Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 12:6
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
6. even they have cried aloud after thee) Co. omits this clause, as it otherwise appears that the danger consisted of secret, not open attack. Gi. ( Metrik) makes the whole v. to be an addition in which the metre is not clear.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 6. For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father] Thou hast none to depend on but God: even thy brethren will betray thee when they have it in their power.
Believe them not] Do not trust to them; do not commit thyself to them; they are in heart thy enemies, and will betray thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The men of Anathoth, thine own town and country, and those of thy own family, have conspired evil against thee secretly.
They have called a multitude after thee; either they have exposed thee to the rage and rudeness of a multitude, or they have accused thee to a multitude. Though therefore they give thee many fair words, yet repose no trust nor confidence in them, but look to thyself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. even thy brethrenas inChrist’s case (Psa 69:8; Joh 1:11;Joh 7:5; compare Jer 9:4;Jer 11:19; Jer 11:21;Mat 10:36). Godly faithfulness issure to provoke the ungodly, even of one’s own family.
called a multitude afterthee (Isa 31:4). JEROMEtranslates, “cry after thee with a loud (literally, ‘full’)voice.”
believe . . . not . . .though . . . speak fair (Pr26:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father,…. The men of Anathoth;
even they have dealt treacherously with thee; by laying schemes, and consulting methods, to take away his life privately; his enemies were those of his own house; which is oftentimes the case of good men, and especially of such that are in public office:
yea, they have called a multitude after thee; a multitude of men, which they gathered together, and instigated to call after him in a clamorous and reproachful way: or,
they called after thee with a full voice, as the Vulgate Latin z version renders it; and which De Dieu approves of; they not only gathered a mob about him, and drew men after him, but they hooted him as he went along, and called aloud after him, giving him the most reproachful names they could think of:
believe them not, though they speak fair words to thee; this must be understood of some of them, who did not appear so openly against him, as to call after him, or gather a mob about him; but of such who pretended to be his friends, and to have respect for him, and yet had evil designs against him, and therefore were not to be trusted; their words were not to be believed; their company to be shunned; nor was he safe in their houses; nor was it safe for him to be with them, to eat with them, or converse with them.
z “illi clamarunt post te plena voce”, V. L. Tigurine version, Calvin; “pleno gutture”, Piscator, Cosceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here God addresses his Prophet, in order to confirm the whole of what we have observed. Jeremiah’s object was, as we have said, to set forth the judgment of God: he therefore undertook the part of art accuser, and shewed how intolerable was the impiety of the whole people. He afterwards shewed that he was a conqueror in the cause. And now God himself speaks: he first indeed reproves the people and condemns their insane presumption; and then he addresses the Prophet himself, as though he had said, “Thou hast faithfully pleaded my cause, and as thine own people are all perfidious, there is no reason for thee to doubt but that I will be thy defender.”
The Prophet no doubt was commanded to preach and to write in God’s name; and yet he had regard to the people, who would have hardened themselves against his preaching, had he not more fully set forth the dreadful judgment of God. Hence he says, Surely even thy brethren and the house of thy father, etc.: it is an amplification, when he says, that not only the citizens of Jerusalem and the whole people had conspired against the Prophet, but also his own relations and friends; Even thy brethren, he says, and the house of thy father, even these, etc. We see how emphatically God speaks; and there is an implied comparison between the citizens of Anathoth and the rest of the Jews, for they dealt not with a brother and one of themselves with any more courtesy than those not related to him. He repeats for the third time, Even these have cried after thee; that is, “They have so inimically persecuted thee, that even when thou hast yielded to their fury they were not pacified.” For to cry after one is all evidence of settled hatred; for when an enemy stands his ground and offers resistance, it is no wonder that we assail him; but when he turns his back and allows that he is conquered, and declines fighting, it seems that we are burning with a furious hatred, when we follow him and draw him to figlit against his will, even when he of his own accord avoids a contest. It was to set forth this blind fury that God said that they cried after Jeremiah. (61)
He adds the word מלא, mela, which some render “with a full voice;” others, “in a troop,” or, “in a mass.” Either sense may be admitted; I will not therefore dwell on the point; for it makes but little difference whether we say that they followed the Prophet with loud clamor, or that they in a troop conspired against him.
He afterwards subjoins, Even though they speak to thee good things, that is, though they pretend to be friends and profess peace, yet trust them not God intimates by these words, that though the citizens of Anathoth did not openly rage against Jeremiah, they were yet full of perfidy: in short, he means that they were either wolves or foxes, for they fought against the Prophet, now by fraud, then openly. We hence see that God here condemns the people, and shews his approbation of what had been previously said by Jeremiah. He afterwards subjoins —
(61) It is necessary to understand אחרי here as meaning “behind,” that is, “behind his back,” as we commonly say; for his friends and relations acted perfidiously, they cried against him in his absence, while they spoke friendly to himself. The verse is as follows, —
For even thy brethren and thy father’s house, Even they have dissembled with thee; Yea, they have cried behind thee vehemently Believe them not when they speak to thee kind things.
“
Vehemently,” or more literally, “fully; ” מלא is used here adverbially. The versions, except the Vulgate, which renders it, “with a full voice,” have not given its meaning, nor the Targum. The “multitude” of our version is evidently wrong, distantly derived from the Septuagint. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) Thy brethren.It is not certain whether we are to think actually of the sons of the same father, or only of the men of Anathoth (Jer. 11:23), as belonging to the same section of the priesthood. The language of Jer. 9:5 favours the more literal rendering. In any case, it is interesting to note that the proverb which our Lord more than once quotes, A prophet is not without honour save in his own country and in his own house (Mat. 13:57; Luk. 4:24; Joh. 4:44), probably had its origin in the sad experience of Jeremiah.
They have called a multitude after thee.Better, have shouted a full shout (in our English phrase, have raised a hue and cry) after thee.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Even thy brethren Mentioned by way of emphatic specification, thus showing to Jeremiah how bitter was the experience before him, not only of loneliness and desolation, but even of persecution and personal danger.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 12:6. For even thy brethren, &c. “The Edomites and Ishmaelites, the Moabites and Ammonites, sprung from the same original, from Abraham and Lot, joined the army of Nebuchadnezzar, to make war against thee, O Judah and Jerusalem.” They, however, spoke fair words to the Jews before they did so; against which Jeremiah here warns them. See ch. Jer 27:3, &c. Instead of, Yea, they have called a multitude after thee, Houbigant reads, Yea, they will pursue thee with full cry.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 12:6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
Ver. 6. For even thy brethren. ] Let this comfort us in like case. Abel and John Diazius were butchered by their own unnatural brethren. Paul suffered most of all from his own countrymen.
Yea, they have called a multitude after thee.
Believe them not, though they speak fair words to thee.
“ Mel in ore, verba lactis:
Fel in corde, fraus in factis. ”
“Honey in the mouth, with words of milk:
Gall in the heart, fruad in the act.”
a
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
called = called loudly.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thy brethren: Jer 9:4, Jer 11:19, Jer 11:21, Jer 20:10, Gen 37:4-11, Job 6:15, Psa 69:8, Eze 33:30, Eze 33:31, Mic 7:5, Mic 7:6, Mat 10:21, Mar 12:12, Joh 7:5
yea: Isa 31:4, Act 16:22, Act 18:12, Act 19:24-29, Act 21:28-30
have called: etc. or, cried after thee fully
though: Psa 12:2, Pro 26:25, Mat 22:16-18
fair words: Heb. good things
Reciprocal: Psa 22:16 – assembly Psa 31:11 – especially Son 1:6 – my mother’s Isa 24:16 – the treacherous Jer 9:2 – an assembly Jer 12:1 – deal Jer 26:8 – the priests Hab 1:4 – for Mat 10:36 – General Mar 6:4 – General Luk 21:16 – ye shall Joh 7:3 – Depart
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 12:6. The Lord explains what he had been talking about by referring to the mistreatment that Jeremiah was suffering from his own countrymen.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Even Jeremiah’s near relatives had been hypocritical with him: they had spoken out against him while saying nice things to his face (cf. Mat 10:36).
"The plot against him [Jeremiah] and the injustice this represented was tied inextricably to the suffering and sin of the people. He was called to announce judgment upon the people. Being one of them caused him to suffer with them because of the Lord’s judgment. As God’s messenger, he suffered as a result of his prophetic ministry." [Note: Kelley, p. 181.]
"The world today needs more Jeremiahs who, in the midst of opposition, are true to the standards of the Bible, patient in the proclamation of the gospel, gentle in the hands of persecutors, committed to the protective care of the Chief Shepherd, and burdened for the souls of lost men and women." [Note: Jensen, p. 48.]