Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 17:27
But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
27. will I kindle Jerusalem ] These words are based on the refrain Amo 1:3 to Amo 2:5, where they occur seven times. They are found three times later in Jeremiah (Jer 21:14, Jer 49:27, Jer 50:32). Cp. Hos 8:14.
palaces ] See on Jer 6:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 27. But if ye will not hearken] Then their sin lay at their own door. How fully were they warned; and how basely did they reject the counsel of God against themselves!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A threatening quite contrary to the former promise, upon their acting contrary to the duty to which that promise was annexed. God would destroy their city; it should be burned with fire, and the highest and noblest structures should be burned; and though the hand of the enemy should do this, yet God should order them to do it, so as it should be a fire of his kindling, and therefore not like to be quenched, till it had effected that thing for which God so kindled it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. burden . . . in . . . gates . .. fire in the gatesretribution answering to the sin. The sceneof their sin shall be the scene of their punishment (Jer 52:13;2Ki 25:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But if ye will not hearken unto me,…. With respect to this particular point, more especially:
to hallow the sabbath day; to keep it holy to the Lord in a religious way, in the exercise of the duties of religion, both public and private:
and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; or, “and go through”; or, so as “to go through” l c and may intend either one and the same thing, namely entering in at the gates with a burden upon the shoulders; or two things, bearing a burden, and carrying it any where in or out of the city; and an unnecessary passing and repassing through the gates of the city, whether a man has or has not a burden upon him, since the sabbath might be violated either way:
then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof; where the prophet was to publish all this, and where the people sinned by passing and repassing, and carrying burdens in and out on the sabbath day:
and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem; the king’s palace, and the palaces of the princes and nobles, as well as the cottages of the poorer sort:
and it shall not be quenched; until it has utterly destroyed the city: this was fulfilled by the Chaldeans, Jer 52:13. The Jews say there is no fire kindled but where the sabbath is profaned; and that Jerusalem was destroyed because they profaned the sabbath m.
l “et intretis per portas”, Cocceius, Schmidt. m T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 119. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now, on the other hand, the Prophet terrifies them, if they hearkened not to the promises of God. God first kindly allures us; but when he sees us to be refractory, he deals with us according to the hardness of our hearts. He therefore now adds threatenings to promises. He had said, that the Jews would be happy, if they worshipped and served God faithfully; for their priesthood and their kingdom would be continued to them.
But he now adds, If ye will not obey, so as to sanctify the sabbath-day, and not to carry a burden on it, and not to enter through the gates of Jerusalem, that is, for the purpose of doing business (for it was lawful for them, as it is well known, to go out of the city, but by entering he means the transaction of business) — If then ye will not hearken to me in this respect, then, he says, I will kindle a fire in the gates of this city. We see the design of the Prophet, — that he would have the Jews to entertain a sure hope of their safety, provided they repented, and provided the pure and uncorrupted worship of God prevailed among them; but that, on the other hand, he wished to fill them with terror, if they went on in their obstinacy.
No doubt this commination greatly offended them; for we know how self-confident they were, and how foolishly they boasted that the city, in which God had his habitation, could not be demolished; and yet the Prophet declares here that the destruction of the holy city was nigh at hand, if they violated the sabbath-day as they had been accustomed to do. But that this punishment might not seem to be too severe, he shews that the people were inexcusable, if they rejected these plain warnings: he says, If ye will not hearken to me; for they might have otherwise objected and said, that they had been deceived, as they did not think that there was so great a sin in violating the Sabbath. Jeremiah now excludes all such evasions, for he says in effect, “Behold I am present with you by God’s authority; if ye will violate the Sabbath as hitherto, what excuse can you make? Have you not been proved guilty of open impiety? for God has spoken; and how is it that ye reject his teaching?” We thus see that this, If ye will not hearken to me so as to sanctify the Sabbath, was said to anticipate an objection.
He then adds, Devour shall the fire the gates of the city, and shall not be extinguished, that is, shall not be extinguished until it shall consume the whole city and its gates. We indeed know that assemblies were then held at the gates, and that they were therefore places of great importance. As to the fire it is to be taken metaphorically for destruction; and yet we know that even fire was kindled by the Chaldeans; for they deemed it not enough to demolish the city, but proceeded still farther: hence the Temple was burnt, and the houses were consumed by fire. We ought however to explain the word of the Prophet as meaning simply this — that God’s vengeance would be like fire, destroying and consuming all things, so that not even the gates would remain. Something usually remains when cities are demolished to the foundations; but God threatens the Jews with something more grievous — that the city would not be in a common way destroyed, but be so wholly consumed that nothing would remain. We shall proceed to-morrow.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(27) Then will I kindle a fire . . .The fire is figurative rather than literal: the fierce anger of the Lord which man cannot quench, and which brings destruction in its train, of which an actual conflagration may have been the instrument (Hos. 8:14; Amo. 1:14). Compare Jer. 7:20; Jer. 21:14.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. I kindle a fire in the gates The very places mentioned as those of disobedience and profanation. God’s punitive judgments always move in the precise path of sin, and will follow it out in all its windings and ramifications.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
WHEN I read of the state of sin on the heart of Judah, as stated in this Chapter: and when I consider, what my own heart saith of the same, and the testimony of God concerning the desperately wicked state of every man’s heart by nature: my soul feels humbled to the dust, and like the leper we read of, I feel constrained to cry out, unclean, unclean! But oh precious Jesus, thou that art the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof, heal me, and I shall be healed: save me, and I shall be saved!
And my soul, ponder well the striking difference between the confidence founded in the Lord Jesus’s blood and righteousness; and that trust which is in an arm of flesh. Behold the blessedness of the one, and the awful curse on the other. Oh! thou blessed Lord Jesus, be thou to me the unceasing source of life, and health, and strength, and confidence; and let not my soul be as the barren heath, that knoweth not when good cometh, and as the parched places in the wilderness, that is, as a salt land not inhabited.
Blessed, forever blessed be the Lord for the sabbath, that sweet day for men! Oh! for grace to honour it, to reverence it, to love it, and to sanctify and hallow it to the Lord’s glory. Oh thou great Lord of the sabbath, preserve it to our nation, to our people; and be thou the very sabbath of our souls, and our hope of glory forever. Amen.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 17:27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
Ver. 27. Then will I kindle a fire. ] That furious element, whereby God hath so oft punished this sin, as is to be seen in the Practice of Piety, Denison’s Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, Mr Clark’s Examples, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
kindle a fire, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 32:22), App-92. Compare Jer 21:14. Lam 4:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
ye will: Jer 17:24, Jer 6:17, Jer 26:4-6, Jer 44:16, Isa 1:20, Zec 7:11-14, Heb 12:25
to hallow: Jer 17:21, Jer 17:22, Eze 22:8
then: Jer 17:4, Jer 21:12, Jer 21:14, Jer 32:29, Jer 38:21-23, Jer 49:27, Deu 32:22, Isa 9:18, Isa 9:19, Lam 4:11, Eze 16:41, Eze 20:47, Eze 20:48, Amo 1:4, Amo 1:7, Amo 1:10, Amo 1:12, Amo 1:14, Amo 2:2, Amo 2:4, Amo 2:5
shall devour: Jer 39:8, Jer 52:13, 2Ki 25:9, 2Ch 36:19, Amo 2:5
shall not: Jer 7:20, 2Ki 22:17, Isa 1:31, Eze 20:47, Mar 9:43-48
Reciprocal: Lev 26:14 – General Neh 13:15 – burdens Neh 13:18 – Did not your Jer 6:5 – let us destroy Jer 20:8 – I cried Jer 21:10 – it shall Jer 22:5 – if Eze 20:20 – General Eze 21:15 – against Eze 23:38 – and have Hos 8:14 – I will send Mat 3:12 – with Mat 26:3 – the palace Joh 5:10 – it is not
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 17:27. If ye will not hearken is to be understood as if It said, since ye did not hearken.” As a penalty for this violation of the law of God they were to have tbetr city destroyed by Are and themselves be sent away into captivity. Shall not be quenched was fulfilled both literally and figuratively. The capital was actually destroyed by fire (2 Kings 25; 2 Kings 9, 10), and the fire of Gods anger was not quenched until the captivity was accomplished.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
However, if the people did not observe the Sabbath Day to keep it holy (different from other days), the Lord would consume Jerusalem with unquenchable fire. Notice the prominence in these promises and threats, of: the throne of David, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem. These comprised the basic elements of the national and religious life of the covenant people.
It was not just the fourth commandment that the people were responsible to keep, of course. Jeremiah might have chosen to preach on any of the other nine commandments, and he may have done so at other times. This message is probably representative of many similar sermons that the prophet delivered-calling the people back to obedience to the covenant. It was repentance that would postpone judgment, not just obedience to the fourth commandment. Yet the fourth commandment had special significance. Sabbath observance recognized Yahweh as Creator and Redeemer, and so witnessed against idolatry. It guaranteed God’s people rest, which they could not obtain from idols. And it was one of the unique features of Israel’s religion, because it signified the special covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel.