Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 30:6

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

6. Men do not suffer the pangs of child-bearing. Why then do all shew signs of pain and terror? Cp. Isa 13:8.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The voice which I hear is not the voice of women, but of men, and those the strongest and stoutest men, yet it is a voice like the voice of women in travail, roaring out through their pains; and the posture I see the generality of men are in is like the posture of women in travail, who hold their hands upon their loins, hoping thereby to abate their pain. Was it ever heard that males had the pains that use to attend child-bearing women?

And all faces are turned into paleness; and all mens faces look as if they had the yellow jaundice; or are of the colour of blasted corn, as the word signifieth, Deu 28:22.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

6. AskConsult all theauthorities, men or books, you can, you will not find an instance.Yet in that coming day men will be seen with their hands pressed ontheir loins, as women do to repress their pangs. God will drive menthrough pain to gestures more fitting a woman than a man (Jer 4:31;Jer 6:24). The metaphor is oftenused to express the previous pain followed by the sudden deliveranceof Israel, as in the case of a woman in childbirth (Isa66:7-9).

palenessproperly thecolor of herbs blasted and fading: the green paleness of onein jaundice: the sickly paleness of terror.

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

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child?…. Look into the histories of former times, inquire of those most versed in them, whether ever there was such a thing in the world as that a man should travail with child; ask one and, another you see in distress, whether that is their case or not, which looks so much like it; and since there never was such an instance, nor is it possible that there should:

wherefore do I see every man with his hands his loins, as a woman in travail; the usual posture of women in such a condition, trying hereby to abate their pain, and ease themselves. This metaphor is made use of, both to express the sharpness and shortness of this distress; as the pains of a woman in travail are very sharp, yet short, and, when over, quickly forgotten; and so it wilt be at this time; it will be a sharp trial of the church and people of God; but it will last but for a short time; and the joy and happy times that will follow will soon cause it to be forgotten:

and all faces are turned into paleness? at the departure of the blood, through fear and trembling. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it “the yellow jaundice”; their faces were of the colour of such persons that have that disease upon them; or, as others, the green sickness. Some render it, “the king’s evil” q.

q “in speciem morbi regii”, Junius Tremellius “in morbum regium”, Piscator.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

He then adds, and not of peace This is emphatically subjoined, that the Prophet might shake off from the people those foolish delusions with which they were imbued by the false prophets. He then says, that they in vain hoped for peace, for they could not flee from terror and fear. He enhances this fear by saying, Inquire and see whether a man is in labor? Some one renders this absurdly, “Whether a man begets?” by which mistake he has betrayed a defect of judgment as well as ignorance; he was indeed learned in Hebrew, but ignorant of Latin, and also void of judgment. For the Prophet here speaks of something monstrous; but it is natural for a man to beget. he asks here ironically, “Can a man be in labor?” because God would put all men in such pains and agonies, as though they were women travailing with child. As, then, women exert every nerve and writhe in anguish when bringing forth draws nigh, so also men, all the men, would have their hands laid on their loins, on account of their terror and dread. Then he says, and all faces are turned into paleness; that is, God would terrify them all.

We now understand the meaning of the Prophet; for as the Jews did not believe God’s judgment, it was necessary, as the Prophet does here, to storm their hardness. If he had used a common mode of speaking, they would not have been moved. Hence he had respect to their perverseness; and it was on this account that he was so vehement. Inquire, then, he says, and see whether a man is in labor? God would bring all the men to a condition not manly, such as that of a woman in labor, when in her last effort to bring forth, when her pain is the greatest and the most bitter. Men would then be driven into a state the most unbecoming, strange, and monstrous. It follows: —

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

6. Every man with his hands on his loins As if in extreme pain, like unto a woman in the pangs of childbirth.

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

Jer 30:6. Ask ye now, &c. “Is it usual for men to be with child, and to suffer the pangs of travail? Whence then do I see you, Chaldeans and Babylonians, in a similar posture?” The prophet uses this figure, to represent the fear of the Babylonians, and their extreme surprise, when the forces of the Medes and Persians should come upon them. The next verse refers to the same. But though it was a time of trouble to the Babylonians, and to the Jews, as connected with them; yet were the latter saved out of it. Cyrus, in the first year of his reign over Babylon, gave them liberty to return to their own country.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Jer 30:6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Ver. 6. Ask ye now, and see, &c. ] Was it ever heard of in this world that a male did bear? The poets indeed fable that Minerva was born of Jupiter’s brain:

“ Pictoribus atque poetis,

Quidlibet audendi fas est. ”

Wherefore do I see every man. ] Heb., Every strong or mighty man.

With their hands on their loins. ] And not on their weapons.

And all faces turned into paleness. ] Through extreme fear, the blood running to the heart, and the heart fallen into the heels. The Septuagint, for “paleness,” have the yellow jaundice; the Vulgate, gold yellowness; Piscator, morbus regius; the royal sickness, the Hebrew properly implieth the colour of blasted corn. Deu 28:22 It importeth that the most stout-hearted warriors should be enervati et exangues, more parturientium, bloodless and spiritless, as travailing women.

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

a man = a male. Hebrew. zakar.

man = a strong man. Hebrew. geber. App-14.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

travail

(See Scofield “Mic 5:1”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

a man: Heb. a male

every: Jer 4:31, Jer 6:24, Jer 13:21, Jer 22:23, Jer 49:24, Jer 50:43, Psa 48:6, Isa 13:6-9, Isa 21:3, Dan 5:6, Hos 13:13, Mic 4:9, Mic 4:10, Joh 16:21, Joh 16:22, 1Th 5:3

paleness: Isa 29:22, Joe 2:6, Nah 2:10

Reciprocal: Psa 69:23 – make their Isa 8:22 – look Isa 13:8 – pangs Isa 26:17 – General Jer 48:41 – as the heart Jer 49:22 – the heart of the Eze 21:6 – with the Dan 5:9 – changed

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jer 30:6. The pains of a woman approaching childbirth are used to illustrate the depressed state of mind suffered by the people of God in captivity.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary