Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 15:1-4

"Then said Jehovah unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith Jehovah: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith Jehovah: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy. And I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem." — Jeremiah 15:1-4 (ASV)

1. This section presents the final and decisive rejection of the prophet’s prayer for the people.

First, the rejection of the prayer is presented; second, the cause of this rejection is shown to be the people's stubbornness: the sin of Judah is written with an iron pen, and a nail of diamond (Jeremiah 17:1).

Regarding the first point, there are two aspects:

1. He forbids the prophet from praying for the people.
2. He commands him to shun their society as if he were excommunicating them: and the word of the Lord came to me, saying (Jeremiah 16:1).

Regarding the prophet's prayer itself, there are two parts:

1. The rejection of the prophet's prayer for the people is given.
2. Then, as if despairing of the people's well-being, he pours out a prayer for himself, at woe to me, O my mother! (Jeremiah 15:10).

Regarding the rejection of the prayer, there are two points:

1. The prayer is rejected.
2. The reason for its rejection is given: who shall have mercy upon you, Jerusalem? (Jeremiah 15:5).

Regarding the first point, the rejection of the prayer, there are two aspects to consider:

1. First, the rejection of the prayer is considered: even if Moses and Samuel stood. These men were effective in prayer because they were concerned for the people and prayed for their enemies. This is mentioned regarding Moses in Exodus 22 and regarding Samuel in 1 Samuel 12.

   My soul means the affections. It is as if he were saying, “It is not due to any failure on the part of the one praying that the prayer is not heard, but because of the failings of the people for whom the prayer is made.” As it says in Ezekiel: And if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, shall be in their midst, they shall deliver their own souls by their justice (Ezekiel 14:14). As it says later in the same place: even if these three men shall be in their midst, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they themselves alone shall be delivered (Ezekiel 14:18).

2. Second, the rejection of the nation, for which he was praying, is considered. This begins with the command to drive them out, meaning, show that they have been cast out from before my face, so that they may not see me and be defended by my presence. As it says in Genesis: Behold, you drive me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from your face (Genesis 4:14).

   The end to which this rejection is directed is a fourfold danger: but if they should say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them . . . those who are for death, to death, that is, by pestilence. It is as if he were saying, “These different people will be subject to these various punishments.” As Ezekiel says: A third part of you shall die by plague, and be consumed by famine in the midst of you, and a third part of you shall fall by the sword around you, and a third part I shall scatter to every wind, and I shall draw my sword after them (Ezekiel 5:12).

He also excludes the comfort of a proper burial for the dead: and I will visit upon them four kinds of punishment, which were already mentioned: death, sword, famine, and captivity. And I will add dogs to this. And the dead of this people shall be as food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there shall be none to drive them away (Jeremiah 7:33).

Mercy is also excluded for the captives: and I shall give them in burning anger, that is, in the burning anger of hatred, because of Manasseh, who did many evil things (2 Kings 21:2–9). Thus, the same passage says: nevertheless, the Lord has not turned from the wrath of his great anger, by which his wrath was stirred up against Judah, because of the offences by which Manasseh provoked him (2 Kings 23:26).

The people are punished for the sins of the king because, at that time, an evil man was permitted to rule due to the people's own sins. As Job says, God is the one who made a hypocrite to rule because of the sins of the people (Job 34:30).

Furthermore, the people are punished because they imitated the king's sins. For, as is the ruler of a city, so are they who dwell in it . And as Proverbs states, the prince who willingly hears the words of a deceitful man has all his ministers wicked (Proverbs 29:12).