Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 15:2

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as [are] for death, to death; and such as [are] for the sword, to the sword; and such as [are] for the famine, to the famine; and such as [are] for the captivity, to the captivity.

2. Whither shall we go forth?] If we are driven unpardoned from the presence of the Lord, to what shall we betake ourselves? The reply is a stern and even ironical one.

death ] by pestilence. Cp. Jer 43:11; Eze 14:21; Eze 33:27, and in English “the Black Death.”

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2 9. See introd. summary to section.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 2. Whither shall we go forth? – Such as are for death, to death] Some shall be destroyed by the pestilence, here termed death. See Jer 18:21. Others shall be slain by the sword in battle, and in the sackage of cities. Others shall perish by famine, shall be starved to death through the mere want of the necessaries of life; and the rest shall go into captivity. There shall be different sorts of punishments inflicted on them according to the nature of their transgressions. Some shall be punished in one way, and some in another.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

If they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? if they ask thee what thou meanest by going forth; which being a term of motion, implieth a term to which the motion should be. Saith God, In the general, it is to ruin and destruction, but they shall not all be destroyed one and the same way; some shall be destroyed by the pestilence, (for that is here to be understood by

death, ) others shall be destroyed by the

famine, others by the sword of enemies, others shall go into

captivity, but one way or other the land shall be quitted of the most of you.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2. deathdeadly plague(Jer 18:21; Jer 43:11;Eze 5:2; Eze 5:12;Zec 11:9).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee,…. As doubtless they will, when this message is brought to them:

whither shall we go forth? in a jeering scornful manner, not believing that this would be their case:

then thou shall tell them, thus saith the Lord, such as are for death, to death; such as were appointed to death, or to die by the pestilence, which is often signified by death; they shall go forth unto it; or it shall meet them, and seize upon them, and take them away:

and such as are for the sword, to the sword; who are appointed to die by the sword of the enemy, into whose hands they should fall by attempting to escape out of the city, shall perish by it:

and such as are for the famine, to the famine; such as are appointed to die by that, shall die of it in the city, where they shall be besieged, and not be able to get out to fetch in any provisions, and where none can be brought, because of the enemy:

and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity; such as are spared from the pestilence, sword, and famine, and are designed to be carried captive into a strange land, shall be taken and carried thither; nor will it be in their power, or in any other’s, to hinder any of the above things, to which they are appointed of God. According to the Jews, the latter of these is more grievous than the former; as the sword than death, and famine than the sword, so captivity than them all w.

w T. Bab Bava Bathra, fol. 8. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

He now confirms the previous sentence, If they shall say, Whither shall we go forth? then shalt thou say to them, Those for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for the famine, to the famine; those for exile, to exile; as though he had said, “In vain do they complain of their own miseries.” For God, no doubt, had in view the clamorous complaints which prevailed everywhere among the people on account of their very heavy calamities. Thus indeed were hypocrites wont to do; for whenever God spared them, they haughtily insulted the prophets, and boastingly alleged their subsidies and fortresses; but when God’s hand pressed hard on them, they became very eloquent in their complaints: “Alas! how far will God go at length? is there to be never an end? and what does all this mean? why does he so severely afflict us? and why does he not at least relieve us in some measure from our ntiseries?” As then the hypocrites were so querulous in their calamities, God anticipates all these expostulations, and says, “If they say to thee, ‘Where shall we flee?’ say to them, ‘Either to death, or to famine, or to the sword, or to exile;’ it is all one with God, and it matters not; for there is no hope of mercy for you any longer, since God has rejected you: know then that it is all over with you, for there is no deliverance for you from God: either the sword, or famine, or some other kind of death will overtake you; ye are in every way past hope.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(2) Such as are for death . . .The difference between the first two forms of punishment is that the first points possibly to being led out to execution as criminals, as in Deu. 19:6, but more probably to death from pestilence, as in Job. 27:15; the second, to falling in a vain and hopeless conflict.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

2. If they ask where they are to go, Jeremiah is to say: To their fate. And the choice will be, indeed, among grim alternatives death, sword, famine, and captivity.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

These judgments had their accomplishment, in the captivity that followed, when the people were carried away to Babylon.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Jer 15:2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as [are] for death, to death; and such as [are] for the sword, to the sword; and such as [are] for the famine, to the famine; and such as [are] for the captivity, to the captivity.

Ver. 2. If they say unto thee. ] As they will be apt enough to do in a jeer.

Such as are for death, ] i.e., For the pestilence commonly called mortality, because it is so deadly a disease. Those at Genoa have lately found it so. And yet it is here reckoned first, as the least and tightest of all the four threatened judgments, which must needs be bad enough when the pest is the best of them all. The Turks shun not the company of those that have the plague, but pointing upon their foreheads, say it was written there at their birth when they should die, and of what disease. These in the text could as little avoid the deaths they were assigned to, as Aeschylus the tragedian could his being knocked on the head. For whenas he was foretold that he should die with a stroke coming from above, he shunned houses, and was wont to remain in the open air, but he was killed by a tortoise falling from the mouth of an eagle upon his bald head, mistaken for a stone. a

a Aelian, l. 1. c. 5. s. 19. 1:225,227; Valerius Maximus, l. 9. ext. c. 12. 1:375

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Such as are for death, &c. See notes on Jer 43:9-11. 2Sa 12:31; 2Sa 8:2. Compare Rev 13:10.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

for death: Jer 14:12, Jer 24:9, Jer 24:10, Jer 43:11, Isa 24:18, Eze 5:2, Eze 5:12, Eze 14:21, Dan 9:12, Amo 5:19, Zec 11:9, Rev 6:3-8

Reciprocal: Lev 26:25 – will bring Deu 28:21 – General Deu 28:25 – removed Deu 32:23 – heap mischiefs 2Ki 24:4 – which 2Ki 25:11 – the rest Isa 6:9 – Go Jer 6:21 – fathers Jer 9:16 – and I Jer 10:18 – I will Jer 11:11 – which Jer 12:12 – the sword Jer 14:16 – be cast Jer 15:9 – and the Jer 16:4 – die Jer 18:21 – let their wives Jer 19:7 – I will cause Jer 22:26 – General Jer 29:17 – Behold Jer 34:17 – to the sword Jer 52:6 – the famine Jer 52:15 – carried Eze 6:11 – fall Eze 7:15 – General Eze 12:11 – remove and go Eze 14:13 – break Eze 21:3 – the righteous Eze 21:9 – A sword Eze 21:24 – ye shall Eze 22:5 – infamous and much vexed Eze 28:23 – I will send Eze 33:2 – When I bring the sword upon a land Eze 33:27 – surely Mat 25:30 – cast Gal 1:14 – traditions 1Jo 5:16 – There Rev 6:8 – kill

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jer 15:2. The preceding verse closed with the order for the people to be driven from the sight of the Lord. It would be natural for them to ask for some particulars as to their faith or the experiences about to be forced upon them; this verse is a reply to that inquiry. In a siege there will be various “chances” appearing before the besieged, and those chances may not seem the same to all of the besieged people. To some of them it will look as if death in any manner might as well be awaited. To others it might seem that a hand to hand fight with the sword could be preferred. Others might calmly be resigned to starvation as the siege is prolonged. While another group would decide that unresisting submission to the enemy would be the less painful way out. It is as if the Lord said; “These various ways are bound to come upon you, either one or the other on the various ones among you, so take your choice. In Jer 21:9 is a more direct statement, on this phase of the subject, explaining how the various items of this group of “chances” might be carried out. I insist that the reader see that verse in connection with the present passage.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Jer 15:2-5. If they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? If they ask thee what thou meanest by going forth, and whither they shall go: thou shalt tell them, Such as are for death to death, &c. In general, You shall go forth, saith God, to ruin and destruction; but shall not be all destroyed in one and the same way, but every one shall perish in that way which God hath appointed: some shall be destroyed by the pestilence, (for that is here to be understood by death, Rev 6:8, it being death without visible means,) others shall be destroyed by famine, others by the sword of the enemy, others shall go into captivity; but one way or other the greatest part of you shall be consumed. And I will appoint over them four kinds Namely, of destroyers. The sword to slay And those that are slain by it shall not enjoy the common rites of burial, but their carcasses shall be left a prey to the dogs, the birds, and the wild beasts, which last shall both tear their living bodies and their dead carcasses. And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms, &c. Though the body of the people were removed into Babylon, yet it is more than probable that many of them became voluntary exiles to avoid the miseries which they saw coming upon their country. And, without doubt, the king of Babylon removed them into several kingdoms belonging to his large empire. These, it must be observed, are the very words of Moses, (Deu 28:25,) where he threatens the Israelites with a general dispersion over the world, which threatening received its completion, in part, by the Babylonish captivity, but more perfectly after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Because of Manasseh In idolatry and other abominations he exceeded all the kings that preceded him: see 2Ki 21:7-11. In his time the public worship of God was wholly suppressed, and idolatry introduced into the very temple; the law of God was likewise quite laid aside, and, in a manner, forgotten, as appears by the surprise Hilkiah was in when he found the original copy of the law in the house of the Lord. So that his sins filled up the measure of the Jews iniquities; and therefore, notwithstanding the reformation wrought afterward by Josiah, the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath kindled against Judah: see 2Ki 23:26 and 2Ki 24:3-4. It must be observed, however, that it was not merely for his sins, or the sins of his times, that God so dreadfully punished the Jews in the days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; but it was also, and especially because they imitated the wicked example which Manasseh had set them, the reformation effected by Josiah being only partial, and of not long continuance. For who shall, or, who will, have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem Thy sins render thee unworthy of pity, and all that see the calamities brought upon thee will acknowledge them to be just. Who will go aside, &c. Who will be so much concerned for thee as to step a little out of his way to inquire after thee; a common instance of respect between persons in any degree acquainted. Rather they that pass by will insult over thy calamities.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

If the people asked where they should go now, Jeremiah was to tell them that they would each go to their appointed judgment: death, the sword, famine, or captivity-the consequences of military invasion.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)