John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 9:3

"And they bend their tongue, [as it were] their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 9:3 (ASV)

Jeremiah confirms what he had said about the near destruction of the people; for, as we have said, the Jews ridiculed threats while they thought themselves far from every danger. But the Prophet shows, from the nature of God Himself, that they must inevitably perish soon; for since God is the judge of the world, and as they were continually advancing in impiety and wickedness, they could no longer be tolerated. This is the meaning.

He first says that they stretched their tongues as a bow for falsehoods. The verb דרך, darek, means to walk and often occurs in this sense; but it also means to stretch, to bend, and is frequently applied to bows. As it is here in Hiphil, some take it in a transitive sense.

In this case, it ought to have י, iod; but such a defect is often found in other places. This sense is the most suitable: that is, that they shot falsehood with their tongues as with a bow. Others improperly construe שקר, shikor, in the genitive case, as though he had said, “the bow of falsehood.” But this gives no meaning, and therefore “the bow of falsehood” cannot be admitted here.

The sense is that they shot falsehood with their tongue as with a bow, or that they made their tongue go to falsehood, or that they stretched their tongue like a bow for falsehood. If the last rendering is approved—that they stretched their tongue, etc.—then the Prophet compares their tongues to bows and falsehoods to arrows.

As to the subject itself, there is no difference whether we read that they shot lies with their tongues or that they stretched their tongues for lies. For the Prophet simply means that their tongues, as he will tell us later, were so pointed that they pierced one another with slanders and falsehoods, as though one stretched a bow and shot an arrow. He then intimates that all their words were deadly, for they were intent on slanders and falsehoods, so that there was no interaction without a mortal wound.

He then adds that they were not strong for the truth. Some read, “They have been strong, but not for the truth”; others, “They have been strong as to the truth,” or “for the truth.” But I think that the Prophet’s meaning is different: that having suppressed the truth, they took more liberty for themselves, as though he had said that they triumphed when all faithfulness and rectitude were destroyed. For by the word אמונה, amune, the Prophet no doubt means that fidelity by which men ought to conduct their affairs with one another.

Since, then, there was no uprightness among them, he says that they marched forth as victorious when they trod underfoot what was just and right. It is indeed a proof of extreme impiety when men, trampling upon faithfulness and equity, allow themselves every kind of licentiousness.

Some give this explanation: that they ruled, not through their faithfulness or virtues, for they had crept into and obtained honors by wicked and deceitful arts.

And it is indeed certain that the Prophet directs his discourse not against the common people but against the chief men, who had attained their power by frauds. But I am satisfied with the view that I have already given: that they had become strong because there was no truth, just as when we say that the blind rule in darkness when everything is in confusion.

The meaning is that they were not only given up to their sins, but they also triumphed over fidelity and justice by allowing themselves every liberty, as there was no one who dared to say a word to restrain them. He says that they thus became strong through the whole land; for he sets forth here the deplorable state of the people in general, as though he had said, “There is no hope of deliverance left, for truth and faithfulness are everywhere oppressed.”

An explanation follows: that they proceeded from evil to evil. That is, they obstinately went on in their evil doings, for “to go forth” means the same as “to pass.” They then passed from evil to evil.

That is, when they had done one evil, no repentance entered their hearts so as to turn back; but they continued their wickedness and accumulated evils upon evils. We now then understand what the Prophet means, for he sets forth their pertinacity in evil deeds and at the same time shows that there was no evidence of amendment, for they passed from one bad deed to another like it.

And me they have not known, says Jehovah. He shows here what is the source of all evils: they had cast aside all knowledge and every thought of God.

We indeed know that when God is truly known, His fear must necessarily influence our hearts; and the knowledge of God begets reverence and a regard for religion.

It is indeed true that God is somewhat known even by the ungodly and the wicked, and that they have some notions respecting Him; but it is no more than an empty knowledge.

When indeed we are fully persuaded that God is the judge of the world, and when we also have a knowledge of His goodness and paternal favor, we necessarily fear Him and spontaneously and willingly worship and serve Him.

Ignorance of God, then, is a kind of madness which carries men headlong to every sort of impiety. On this account, God complains that He was not known by the people, for the fear of Him was not in them.