Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 2:24
A wild ass used to the wilderness, [that] snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
24. a wild ass used to the wilderness ] revelling in uncontrolled licence. Cp. Job 39:5 ff. The noun is not a simile for the young camel of Jer 2:23 (a metaphor within a metaphor), but a further metaphor for Israel. Some commentators propose to read the Heb. consonants with other vowels, giving the meaning heifer. But the whole expression requires, not an animal originally tame, but one “used to” a wilderness life. Co., however, would omit from a “wild ass” to “desire,” conjecturing that it is a gloss suggested by Jer 14:6.
snuffeth up the wind ] looking out for every occasion that offers to sin.
will not weary themselves, etc.] Her lovers (i.e. the Baals) need not trouble themselves. No courting of her favour will be wanted on their part. In the month of her pairing she will seek them eagerly.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A wild donkey used to the wilderness – The type of an untamed and reckless nature.
Snuffeth up the wind – The wind brings with it the scent of the male. Israel does not wait until temptation comes of itself, but looks out for any and every incentive to idolatry.
Occasion … month – i. e., the pairing season.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. A wild ass used to the wilderness] Another comparison to express the same thing.
Snuffeth up the wind] In a high fever from the inward heat felt at such times, these animals open their mouths and nostrils as wide as possible, to take in large draughts of fresh air, in order to cool them.
In her mouth they shall find her.] The meaning is, that although such animals are exceedingly fierce and dangerous when they are in this state; yet, as soon as they have found the male, the desire is satisfied, and they become quiet and governable as before. But it was not so with this idolatrous people: their desires were ever fierce and furious; they were never satiated, one indulgence always leading to an other. The brute beasts had only a short season in which this appetite prevailed; but they acted without restraint or limit.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A wild ass; or, O wild ass; another similitude for the more lively description of the same thing; neither need we be solicitous about the variety or extravagancies of conjectures about this beast; or you may consult as before. It is said to be wild and untamed, as being
used to the wilderness doth also imply; and as to satisfying its lust, much of the nature of the other.
That snuffeth up the wind: this snuffing properly appertains to the sense of smelling, by which certain creatures, by a natural sagacity, find out what they miss, which huntsmen express by a proper term of
winding, or having in the wind; and thus it is understood here; for this creature, by the wind; smells afar off which way her male is; for there is another sense of
snuffing up the wind, viz. for the service of health, as allaying inward heat and drought, &c., Jer 14:6.
At her pleasure; as her desire or lust serves when it runs out after the male; implying also that no choice, or judgment, or measure is observed in these beasts, when carried out after their lusts.
In her occasion who can turn her away? i.e. when she is set upon it, and hath an occasion and opportunity to run impetuously to her male for the satisfying her pleasure, she bears down all opposition before her; there is none can stop or put a bridle upon her raging lust.
Will not weary themselves, i.e. either they need not weary themselves; (speaking of Jerusalem, to which all the rest also is to be applied as in an allegory;) they that have a mind to be filthy with her may easily trace her, Jer 2:23, she refuges none: or rather, they will not bestow their labour in vain, when she is hot upon her lust, but let her take her course until she be satisfied, and wait their time and opportunity; and this agrees with the next words.
In her month they shall find her: if this relate to the former sense of not wearying themselves, it notes her impudence and unsatiableness; you may have her at any time, even in her months or new moons, a season wherein such acts are abhorrent even to nature itself. Some understand this of the idolatry they committed every new moon; but it more properly points at the month of her breeding, or growing big and weighty; month put collectively for months, such as Job speaks of, Job 39:1,2. Or, in her last month, because they grow then unwieldy. That this creature sleeps one month in the year, and that is the month she may be taken, is generally deemed but a fancy. The sense of the verse is, that though Jerusalem be now madly bent upon going after her idols, and other unclean courses, that there is no stopping or controlling of her, as in the next verse, and Jer 2:31; 22:21; yet the time may come, in their afflictions, that they may grow more tame, and willing to receive counsel, as Jer 2:27, and Hos 5:15.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. (Jer 14:6;Job 39:5). “A wild ass,”agreeing with “thou” (Jer2:23).
at her pleasurerather,”in her ardor,” namely, in pursuit of a male, sniffing thewind to ascertain where one is to be found [MAURER].
occasioneither from aHebrew root, “to meet”; “her meeting (with themale for sexual intercourse), who can avert it?” Or better froman Arabic root: “her heat (sexual impulse), whocan allay it?” [MAURER].
all theywhichever ofthe males desire her company [HORSLEY].
will not wearythemselveshave no need to weary themselves in searching forher.
her monthin the seasonof the year when her sexual impulse is strongest, she putsherself in the way of the males, so that they have no difficulty infinding her.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A wild ass used to the wilderness,…. That is, one that has been brought up in the wilderness, and has been accustomed to live, and run, and range about there; as men in general are compared to this creature for its ignorance, stupidity, folly, stubbornness, and unteachableness, Job 11:12, so the Jewish people are represented as like unto it, for its wantonness and lust:
that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; draws it in at her nostrils, and snuffs it up; or opens her mouth, and takes it in with her breath; drinks it in, and swallows it up at her pleasure: or, “with the desire of her soul” c; it being grateful and delightful to her. Some read this clause in connection with , rendered “in her occasion”; and differently translate it. The Targum takes it to have the signification of , “dragons”; or whales; and renders it,
“drinking the wind as a dragon;”
and so Jarchi, who compares it with Jer 14:6 “they snuffed up the wind like dragons”; and so the Syriac version, “thou hast drawn up the wind like a wild dog”; others render it, “gathering the wind of her occasion”; or, “of her meeting” d; taking it in, and snuffing it up, as she occasionally met with it in running. The Vulgate Latin version is, “she drew the wind of her love”; it is reported of the wild ass, that it can smell its mate afar off, and, by the wind it snuffs, knows where it is; for which purpose it runs up the hills and mountains to get the scent, which, when it has, its lust is so violent that there is no stopping of it till it comes to the place where its mate is: wherefore it follows,
in her occasion who can turn her away? when this violent fit is upon her, there is no turning her away from pursuing the enjoyment of it; which is expressive of the eager desire of the Jews after the worshipping of idols, how bent upon it, and not to be reclaimed from it:
all they that seek her will not weary themselves; knowing that they can not overtake her, or stop her in her career, or hinder her gratification of her lust. This may be understood either of those who sought to commit spiritual adultery or idolatry with the Jews, they need not weary themselves, being easy to be found by them; or of the prophets that sought to reclaim them, who, perceiving how stubborn, and untractable, and irreclaimable they were, would not weary themselves with their admonitions and reproofs, seeing they were in vain:
in her month they shall find her; not that this creature sleeps one whole month in a year, as Jarchi dreams, when it may be easily taken; but the sense is, that when it is with young, and in the last month, and so is heavy with its burden, it may easily be found and taken; so when the people of Israel should have filled up the measure of their iniquity, and the judgment of God was fallen and lay heavy upon them; then those that sought to return them from their evil ways might find them, and hope to succeed in reclaiming them, and bringing them to repentance; agreeably the Septuagint render it, “in her humiliation”; when chastised and humbled by the Lord for her sins. This is not to be understood of the month of Ab, in which Jerusalem was destroyed, both by Nebuchadnezzar and Titus; in which month the Jews are sure to be found confessing their sins, and humbling themselves, as Kimchi, Abarbinel, and Ben Melech interpret it; nor of the new moon, as others; at everyone of which, those who sought to join with them in idolatrous practices might be sure to find them at them.
c “in, [vel] pro desiderio animae suae”, Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Vatablus, Schmidt. d “ventum occasionis suae”, Pagninus Montanus “veatum occursus sui”, Calvin.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
As Jeremiah had called the people a dromedary, so he now calls them a wild ass: “Thou,” he says, “art both a dromedary and a wild ass.” For when a wild ass has caught the wind according to her desire, that is, when she has pantingly sought it, and has caught the wind of her occasion, that is, such as may chance to be; for he meant to shew, by this expression, that there is no choice made by beasts, no judgment shewn, no moderation exercised; — when, therefore, she has caught the wind, wherever chance may take her, no one can restrain her from her impetuous course; and he who pursues her will in vain fatigue himself, until he finds her in her month
By these words the Prophet intimates the untamable madness of the people, that they could not by any means be restrained, being like a wild ass, which cannot be tamed nor divested of its wildness, especially when she has caught the wind. For were she shut in, bolts might do something, so as to prevent her headlong course: but when a wild ass is free, and allowed to ramble over hill and dale, when she catches the wind, and catches it according to her desire; that is, when she can wander here and there, and nothing prevents her from rambling in all directions, — when such a liberty is allowed to wild animals that they catch the wind, and the wind of occasion; that is, any wind that may chance to be, there is no reason, as the Prophet seems to intimate, in wild beasts, nor do they keep within any due bounds. When any one of us undertakes a journey, he inquires how far he can go in one day, he avoids weariness, and provides against it as far as he can, and after having fixed the extent of his journey, he thinks of a resting — place; and he also makes inquiries as to the right way, and the best road. The case is different with wild animals; for when they begin to run, they go not to Lyons or to Lausanne, but abandon themselves to a blind impulse: and then when they are fatigued, they cease not to proceed in their course, for lust hurries them on. We now perceive the design of the Prophet.
He then adds, Who can bring her back? As though he had said, that the people could not be stopped or brought back to anything like moderation, for a wildness, yea rather a complete madness, had taken an entire possession of them. (55)
It afterwards follows, There is no reason for any one to weary himself, he will at length find her in her month All interpreters agree that this month is to be taken for the time of foaling. When the wild asses are in foal, and the time of parturition draws nigh, they are then restrained by their burden, and may be easily caught, as they retain not their previous swiftness, for they carry a burden. The Prophet then says, that the people were like wild asses, for they could be restrained by no instruction, and nothing could bridle their excesses; but that the time of parturition must be waited for.
Let us now see how this similitude applies to the people. The verse contains two parts. The first shews, as I have already said, that the people could not be turned by any warnings, nor would they obey any counsels, but were carried away by their insane passions, as it were by the wind of occasion, or any wind that might blow. This is the first part. Now as the obstinacy of the people was so great, God here declares to hypocrites, that the time would come when he would put a restraint on them, and break down their impetuous infatuation. How? The time of parturition would come; that is, “when ye shall have done many iniquities, your burden will stop and restrain you.” And he intimates, that it would be the time of his judgment; as though he had said, “you must be dealt with not as sane men, endued with a sound mind; for ye are wild beasts which cannot be tamed.” What, then, remains to be done? As the wild ass is weighed down with her burden when the time of parturition approaches, so I will cause you at length to feel the burden of your iniquities, which will be by its weight intolerable; and though your perverseness is untamable, yet my hand will be sufficient to restrain you; for I shall break you down, as ye will not bend nor obey my instruction.” We now, then, understand the import of the similitude, and how applicable it was to the case of the people; the use of which ought to be learnt, also, by us in the present day. The rest tomorrow.
(55) The grammatical anomalies at the beginning of this verse are satisfactorily removed by Parkhurst, and what he has proposed is approved by Horsley. He considers פרה to be the female dromedary, he derives למד from מד, measure, or extent, with a ל prefixed, and regards נפשה as the true reading, being that of the Keri, and of the largest number of MSS. This verse and the preceding are to be thus connected, —
23. How canst thou say, “I have not been polluted, After Baalim have I not walked!” See thy way in the valley, Know what thou hast done, — Like a swift dromedary which winds about her courses, —
24. A female which, in the wide space of the wilderness, Through the desire of her natural instinct, Snuffs up the wind she meets with: Who can turn her back? All who seek her, Let them not weary themselves; In her month they shall find her.
By “winding about her courses,” or tracks, or ways, is meant running in this and in that direction, and not in a straight course. The word, as a noun, denotes the string or latchet by which the ancients fastened their sandals, and which they twined round the feet. “The wind she meets with,” is literally, “the wind of her meeting.” The Septuagint and the early versions have departed widely from the original; the Vulgate comes nearest to it; nor is the Targum far off — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(24) A wild ass . . .One image of animal desire suggests another, and the wild ass appears (as in the Hebrew of Gen. 16:12; Job. 11:12; Job. 39:5) as even a stronger type of passion that defies control. The description is startling in its boldness, but has a parallel in that of Virgil (Georg. iii. 250).
That snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure.Better, in the desire of her heart, as it bears to her the scent that draws her on. The occasion and the month are, of course, the season when the stimulus of animal desire is strongest. There is no need for the stallion to seek her with a weary search, she presents herself and pursues him. So there was in Israel what we should describe as a mania for the hateful worship of the heathen.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 2:24 A wild ass used to the wilderness, [that] snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
Ver. 24. A wild ass used to the wilderness. ] Untameable and untractable, Job 39:8 especially when proud and in the heat of lust, as these were after their idols.
That snuffeth up the wind.
In her month they shall find her,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
her pleasure = her soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
A wild ass: or, O wild ass, etc. Jer 14:6, Job 11:12, Job 39:5-8
used: Heb. taught
her pleasure: Heb. the desire of her heart
turn her away: or, reverse it
in her month: Jer 2:27, Hos 5:15
Reciprocal: Job 24:5 – wild asses Job 39:2 – General Jer 8:6 – as Eze 16:25 – at every Hos 8:9 – a wild Joh 13:27 – That
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 2:24. In the preceding verse Israel (I use the word with its general meaning) is compared to a young camel. In this the comparison is to a wild ass spending her days in the wilderness. She has been in such surroundings bo much that she is used to the experiences. Sniffeth up the wind at her pleasure denotes an independent attitude toward the things that will give her pleasure regardless of whether they are things worth while or not. Who can turn her is In question form, but It means no one can turn her from her determination to have her own way. Any male wishing her association might as Well not bother to find her out there in the wilderness. In her month (meaning the mating time) she will show up prompted by her own desires at which time the male companion will easily have access to her. Likewise, Israel is interested only in her own pleasure and in her occasion (at her opportunity) she submits to mating with another wild (strange or outside) creature, the false god. with whom she will unite in intimate association.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
2:24 A wild {k} donkey used to the wilderness, [that] snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her {l} month they shall find her.
(k) He compares the idolaters to a wild ass: for she can never be tamed nor yet wearied: for as she runs she can take her wind at every opportunity.
(l) That is, when she is with foal, and therefore the hunters wait their time: so though you cannot be turned back now from your idolatry, yet when your iniquity will be at the fall, God will meet with you.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Israel was also like "a wild donkey" that followed the scent that appealed to it, rather than following its master. Like a wild female donkey in heat, Israel had done things that were unnatural (cf. Gen 16:12; Job 11:12). Enemies pursued Israel and found her, just like male donkeys find female donkeys that are in heat.
"She [the female donkey] sniffs the path in front of her trying to pick up the scent of a male (from his urine). Then she races down the road in search of the male. One Arab proverb runs, ’She is intoxicated with the urine of the male.’ Under such circumstances the males need not weary themselves chasing the she-ass, because she is bent on chasing them." [Note: Thompson, p. 179.]
The camel illustrates unreliability, and the donkey lust-based passion, in this instance. [Note: See K. E. Bailey and W. L. Holladay, "The ’Young Camel’ and ’Wild Ass’ in Jeremiah 2:23-25," Vetus Testamentum 18 (1968):256-60.] The people had worn out their sandals and fainted from thirst in their pursuit of idols.