John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 12

Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee
The six first verses of this chapter properly belong to the preceding, being of the same argument, and in strict connection with the latter part of it. Jeremiah appears to be under the same temptation, on account of the prosperity of the wicked, as Asaph was, (Psalms 73:1) only he seems to have been more upon his guard, and less liable to fall by it; he sets out with this as a first principle, an undoubted truth, that God was righteous, and could do nothing wrong and amiss, however unaccountable his providences might be to men: he did not mean, by entering the list with him, or by litigating this point, to charge him with any unrighteousness. This he took for granted, and was well satisfied of, that the Lord was righteous, "though", says he, "I plead with thee" ^F20; so some read the words. De Dieu renders them interrogatively, "shall I plead with thee?" shall I dare to do it? shall I take that boldness and use that freedom with thee? I will. The Targum is the reverse, ``thou art more just, O Lord, than that I should contend before thy word:''

yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments;
not of his laws, statutes, word, and ordinances, sometimes so called; but rather of his providences, which are always dispensed with equity and justice, though not always manifest. They are sometimes unsearchable and past finding out, and will bear a sober and modest inquiry into them, and debate concerning them; the people of God may take the liberty of asking questions concerning them, when they are at a loss to account for them. So the Targum, ``but I will ask a question of judgments before thee.'' The words may be rendered, "but I will speak judgments with thee" ^F21. These are things that are right; that are agreeable to the word of God and sound reason; things that are consistent with the perfections of God, particularly his justice and holiness; which are founded upon equity and truth; I will produce such reasons and arguments as seem to be reasonable and just.

Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?
or they prosper in all their ways? whatever they take in hand succeeds; they enjoy a large share of health of body; their families increase, their trade flourishes, their flocks and herds grow large and numerous, and they have great plenty of all outward blessings; and yet they are wicked men, without the fear of God, regard not him, nor his worship and ways; but walk in their own ways which they have chosen, and delight in their abominations. Some understand this, as Jarchi, of Nebuchadnezzar, to whom God had given greatness and prosperity, to destroy the house of God; but by what follows, in the latter part of the next verse, it appears that God's professing people, the Jews, are meant, and most likely the priests at Anathoth.

Wherefore are all they happy;
easy, quiet, secure, live in peace and plenty: that deal very treacherously?
with God and men, in religions and civil affairs.

FOOTNOTES:

• F20: (Kyla byra yk) "etiamsi contendam tecum", Cocceius, Gataker.
• F21: (Ktwa rbda Myjpvm Ka) "verum tamen judicia loquar tecum", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt.

You have planted them
In the land of Canaan, fixed the bounds of their habitation, given them a firm and comfortable settlement; for all the good things, even of the wicked, come from God:

yes, they have taken root ;
as everything that is planted does not; but these did, though it was downwards in the earth, on which their hearts were set, and so were strengthened and established in their worldly circumstances:

they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit ;
but to themselves, not to God; not fruits of righteousness or good works; they grow, not in grace and holiness, but in their worldly substance; and they brought forth fruit, not such as were meet for repentance, but they had great riches, and numerous families; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, "they produce children, and bring forth fruit." The Targum is, ``they become rich, yes, they possess substance.''

You are near in their mouth ;
they often made use of the name of God, either in swearing by it, or praying to him in an external manner; they called themselves the Lord's people, and boasted of being his priests, and employed in his service; they took his covenant, and the words of your law, into their mouths, and taught them the people, and yet had no sincere regard for these things:

and far from their reins ;
from the affections of their hearts, and the desires of their souls; they had no true love for God, nor fear of him, nor faith in him. The Targum is, ``near are the words of your law in their mouth, and far is your fear from your reins.''

But you, O Lord, know me. The Lord knew him before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5), he knew what he designed him for, and what use he would make of him; and he knew him now, and loved him, and cared for him, as his prophet; he knew his sincerity and faithfulness, and took notice of it, with what integrity he performed his office, and discharged his duty; and he knew that all his enemies said of him were scandal and reproach, lies and calumnies.

You have seen me; his inside, his heart, and all in it; for all things are naked and open to the eyes of an omniscient God: and tried my heart towards you; he had tried him by various afflictive providences, and his heart was found towards God; the affections and desires of his soul were towards him, and he remained faithful and upright before him, and not like the wicked before mentioned.

Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter; either out of the fold, or from a fat pasture; so fat sheep are plucked from the rest, in order to be killed: this shows that their riches, affluence, and plenty, served but to ripen them for ruin and destruction, and were like the fattening of sheep for slaughter; which the prophet, by this imprecation, suggests and foretells would be their case, as a righteous judgment upon them; see (James 5:5). Prepare them for the day of slaughter; or, "sanctify them" ^F23; set them apart for it: this, doubtless, refers to the time of Jerusalem's destruction by the Chaldeans.

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: (Mvdqhw) "et sanctifica eos", V. L. Montanus; "segrega", Piscator; "destina", Schmidt; "consecra", Cocceius.

How long shall the land mourn The land of Judea, being desolate, and bringing forth no fruit, through the long drought that had been upon it: and the herbs of every field wither; for want of rain to come upon it: for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? This opens the cause, the reason of this dearth; it was the wickedness of the inhabitants of it: as the whole earth was originally cursed for the sins of men, so particular countries have had the marks of God's displeasure upon them, because of the sins of those that dwell in them.

This clause, according to the accents, belongs to what follows, and may be read in connection with the next clause; either thus, "the herbs" of every field wither, I say, "because of the wickedness of the inhabitants of it, which consumes the beasts and the birds"^F24; that is, which wickedness is the cause not only of the withering of the grass and herbs, but of the consumption of birds and beasts: or else, by repeating the interrogation in the preceding clause, how long shall the earth mourn; how long, for the malice of them that dwell in it, are the beasts and the birds consumed^F25? the one having no grass to eat; and the other no fruit to pick, or seeds to live upon; the barrenness being so very great and general.

Because they said; the Jews, the inhabitants of the land, the wicked part of them, and which was the greater: he shall not see our last end; either the Prophet Jeremiah, who had foretold it; but they did not believe him, that such would be their end, and that he should live to see it; or such was their atheism and infidelity, that they said God himself should not see it; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions read, "God shall not see".

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: So Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 564.
• F25: Thus Schmidt, after Luther.

If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you ,
&c.] The Targum introduces the words thus, "this is the answer which was made to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning his question; you are a prophet, like to a man that runs with footmen, and is weary."

Then how can you contend with horses ?
or with men on horses: the sense is, either as Kimchi gives it, you are among men like yourself, and you are not able to find out their secrets and their designs against you (see (Jeremiah 11:18Jeremiah 11:19) ); how should you know my secrets in the government of the world, as to the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous? Be silent, and do not trouble yourself about these things.

Or rather, as you have had a conflict with the men of Anathoth, and they have been too many for you; they have grieved and distressed you, and have made you weary of my work and service; and you have been ready to give out, and declare that you will be no longer concerned therein; what will you do, when you come to be exercised with greater and sorer trials, and shall have to do with the king of Judah and his court, with his princes and nobles, the sanhedrim at Jerusalem, and the priests and inhabitants thereof?

The Targum interprets the footmen of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and of the good things done to him; and the horses of the righteous fathers of the Jews, who run like horses to do good works, and of the much greater good reserved for them; but very improperly.

Much better might it be applied, as it is by some, to the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites, who gave the Jews much trouble; and therefore what would they do with the Chaldean army, consisting of a large cavalry, and which would come upon them like an impetuous stream, and overflow, as the swelling of Jordan, as follows?

and if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you ;
if in his own native country, where he promised himself much peace, safety, and security, he met with that which ruffled and disturbed him:

then how will you do in the swelling of Jordan ?
when it overflowed its bank, (Joshua 3:15) and may denote the pride and haughtiness of the king and princes of Judea, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the difficulties that would attend the prophet's discharge of his duty among them; and the same thing is signified by this proverbial expression as the former.