riches, or wisdom. The rest tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since you set before our eyes so many evils and vices by which we have provoked your anger against us, and yet give us the hope of pardon if we repent—O grant us a teachable spirit, that we may with becoming meekness attend to your threatenings, and be so terrified by them as not yet to despair of the mercy offered to us, but seek it through your Son. And as he has once for all pacified you by shedding his blood, so cleanse us also by your Spirit from all our pollutions, until at length we stand immaculate before you on that day when Christ shall appear for the salvation of all his people. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We began yesterday to explain what the Prophet means when he forbids people to glory in wisdom, strength, or riches. The meaning is that all are greatly deceived who think themselves blessed while alienated from God. We have also noted the reason why he speaks of wisdom, strength, and riches—namely, because it is a vice innate in all mortals to be proud of their own excellence.

Whatever we think valuable ought to be acknowledged as received from God. If then all the excellence we have is God’s gift, it is very strange that we do not learn humility when God thus binds us to himself, but that, on the contrary, we abuse his bounty by making it the occasion of pride.

This ingratitude has nevertheless always prevailed in the world. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet here reduces to nothing all the world's boastings. Among the Jews, some were rich, others excelled in wisdom, and others in power; thus it happened that heavenly truth was of no value in their estimation.

Since some trusted in their riches and not in God, and others in their wisdom, and still others in their valor, the Prophet here declares that all the glory they arrogated to themselves on account of God’s temporal gifts was nothing. It remained, then, for the Jews to consider that all such confidences would avail nothing against God’s judgment.

But from this we may learn a general truth; and Paul no doubt had this passage in mind in 1 Corinthians 1:31. He teaches us there that God chooses what is foolish in the world to shame the world's wisdom, and that he chooses what is weak to upset the world's strength. And then he adds, That whoever glories must glory in God alone.

He doubtless took this passage from the Prophet; and yet he does not only speak there of bodily strength, riches, or worldly wisdom, but also includes righteousness and whatever is deemed valuable or honorable among people. His object, then, is to annihilate every glory that belongs to the flesh, that the mercy of God alone may shine forth.

Therefore, I said that though the Prophet mentions only three things, yet a general doctrine may suitably be drawn from this; for what is said of wisdom, strength, and riches may and ought to be applied to that false conceit of righteousness with which hypocrites swell. We shall now consider the words.

Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise glory, etc. By way of concession, he calls those wise who were without the fear of God, which, however, we know is the beginning of wisdom (Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). But the Prophet speaks according to the common opinion, and the meaning may be given thus: “Let not him who seems wise to himself glory in his own wisdom”; and so the other words may be understood.

It is then added, But let him who glories, glory in this, etc. It appears from the second verse that people are not so stripped of all glory that they should be downcast in disgrace, but that they may seek a better glory, for God delights not in the degradation of people.

But as they arrogate to themselves more than what is right, and even inebriate themselves with delusions, he strips them naked, so that after knowing that all they think they have—either from nature, from themselves, or from other creatures—is a mere phantom, they may seek true glory.

He afterwards adds, In understanding and knowing me. Though by these two words the Prophet means the same thing, yet they are not used without purpose; for as people despised the knowledge of God, it was necessary to remind them that to know God is the chief part of perfect wisdom.

He therefore intended to correct the mischievous error under which almost the whole world labors; for while all attend to various pursuits, the knowledge of God is neglected.

We see with what ardor everyone pursues his own fancies, while hardly one in a hundred deigns to spend half an hour in the day seeking the knowledge of God. And there is also another evil, a false opinion which proceeds from pride: that to know God is a common thing.

Therefore, we perceive why the Prophet has employed these two words to designate the same thing; it was to rouse more fully the attention of people. For he saw that almost all were torpid and indifferent on a subject which is justly entitled to the labor of a whole life; indeed, if a hundred lives were given us, this one thing would be sufficient to engage our attention. But, as has been said, what ought to be preferred to all other things is despised and neglected.

He afterwards adds, That I am Jehovah, who doeth judgment. By calling himself Jehovah, he doubtless excludes all those devices which then engaged the attention of the Jews.

For the whole land was corrupted by so many superstitions that the name of the only true God was unknown. They all, indeed, professed to worship the God of Abraham, who had delivered to them his law by the hand of Moses; but as many errors were mingled with the true doctrine, God was deprived of his own honor.

It was, then, God’s will that he should be so known as to appear alone supreme, and to be alone, as it were, kept in view.

But the explanation which follows ought to be carefully observed. For had he said only, “Let everyone who glories, glory in the knowledge of me, that I am Jehovah,” it would, indeed, have been a plain truth, but not sufficiently perspicuous or evident.

The minds of people might have been in suspense, and they might have asked, “What does this mean? Or why is it that God regards the knowledge of himself as so important?” They might also have supposed that it was quite enough to confess him to be the only true God.

Hence God here reminds the Jews of his own divine perfections, that they might really know that he is God, and that they might not ascribe to him an empty name. It was for this reason that I have said that these words, who doeth mercy and judgment and justice, ought to be carefully observed.

We see today, under the Papacy, that the name of God is presumptuously gloried in: there is no one who is not ready boldly to declare that he worships the one true God, and yet they profane his name, for they afterwards rob God and bestow the spoils on the dead.

This passage, then, teaches us that the name of God of itself would be of no importance if stripped of his power and perfections. Hence, we then only have the true knowledge of God when we not only acknowledge him as the creator of the world, but when we also fully believe that the world is governed by him, and when we further understand the way in which he governs it—that is, by doing mercy and judgment and justice.

Now, the first thing respecting God is that we should acknowledge him to be beneficent and bountiful; for what would become of us without the mercy of God? Therefore, the true and right knowledge of God begins here: that is, when we know him to be merciful towards us.

For what would it avail us to know that God is just, unless we had a previous knowledge of his mercy and gratuitous goodness?

We cannot know God without knowing ourselves. These two things are connected.

Now, if anyone examines himself, what will he find but that which will make him despair? Thus, whenever God is thought of, we feel dread, and despair, in a manner, swallows us up.

In short, all avoid God, unless the sweetness of his grace allures them. Why? Because, as I have said, there is nothing in us but what brings misery and a cause of dread.

Hence Jeremiah, while bidding people to glory in the knowledge of God, has not in vain given the first and highest place to his mercy.

He afterwards adds, Judgment and justice. When these two words are joined together, they denote perfect government; that is, that God defends his faithful people, aids the miserable, and delivers them when unjustly oppressed, and also that he restrains the wicked and does not suffer them to injure the innocent at their pleasure.

These, then, are the things which the Scripture everywhere means by the two words, judgment and justice.

The justice of God is not to be taken according to what is commonly understood by it; and they speak incorrectly who represent God’s justice as in opposition to his mercy, hence the common proverb, “I appeal from justice to mercy.”

The Scripture speaks otherwise, for justice is to be taken for that faithful protection of God by which he defends and preserves his own people, and judgment for the rigor which he exercises against the transgressors of his law.

But, as I have already said, judgment and justice, when found together, are to be taken for that legitimate government by which God so regulates the affairs of the world that there is nothing but what is just and right.

And from this is more fully confirmed what I have already stated: that he not only speaks generally but also intends to remove the evils which then stood in the way and prevented the Jews from rightly receiving either promises or threatenings.

For a false glory inebriated them all, inasmuch as one thought his riches to be like an invincible fortress, another his wisdom, and the third his strength.

Since they were full of vain pride and thus despised God and his heavenly truth, it was necessary to bring them to order, and even wholly to strip them, that they might know that they were not to glory in anything but in the knowledge of God.

Now, the knowledge mentioned here produces two fruits, namely, faith and fear. For if we are fully persuaded that there is propitiation with God, as it is said in Psalm 130:4, we rely on him, and do not hesitate to flee to him and to place our salvation in his hand. This is one thing. Then faith brings fear, as it is said in the psalm referred to:

There is propitiation with you, that you may be feared.

But the Prophet here distinctly refers to these two things. For God, by expressing his will to be known as being merciful, doubtless encourages us to exercise faith, so that we may call on him with tranquil minds and not doubt that he is propitious to us. For he looks not on what we are, to repay to us what we deserve, but deals graciously with us according to his mercy. And by saying that he does judgment and justice, he intimates that these two things ought to dispose and turn our hearts to fear and reverence.

At the same time, when God declares that he does justice, he supplies us with a reason for confidence, for he thus promises to be the guardian of our salvation. For, as I have said, his justice is not to render to everyone his just reward, but is to be extended further and is to be taken for his faithfulness.

Since God never forsakes his own people, but aids them in due time and restrains the wicked, he is on this account called just. Therefore, we can then more securely and with quieter minds rely on him when we know that his justice is such that he will never leave us destitute of help whenever necessary.

He afterwards adds, For in these I delight, saith Jehovah. This refers to people; as if God had said that he hated all who pass by the knowledge of his mercy, judgment, and justice, and become ferocious and elated with a vain hope on account of riches, strength, or wisdom, according to what is said in Psalm 147:10:

The strength of a horse pleases not God, nor is he delighted with the legs of a man;

As if he had said that God hates that confidence by which people presumptuously extol themselves, while they think their life and their safety are in their own hand. So also, in this passage, a contrast is to be understood between the knowledge of God’s mercy, judgment, and justice, and the wisdom, strength, riches, and foolish glorying by which people are inflated when they seek their happiness in these things.

We now also see more clearly what I have said before: not only is the boasting of human power and the glorying in wisdom and wealth condemned in these words, but people are wholly stripped of all the confidence they place in themselves or seek from the world, so that the knowledge of God alone may be deemed enough for obtaining perfect happiness.

For the Prophet shows, with sufficient clearness, that all people without God are miserable; it therefore follows that they are not otherwise happy except in him.

Then the way and manner is to be added. How are we made happy in God?

By knowing his mercy towards us, and then by delivering ourselves up to his defense and protection, by suffering ourselves to be ruled by him, and by also obeying his law, because we fear his judgment.

This passage might indeed be more fully handled, but it is enough for me, according to my custom, to point out the main things.