Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 13

Here, the prophet shows the dignity of the people based on their connection to God.

The passage is divided into two parts. The first is an analogy. The second is the application of the analogy, which begins at and the word of the Lord came to me (Jeremiah 13:8).

The first part, the analogy, contains three elements:

1. The people’s reception into divine intimacy is signified by the Lord’s command: go—more precisely, go to the place where such things are sold—because God Himself first came to the people. Not as though we had loved God, but because he first loved us (1 John 4:10).

   Acquire, from Me, so that you may possess it by proper right, as a proprietor owns his inheritance. Moreover, my inheritance is Israel (Isaiah 19:25). For yourself, for your own use, just as the people exist for the glory of God. I have formed this people for myself; they will tell forth my praise (Isaiah 43:21). A girdle, which clings to the waist, where the desire of love resides; in the same way, the people are received into the divine love. With the cords of Adam I will draw them, with the cords of love (Hosea 11:4). Linen, which is taken from the earth unrefined and is beautified by human labor; in the same way, the people are beautified by divine labor.Cultu divino could mean either “by God’s labor” or “by man’s service to God.” But passing by you, I saw you trampled in your own blood (Ezekiel 16:6).

   And you shall not put it in water. Gird your loins like a man; I will inquire of you, answer me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? (Job 38:3).

   Because divine things are mystically expressed through the prophet’s deeds and not only his words, it is said, I have been represented in the hands of the prophets (Hosea 12:10). For this reason, the text then gives the fulfillment of the command: I acquired, which notes the prophet’s obedience. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations; he walked with God (Genesis 6:9).

2. The rejection of the people is signified: and the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying:

   take—from yourself; in the same way, I will cast the people away from Me. go to the Euphrates—which signifies the power of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, by whom the people were led captive. The Lord will bring upon them the waters of the river, many and mighty, the king of the Assyrians, and all his glory. And it will rise above all its channels, and overflow all its banks, and will go as a flood through Judah, and passing by, it shall come to the neck (Isaiah 8:7–8). Hide—just as the people were hidden by the waters, as it were: he swallowed me; like a dragon he filled his belly with my tender meats, and he has cast me out (Jeremiah 51:34). in the cleft, so that it would not flow away with the water, signifies that there would be a future remnant of the people and that they would not perish entirely. But I will not make an end (Jeremiah 4:27).

3. The restoration of the people is signified.

   The restoration itself is first signified by the phrase and it happened after many days, which indicates that they will be in captivity for many years. When seventy years shall be fulfilled in Babylon, I shall visit you, and stir up my good word upon you, and lead you back to this place (Jeremiah 29:10). Take from there—in just this way, I will bring the people back. I shall certainly take you from among the nations, and I will gather you from every land, and lead you to your land (Ezekiel 36:24).

   Second, the character of the people after their return is signified: and behold, the girdle was corrupted. In the same way, the power and beauty of the people had been consumed. Shall it be useful for any work? Even when it was whole it was not fit for work, how much more when fire has consumed it, and burned it. Shall any work be done with it? (Ezekiel 15:5).

Here, he gives the application of the allegory, and on this topic, he makes two points.

1. First, he applies the allegory to the punishment: thus shall I make to rot, meaning that all their vigor and beauty would pass away. The beasts shall rot in their own dung (Joel 1:17).

   He addresses the cause of the punishment—disobedience: this wicked people. The Lord said to Moses: speak to the sons of Israel: you are a stiff-necked people (Exodus 33:5). And they shall be like this girdle. He shall be broken small, as a clay jar is broken with a mighty destruction (Isaiah 30:14).

   He also addresses the grace of divine familiarity that they rejected: for as a girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I closely fitted the whole house of Israel . . . to myself. Behold, the heavens belong to the Lord your God, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, and all that is in it; yet he was closely joined to your fathers, and loved them, and has chosen their seed after them; that is you, from among all the nations, as has been proven this day (Deuteronomy 10:14–15).

2. Second, he focuses on the order of the punishment: you shall speak, therefore. Concerning this, there are two things.

   First, he shows the imminent danger and provides an example: every small jar, meaning any one of the people, shall be filled with wine, that is, the wine of tribulation. You shall thresh the mountains and break them small, and take them up like dust (Isaiah 41:15). He then shows their contempt for the example: and they will say. For who does not know the things which you know (Job 12:3).

   He then gives an explanation of it: and you shall say to them. This explanation concerns the blindness of their heart: drunkenness, as they do not know what they are doing. Waver to and fro, and stagger, be drunk, and not from wine (Isaiah 29:9). It also concerns the captivity: and I will scatter them, so that they cannot be consoled by one another. Consolation is hidden from my eyes, because he shall make a separation between brothers (Hosea 13:14–15).

   Finally, it concerns the severity of the sentence: I shall not spare, and I will not yield. This means not being moved by them, as it were, because they are stubborn; alternatively, it means proving them incontestably guilty, because they are obviously wicked. The jealousy, and fury of a husband will not spare in the day of vengeance, nor will he yield to the prayers of any man, nor accept very many gifts for satisfaction (Proverbs 6:34–35).

   Second, he gives them useful advice for escaping, namely, to humble themselves: hear.

   First, he speaks to the whole people when he advises them to avoid the fault of pride: do not be lifted up. The Lord has spoken, meaning He has given this counsel or predicted the punishments: do not raise your horn on high, or speak wickedness against God (Psalms 74:5) and against the commandment of God, because these things are the beginnings of all sin.

   Give glory to the Lord our God. Ascribe greatness to our God. The works of God are perfect, and all his ways judgment (Deuteronomy 32:3–4). Returning to the imminent danger of a blind heart, he says, before it grows dark, that is, before tribulations overtake you, in which you will not know what to do. Walk while you have the light, that the darkness may not overtake you (John 12:35). He speaks of the captivity: before you strike your feet, while being led into captivity, against the dark mountains of Babylon. These are called dark because of their height, the lack of visibility, or the multitude of vapors.This is likely a reference to the Zagros mountains located to the east of Babylon. Raise the standard upon the dark mountain, shout (Isaiah 13:2). And he speaks of the severity of the sentence: you shall await the light, that is, divine consolation, and you will not have it. We waited for peace, and there was no good; a time of healing, and behold, fear (Jeremiah 8:15).

   When he describes the punishment for their contempt of this counsel, he speaks of the prophet’s compassion: but if you will not hear this, your soul shall weep in secret, so that the victors may not be offended. Withdraw from me, I will weep bitterly. Do not try to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people (Isaiah 22:4). Do not lament, or weep, but languish in your iniquities (Ezekiel 24:23). The reason for his compassion is this: weeping, it shall surely weep, and my eye shall stream tears, for the flock of the Lord has been taken captive. And later: my people have been a lost flock; their shepherds led them astray, and have made them wander in the mountains (Jeremiah 50:6).

   Second, he gives the same counsel to the king, inviting him to humility: say to the king, Jehoiachin, and to the queen, his mother—because he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar with his mother (2 Kings 24:12–15)—sit on the earth, as a sign of humility. Come down, sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground (Isaiah 47:1). He gives the reason from the loss of the kingdom: for the crown . . . has come down from your head. The crown has fallen from our head (Lamentations 5:16).

   This is a result of the siege of the cities: the cities of the south, because the lot of Judah was toward the south (Joshua 15:1–12), who may open, that is, who can break the siege, namely, the Egyptian siege. And, as a consequence of the captivity of the people, is taken away. Judah has gone away because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage; she has dwelt among the nations, but has found no rest (Lamentations 1:3).

   Third, he gives the same counsel to the royal city. He first urges them to humility, and second, he wonders at their stubbornness, at woe to you, Jerusalem (Jeremiah 13:27).

   He urges them to humility for four reasons.

   1. First, because of the power of the enemy. He urges them to consider this power: lift up your eyes and see you who come from the north, who come against the strong. Behold, a people are coming from the land of the north, and a great nation shall arise from the ends of the earth (Jeremiah 6:22). He then rules out confidence in their subjects: where is the flock, the multitude of people who were subject to you? It is as if he were saying, “The royal and priestly city will not be able to help you.” Behold, I, even I am against the shepherds. I will require my flock from their hand, and I will make them to cease, that they may no longer pasture my flock, nor will the shepherds pasture themselves; and I will free my flock from their mouth, and they will be prey for them no more (Ezekiel 34:10).

      When he gives the reason why it is being delivered into the hands of the enemy, he removes their excuse: what will you say to excuse yourself? If he wished to contend with him, he would not be able to answer him (Job 9:3). And he gives the reason: for you have taught them—while calling them to your aid, you made them know your works. Moreover you have taught malice to be your ways (Jeremiah 2:33). Alternatively, he alludes to Hezekiah’s showing of the treasury to the messengers of the king of Babylon (Isaiah 39:2).

   2. Second, by inflicting pain, he threatens them with it: will pain not take hold of you? As stated previously: for I heard the voice as of a woman giving birth, the pains as of a woman in labor (Jeremiah 4:31).

      He gives the reason as arising from the multitude of their sins: and if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come to me?’ as a punishment. Your nakedness,Verecundiora, a euphemism for genitalia. that is, your most shameful sins, has been uncovered, and the soles of your feet, your affections, have been polluted. Because of your great wickedness, and your endless iniquities (Job 22:5). Alternatively, he is speaking here of the fact that they were led into captivity on foot. While crossing rivers, they had to uncover their private parts and bare their feet; therefore, their soles were soiled with mud and dust. Uncover your shame, bare your shoulders, unveil your legs, cross the rivers, and your ignominy will be revealed, and your shame seen (Isaiah 47:2).

      This also arises from the stubbornness of their sins: can the Ethiopian change his skin? It is as if he were saying, “You can change only with great difficulty.” He mentions the Ethiopian because of the natural stain of sin, and the leopard because of their deceitfulness or the diversity of their sins. This is true when you have learned to do evil, that is, through habit. It is a proverb: a young man according to his way, and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).Heb. חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכֹּ֑ו גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה: train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

   3. Third, he urges them to humility because of the future captivity, threatening them with the dispersion of that captivity: and I will scatter them. My God, make them like a wheel, and like chaff before the face of the wind (Psalms 82:13). Scatter them in your strength (Psalms 58:11).

      He gives the reason: this is your lot—what is due to you because of your sins—because you have trusted in a lie. In measure for measure when she has been cast down, he will judge her (Isaiah 27:8).

   4. Fourth, he urges them to humility because of the revelation of their sins.

      First, he speaks of the threat: I also have bared the shame of your sins against your face, so that you would recognize yourself. And your shame has become apparent, even to others. I will bare your ignominy before them, and they will see all your shame (Ezekiel 16:37).

      Then he gives the cause: I saw your abominations upon the hills of the field. It is as if he were saying, “Because you have sinned publicly, you will be punished publicly.” On every high hill, and under every leafy tree you have lain as a harlot (Jeremiah 2:20).

   Finally, he wonders at their obstinacy: woe to you. How long yet after me will you continue? Or, how long will you boast that you walk after me? Sons of men, how long will your hearts be heavy, why do you love vanity, and you seek after a lie? (Psalms 4:2).

Collations

Note that mystically, wine (Jeremiah 13:12) is sometimes good and sometimes bad. There is the good wine of the wisdom of contemplation: drink the wine which I have mixed for you (Proverbs 9:5). There is the wine of divine love: I will give you a drink of spiced wine, and the juice of my pomegranates (Song of Solomon 8:2). And there is the wine of compunction: you have given us to drink of the wine of compunction (Psalms 59:3).

There is also the bad wine of fraudulent deception: their wine is the bile of dragons, the incurable venom of asps (Deuteronomy 32:33). There is the wine of carnal delight: all nations have drunk from the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have fornicated with her (Revelation 18:3). And there is the wine of divine indignation: if anyone shall have worshiped the beast, and his image, and received his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed with pure wine in the cup of his wrath (Revelation 14:10).

It should also be noted that the Holy Spirit is called the south (Jeremiah 13:19) for several reasons. He is called this because of his heat: are your clothes not hot, when the south wind has blown through them (Job 37:17). He is called this because of his splendor: God will come from the south,Teman, a region in southern Edom. and the holy one from mount Paran. He has covered the heavens with his glory (Habakkuk 3:3). He is called this because of the height of his flight: does not the hawk grow feathers through your wisdom, stretching his wings to the south (Job 39:26). He is called this because of the multiplication of the rains: turn, O Lord, our captivity, as the torrent in the southNegev, a desert region in the south of Israel. (Psalms 125:4). And he is called this because of the fruiting of trees: come, south wind, blow upon my garden, and its fragrances will spread abroad (Song of Solomon 4:16).