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Jer_18:11-17
And to the inhabitants [citizens] of Jerusalem, saying,
Thus saith Jehovah: Behold!
I frame evil against you, and think thoughts against you:
Turn ye now, each from his evil way,
And reform your ways and your works.
12 But they will say: No use! but our thoughts we will follow,
And will practise, each according to the obstinacy of his wicked heart.
13 Therefore thus saith Jehovah:
Inquire now among the nations, who hath heard the like?
The virgin Israel hath done a very horrible thing.
14 Ceases from the rock of the field the snow of Lebanon?
Or do the strong, cool, rippling waters dry up?
15 That my people forgat me and burned incense to vanity,
And made them stumble in their ways, the ancient paths,
To walk in roads of an unleveled way,
16 To make their land a desolation,
An object of everlasting derision?
He who only passes through will be astounded at it,
And will shake his head.
17 Like the east wind will I scatter them before the enemy;
Back not face will I show them in the day of their fall.
Jer_18:11-12. And now speak … wicked heart.—And now introduces the transition, after the basis has been laid for the proper object of the discourse. It has been shown that the Lord can form what He will, it is now positively declared, that He will frame evil.—I frame ( éåöø ). In the transferred sense the word is used also in Isa_22:11; Isa_37:26; Isa_46:11; Jer_33:2.—Think. Comp Jer_49:30. The words from turn to way, are found verbatim in Jer_25:5; Jer_35:15. In the last passage is found also the rest of the verse with the exception of ãøáéáí , your works. Comp. Jer_7:3; Jer_26:13.
Jer_18:13-17. Therefore thus … day of their fall. From the peremptory declaration which Israel made in Jer_18:12, it is concluded that this nation has rendered itself guilty of unfaithfulness, the like of which is found neither in history (Jer_18:13), nor in nature (Jer_18:14).—Inquire now. Comp. Jer_2:10-11.—Virgin. Comp. Amo_5:2; Jer_31:4; Jer_31:21.—Ceases, etc. According to the connection the prophet can only mean to adduce a fact in natural history which forms a parallel to the historical fact that a nation has never forsaken its gods. In general it is plain that he has chosen, as the example from natural history, the perennial connection of the snow on Lebanon, and of the fresh abundant springs, with the öåּø ùָֹׁãַé . But what is this? Disregarding the various arbitrary and forced explanations, two views may be here considered. According to one it is Mt. Zion, according to the other, Mt. Lebanon itself. It is in favor of the former. 1. That Zion in Jer_17:3 appears under the designation áַùָּׂãֶä , and in Jer_21:13 as öåּø äַîִּéùׁåֹø . 2. That in Psa_133:3 also the dew of Hermon, which descends on Mt. Zion, is spoken of, and in Pro_25:23 it is said: the north wind brings [Eng. Vers.: driveth away] rain. 3. That the expression snow of Lebanon intimates that the rock of the plain is not identical with Lebanon. On the other hand it may be objected to this explanation: 1. That a connection between the snow of Lebanon and the springs of Zion is very dubious. In a bold poetical figure the extension of the dew of Hermon over the whole land even to Zion, may be spoken of, but here a fact in natural history is treated of, which must have been familiar to the Israelites, and which must have set before them a clear representation of natural and most intimate union. Now other traces show that the Israelites acknowledged the sea to be the true and proper source of rain and moisture for the land, which it also is in fact (comp. 1Ki_18:44-45; Luk_12:54; Winer, R. W. B, s. v., Winde;Raumer, Paläst. S. 91). Hence in Palestine the rainy winds are the West and South-west, which the Arabs also call the “fathers of the rain.” In Pro_25:23 the north-west wind is probably to be understood by øåּçַ öָôåֹï , since the north wind, as with us, is cold, producing frost (Job_37:9-10; Sir_43:20). 2. In Jer_17:3 äøøé áֹùׂãä is a designation of the whole land, for it is not=my mountain set in the plain (as antithesis between mountain and plain) but my mountain together with the plain (antithesis between the sanctuary and the rest of the country inhabited and cultivated by men. Comp. the Comm.). The passage Jer_21:13 also does not enter into comparison with this. For there evidently not Mt. Zion, but the house of David, is to be understood, of which it is said that it is like a rock in a valley, eminent above the surrounding level, whereby it is intended to designate, not the topographical position of Zion, but the relation of the king’s house to his subjects. 3. That it is not said, Ceases the snow from the rock of the field, from Lebanon? but ceases the snow of Lebanon? etc., is certainly remarkable and in other circumstances would be a strong proof that the prophet wished to distinguish the rock and the mountain. For Lebanon alone presented to them the picture of a snowcapped mountain, and all the snow they had came from it. Add to this, that Lebanon was originally an appellative and signifies albedo (comp. Alpes, which were so called ab albis nivibus) whence there appears to me to be a play upon words in Lebanon: the Lebanon snow and the white snow. The absence of the article favors this, for if Lebanon were regarded merely as a proper name, it would require the article. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 71, 4 b. [So Henderson.—S. R. A.].—In favor of the other view, according to which öåּø ùָׂãַé is Lebanon itself, Isaiah 1. that the perennial snow of a mountain, like Lebanon, which though in a hot climate is never free from snow, and on which the snow seems to have lost its peculiar quality of disappearing rapidly, is particularly adapted to serve as an emblem of the most faithful adherence. It seems as though Tacitus had this passage in view, when he wrote (Hist. V., 6): “Præcipuum montium Libanum erigit, mirum dictu, tantos inter ardores opacum fidumque nivibus. Idem amnem Jordanem alit fanditque.” Comp. J. D. Mich., Observ. in Jer., p. 161.—Add to this that 2. the expression used of Lebanon seems particularly appropriate in this connection. For not only may Lebanon be mentioned as an isolated far-looking summit, but especially also as a protecting wall for the plains, which wards off the northerly storms and at the same time mitigates the heat. And is not this “protecting wall of the plains” an excellent emblem of the öåּø òåֹìָîִéí , which is spoken of in Isa_26:4, and of the öåּø éִùְׂøָàֵì , in Isa_30:29? The snow never forsakes the öåø ùׂãé , but Israel, changeable as the snow, easily forsakes the öåø òåìîéí !—Dry up. The meaning of tearing out, uprooting, which ðָúַùׂ includes, is not inappropriate if taken in the figurative sense. The change into éִðָּùְׁúåּ [dry up], which perhaps lies at the basis of the old translations, with the exception of the Vulgate, and which is supported on Isa_19:5; Isa_41:17; Jer_51:30, is therefore unnecessary.—Waters. The wealth of springs on Lebanon is well known. The traveler Korte assures us that nowhere did he see such large and numerous springs as on Lebanon. Vid.Raumer, Paläst., S. 30. In Son_4:15 also the rippling waters of Lebanon are used as a comparison. The thought of the prophet is that as the snow covers Lebanon perpetually above, so the flow of waters at its foot is also perpetual. For the snow is the source of the springs. The expression therefore seems to have been chosen purposely to indicate the connection between the snow and the waters of Lebanon. An uprooting of the waters would be caused by the cessation of the snow. Comp. Hitzig on the passage.—Cold ( ÷ָøִéí , comp. Pro_25:25; Pro_17:27) needs no change; the meaning “cold” is perfectly appropriate.—Rippling, ðæìéí , comp. Exo_15:8; Isa_44:3; Psa_78:16; Pro_5:15; Son_4:15.—That my people, etc. This gives the reason why the questions in Jer_18:13-14 have been put. Since the people have forgotten Him (Jer_2:32), the Lord looks about to see whether anything similar occurs elsewhere. Comp. Psa_8:5.—Made them stumble. The nominative is the collective idea of the idols designated by ùָׁåְà , vanity. [Henderson: false prophets and idolatrous priests.—S. R. A.] Comp. 2Ch_28:23.—When Hitzig and Graf maintain that the old ways were not good, for even the fathers of the Israelites had sinned from ancient times by idolatry (Jer_2:32; Jer_7:25-26; Jer_11:10), they forget that the good ways are more ancient than the people of Israel. Even if Israel since the exodus from Egypt had not served the Lord (which after Jer_2:2 not withstanding Jer_7:25 is not to be maintained too unconditionally), yet the way of Jehovah was the way everlasting (Jer_6:16), and Israel’s true and proper way, for their fathers at any rate served the God who from them is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the fathers’ way is de jure that of the children.—To walk, etc., is the immediate and first consequence of the effect designated by made to stumble, while to make … a desolation, Jer_18:16, denotes the mediate consequence.—Like the east wind. Comp. Exo_14:21; Psa_48:8; Isa_27:8; Hos_13:15; Joh_4:8.—Back, etc. Comp. Jer_2:27.
Footnotes:
Jer_18:11.—[Henderson: I charge thee. Blayney: I pray thee.—S. R. A.]
Jer_18:11.—On the change of àֵì to òַì , comp. Textual Note2 on Jer_10:1.
Jer_18:12.— ðåàùׁ , Niph. part, of éàùׁ , to despair. Comp. Comm. on Jer_2:25. [Henderson: It is hopeless. Blayney: It is a thing not to be hoped.]
Jer_18:12.— ùְׁøøåּú . The expression is found here only as the object of òùׂä , elsewhere always with áְ or àçøé after äìã (comp. Jer_3:17; Jer_9:13; Jer_16:12; Jer_7:24; Jer_11:8; Jer_13:10; Jer_23:17).
Jer_18:13.— ùׁòøøú . This form is found here only. Comp. Hos_6:10; Jer_5:30; Jer_23:14.
Jer_18:14.—There is no other instance of the construction in éַֽòֲåֹá îִï å× , for òæá is used transitively even in Gen_24:27. Should we not perhaps read îְöåֹø instead of îִöåּø ? îָöåֹø is not merely circumvallatio, but also munimentum, arx, turris. Comp. Hab_2:1. Gesen. Thes., p. 1161.
Jer_18:14.—Instead of æָøִéí , which certainly affords no satisfactory meaning, the LXX. seems to have read æִãִéִí , the proud, splendid. So also Meier in comparison with îַéִí éֶéãåֹðִéí , Psa_124:5. Ewald (and after him Graf) derives æָøִéí from æָøַø , to press. This word, however, signifies constrinxit, compressit, and the meaning to press forth is a bare assumption. If the word is to be altered, it is then better to agree with Meier. [“ æָøִéí from æåּø , to compress, straiten, is descriptive of streams, as contracted within narrow channels, while descending through the gorges and defiles of the rocks. The use of the verb ðָæַì . Arab, nazal, ìää á discendit loco, confirms this view.” Henderson. Hitzig renders “strange,” as coming from afar, in the sense of the A. V., and refers to the unknown source of the pool of Siloam, etc.—S. R. A.]
Jer_18:15.—The form ùָׁáåּì here only in the Chethibh; ùָׁáִéì Psa_77:20. The word does not recur.
Jer_18:16.— ùׁøå÷ú . This form here only; ùׁøé÷ú in Jdg_5:16. In Jeremiah ùְּׁøֵ÷ָú only occurs elsewhere: Jer_19:8; Jer_25:9; Jer_25:18; Jer_29:18; Jer_51:37.
Jer_18:16.— éðéã áøàùׁå . Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., § 69, 1. Anm. 2. The expression occurs here only. Comp. Psa_44:15; Psa_22:8; Psa_109:25.