Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 10:18
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find [it so].
18. sling out ] Cp. 1Sa 25:29; also Isa 22:18.
feel ] See the mg. The clause is suspicious in form, the verb having no expressed object. It is just possible, but hardly likely, that it may be corrected (by a change of vocalisation) to “that they may be found,” i.e. that disaster may overtake them. But this is a very forced sense for the expression to bear.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Sling out – A similar metaphor for violent ejection occurs in Isa 22:18 (see the note).
At this once – Or, at this time. Previous invasions had ended either in deliverance, or at most in temporary misfortune. Gods long-suffering is exhausted, and this time Judaea must cease to be an independent nation.
That they may find it so – Omit so, and explain either
(1) I will distress them with the rigors of a siege that they may feel it, i. e., the distress; or,
(2) that they may find Me, God, that which alone is worth finding.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. I will sling out the inhabitants of the land] I will project you with violence from your country. I will send you all into captivity. This discourse, from Jer 10:17, is supposed to have been delivered in the eleventh year of Jehoiakim.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I will sling out; it notes with how much violence, and speed, and with ease the Chaldeans shall hurry away the people into Babylon, as the stone doth swiftly and violently pass which is thrown out of a sling, with so much ease, and therefore it is said at at this once; I will not delay, but make one thorough quick work of it; noting not only the time, but implying the clear riddance the he would make of them, 2Ch 36:17-19; they had been often assaulted by enemies, and sometimes they redeemed themselves, sometimes delivered by God, their enemies being sometimes divided; but it should not be so now, but all swept away. That they may find it so; that they may see I am in good earnest, that I have not only said it, but they shall find that I will execute it; and though they would never believe it, yet they shall actually find the truth of my threatenings. See Jer 5:12,13; Eze 6:10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. sling outexpressing theviolence and suddenness of the removal to Babylon. A similar imageoccurs in Jer 16:13; 1Sa 25:29;Isa 22:17; Isa 22:18.
at this onceat thistime, now.
find it sofind it byexperience, that is, feel it (Eze6:10). MICHAELIStranslates, “I will bind them together (as in a sling) that theymay reach the goal” (Babylon). English Version is best:”that they may find it so as I have said” (Num 23:19;Eze 6:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thus saith the Lord,…. This is a reason enforcing the exhortation in the preceding verse, and shows that the same people that are spoken of here are addressed there.
Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once; meaning the inhabitants of the land of Judea; or otherwise the prophet would never have expressed such a concern for them as he does in the following verse. Their captivity is signified by the slinging of a stone out of a sling, and shows how sudden, swift, and certain, it would be: and that it would as easily and swiftly be done, and with equal force and rapidity, as a stone is slung out of a sling; and that it would be done by the Lord himself, whoever were the instruments:
and will distress them; or “straiten” z them, on every side; it seems to intend the siege; or bring them into great straits and difficulties, through the pestilence, famine, sword, and captivity:
that they may find it; so as he had spoken by his prophets, it coming to pass exactly as they had foretold. The Targum is,
“that they may receive the punishment of their sins;”
and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, “that thy stroke may be found”; but the Syriac version is very different from either, “that they may seek me and find”; which is an end that is sometimes answered by afflictive dispensations.
z “oblidere faciana eos”, some in Vatablus; “et angustabo, [vel] obsidebo eos”, Schmidt; “faciam ut obsideant eos”, Calvin; “arctum ipsis facium”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Then follows the reason, For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will with a sling cast out the inhabitants of the land Land here is to be taken in another sense, even for the whole country. Wherever then the Jews dwelt, the Lord, says the Prophet, will draw them forth, yea, east them out as with a sling. We now then see that the vengeance which the Jews despised is denounced on them, because they remained securely in their own delusions; and what still more provoked God’s wrath, they regarded all that Jeremiah said of his judgment as a fable. But he compares their violent exile to slinging, and represents the Lord as the slinger. We know that when a sling is flung and a stone is cast, the motion is very violent. Such a casting away is then what God here threatens the people with, — that he would violently throw them here and there, like stones when cast by a sling.
And he says at this term or time, in order that the Jews might know that their calamity would be like a sudden storm. For they had often been subject to the assaults of enemies; but at one time they had delivered themselves, at another the Chaldeans and Assyrians had been constrained to turn aside to other quarters; or they had been miraculously delivered by God’s aid. They hoped that it would be the same always; and they thought also that by protracting the war they could disappoint their enemies, as they had often done; and further still, they expected aid from various quarters. Hence the Prophet says, that they would be so taken away, that God would at once cast them all out of the land, and east them out as it were in one day: at this time they, will I fling out the inhabitants of the land
Then he says, And I will straiten them. Some render the verb transitively, as it is in Hiphil, “I will cause them to be besieged by their enemies,” and then, “that their enemies may find them.” But this seems forced. Others more correctly give this explanation of the last clause, “that they may find,” that is, as true, what had been so often foretold them. For, as we have said, the Prophets and their threatenings had been despised, as the Jews had hardened themselves in their impiety: therefore this interpretation may be allowed. But I prefer a more general meaning, — that they may find, even what they had sought; for they had in many and various ways provoked the wrath of God: it was therefore right that they should at last find that which they had by their perverse doings procured for themselves, according to what is said in Isa 57:10,
“
They shall find the fruit of their own ways.”
The Jews sought nothing less than the calamity which Jeremiah denounced on them: but they had really long sought it; for it was right that they should receive the wages due to their wickedness. Then it is, that they may find, that is, the reward of their own works. (17) It follows —
(17) As to these two verses the early versions all differ from one another, as well as from our version and that of Calvin. The Targum comes the nighest to our version. I offer the following rendering, —
17. Gather from the land thy gains, Thou who dwellest in a fortress!
18. For thus saith Jehovah, — Behold I will sling out The inhabitants of the land at this time, And will fortress them, that they may be taken.
The first verse is spoken ironically, recommending what they were doing. Then the Lord says what he would do: They were gathering their goods into fortresses in order to secure them, and the Lord says that he would violently fortress (as the word means literally) or drive into fortresses all the inhabitants of the land, and would do so, that they might be found or taken, that is, captives; there would be no need of collecting the people, for they would be driven into fortified cities, where the enemies would find them. This seems to be the meaning of this verse, which Horsley deemed “very obscure,” and elucidated “by no expositor.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) I will sling out.The same bold metaphor, though not the same word, for violent expulsion, is found in the prophecy of the fate of Shebna (Isa. 22:18).
That they may find it so.In the Hebrew, the verb, though transitive, stands by itself, without an object. The ellipsis has been filled up either by it, as in the English Version, i.e., may feel it in all its bitterness; or by me, as in the Syriac version, i.e., may be led through their misery to seek and find Jehovah. The parallelism of Deu. 4:29; Jer. 29:13, makes the latter meaning probable (see also Act. 17:27); but it may be suggested that the very omission of an object was intended to be suggestive in its abruptness. They would find . . .;what they found would depend upon themselves. A possible construction is that they (the enemy) may find them (the people besieged), but this is hardly the natural sequel of the exile of which the previous words speak.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. I will sling out Compare Isa 22:17-18.
This once Literally, this time; implying that in contrast with other and more partial judgments the grand catastrophe is hastening on.
That they may find it so The meaning is doubtful, but this, on the whole, seems preferable. The word rendered distress means to press hard, to close in. The thought, then, is, I will press them hard, (as into a strait place.) that they may find them.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 10:18. Behold, I will sling, &c. Behold, I will inclose as in a net the inhabitants of this land; and will surround them with a siege, that they may perceive me to be their avenger. Houb. That they may find it so, is read by some, That they may find me; “That, driven to distress, they may seek me, call upon me, and recover my favour.” See chap. Jer 29:13-14.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 10:18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find [it so].
Ver. 18. BehoId, I will sling out the inhabitants of this land. ] I will easily and speedily sling them, and sling them into Babylon; so God will one day hurl into hell all the wicked of the earth. Psa 9:17
And will distress them, that they may find it so.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I will sling. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), for all that is signified by it. Compare Isa 22:17, Isa 22:18.
find it so = discover the truth of it.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will: Jer 15:1, Jer 15:2, Jer 16:13, Deu 28:63, Deu 28:64, 1Sa 25:29
that: Jer 23:20, Eze 6:10, Zec 1:6
Reciprocal: Jer 6:1 – gather Jer 39:9 – carried Mic 2:10 – it shall
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 10:18. The same prediction is continued but in more direct terms. To sling out means to expell with force and at this once signifies that the hour of departure is at hand. That was literally true for Jeremiah began to write less than 20 years before the Babylonian captivity started. Distress Is from a Hebrew word that is defined “to cramp in the lexicon, and is used with reference to the Babylonian captivity for the people of God certainly were cramped when they were huddled in that country. Find Is from MATES and Strong defines it, “to come forth, i.e., appear or exist; transitively to attain, i.e., find or acquire. The gist of the clause is that Judah was to be shut up in Babylon in order to find by experience what it means to disregard the taw of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The Lord had announced that He was going to send Jerusalem’s citizens away soon, as a shepherd throws a stone out of his sling. This would be a very distressing experience for them, but it would bring them to their senses.