Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 12:7-9

"I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage is become unto me as a lion in the forest: she hath uttered her voice against me; therefore I have hated her. Is my heritage unto me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her round about? go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour." — Jeremiah 12:7-9 (ASV)

1. Here, the author presents the Lord’s response.

First, he addresses the threat of punishment.

Second, he offers consolation regarding the punishment, beginning at Jeremiah 12:14 with the words, thus says the Lord.

Concerning the first point, there are two aspects.

First, he threatens punishment through the loss of divine assistance: I have left my house, the temple, which I will no longer defend, and my inheritance, the people of Israel. My inheritance is Israel (Isaiah 19:25). I will leave my people and depart from them. For they are all adulterers, an assembly of transgressors (Jeremiah 9:2). He also threatens punishment through the oppression of the enemy: I have given my beloved, that is, the Jews, whom I loved as my own soul.

Second, he speaks of their guilt.

He first signifies the magnitude of their guilt: my inheritance, the people, has become for me like a lion, fierce enough to attack me. She gave forth her voice in blasphemy. He lies in wait in secret, like a lion in his den (Psalms 9:30).

He then marvels at their fickle minds: is my inheritance as a speckled bird to me? It is as if God were saying, “Sometimes they cling to me, and sometimes to idols.” The word dyed refers to being stained with the uncleanness of sin throughout, because they are all evil. How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord himself is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him (1 Kings 18:21).

Alternatively, the phrase could express sentiment. Does God not hold them as dearly as a beautiful, multicolored bird, so that He will not ultimately cast them away? In this case, the various colors refer to beauty. I have clothed you with many colors, and shod you with blue (Ezekiel 16:10).

As another alternative, when he says, I have left my house, these could be the words of the prophet. To announce the word of God, he exposed himself to mortal danger. Having left his home and native land, he endured snares from his own countrymen, who were like lions, diverse in their treachery and filled with malice. Mystically, these are the words of Christ, who is said to leave his home and native land by coming into the world. He presented himself in the form of one leaving when he hid his majesty in weakness. His inheritance is his celestial homeland.

Collations

The wicked prosper (Jeremiah 12:1) for several reasons:

• Because of the loss of their inheritance: Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac his son, but to the sons of the concubines he gave gifts (Genesis 25:5).
• Because their reward is incomplete: amen I say to you, they have received their reward (Matthew 6:2).
• Because they are not worthy of divine correction: my indignation shall rest upon you, and my zeal shall be taken from you (Ezekiel 16:42). And, I will not punish your daughters when they fornicate, or your wives when they commit adultery (Hosea 4:14). Also, If you are without discipline, of which you have all been made partakers, then you are illegitimate and not true sons (Hebrews 12:8).
• Because of the hopelessness of their spiritual illness: your wound is great like the sea. Who shall heal you? (Lamentations 2:13). Your breach is incurable, your wound very grievous (Jeremiah 30:12).
• Because of their downfall: but for treachery you have put it to them, you have cast them down while they were being lifted up (Psalms 72:18).Heb. אַ֣ךְ בַּ֭חֲלָקֹות תָּשִׁ֣ית לָ֑מֹו הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם לְמַשּׁוּאֹֽות: surely you have set them in slippery places, made them fall to ruin. Because of this God handed them over to a reprobate mind, that they might do what is not fitting (Romans 1:28).