John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 9:7

"Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how [else] should I do, because of the daughter of my people?" — Jeremiah 9:7 (ASV)

Jeremiah, speaking in God’s name, concludes that the chastisement of which he had spoken was necessary. And what I have already said appears more clearly from this verse—that he brings to light their sins, so that they might know that they could not escape God’s hand, who is a just avenger of wickedness, for they had extremely provoked Him by their petulance and obstinacy.

I will try (or melt) them,” He says, “and I will prove them.” Since they adopt a false appearance, He says that a trial was necessary. This is like when someone presents copper or another metal as gold; it is exposed by testing. Any impostor might otherwise sell dross as silver. The counterfeit metal, passed off as gold or silver, must be tested; it must be cast into the fire and melted.

Since the Jews thought that they had plausible pretenses to cover their baseness, God gives this answer: He still had a way to expose their deceitfulness and, as it were, tells them, “The goldsmith, when anyone brings dross for silver, or copper for gold, has a furnace, and he tests it; so will I try and melt you. For you think that you can dazzle My eyes by false pretenses: this will avail you nothing.” In short, God implies that He had means readily available to expose their deceitfulness, and so their hypocrisy would be of no advantage to them, as His judgments would be like a furnace.

Just as stubble or wood, when cast into the furnace, is immediately burned, so hypocrites cannot endure God’s judgment. They may indeed show some brightness at first, until God tests them; but their deceptions must eventually be exposed, and they themselves will be consumed when they are truly put to the test. This is the meaning.

And the reason is added: For how should I deal with the daughter of My people? This might be applied to Jeremiah himself, but that would be a strained interpretation. He then continues, undoubtedly speaking in God’s name: How then should I deal (or act) with the daughter of My people? God speaks here as one deliberating, and in this way He more fully proves the Jews guilty; for since He involves them as judges or counselors, they could give no other reply. We therefore see that this question is very emphatic, for the Prophet implies that unless the Jews were incredibly foolish, they could no longer flatter themselves in their sins or demand to be treated differently by God, as they had in so many ways and with such perversity brought vengeance upon themselves.

But from this we learn that it is right that judgment should begin at the house of God, as it is said elsewhere (1 Peter 4:17). God indeed will not overlook anything without punishing it; therefore, the pagans must at last stand before His tribunal. But as He is nearer to His Church, the impiety of those who profess to be, as it were, members of His household is less tolerable. It is as though He had said, “I have chosen you to be My peculiar people and have taken you under My care and protection; when you become intractable, what remains for Me to do but to test you, since you act so unfaithfully towards Me?”