Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 9:10-14

"For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passeth through; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the birds of the heavens and the beasts are fled, they are gone. And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling-place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and [who is] he to whom the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken, that he may declare it? wherefore is the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through? And Jehovah saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein, but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them;" — Jeremiah 9:10-14 (ASV)

Here, the prophet specifies their punishment in detail.

1. He first defines the punishment. Regarding this point, he addresses three things:
   1. The devastation of the land. Concerning this, there are two points:
      1. He first describes the destruction of the land.

         With respect to its possessions, he indicates it will be by fire: for they are burned. As it says in Joel, I will cry to you, O LORD, for fire has consumed the lovely places of the wilderness, and flame has burned every tree of the field (Joel 1:19). The land will be so desolate that no man may pass through. As stated previously, I looked, and behold there was no man, and every bird of heaven had fled away (Jeremiah 4:25). And they did not hear the voice of their owner, because he would no longer go there.

         With respect to the cities, he adds: I will make Jerusalem to be heaps of sand. As Isaiah says, Behold, Damascus shall cease to be a city, and will be as a heap of stones, a ruin (Isaiah 17:1).

      2. Second, he gives the reason for this destruction. This involves two parts:
         1. First, he poses a question to show that the reason is not obvious to human wisdom: who is a wise man that he may understand this on his own? To whom has the word of the LORD’s mouth come, that he may know it through revelation? As Isaiah asks, Who is there among you, who may hear this, attend, and hear of future things? (Isaiah 42:23).
         2. Second, he gives the LORD’s response.

            The reason is their turning away from Him: because they have abandoned My law, showing they were not careful to meditate on it; and did not hear My voice, so as to obey it promptly; and they did not walk in it, so as to fulfill it.

            In contrast, consider the faithfulness of others: Many from the people of Israel resolved amongst themselves that they would not eat any unclean thing, and they chose to die rather than to defile themselves with unclean foods, and they refused to violate the holy law of God, and they were slain .

            Their apostasy is further explained: they went after—that is, they followed their own perverse desires—the Baalim, a term that is plural in number and masculine in gender. As Scripture warns, Go not after your own lusts, and turn from your own will .

   2. The affliction of the people, as in therefore, thus says the LORD (Jeremiah 9:15).
   3. The casting away of their bodies, as in speak, thus says the LORD (Jeremiah 9:22).
2. Second, he warns against false confidence in escape, as it is written, thus says the LORD: let not the wise glory in his wisdom (Jeremiah 9:23).