Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 11:13
For [according to] the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and [according to] the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to [that] shameful thing, [even] altars to burn incense unto Baal.
That shameful thing – i. e., Baal; public establishment of idolatry, such as actually took place in the reign of Manasseh (2Ch 33:3. Contrast 2Ki 18:4).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Not that they had just so many idols as were cities in Judah, or altars as were streets in Jerusalem; the meaning is, they had very many, and that the people who lived in every city and street were guilty. What he calls their shame, or the shameful thing, is afterwards expounded Baal, called a shameful thing, because it was what they had reason to be ashamed of, and what would certainly bring them to shame and confusion.
Baal signifieth lord, and was a common name given to more idols than one; the Phoenicians used the name Baal, the Chaldeans Bell. God, Hos 2:16, forbade his people to call him by this name, because so abused to idolatry. Many think that the sun was what the Phoenicians worshipped under this name; some say Saturn was he. Manasseh, who preceded Josiah, reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them, 2Ch 33:3. Learned men say that the Asians called the same idol Baal, whom those of Europe called Jupiter. It is not improbable which learned men judge, that the heathens acknowledging one Supreme Being, worshipped him in several creatures; some mistaking the sun, moon, and stars to be he, others other things; these they called Baalim, lords, as they called the principal god Baal. The heathens idolatry seems to be their worshipping God in creatures, and paying a divine homage to creatures, the sun, moon, and stars, and other far inferior to them, not believing that those creatures were the Divine Being, but that the Divine Being was in them, and from them would hear their supplicants, and do them good; which, though the heathens might a little be excused in, having no Scriptures showing them the nature of the true God, and how he would be worshipped; yet in the Jews was inexcusable, they having the oracles of God committed to them, which both showed them the true nature of God, and let them know that no creature could be any similitude or representation of him; and that his will was, that they should pay their homage to him without any similitudes or representations exciting them to that homage, fit for nothing but to beget in the minds of people false conceptions and apprehensions of the Divine Being, which is merely spiritual; notwithstanding which direction from the Divine law, the Jews, after the manner of the heathens, would pay their homage to God before the sun, moon, and stars, and before images made with hands, and make altars to such creatures and images, which was the idolatry God complains of, and of which he declares a greater abhorrence than almost of any other sin. It is likely that Baal here mentioned was the sun, because it was near Manassehs times, who thus highly offended God; and it is probable that though Josiah had begun a famous reformation. yet a great deal of this leaven was left in the common people; besides that the sins of Manasseh, 2Ki 23:26, are reckoned up as the special proximate cause of this wrath of God against Judah.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. shameful thingHebrew,“shame,” namely, the idol, not merely shameful, but theessence of all that is shameful (Jer 3:24;Hos 9:10), which will bring shameand confusion on yourselves [CALVIN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah,…. [See comments on Jer 2:28],
and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem; of which there were many, and some of note i:
have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal; one of whose names is Bosheth, “shame”; see Ho 9:10, hence Jerubbaal is called, in 2Sa 11:21, Jerubbesheth; very properly is this name given to Baal, not only because the worship of him was to the reproach of the true God, but brought shame and confusion in the issue to its worshipper; as well as because shameful things were done in the worship of it, especially of Baalpeor; who seems to be the same with the Priapus of other nations.
i Vid. Lightfoot, Chorograph. Cent. ad Matt. p. 34.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet shews here that the dews were not only polluted with one kind of superstition, but that they sought for themselves fictitious gods from all quarters, so that the land was fined and, as it were, deluged with innumerable superstitions. He says, that in proportion to the number of cities were the gods in the kingdom of Judah, and that in every city, in proportion to the number of streets, altars were built, that they might burn incense to Baal
There seems, however, to be some inconsistency in the words; for if they all worshipped Baal, where could be found the multitude of gods which the Prophet condemns? It then follows, that there was everywhere the same form of superstition, or that they did not in every place burn incense to Baal. But from this place and from others we may gather that this is a common name; for though all idols had their distinctive names, yet this name was applied indiscriminately, and all idols had it in common. For what does Baal mean but a patron, or an inferior god, who procured the favor of the supreme God? The prophets often use the word in the plural number, and call the lesser or inferior gods Baalim, who were regarded as mediators or angels; and farther, they often mean all kinds of idols by Baal. There is to be understood here a figure, by which a part is taken for the whole; for the Prophet intended by the word to include all those gods which the Jews had devised for themselves, though their names were different.
But what the Prophet condemned in the people was, as we see, daily practiced. For there is no end, when men once depart ever so little from the pure worship of the only true God: for when anything is blended with it, one error immediately produces another; so various errors will cumulate, tin men fall into a labyrinth from which there is no exit. This is clearly seen under the Papacy. At first Satan, by spurious pretences, led men away from the simple worship of God and his pure doctrine; and as there is in all an inbred curiosity, every one had a desire to add something of his own. Hence then it happened that so great a mass of errors and superstitions has prevailed. It is nothing strange, then, that the Prophet condemned the Jews, not only for having departed from the true and lawful worship of God, but also for having as many idols as cities, and for having so many forms of worship as there were streets in their cities. And we hence also learn that all the superstitions among the whole people had the same root; for though they differed in particulars, they all yet proceeded from the same principle; for every one wished to have his own God. It hence happened, that every city had its patron, and every family also devised a god for itself; for no one was satisfied with the common worship. It is then wholly necessary that we should faithfully worship the one true God; otherwise the Devil will immediately bring in strange gods and a mixed multitude of gods: so that it hence evidently appears, that we thus justly suffer for our impious levity in forsaking the fountain of living waters.
He says that altars were built for reproach. (41) This may be referred to God, because they offered to God a heinous effrontery in setting up their profane altars in opposition to that one true altar which God had commanded to be built for him in the temple. But this is a strained interpretation. It is more suitable to refer this to the people, because they erected altars for themselves to their own shame, as though he had said that the Jews were themselves the authors of all their evils, so that they ought to consider them as due to their impiety, being the punishments inflicted by the Lord. It is the same as though he had said, “God will indeed chastise you, as ye are worthy of being so treated, but ascribe the whole fault to yourselves; for the altars, raised by your own hands, will be to you for reproach and shame.”
He at length adds, To offer incense to Baal They sought doubtless the favor of the supreme God; but as they devised for themselves patrons, as mediators between them and God, according to the Platonic figment, which has prevailed in all ages, the Prophet here declares that their gods were as many as their cities, and even as many as their streets; for God does not admit those sophistical subtleties by which hypocrites seek to escape; for whenever his glory is transferred to others, he complains that new gods are introduced. (42) It follows —
(41) The word is בשת. “ Bosheth, shame,” says Lowth, “was a nickname for Baal. (See Hos 9:10.) So Jerubbaal is called Jerubbosheth in 2Sa 11:21.” The word is left out in the Septuagint; the other versions and the Targum render it differently; its meaning was evidently not understood. It may be rendered here “baseness,” or a base thing; the last clause is explanatory of this, —
Ye have set up altars for a base thing — Altars to burn incense to a Baal.
By putting the indefinite article we avoid the contrariety which Calvin refers to. It is given in the singular number in all the versions except the Vulgate, which has Baalim. — Ed.
(42) The connection of this verse has not been pointed out by Calvin. It begins with “For,” or because; so that a reason is given for what has been said previously, and that is not found in it he immediately preceding verse, but at the end of the 11th, “I will not hearken unto them;” then what is said here is given as a reason. But if we render כי “though,” as it is often done, and not “For,” the connection is with the next preceding verse; their gods would not save them, “though” they were as many as their cities, etc. This seems to be the most natural connection. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) According to the number of thy cities . . .This and Jer. 11:12 reproduce what we have heard already in Jer. 2:27-28; Jer. 7:17. The shameful thing is, as in Jer. 3:24, the image of Baal, which would seem to have been set up openly in some prominent place in every city of Judan, every street of Jerusalem. The reference is probably made, as before, to the formal recognition of Baal-worship in the days of Manasseh (2Ki. 21:3; 2Ch. 33:3), but the sin may have been repeated as soon as the restraint of Josiahs reign had been removed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Shameful thing See Jer 3:24.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 11:13 For [according to] the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and [according to] the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to [that] shameful thing, [even] altars to burn incense unto Baal.
Ver. 13. For according to the number of thy cities. ] See Jer 2:28 .
And according to the number of thy streets.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
shameful thing. Hebrew “shame”: put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), for the idol which was the cause of the shame. Compare Jer 3:24.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
For according: Jer 2:28, Jer 3:1, Jer 3:2, Deu 32:16, Deu 32:17, 2Ki 23:4, 2Ki 23:5, 2Ki 23:13, Isa 2:8, Hos 12:11
up altars: Jer 19:5, Jer 32:35, 2Ki 21:4, 2Ki 21:5
shameful thing: Heb. shame
Reciprocal: Jdg 6:32 – Jerubbaal Jer 3:24 – General Jer 7:9 – and burn Jer 19:4 – burned Jer 30:15 – for the Jer 44:21 – and in Hos 2:5 – hath done Hos 2:13 – she burned Hos 9:10 – separated 1Co 8:5 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 11:13. Baal was one of the masculine gods in the class of invisible ones that was explained at ch. 10: 2. The people had become so devoted to idolatry that they bad some one of the gods represented in every city. They were not satisfied at having a god In each city, but increased the iniquity by desecrating the capital city of Jerusalem in a special manner. They used every street as a place to erect an altar for the purpose of sacrificing to their god.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
11:13 {h} For [according to] the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and [according to] the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to [that] shameful thing, [even] altars to burn incense to Baal.
(h) Read Jer 2:28 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Judahites had worshipped multitudes of idols, described hyperbolically, as numbering as many as Jerusalem’s streets and Judah’s cities (cf. Jer 11:6; Jer 2:28).