Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 5:1-3

"Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her. And though they say, As Jehovah liveth; surely they swear falsely. O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? thou hast stricken them, but they were not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return." — Jeremiah 5:1-3 (ASV)

Here, he excludes the remedies in which they might have been able to trust:

1. The holiness of men.

   Concerning this, there are two points:

   1. He shows their wickedness in general.

      Concerning this, there are two points:

      1. He shows their guilt.

         Concerning this, there are two points:

         1. He shows the wickedness of the rulers.

            Concerning this, there are two points:

            1. The Lord sets forth the universal wickedness of the people regarding the depravity of their actions: a man, even one, who carries out judgment, that is, one who deals justly with his neighbor according to the rule of just judgment; who seeks faith, that is, to act faithfully; and I will be gracious to her, not only on account of ten, as is said to Abraham concerning the inhabitants of Sodom in Genesis 18. But it could have been said, there is none who does good, no not even one (Psalms 13:3).

               And with regard to the perversity of their actions in these things, if they should somehow appear to be good: even if they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ they swear falsely, because in their heart they do not worship the Lord as they pretend with their mouth, or because they literally perjure themselves. As it says above, you shall swear: as the Lord lives, in truth, and in judgment, and in justice (Jeremiah 4:2). This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me (Isaiah 29:13).

            2. The prophet confirms the judgment of the Lord.

               First, he discusses the truth of the sentence: Lord, your eyes behold faith, that is, what is right; as if to say, “You have judged rightly.” Every way of a man lies open to his eyes, the Lord is a weigher of spirits (Proverbs 16:2). Your eyes are clean lest they should see evil, and to look upon iniquity you will not be able (Habakkuk 1:13).

               Second, he adds the incorrigibility of the people, for they are not corrected even by being struck: you have struck them, with light chastisements, and they have not been sorry for their sins; you have crushed them, with death and captivity. As it says above, in vain have I struck your children; they have not received correction (Jeremiah 2:30). I have struck you with a burning wind, and I have struck all the works of your hands with mildewIn this quotation of the passage from Haggai, the Parma edition has aerugine, “rust,” instead of aurugine, “mildew.” But perhaps this is how Thomas Aquinas read the passage; see notes in ch. 30, lect. 2, below. and hail; and there was none among you who would turn back to me, says the Lord (Haggai 2:18). Nor because of shame: they have hardened; as if to say, “They are not changed by the feeling of shame.” Indeed, the whole house of Israel has a hard forehead, and a stiff heart (Ezekiel 3:7).

         2. Of their subjects, at but I said (Jeremiah 5:4).

      2. He threatens them with punishment, at therefore, the lion of the forest struck them (Jeremiah 5:6).

   2. He discusses their vices in particular, at for what shall I be able to be gracious to you? (Jeremiah 5:7).

2. The strength of the royal city, at be strengthened (Jeremiah 6:1).

3. Exactness in the worship of God, at the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying (Jeremiah 7:1).