Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 27:5
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that [are] upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
5. The terms of the message are these: God, as Creator of the world and of all that is in it, has the right to give it to whomsoever He will. He has therefore placed Nebuchadnezzar in power for such time as it shall please Him, and none may resist His will.
the man of the earth ] LXX omit.
my outstretched arm ] See on Jer 32:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. I have made the earth] I am the Creator and Governor of all things, and I dispose of the several kingdoms of the world as seemeth best to me.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To evince to them that his dominion extendeth to them, he mindeth them that he was the first efficient cause of all the creatures, and made both all men and all beasts that are upon the earth, and therefore had a special propriety in them, and a universal power over them, it being in his power to dispose of what was at first the work of his hands, and accordingly in the methods and workings of his providence he did daily dispose of kingdoms and nations according to his pleasure, without being for such disposal of them accountable unto any person.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. God here, as elsewhere,connects with the symbol doctrine, which is as it were its soul,without which it would be not only cold and frivolous, but even dead[CALVIN]. God’s mention ofHis supreme power is in order to refute the pride of those who relyon their own power (Isa 45:12).
given it unto whom it seemedmeet unto me (Psa 115:15;Psa 115:16; Dan 4:17;Dan 4:25; Dan 4:32).Not for his merits, but of My own sole good pleasure [ESTIUS].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that [are] upon the ground,…. The earth was made by him on the first day, and man and beast on the sixth day, of the creation; the earth is still supported in its being, and man and beast are continued on it in succession: this is mentioned to show his right and authority to dispose of the earth, and all in it, at his pleasure; which is founded on his creation and sustaining of it, and all creatures in it: which was, and is, as he says,
by my great power, and by my outstretched arm; for nothing less could have created the original chaos out of nothing, and brought that into form and order, and produced out of it such creatures as man and beast; and nothing less than that could continue it in being, and a succession of creatures on it:
and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me; some part of it to one, and some to another; and more to one than to another; but to none according to their merit, but according to his own sovereign will and pleasure; see Ps 115:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Then follow these words, I have made the earth, the man and the beast, which are on the face of the earth, by my great power, and by mine extended arm. (179) The spectacle would have been unmeaning and to no purpose, had Jeremiah only put the yoke on his neck, and added no instruction; for we know that all signs are as it were dead, except life is given them by the word. As then an image avails not much, so whatever signs may be set before our eyes, they would be frivolous and without meaning, were no doctrine added as the life. And hence also is condemned the madness of the Papists, who amuse the minds of the people with many signs, while no doctrine is conveyed. It therefore follows that they are mere figments, and attended with no profit. God, then, has ever added to signs his doctrine, which may therefore be truly compared to the soul, which gives life to the body, that would otherwise be without motion or strength. On this account Jeremiah shews what the yoke meant. He also speaks of the power and sovereign authority of God; for kings, though they confess that God holds the government of the world, cannot yet entertain the idea that they can be in a moment overwhelmed and cast down from their dignity. For they seem to themselves to be fixed in their nests, and so they promise to themselves a permanent condition, and imagine that they are not subject to the common lot of mortals.
As, then, kings are so inflated with pride, the Lord used this preface, that he made the earth and all living beings. He speaks not of heaven, but mentions only that he made the earth, and man, and the animals which are on the face of the earth; and adds, by my great power and extended arm Why was this said, except that men might be awakened on hearing that the earth continues not as it is, but as it is sustained by God’s power by which it was once created? The same power preserves men and animals; for nothing can remain safe except God exercises from heaven his hidden power. This, then, was the reason why these words were introduced. God set his own arm and power in opposition to the pride of those who thought that they stood by their own power, and did not acknowledge that they were dependent on the nod of God alone, who sustained them as long as he pleased, and then overthrew and reduced them to nothing when it seemed good to him.
This doctrine, then, ought to be applied to ourselves: for Jeremiah did not speak generally and indiscriminately of God’s power, but accommodated to the subject in hand what he said of God’s power, that men might, know that there is nothing fixed or permanent in this world, but that God preserves men and animals, and yet in such a way, that at any moment he can by a single breath reduce to nothing all those who exist and all that they have. It follows —
(179) Whenever the pronouns are set down in Hebrew, they are emphatic: the beginning of this verse ought to be rendered, “I myself,” or “made have I, even I, the earth, the man also and the beast that are on the face of the earth,” (not as in our version, “upon the ground,”) etc. The last clause, “and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me,” according to Calvin and our version, ought rather to be, “and I will give it to whom it shall seem right in my eyes.” So Venema and Blayney; and it is according to the Sept., though the other versions are the same with our own. The verb indeed is in the past tense, but it is preceded by ו conversive. Then follows the next verse, “And now I — given have I all these lands,” etc. The fifth verse contains a general declaration of truth; God made the earth, and would give it to whom he pleased: the sixth includes his determination as to all these lands; he had given them to Nebuchadnezzar. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) I have made the earth . . .The pronoun is emphatic. For upon the ground read on the face of the earth, and for it seemed meet unto me it seemed meet to my eyes. The stretched-out arm is a phrase specially characteristic of the Book of Deuteronomy (Deu. 4:34; Deu. 5:15; Deu. 7:19; Deu. 26:8), and may be noted among the many traces of its influence on Jeremiahs language. The whole preface, which rises to a height of rhythmic loftiness not common in Jeremiahs writings, asserts the truth that the Creator of the material world is also the ruler over the kingdoms of the earth. For a like utterance of the same thought, see Amo. 4:13; Amo. 9:6.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 27:5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that [are] upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
Ver. 5. I have made the earth. ] And I am therefore the great proprietary and Lord paramount of all, to transfer kingdoms at my pleasure. This Nebuchadnczzar, after seven years’ apprenticeship served among the beasts of the field, had learned to acknowledge. Dan 4:23-25
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I have made, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 1:1). App-92.
the ground. Hebrew the face of the ground. Figure of speech Pleonasm. App-6. Some codices read “the face of all the ground”.
ground = earth.
great power . . . outstretched arm. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 6:6. Deu 4:34; Deu 5:15; Deu 7:19; Deu 9:29; Deu 11:2; Deu 26:8).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
made: Jer 10:11, Jer 10:12, Jer 32:17, Jer 51:15, Gen 9:6, Exo 20:11, Job 26:5-14, Job 38:4-41, Psa 102:25, Psa 136:5-9, Psa 146:5, Psa 146:6, Psa 148:2-5, Isa 40:21-26, Isa 42:5, Isa 44:24, Isa 45:12, Isa 48:13, Isa 51:13, Joh 1:1-3, Act 14:15, Act 17:24, Col 1:16, Heb 1:2, Heb 1:10, Heb 1:11, Rev 4:11
and have: Gen 1:29, Gen 1:30, Gen 9:2, Gen 9:3, Deu 2:7, Deu 2:9, Deu 2:19, Deu 5:16, Deu 32:8, Jos 1:2, Jos 1:3, Ezr 1:2, Psa 115:15, Psa 115:16, Psa 135:10-12, Deu 2:21, Deu 4:17, Deu 4:25, Deu 4:32, Deu 4:35
Reciprocal: Lev 25:2 – When ye Num 33:53 – General Deu 2:5 – because Deu 2:24 – behold Deu 10:14 – the earth Jos 2:9 – that the Lord 1Sa 15:28 – hath given 1Ki 2:15 – for it was 2Ki 5:1 – by him 2Ki 9:3 – I have anointed 1Ch 29:11 – all that 2Ch 13:5 – the Lord 2Ch 20:6 – rulest not Job 12:9 – the hand Job 36:22 – God Psa 50:10 – every Psa 78:71 – brought Pro 8:15 – By Isa 45:3 – I will give Jer 34:1 – all the kingdoms Jer 51:20 – break Dan 2:21 – he changeth Dan 2:38 – the beasts Dan 4:17 – the most High Dan 4:25 – till Dan 4:32 – until Dan 5:19 – that he Mat 4:9 – I give Mat 20:15 – it Joh 19:11 – Thou Rom 13:1 – there 1Co 10:28 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 27:5. The message was to begin by a statement as to who made everything, that it was the God of Israel. Very logically, then, the maker of anything would have the right and power to give It to whomsoever he saw fit..
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Yahweh announced that He was the Creator of all things, and that He would give His creation to whomever was pleasing in His sight.
"Marduk of Babylon might claim authority over nations by right of conquest, but the LORD claims the right to rule as creator." [Note: Scalise, p. 49.]