Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 17:18
Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
18. destroy them with double destruction ] lit. as mg. break them with a double breach. Cp. Jer 4:6. This may mean a literally twofold punishment, the one part for their apostasy as a nation, the other for their treatment of Jeremiah. It seems more likely however that double is merely equivalent to utter, complete.
Co. with Du. holds that the imprecation, as in direct opposition to Jer 17:16, stamps this part of the v., or according to him, the whole v. as unauthentic (but see Jer 11:20). For metrical reasons also he rejects the v., but considers that it has taken the place of a genuine ending to the passage, now lost.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 18. Let them be confounded] They shall be confounded. These words are to be understood as simple predictions, rather than prayers.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That is, with abundant destruction. Concerning these prayers of the prophet against his enemies, See Poole “Jer 11:20“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. destroy . . . destruction“breakthem with a double breach,” Hebrew (Jer14:17). On “double,” see on Jer16:18.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Let them be confounded that persecute me,…. With words with reproaches, with scoffs and jeers, saying, “where is the word of the Lord?” Jer 17:14; let such be ashamed that scoffingly put such a question, by seeing the accomplishment of it:
but let not me be confounded; who have delivered it out as the word of the Lord, that should be surely fulfilled; let not me be brought to shame by the failure of it and be reckoned as a false prophet:
let them be dismayed; terrified and affrighted when they shall see the judgments of God coming upon them, which they have jeeringly called for:
but let not me be dismayed; by their not coming, or when they shall come; but preserve and protect me:
bring upon them the day of evil; of punishment; which they put far away, and scoff at; though the prophet did not desire the woeful day to come upon the people in general, yet upon his persecutors in particular. Jarchi interprets it of the men of Anathoth alone; and which desire of his did not arise from malice towards them, but from indignation at their sin and for the glory of the divine Being, whose name was blasphemed by them:
and destroy them with double destruction; not with two sorts of judgments, sword and famine, as Jerom; but with an utter destruction, with breach after breach, destruction after destruction, until they were entirely destroyed; unless it should have regard to the two times of destruction, first by the Chaldeans, and then by the Romans.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet, as we have seen, had a hard contest, not only with one man or with a few, but with the whole people, and then it is probable that there were many sects, for when he cried against the avaricious, there was a commotion instantly made by all those who lived on plunder, when he spoke against the indulgence of lust, there was a second conspiracy against him; when he condemned drunkenness and intemperance, there was a new combination formed to oppose him. We hence see how all the ungodly in all parts and for various reasons assailed the Prophet, he was therefore constrained to pray, as he now does, Ashamed let them be who persecute me, even because they now testified that they were evidently the enemies of God, for he had no private concern with them, but faithfully obeyed the command of God. As then he knew them to be God’s avowed enemies, he hesitated not to ask God himself to oppose them. (185)
We must yet notice what we have said in other places, that the Prophet was not only influenced by a holy and pious zeal, but was also governed by the wisdom of the Spirit. This I again repeat, for there are many foolish imitators, who always appeal to the vehemence which the Prophets shewed, while they themselves are carried away by a violent rather than by a vehement impulse. But we must first see whether the Holy Spirit guides us, lest we should utter imprecations against the very elect; and then we must beware of being influenced by the feelings of our flesh, and intemperate zeal is ever to be feared, for it is a rare gift so to burn with zeal as to join with it the moderation that is required. As then there is always something turbulent in our zeal, we must remember that the Prophets never uttered a word but as the Spirit guided their tongues, and then that they had no regard to themselves, and, thirdly, that they were so calm and composed in their ardor that they were not, guilty of excess.
The Prophet no doubt fully knew that all those were reprobate on whom he imprecated God’s vengeance, but as it does not belong to us to distinguish between the elect and the reprobate, let us learn to suspend and check our zeal, so that it may not be too fervid, for we may often mistake, if we follow generally what the Prophet says here, Bring on them the day of evil, and with a double breach break them. Were we thus to speak indiscriminately of all, our zeal would often hit the very children of God. We must therefore bear in mind, that before the Prophet uttered this imprecation he was taught by the Spirit of God that he had to do with reprobate and irreclaimable men. Now a new discourse follows —
(185) I would render Jer 17:18 thus, —
18. Ashamed let my persecutors be, That I may not be ashamed; Dismayed let them be, That I may not be dismayed; Bring on them the day of evil, And doubly with breaking break them.
There was a contest between the Prophet and his enemies; the shame and dismay of his enemies would deliver him from shame and dismay. The copulative ו may often be rendered that, ut. The two last lines refer to the two preceding couplets in an inverted order. “The day of evil” was to dismay his enemies, and “the breaking” was to make them ashamed. The breaking was that of the spirit or of the heart; it means sorrow, trouble, such as brings men to a state of helplessness; it does not mean destruction. The line may be thus rendered, —
And doubly with depression depress them.
The word doubly, means what is extreme. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) Let them be confounded . . .The prayer reminds us of that of the Psalmist (Psa. 35:4; Psa. 40:14).
Double destruction.Literally, break them with a two-fold breakingi.e., the double recompense of Jer. 16:18. (See Note there.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Let not me be confounded This prayer for himself becomes here a prayer against his enemies, and yet not so much foes of Jeremiah as of Jehovah. It is not personal hate and vindictiveness which breathes through these words, but love for God and jealousy for his honour.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 17:18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
Ver. 18. Let them be confounded. ] A heavy imprecation. Let persecutors take heed how they move ministers to make intercession to God against them, as Elias did against Israel; Rom 11:2 as Jeremiah here and elsewhere doth against the Jews; as the Christian churches did against Julian the apostate. God will set to his fiat.
Let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
double. Compare Jer 16:18, and see note on Isa 40:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
confounded: Jer 20:11, Psa 35:4, Psa 35:26, Psa 35:27, Psa 40:14, Psa 70:2, Psa 83:17, Psa 83:18
but let not me be confounded: Psa 25:2, Psa 25:3, Psa 71:1
the day: Jer 17:16, Jer 18:19-23
destroy them with double destruction: Heb. break them with a double breach, Jer 11:20, Jer 14:17, Jer 16:18, Job 16:14, Rev 18:6
Reciprocal: Num 24:6 – as the trees Deu 7:23 – shall destroy Psa 115:9 – trust Psa 119:31 – put me Isa 40:2 – double Jer 1:17 – be not Jer 4:20 – upon destruction Jer 12:3 – pull Jer 20:12 – let me Jer 36:31 – will bring Eze 3:9 – fear 1Ti 5:17 – double
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 17:18. This verse continues the prophet’s prayer for help against his persecuting townsmen. The closing words of the verse seem to be a selfish and cruel wish against the enemies of Jeremiah and we might winder why such a good man would express such feelings. Again we should remember that he Is an inspired prophet and many of the things which sound like his harsh wishes are really predictions that such things are to occur and that by the divine decree.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
17:18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, {r} and destroy them with double destruction.
(r) Read Jer 11:20 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
He prayed for God to humiliate his persecutors but not to humiliate him (cf. Jer 1:17). He asked that the Lord would punish them severely for their apostasy (cf. Jer 17:4; Jer 16:18; Jer 20:12; Psa 17:1-8).
"The experience Jeremiah had had in his calling seemed to contradict the truth, that trust in the Lord brings blessing (Jer 17:7 ff.); for his preaching of God’s word had brought him nothing but persecution and suffering. Therefore he prays the Lord to remove this contradiction and to verify that truth in his case also." [Note: Keil, 1:285-86.]