Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 31:5
Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat [them] as common things.
5. shalt thou plant vineyards, etc.] As for several years these would yield no fruit of value, the words imply a return of settled prosperity.
Samaria ] A post-exilic writer would not have mentioned Jerusalem’s rival in such a connexion.
shall enjoy ] mg. Heb. profane, or, make common. The fruit borne by a tree for the first three years was not to be gathered, that of the fourth year was to be consecrated to God, while that of the fifth year the owner might eat. See Lev 19:23-25; Deu 20:6; Deu 28:30. The word which in Deut. (“used,” “use”) expresses the handing over of the fruit to the owner’s use is that here rendered “enjoy.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Shall eat them as common things – Rather, shall eat the fruit. Literally, as in the margin. For three years the fruit of a newly-planted tree was not to be touched, that of the fourth year was consecrated to God, but on the fifth year it was profane, i. e., unconsecrated, and so might be applied to the owners use Lev 19:23-25.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria] This was the regal city of the Israelites, as Jerusalem was of the Jews.
Shall eat them as common things.] By the law of Moses no man was permitted to eat of the fruit of his vineyard till the fifth year after planting. For the first three years it was considered uncircumcised, unclean, not fit to be eaten; in the fourth year it was holy to the Lord, the fruit belonged to Him; in the fifth year he might use it for himself, Le 19:23-25. But in the time here mentioned the fruit should be considered common-lawful at all times to be eaten.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Samaria was the metropolis of the ten tribes, called so from Shemer, who owned the hill: Omri king of Israel bought it, and built Samaria upon it. Mountains in many places are judged the most convenient places for vineyards, being free from shades, and most exposed to the sun. God promiseth them a liberty to plant, and that they should enjoy their plantations, eating them as common things, which they could not do till the fifth year, as appears from Lev 19:23-25. The three first years it was to be accounted by them as uncircumcised, that is, unclean; in the fourth year it was to be holy to the Lord; in the fifth year they might eat the fruit of it, as any common thing that was not unclean, nor yet devoted and consecrated to the Lord.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Samariathe metropolis ofthe ten tribes; here equivalent to Israel. The mountainousnature of their country suited the growth of the vine.
eat . . . ascommonliterally, “shall profane,” that is, shall putto common use. For the first three years after planting, the vine was”not to be eaten of”; on the fourth year the fruit was tobe “holy to praise the Lord withal”; on the fifth year thefruit was to be eaten as common, no longer restricted to holyuse (Le 19:23-25;compare Deu 20:6; Deu 28:30,Margin). Thus the idea here is, “The same persons whoplant shall reap the fruits”; it shall no longer be that oneshall plant and another reap the fruit.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria,…. Mountains are proper places for vines, and which generally produce the best wine; but vines are not to be understood merely literally, or as only expressive of the outward peace, plenty, and prosperity of Samaria, with other places given to the Jews, as Josephus k observes they were by the Demetrii; which they might improve by planting vines, c. but figuratively of the planting of Gospel churches there, comparable to vines, So 2:13 which was done in the first times of the Gospel; see Joh 4:29; and which was a pledge of what will be done in those parts hereafter in the latter day:
the planters shall plant, and shall eat [them] as common things; the fruit of the vines planted by them. The allusion is to the law of eating the fruit of trees planted on the fifth year of their plantation, when, and not till then, it was lawful to eat of it; but here the planters might eat of it as soon as it was produced, even as the fruit of the fifth year, which was common and lawful, Le 19:23. The “planters” are the ministers of the Gospel; such an one the Apostle Paul was; who are instruments in founding and raising churches, and of planting members in them, as well as of watering, and making them fruitful; and who receive themselves benefit from hence; not only in things temporal, but spiritual; it giving them a real pleasure and satisfaction to see the plants grow and thrive, which they have planted, 1Co 3:6
Ps 92:14.
k Antiqu. Jud. l. 13. c. 2. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The verb חלל, chelal, means to profane, but it means also to apply to common use. The expression is taken from the Law; for it was not lawful to eat of the fruit of the vine until after the fourth year; for its uncircumcision as it were remained in the vine, so that its fruit was unclean. Then its first-fruits were offered to God; afterwards every one enjoyed his vintage. (Lev 19:23) But at the same time Jeremiah had respect to the curses which we read of elsewhere,
“
Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and others shall eat its fruit.” (Deu 28:30)
What did he then mean by these words? even that the country would, for a time, be so deserted, that there would be no vines on the richest and the most fertile mountains. The mountains of Samaria were rich in vines; and when vines on these were cut down, there was a dreadful desolation. When, therefore, the Prophet says, they shall yet plant a vineyard, he intimates that the land would be desolate for a time; so also when he says, I will yet build thee, he reminds the Jews, that they were to bear with resignation the judgment of God, while they could see nothing but desolation through the whole land.
This, then, is what the word yet intimates: but when he promised that there would be vines again on the mountains of Samaria, he adds, that they who planted them would enjoy the fruit. Here, then, is an additional blessing: it would have availed them nothing to plant or set vines, except this blessing of God was added; for it is a very grievous thing to be deprived of a possession which we have cultivated, and on which we have spent much labor. He then who has diligently planted vines, and he who has cultivated his land, if driven into exile, feels deeply wounded in his mind, when he sees that his vines and his land are in the possession of strangers. Hence the Prophet here intimates that God’s favor would be certain, because he would not only give leisure to the Jews, when they returned, to plant vines, but would also cause them to enjoy the fruit in peace and quietness. They shall then profane, (24) that is, apply to their own use, in the fifth year, the fruit produced by the vines, as though he had said, “They shall dwell, without disturbance, in their own inheritance, when once they shall have returned to it.”
(24) This verb seems not to have been rightly understood by the authors of the early versions, nor by the writer of the Targum. Their imperfect knowledge of Hebrew frequently appears. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria . . .The mention of Samaria shows that the prophet is thinking of the restoration of the northern kingdom, as well as of Judah, under the rule of the true King. In the Hebrew words shall eat them as common things we have a singular train of associations. The primary meaning of the verb is to profane. The rule of Lev. 19:23-24, based partly, perhaps, on grounds of culture, partly with a symbolic meaning, required that a vineyard for three years after it was planted should be treated as uncircumcised (i.e., that no use should be made of the fruit), in the fourth year the fruit was to be holy to praise the Lord with, and in the fifth the planter might take the fruit for himself. So accordingly in Deu. 20:6 we have, as one of the laws affecting war, that if a man had planted a vineyard and had not made it commonthe same word as that used herei.e., had not got beyond the fixed period of consecration, he might be exempted from military service, lest he should die and another eat of it. Compare also Deu. 28:30, where the English gather answers, as the marginal reading shows, to the same verb. What is meant here, therefore, is, in contrast with the chances and changes of a time of war, that the planters of the vineyard should not be disturbed in their possession of it. They should not plant, and another eat thereof. (Comp. Isa. 65:22; Deu. 28:30.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Mountains of Samaria Mentioned as the capital and sanctuary of the ten tribes. For many generations they had been exiled from this abode of their strength and pride; but now the promise is, that they shall eat their grapes there as common things; margin, shall profane them. For the first three years after planting the vines the Jews were forbidden to pluck the grapes, and the fruit of the fourth year was to be consecrated to the Lord, (see Lev 19:23-25; Deu 20:6,) so that not until the fifth year could the fruits be eaten as “common things.” This vividly suggests permanence of abode.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 31:5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat [them] as common things.
Ver. 5. Thou shalt yet plant vines. ] Profunda pax erit: nemo te perterrefaciet. Thou shalt have plenty, peace, and security.
The planters shall plant them, and shall eat them as common things,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
vines = vineyards.
mountains. A special reading called Sevir (App-34), reads “cities”.
eat them as common things. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 19:23-25. Deu 20:6; Deu 28:30). Compare Isa 62:9. App-92.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
yet: Deu 28:30, Isa 62:8, Isa 62:9, Isa 65:21, Isa 65:22, Amo 9:14, Mic 4:4, Zec 3:10
mountains: Eze 36:8, Oba 1:19
eat: Heb. profane, Lev 19:23-25, Deu 20:6, Deu 28:30, 1Sa 21:5
Reciprocal: 2Ch 9:20 – it was Psa 107:37 – sow Jer 1:10 – to build Jer 31:16 – they Jer 32:15 – Houses Eze 28:26 – build Amo 3:9 – the mountains
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 31:5. Not only were their homes to be restored, but their agricultural pursuits were to be resumed. Samaria was the part of Palestine that had been occupied by the 10 tribes. This prediction indicates that they will be returned to their former homes as well as would the 2 tribes: no lost 10 tribes” taught heTe.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 31:5. Thou shalt yet plant vines Building and planting are commonly joined together; upon the mountains of Samaria Samaria, being the metropolis of the ten tribes, seems to be put for the kingdom of Israel, as it is distinct from that of Judah. According to which interpretation the mountains of Samaria are equivalent to the mountains of Israel, and therefore the words imply, that the deliverance here spoken of should extend to Israel as well as Judah. The planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things After they have planted them they shall eat the fruits thereof, according to the promise contained in the parallel texts, (Isa 65:21; Amo 9:14,) whereas, God had threatened as a curse, that, in case of their disobedience, when they had planted their vines, another should eat the fruit, Deu 28:30. The verb , translated, eat them as common things, alludes to the law that forbade the fruit of any young trees to be eaten till the fifth year of their bearing. For the first three years they were to be considered as in a state of uncircumcision or uncleanness. In the fourth year the fruit was holy to the Lord. But after that time it became free for the owners use, Lev 19:23-25. See also Deu 20:6; and Deu 28:30; where the same verb is used for eating of the fruit of a plantation without restraint. Here, therefore, a promise is given directly opposite to the above-mentioned threat, namely, That the persons who planted the vineyards on the hills of Samaria should not be compelled to give up the fruit of their labours to others, but should themselves remain in the land, and enjoy the produce of their plantations unmolested.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of {g} Samaria: the planters shall plant, and {h} shall eat [them] as common things.
(g) Because the Israelites who were the ten tribes never returned to Samaria, therefore this must be spiritually understood under the kingdom of Christ, which was the restoration of the true Israel.
(h) That is, will eat the fruit of it, as in Lev 19:23-25, De 20:6 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
They would return to Samaria and resume their agricultural pursuits, which the Lord, not Baal, would bless with fertility.