this covenant--alluding to the book of the law (Deu 31:26) found in the temple by Hilkiah the high priest, five years after Jeremiah's call to the prophetic office (2Ki. 22:8-23:25).
Hear ye--Others besides Jeremiah were to promulgate God's will to the people; it was the duty of the priests to read the law to them (Mal 2:7).
iron furnace-- (Deu 4:20; Kg1 8:51). "Furnace" expresses the searching ordeal; "iron," the long duration of it. The furnace was of earth, not of iron (Psa 12:6); a furnace, in heat and duration enough to melt even iron. God's deliverance of them from such an ordeal aggravates their present guilt.
do them--namely, the words of the covenant (Jer 11:3).
so, &c.-- (Lev 26:3, Lev 26:12).
a land flowing with milk and honey--(See on Num 14:8).
as it is this day--These are the concluding words of God to the Israelites when formerly brought out of Egypt, "Obey . . . that I may at this time make good the promise I made to your fathers, to give," &c. [MAURER]. English Version makes the words apply to Jeremiah's time, "As ye know at this time, that God's promise has been fulfilled," namely, in Israel's acquisition of Canaan.
So be it--Hebrew, Amen. Taken from Deu 27:15-26. Jeremiah hereby solemnly concurs in the justice of the curses pronounced there (see Jer 11:3).
Hear . . . do-- (Rom 2:13; Jam 1:22).
will bring--The words, "even unto this day" (Jer 11:7), confirm English Version rather than the rendering of ROSENMULLER: "I brought upon them."
words--threats (Jer 11:3; Deu 27:15-26).
not hearken-- (Psa 18:41; Pro 1:28; Isa 1:15; Mic 3:4).
in the time of their trouble--that is, calamity (Jer 2:27).
for their trouble--on account of their trouble. Other manuscripts read, "in the time of their trouble" a gloss from Jer 11:12.
lewdness with many-- (Eze 16:25). Rather, "that great (or, manifold) enormity"; literally, "the enormity, the manifold"; namely, their idolatry, which made their worship of God in the temple a mockery (compare Jer 7:10; Eze 23:39) [HENDERSON].
holy flesh-- (Hag 2:12-14; Tit 1:15), namely, the sacrifices, which, through the guilt of the Jews, were no longer holy, that is, acceptable to God. The sacrifices on which they relied will, therefore, no longer protect them. Judah is represented as a priest's wife, who, by adultery, has forfeited her share in the flesh of the sacrifices, and yet boasts of her prerogative at the very same time [HORSLEY].
when thou doest evil--literally, "when thy evil" (is at hand). PISCATOR translates, "When thy calamity is at hand (according to God's threats), thou gloriest" (against God, instead of humbling thyself). English Version is best (compare Pro 2:14).
olive-- (Psa 52:8; Rom 11:17). The "olive" is chosen to represent the adoption of Judah by the free grace of God, as its oil is the image of richness (compare Psa 23:5; Psa 104:15).
with . . . noise of . . . tumult--or, "at the noise," &c., namely, at the tumult of the invading army (Isa 13:4) [MAURER]. Or, rather, "with the sound of a mighty voice," namely, that of God, that is, the thunder; thus there is no confusion of metaphors. The tree stricken with lightning has "fire kindled upon it, and the branches are broken," at one and the same time [HOUBIGANT].
against themselves--The sinner's sin is to his own hurt (see on Jer 7:19).
the Lord . . . thou--The change of person from the third to the second accords with the excited feelings of the prophet.
then--when I was in peril of my life.
their doings--those of the men of Anathoth. His thus alluding to them, before he has mentioned their name, is due to his excitement.
devices-- (Jer 18:18).
tree with . . . fruit--literally, "in its fruit" or "food," that is, when it is in fruit. Proverbial, to express the destruction of cause and effect together. The man is the tree; his teaching, the fruit. Let us destroy the prophet and his prophecies; namely, those threatening destruction to the nation, which offended them. Compare Mat 7:17, which also refers to prophets and their doctrines.
revealed--committed my cause. Jeremiah's wish for vengeance was not personal but ministerial, and accorded with God's purpose revealed to him against the enemies alike of God and of His servant (Psa 37:34; Psa 54:7; Psa 112:8; Psa 118:7).
the year of . . . visitation--The Septuagint translates, "in the year of their," &c., that is, at the time when I shall visit them in wrath. JEROME supports English Version. "Year" often means a determined time.
He ventures to expostulate with Jehovah as to the prosperity of the wicked, who had plotted against his life (Jer 12:1-4); in reply he is told that he will have worse to endure, and that from his own relatives (Jer 12:5-6). The heaviest judgments, however, would be inflicted on the faithless people (Jer 12:7-13); and then on the nations co-operating with the Chaldeans against Judah, with, however, a promise of mercy on repentance (Jer 12:14-17).