Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 31:14
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.
14. satiate ] lit. water.
the soul of the priests with fatness ] The sacrifices shall be so numerous that the priests and their families shall have more than enough for their share. The priest’s portion was the wave-breast and heave-shoulder (Lev 7:31-34). For the soul considered as the seat of desire, cp. Jer 22:28, and in this case of eagerness for food, appetite, Isa 56:11, “ greedy dogs,” lit. “strong of soul.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jer 31:14
My people shall be satisfied with My goodness.
A promise for Gods people
I. Ascertain the right application of the promise. My people. The term is restrictive. Only the people of God. And it is universal: all, everywhere, in every age. Who, then, are they? The phrase denotes covenant relationship. As man is alienated, it implies reconciliation,–acceptance. The covenant by which this is effected is that of mercy in Christ. As children of the covenant, we have received its visible seal,–have been instructed in its obligations and blessings. Repentance and faith required. These produce continued obedience,–and so we become, so we continue to be, the people of God.
II. What is the promise made to them? They shall be satisfied, &c.
1. There is the goodness of God. The phrase sometimes refers to His essential goodness; He is good. But here, to its bestowments;–He doeth good.
(1) The condescending manifestation of pardoning mercy, and adopting love to the conscience.
(2) The various gifts of grace, and blessings of providence, all flowing from paternal love.
(3) The blessings of glory, future, and to be waited for; but brought near by good hope, given by God who hath loved us.
2. With this they are satisfied.
(1) The effect of manifested mercy is true satisfaction–peace, joy, delight. We possess what we feel is our true portion.
(2) And, preserving this feeling,–living as penitent, pardoned believers,–we rejoice in the ordinary gifts of providence; even in chastenings we joy, knowing, their source and object; we rejoice in the overflowing fountain of grace; we joy in the foretastes of glory.
Lessons–
1. See the inestimable value of religion Other gifts vain without this. This of itself all in all.
2. Oh, the unutterable folly of sin! You refuse bliss; choose misery; and for what ? The fountains of living waters,–for broken, even empty cisterns.
3. Seek religion now. Live in full possession of it. (G. Cubitt.)
Gods people satisfied with His goodness
I. My people. Who are now Gods people? All, whether of Jewish origin or of Gentile extraction, who–
1. Have repented of sin, and turned to the Lord with weeping and supplication (Zec 12:10; Jer 31:9; Act 2:38; Act 3:19).
2. Have received Christ, and believed on Him to the salvation of their souls (Joh 1:11-13; Joh 3:18; Joh 3:36).
3. Have been regenerated by the Spirit and the truth of God (Joh 3:5-8; Tit 3:3-7; 1Pe 1:1; 1Pe 1:9; 1Pe 1:23).
4. Have the assurance of their adoption into the family of God (Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:4-7).
5. Who worship God in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:24; Php 3:3).
6. Who keep His commandments, and are zealous of, and careful to maintain, good works (Joh 14:21; Joh 14:24; Tit 2:14; Tit 3:8; Jam 2:14-26; Rev 22:14).
7. Who have their thoughts and affections set on things above, and who are ever looking for the coming of their Lord (Col 3:1-4; Php 3:20-21; Tit 2:13; 2Pe 3:10-14; Rev 22:20). My people–
II. Shall be satisfied. Satisfaction is the rest of the desiring faculties. To be satisfied is to be filled, contented, and gratified to that degree, that nothing more is, or can be desired. The primary idea of the Hebrew word lies in abundance of drink, although in the common usage of the language this verb is more frequently applied to food than to drink. Thus of one sated with food, Deu 31:20; Rth 2:14; Isa 44:16; Jer 31:14. It is spoken of the Spirit, Ecc 6:3; and metaphorically of the eye, as not satisfied with seeing, Ecc 1:8. Compare Isa 53:2; Psa 17:15.–Geseniuss Heb. Lex. Our spiritual need is often set forth in Scripture by our bodily necessities; and our spiritual supplies are spoken of in similar terms, to the supplies of our temporal wants (Isa 25:6; Isa 55:1-3; Isa 66:10-14; Zec 9:15-17; Mat 5:6). They shall be satisfied; for
1. Their minds shall be filled with knowledge, confidence, and hope, in reference to Divine, Spiritual, and eternal things. They shall be free from perplexity, doubt, and fear. They shall have the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ (Col 2:2). They shall to God draw near in full assurance of faith, having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and their bodies washed with pure water (Heb 10:22). And they shew the same diligence unto the full assurance of hope unto the end (Heb 6:11). These three full assurances satisfy the saints.
2. Their souls shall be filled with holiness.
3. Their hearts shall be filled with love (1Jn 4:16-19).
4. Their lives shall be filled with good deeds (Php 1:10-11; Php 2:14-16; Mat 5:13-16). Shah be satisfied–
III. With my goodness, saith the Lord. The goodness of God here means His kindness, benignity, and beneficence, as it does in Psa 25:7; Psa 27:13; Psa 31:19; Psa 145:7, and in many other places.
1. They shall be satisfied with Gods favour. O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full of the blessing of the Lord (Deu 33:23). In His favour is life (Psa 30:5). In His favour there is pardon and peace, purity and hope, love and joy, protection and honour (Rom 5:1-5; Psa 4:7-8; Psa 5:12; Psa 32:1; Psa 23:2; Psa 89:15-18; Psa 106:4-5).
2. They shall be satisfied with His goodness in their meditations on God (Psa 63:5; Psa 36:6; Psa 104:34; Psa 119:14-16).
3. They shall be satisfied with Gods goodness in His worship and service (Psa 65:4; Psa 36:7-9; Psa 36:34).
4. They shall be satisfied with Gods goodness in fellowship and communion with Him (1Jn 1:3-4). Fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ consists in our being partakers of the Divine nature; in constant intercourse and communion with the Divine being; in community of interest; and in mutual possession. In this blessed fellowship we are satisfied; for we are filled with all the fulness of God, and are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ.
5. They shall be satisfied with Gods goodness in heaven for ever and ever (Psa 17:15). Then shall we be satisfied, fully satisfied, eternally satisfied (Rev 7:14-17).
6. The certainty that Gods people shall be satisfied with His goodness. We have no ground for doubt; for God says it, whose word cannot fail. Are we Gods people? If so, we shall be satisfied with His goodness; but if not, we cannot be satisfied. Literature, art, and science cannot satisfy the soul. Wealth, honour, pleasure cannot satisfy the immortal mind. Believe me, nothing can satisfy us but the goodness of God. (H. O. Crofts, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. And I will satiate the soul of the priests] The worship of God being restored, they shall have their proper share of the victims brought to the temple.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By
priests some understand the ministers of the gospel, whom God here promiseth liberally to provide for; or rather, by giving a success to their ministry, and letting them see the fruit of their labours, make to rejoice: in which metaphorical sense I should rather interpret it, applying it first to the priests of the Jews after the captivity, of whom it is said, Ezr 6:16, that they kept the feast of the dedication of the second temple with joy; and Ezr 6:22, the Lord had made the people joyful. Nor were the people for a short time only satisfied with the Lords goodness. In a secondary typical sense it may also signify the spiritual success and rejoicing of good ministers under the gospel, and the spiritual joy of believers. This rejoicing is metaphorically expressed by fatness, with allusion to the rift of the sacrifices under the law. It is a usual thing for God by his prophets to express New Testament duties and privileges by phrases borrowed from the worship of God under the Old Testament. See Isa 66:22,23.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. my goodness (Jer31:12).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness,…. Meaning either the ministers of the Gospel, who should not only be liberally provided for as to their maintenance, which is too low a sense; but filled with spiritual good things, with the doctrines of the Gospel, and a comfortable experience of them, that they may be able to feed others with knowledge and understanding; or since, under the Gospel dispensation, there is no such distinct order of men under the name of priests, but all the saints are made kings and priests to God, they may be here meant, as follows:
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord; to which they are said to flow, [See comments on Jer 31:12]. But, lest it should be thought that there would be no manner of trouble and affliction in those times, two instances, as follow, are given; the one at the beginning, and the other towards the close of them, expressive of distress; one on temporal, the other on spiritual accounts.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This verse is connected with the former; for what the Prophet had said generally of the whole people, he now distinctly declares respecting the priests, for they were, as it were, the heart of the people; and by this order God gave a lively representation of his favor. This is the reason why the Scripture, in setting forth God’s blessing to his chosen people, speaks especially of the priests, as it appears from many places. Then the Prophet intimates that God would be bountiful indiscriminately to all the Israelites, but that his peculiar favor would be conspicuous towards the priests, for the condition of the people would not be complete without the priesthood, for the priesthood was, as it were, the soul. They would have lived like the heathens, had not God prescribed how he was to be called upon and worshipped. And having mentioned the priests, he does not confine himself to them, but the favor of God is extended to the whole people. It is not then only of the priests that the Prophet speaks, but he declares that the people would be made blessed through God’s bounty, and yet that his peculiar kindness would be manifested towards the Levitical priests, according to what we read in the Psalms: a special blessing is promised to the priests, accompanied with felicity to the godly; and David, when felicitating himself on having so many of God’s blessings, by which he was distinguished, does indeed mention the provisions of his table and abundance of all other things, yet he immediately adds,
“
I will dwell in the house of the Lord.” (Psa 23:6)
By this conclusion, he intimates, that he esteemed as nothing what profane men desire, except he enjoyed as the first thing the worship of God; for this is the main part of our happiness. For wherefore do we live, except we learn, while we partake of blessings from God’s hand, that he is our Father, and that we are stimulated by his bounty to worship him, and except we surrender ourselves wholly to his word?
We now, then, perceive the Prophet’s object in saying, that the priests would be satiated with fatness
As the word דשן, deshin, fatness, denotes abundance of all things; so satiate intimates the great extent of God’s bounty. Some render it “inebriate,” but improperly; and it would be inappropriate to say, “I will inebriate with fatness.” But רוה rue, means to irrigate and also to satiate: hence the Prophet said, in what we considered yesterday, that the soul of the faithful would be like a watered garden; it is there רוה , rue. So also now God means, that he would be so bountiful towards his people, that nothing would be wanting to the full affluence of all good things. And he again says the same thing with regard to the whole people, My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith Jehovah We hence see that nothing is promised to the priests, except in connection with the whole Church. It follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
14. Satiate Abundantly satisfy an image of prosperity. The offerings shall be so numerous that the priests shall scarcely consume the portions which fall to them.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 31:14. I will satiate, &c. See Psa 36:8; Psa 63:5. Isa 55:2.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.
Ver. 14. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, ] i.e., Provide liberally for my ministers; Isa 66:21 they and theirs shall be well maintained. Terms taken from the good and fat parts of the sacrifices, which were allotted for the priests.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
satiate: Deu 33:8-11, 2Ch 6:41, Neh 10:39, Psa 132:9, Psa 132:16, Isa 61:6, 1Pe 2:9, Rev 5:10
my people: Jer 31:25, Jer 33:9, Psa 17:15, Psa 36:8, Psa 63:5, Psa 65:4, Psa 107:9, Son 5:1, Isa 25:6, Isa 55:1-3, Isa 66:10-14, Zec 9:15-17, Mat 5:6, Eph 1:3, Eph 3:19, Rev 7:16, Rev 7:17
Reciprocal: Exo 33:19 – all my goodness Deu 33:23 – O Neh 9:25 – delighted Psa 30:11 – dancing Psa 34:8 – Lord Psa 132:15 – I will satisfy Psa 146:7 – which giveth food Isa 26:20 – my Isa 55:2 – eat Jer 50:19 – his soul Luk 6:21 – for ye shall be
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 31:14, Satiate means to quench and soul means the vitality or life of a creature. The clause means God would make the priests feel satisfied with their lot after coming back to their former work with the nation of the Lord.
Jer 31:15
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
31:14 And I will abundantly satisfy the soul of the priests with {s} fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.
(s) Meaning, the spirit of wisdom, knowledge and zeal.