Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 11:20
But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
20. that triest the reins and the heart ] The reins (kidneys) were held to be the seat of the feelings, the heart that of the understanding. Cp. Jer 5:21. Du. points out that here first in the Bible it is clearly set forth that Jehovah is cognisant of men’s thoughts. Cp. chs. Jer 17:10 and Jer 20:12.
unto thee have I revealed ] upon thee have I rolled is the rendering proposed by some. That of the E.VV. however keeps closer to the original.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 20. Let me see thy vengeance on them] Rather, I shall see ( ereh) thy punishment indicted on them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The prophet appealeth to God, and appealeth to him as one that knew both the innocency of his heart toward them, and the malice of their hearts toward him, and used to deal out justice impartially, and committeth his cause unto God, (as we are commanded, 1Pe 2:23) and desires that God would avenge him, and that he might see the
vengeance; which words some learned interpreters think spoken not without some passion and mixture of human frailty. Others, not as a prayer so much as a prophecy. Others, not out of a desire of private revenge, but out of a pure zeal for the glory of God, whose prophet he was, and servant, in the delivery of those prophecies that were so ungrateful to them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. triest . . . heart (Re2:23).
revealedcommitted mycause. Jeremiah’s wish for vengeance was not personal butministerial, and accorded with God’s purpose revealed to him againstthe enemies alike of God and of His servant (Psa 37:34;Psa 54:7; Psa 112:8;Psa 118:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously,…. This is the prophet’s appeal to God, as the Judge of the whole earth, who will do right; he found there was no justice to be done him among men; he therefore has recourse to a righteous God, who he knew judged righteous judgment:
that triest the reins and the heart; of all men; as of his own, so of his enemies; and which he mentions, not so much on his own account as theirs:
let me see thy vengeance on them; which imprecation arose from a pure zeal for God, for his glory, and the honour of his justice; and not from private revenge; and so no ways inconsistent with the character of a good man; though some consider the words as a prediction of what would befall them, and he should live to see accomplished; and render them, “I shall see c.” q and so the Targum,
“I shall see the vengeance of thy judgment on them:”
for unto thee have I revealed my cause; as a client to his patron; told his whole case, and left it with him, believing he would manage it for him, and do him justice. The Apostle Peter seems to have this passage in view, when speaking of Christ, 1Pe 2:23.
q “videbo”, Munster, Schmidt; “visurus sum”, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here the Prophet, after having found that the impiety of the people was so great that he was speaking to the deaf, turns his address to God: O Jehovah of hosts, he says, who art a great Judge, who searchest the reins and the heart, may I see thy vengeance on them The Prophet seems here inconsistent with himself;, for he had before declared that he was like a lamb or a calf, as though he had offered, as they say, his life a wining sacrifice; but here he seems like one made suddenly angry, and he prays for God’s vengeance. These things appear indeed to be very different; for if he had offered himself a victim, why did he not wait calmly for the event; why is he inflamed with so much displeasure? why does he thus imprecate on them the vengeance of God? But these things will well agree together, if we distinguish between private feeling and that pure and discreet zeal by which the meekness of truth can never be disturbed. For though the Prophet disregarded his own life, and was not moved by private wrongs, he was nevertheless not a log of wood; but zeal for God did eat up his heart, according to what is said in common of all the members of Christ,
“
Zeal for thine house hath eaten me, and the reproaches of those who upbraided thee have fallen on me.” (Psa 69:9; Joh 2:17; Rom 15:3)
The Prophet then had previously freed himself from all suspicion by saying that he was prepared for the slaughter, as though he were a lamb or a calf; but he now shews that he was, notwithstanding, not destitute of zeal for God. Here then he gives vent to this new fervor when he says, “O Jehovah, who searchest the reins and the heart, may I see thy vengeance on them.”
The Prophet, no doubt, was free from every carnal feeling, and pronounced what we read through the influence of the Spirit. Since then the Holy Spirit dictated this prayer to the holy man, he might still have offered himself a voluntary sacrifice, while yet he justly appealed to God’s tribunal to take vengeance on the impiety of a reprobate people; for he did not indiscriminately include them all, but imprecated God’s judgment on the abandoned and irreclaimable.
It is indeed true, that we may regard the Prophet as predicting what he knew would happen to his people: and some give this explanation; they consider it as a prediction only and no prayer. But they are terrified without reason at the appearance of inconsistency, as they think it inconsistent in the Prophet to desire the perdition of his own people: for he might have wished it through the influ ence of that zeal, as I have said, which the Holy Spirit had kindled in his heart, and according to the words which the same Spirit had dictated.
He calls God the Judge of righteousness; and he so called him, that he might wipe away and dissipate the disguises in which the Jews exulted when they sought to prove their own cause. By this then he intimates that they gained no — thing by their evasions, for these would vanish like smoke when they came before God’s tribunal. He, in short, means that they could not stand before the judgment of God. He then adds, that God searches the reins and the heart He says this, not only that he might testify his own integrity, as some suppose, but that he might rouse hypocrites. For he intimates that they stood safe before men, as they concealed their wickedness, but that when they came before God’s tribunal another kind of account must then be given; for God would prove and try them, as the word בחן, bechen, signifies: he would search the ruins and the heart, that is, their most inward feelings; For the Scripture means by reins all the hidden feelings or affections.
He says, For to thee have I made known my judgment The Prophet, no doubt, appeals here to God’s tribunal, because he saw that he was destitute of every patronage — he saw that all were against him. Few pious men indeed were left, as we have elsewhere seen; but the Prophet speaks here of the mass of the people. As then there was no one among the people who did not then openly oppose God, so that there was no defender of equity and justice, he turns to God and says, “I have made known my cause to thee;” as though he had said, “O Lord, thou knowest what my cause is, and I do not act dissemblingly; for I serve thee faithfully and sincerely, as thou knowest. Since it is so, may I see thy vengeance on them.” (51)
Now, we are taught in this passage, that even were the whole world united to suppress the light of truth, Prophets and teachers ought not to despond, nor to rely on the judgment of men, for that is a false and deceptive balance; but that they ought to persevere in the discharge of their office, and to be satisfied with this alone — that they render their office approved of God, and exercise it as in his presence. We may also learn, that the ungodly and hypocrites in vain make shifts and evasions, while they try to elude the authority of the Prophets; for they will at length be led before God’s tribunal. When therefore we find teachers rightly and sincerely discharging their office, let us know that we cannot possibly escape the judgment of God except we submit to their teaching. And Prophets and pastors themselves ought to learn from this passage, that though the whole world, as I have already said, were opposed to them, they ought not yet to cease from their perseverance, nor be changeable, but to consider it enough that God approves of their cause. It afterwards follows —
(51) The beginning of the verse is differently rendered: “O Lord,” in the vocative case, by the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Syriac; “The Lord,” by the Arabic and Targum. All the versions agree as to the imprecation, “May I see — ἴδοιμι — videam :” but the Targum has, “I shall see;” and so it is rendered by Gataker, Venema, Scott, and Adam Clarke. The verb is future, but the future in Hebrew has sometimes the meaning of the optative or the subjunctive, as well as of the imperative. But the future is the most suitable here; for the ו before “Jehovah” will not allow it to be in the vocative case. The verse then would be as follows, —
20. But Jehovah of hosts, who art a righteous judge, The trier of the reins and of the heart, I shall see thy vengeance on them; For on thee have I devolved my cause.
“
Jehovah of hosts” is a nominative absolute — a form of expression very common in the Prophets. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Let me see thy vengeance on them.The prayer, like that of the so-called vindictive Psalms (69, 109), belongs to the earlier stage of the religious life when righteous indignation against evil is not yet tempered by the higher law of forgiveness. As such it is not to be imitated by Christians, but neither is it to be hastily condemned. The appeal to a higher judge, the desire to leave vengeance in His hands, is in itself a victory over the impulse to take vengeance into our own hands. Through it, in most cases, the sufferer from wrong must pass before he can attain to the higher and more Christ-like temper which utters itself in the prayer, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luk. 23:34).
Unto thee have I revealed my cause.i.e., laid it bare before thee. The thought and the phrase were characteristic of Jeremiah, and meet us again in Jer. 20:12.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 11:20. Let me see to vengeance I shall see, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 11:20 But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Ver. 20. But, O Lord of hosts. ] Thou who art potentissimus et liberrimus, a most powerful and free agent.
That triest the reins and the heart.
Let me see thy vengeance upon them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
triest the reins and the heart. Compare Jer 11:20; Jer 17:10; Jer 20:12. Found elsewhere only in Psa 7:9; Psa 26:2. See App-85.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
judgest: Jer 12:1, Gen 18:25, Psa 98:9, Act 17:31
triest: Jer 17:10, Jer 20:12, 1Sa 16:7, 1Ch 28:9, 1Ch 29:17, Psa 7:9, Rev 2:23
let: Jer 15:15, Jer 17:18, Jer 18:20-23, 2Ti 4:14, Rev 6:9, Rev 6:10, Rev 18:20
revealed: 1Sa 24:15, Job 5:8, Psa 10:14, Psa 10:15, Psa 35:2, Psa 43:1, Psa 57:1, Phi 4:6, 1Pe 2:23
Reciprocal: 2Ch 24:22 – The Lord Neh 6:14 – think thou Psa 119:154 – Plead Jer 12:3 – knowest Jer 18:21 – deliver Lam 3:60 – General Lam 3:64 – General Zec 7:10 – imagine Act 1:24 – Lord Act 15:8 – which Rom 8:27 – And he
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 11:20, In his distress Jeremiah appealed to the Lord because he believed that he could thus receive righteous judgment. There is not much difference between reins and heart, but when used as distinct terms the first means the Intellect and the second means the motives for applying it. Since God makes righteous tests of these matters the prophet longed for him to bring vengence upon these personal enemies.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 11:20. But, O Lord, thou judgest righteously It is matter of comfort to us, when men deal unjustly with us, that we have a God to go to, who doth and will plead the cause of injured innocence, and appear against the injurious. Gods justice, which is a terror to the wicked, is a comfort to the godly. That triest the reins and the heart That perfectly knowest what is in man, that discernest his most secret thoughts, desires, and designs. Let me see thy vengeance on them That is, do justice between me and them in such a way as thou pleasest. When men continue implacable in their malice, says Lowth, we may lawfully expect and desire that God will plead our cause, and judge us according to our righteousness. For the bringing wicked men to condign punishment tends both to the manifestation of Gods glory and the good government of the world. And to pray against our enemies in this sense, namely, not for the satisfying our private resentments, but the setting forth of Gods justice, is not contrary to the spirit of Christianity. So St. Paul prayed against Alexander the copper-smith, 2Ti 4:14. It must be observed, however, that, according to the Hebrew text here, the words are merely a prediction; , being literally, I shall see thy vengeance on them; that is, I foresee it, and predict it, though I lament they should have given occasion for it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11:20 But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy {p} vengeance on them: for to thee have I revealed my cause.
(p) Thus he spoke not out of hatred, but being moved with the Spirit of God, he desires the advancement of God’s glory, and the verifying of his word, which is by the destruction of his enemies.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The prophet prayed to Almighty Yahweh, who evaluates people’s motives and intentions, to judge them for their evil plans (cf. Psa 17:13-14; Psa 99:8; Psa 149:7; Isa 34:8; Isa 35:4). He would not take vengeance himself, but he trusted the Lord to take vengeance for him (cf. Jer 20:12).