Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 32:26
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
26 35. See introd. summary to the section. The vv. after 27, purporting to give the Lord’s reply to Jeremiah’s question as to the fitness of his action in purchasing the field, bear fully the marks of a later addition. Their substance indeed is quite in harmony with other prophecies in the Book, and they consist to a large extent of Jeremianic expressions. On the other hand, they are quite unnatural in this context. See further in note on Jer 32:36-44.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The answer is divided into two parts;
(a) Jer 32:26-35, the sins of Judah are shown to be the cause of her punishment:
(b) Jer 32:36-44, this punishment was not for Judahs destruction, but for her amendment.
Jer 32:28
I will give – Or, I am giving.
Jer 32:30
From their youth – Gods mighty deeds for Israel began in Egypt Jer 32:20, and so did Israels sin.
Jer 32:34, Jer 32:35
These verses are repeated from Jer 7:30-31, but with two important variations. Baal is put for Tophet, and to Molech instead of in the fire. Molech the king and Baal the lord are different names of the sun-god, but in altered relations. Molech is the sun as the mighty fire, which in passing through the signs of the Zodiac burns up its own children. It is an old Canaanite worship, carried by the Phoenicians to all their colonies, and firmly established in Palestine at the time when the Israelites conquered the country.
Jer 32:39
One heart, and one way – Compare Jer 3:13. Under the new covenant they will with one consent walk in the one narrow path of right-doing Mat 7:14. Forever, i. e., every day, constantly.
Jer 32:40
Gods new covenant Jer 31:31 is on Gods side, I will not turn away from them to do them good, i. e., I will never cease from doing them good. On their side, I will put My fear in their hearts that they depart not from Me. In these two conditions consists the certainty of the eternal duration of the covenant Mat 28:20.
Jer 32:41
Assuredly – literally, in truth, i. e., in verity, in reality. It refers to Gods firm purpose, rather than to the safety and security of the people. The new covenant is one of grace, indicated by Gods rejoicing over His people, and planting them with His whole heart.
Jer 32:43
Fields – literally, The field, the open unenclosed country Jer 4:17. In Jer 32:44 fields refers to the several portions of it which belonged to individuals, and of which the boundaries were shown by landmarks.
Jer 32:44
Subscribe evidences – See Jer 32:10. In order to bring the certainty of the return from exile more vividly before the mind, the prophet enumerates the several subdivisions of the territory of the kings of Judah.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 32:26-27
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
This method of questioning the person to be instructed is known to teachers as the Socratic method. Socrates was wont, not so much to state a fact, as to ask a question and draw out thoughts from those whom he taught. His method had long before been used by a far greater teacher. Putting questions is Jehovahs frequent method of instruction. Questions from the Lord are very often the strongest affirmations. He would have us perceive their absolute certainty. They are put in this particular form because He would have us think over His great thought, and confirm it by our own reflections. The Lord shines upon us in the question, and our answer to it is the reflection of His light.
I. Consider the wonderful question of our text which the Lord put to the prophet, viewing it as necessary.
1. It was needful to tell the prophet this, though he knew it. He never doubted that the Lord is almighty, and yet it was needful for Jehovah Himself to speak home this truth to his mind and heart. It is often necessary for the Lord Himself to drive home a truth into the mind of His most faithful servant. We learn much in many ways, but we learn nothing vitally and practically till the Spirit of God becomes our schoolmaster. The God of truth must teach us the truth of God or we shall never learn it.
2. It is necessary for us to be thus specially instructed, even though we know a truth well enough to plead it in prayer, as Jeremiah did when he cried, There is nothing too hard for Thee. That man is no mean scholar in the classes of Christ who has learned to handle scriptural truths when pleading with the Lord. Oh, that we used more argument in prayer! Prayers are weak when they lack pleadings.
3. It is necessary for God thus to reveal truth individually to each of our hearts even though we may have acted on it. Jeremiah had acted on the fact that nothing was too hard for God. After his obedience, he began to look back on what he had done, and to be considerably bewildered, while trying to make out how God would justify what he had done. The best of men are men at the best. If the Lord lifts you up into the purity and dignity of a childlike faith, yet you will have your moments when you will cry, Lord, speak to me Thyself again, even though it be out of the whirlwind; and let me know that I have done all these things according to Thy Word, and not after my own fancy. Even the practice of truth does not raise us above the need of having it again and again laid home to the soul.
4. Another necessity for this arises out of further manifestations with which we are to be favoured. God had caused Jeremiah to know His omnipotence so far, but he was to see still more of it. Faith has led you into marvellous places; but there are greater things before you, and the Lord presses truth upon you that you may receive more of it.
II. Look at the text regarding it as decisive.
1. For the argument is fetched from the Lord Himself. When we look to God alone, and think, by the help of His Spirit, of who He is and what He must be, then we realise that nothing can be too hard for Him. Meditate much upon the Divine Father, Creator and Preserver; upon the Divine Son, the risen Redeemer, who hath all power in heaven and in earth; upon the sacred Spirit, of whom the rushing mighty mind in the tornado is but a faint symbol, and you will feel that here is the source of all might.
2. But He means us also to see the argument as founded on His name, I am Jehovah. The name brings out the personality of God. It also signifies self-existence. God does not exist because of His surroundings: He draws nothing from without, His life is in Himself. All things were made by Him, and He sustaineth all things by the Word of His power. The name of Jehovah reminds us that He has within Himself sufficiency for all His will; He hath adequate power of performance for all His purposes and decrees; Jehovah wills, and it is done. Moreover, the name sets forth the truth that He is immutable: He is I am that I am. Time does not affect Him, nor change come near Him. He is never less than Jehovah; He cannot be more.
3. The argument is also founded on the Lords relation to man. I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. How is the worm linked to the immortal! Happy men who have such a God! Not that flesh and blood, as they are, can inherit the kingdom of God, nor that corruption can dwell with incorruption; but for believers in the Lord Jesus there is a resurrection which shall lift us into a body of a nobler sort. The argument is that, since Jehovah is the God of all flesh, He can effect His purposes by men, and work among them things which seem impossible.
4. The argument is so great that it puts all other arguments out of court. Is anything too hard for Jehovah? Come, Jeremiah, rake up your difficulties; set in order the discouraging circumstances; call in your friends, who all shako their heads at you, and point their fingers to their brows, as much as to insinuate that you are a little gone from your senses; and then, answer them all with this, Nothing is too hard for Jehovah. This clears the deck of every doubt that would board your vessel. Blessed argument which answers every difficulty, and sets faith upon a rock from which it cannot be removed! My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.
III. Applying it in detail.
1. Apply this question to the justification of your obedience. If you do what God bids you, the responsibility of your conduct lies with Him, and He will bear you through. He will bring forth our judgment as the light, and our righteousness as the noonday.
2. Apply this glorious truth to the sure fulfilment of all the Divine promises. Consider a great one to begin with. This chapter evidently shows that the Jews are one day to be converted and restored. They that crucified the Lord of Glory shall look on Him whom they pierced, and shall mourn for Him. Is anything too hard for the Lord?
3. Apply this to any case of great sin. Select any one whom you know to be especially hard-hearted, and pray for him earnestly and hopefully.
4. Apply this to difficult truths. I will put before you a problem. If man acts freely in his sinful actions how can predestination be a fact? If every man acts after his own will, how, then, does God foreordain all things? I answer, Is anything too hard for Jehovah? The solving of this great problem constrains me to worship the Lord; for He does solve it in actual history. Consider another hard case–the hardest of all: human salvation. How can it be possible for God to exercise the fulness of His mercy, and yet discharge the necessities of His justice? All men and all angels put together would have made but one fool in trying to solve that difficulty. The Lord has answered it. He gave His Son to bear our sin. Is anything too hard for the Lord?
5. Bring hither your own little problems. You are always getting into tangles and snarls. Prudent friends try to help you, but the tangle grows worse. Bring your hard cases to one who is wiser than Solomon, and He will draw out a clear thread for you.
IV. Treat the text as using it with delight.
1. Use the text as a preventive of unbelieving sin. Do Gods work thoroughly, heartily, intensely, and God will reward you in His grace.
2. Use it next for consolation in the time of trouble. Jehovah hath delivered those who trust in Him, and He will yet deliver us.
3. Next, use the text as a window through which you look with expectation. The Lards blessing is coming upon the Churches: look for it!
4. Let this text be a stimulus to you to engage in great enterprises. Launch out into the deep. Fall back upon omnipotence, and then go forward in the strength of it.
5. Let the text be a reason for adoration. O Thou to whom nothing is hard, we adore Thee! We worship Thee with all our hearts, and this day we believingly link our weakness with Thine omnipotence. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
God above us all
In one of his letters to John Sterling from Scotsbrig, Thomas Carlyle says, One night, late, I rode through the village where I was born. The old kirkyard tree, a huge old gnarled ash, was nestling itself softly against the great twilight in the north. A star or two looked out, and the old graves were all there, and my father and my sister; and God was above us all. What comfort in this for the soul bewildered by lifes sudden changes! He is watching: He knows: He will not fail us. Above the graves where His saints are sleeping, above the homesteads where His children are weeping, God is above us all. (Quiver.)
Faiths work
There are three particulars connected with the wording of the text, to which it is desirable to direct attention. You observe the notice of time, Then came the Word of the Lord unto Jeremiah. The context shows you that this was in answer to Jeremiahs prayer. In the next place, we notice that Jehovah claims to be the God of all flesh; an expression which evidently answers the question, whether the Scriptures of the Old Testament, such as this with which we have to do, are confined to the Jewish people? Then, thirdly, we observe the question, Is there anything too hard for Me? We have before us, then, Jeremiah as an example of faith–as one who possessed and exercised that faith for which Abraham was so remarkable. Let us consider how faith deals with mysteries. Jeremiahs faith was tried by what was a great mystery to him upon this occasion, in connection with Gods providential dealings. What use was there in purchasing land which was in possession of the enemy? And yet God told him to do it. Then, if God told him to do it, why give the whole of the land into the possession of the enemy? Here was a mystery. Jeremiahs faith had to grapple with that mystery, and to persevere, as he did, in that holy consistency by which he had an opportunity of testifying both to Israel and to Israel s foes concerning the honour and the truth of the God of Israel. Now, we too have, in the course of our lives, to meet with mysterious dispensations in Gods providence. There are difficulties before us. There are two clear convictions in our minds; first of all, we can have no doubt, as believers, that God directed us to pray, and heard our prayers; but then, on the other hand, we can have no doubt that God is permitting, in His providence, these difficulties that now perplex us. And these two plain facts coming together at the same point of time do not harmonise with each other; but they come, as it were, into collision, and they clash; and we say, How can this be? How mysterious this is, that it should be Gods will that I should seek Him in prayer, and yet Gods will that, notwithstanding my prayer, there should be this difficulty connected with this matter, or these circumstances should arise! It is a blessing when, under such circumstances, you are enabled still to hold fast to the confidence of faith. Some persons may say, Why does God permit mystery? An answer may be easily given. Bring common sense to bear upon this question. How is it that a father deals with the children of the family of which he is the head? There are many things which the father must necessarily say and do, that must occasion perplexity to the children who listen to what he says and observe what he does. Those children will have recourse to their father again and again, to ask for an explanation of what they cannot understand. Sometimes the parent will give the explanation, but at other times the parent declines to explain; he knows that the subject is beyond the present capacity and intelligence which his children possess; and, therefore, he points them into the way of duty, but tells them to wait until they can more fully understand before they ask anxiously for reasons to account for things that now are difficult and perplexing to them; and their confidence in their father, their faith in their father s word, promotes the proper discipline of such a well-regulated family. Now, we are all of us children with reference to our Heavenly Fathers dealings with us. Why do you say so much of faith? some people ask. The simple answer is, that the creature that is happy must be dependent upon the Creator, and that dependence can only be felt or maintained by the exercise of faith. God in Christ has manifested Himself in such a way that we, His poor sinful creatures, may approach Him; and if we are enabled to rest upon that Saviour who is almighty, whatever mysteries there be around us, or connected with our own experience, faith in the Lord Jesus–that feeling of the soul which leads us to rest upon Him as our Saviour and Friend, though it cannot solve the mysteries, will be contented to wait until time shall so bring things to light, and eternity shall so manifest the purposes and counsels of God, that the Saviours assurance shall be fulfilled. What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. But now take the ease of impossibilities, and see how faith deals with them. Jeremiah might have argued, Why should I go and purchase this piece of land? it can never be mine; it is impossible. Now, how did Jeremiahs faith deal with this? He simply did what God told him; and he left the solution of the difficulty with God. Now, this obedience of faith is that to which we need give attention. There can be no difficulty about duty, though there may be difficulty about the reasons why God calls us to that particular duty. We may have this plainly before us by an illustration. I may say to my child, Go and fetch me that book; the child may not know my reasons for asking him to fetch that book; it might be possible that I could not explain my reasons to the child, or if I did explain them, that the child would only be puzzled, and his difficulty increased. It might be utterly impossible for the child to understand why I asked him to do this particular act of obedience; but there is no difficulty at all in the child going and fetching the book. The path of duty is quite plain, but the reasons in the parents mind for commanding the duty at a particular time might be unintelligible and inexplicable. And so with reference to our position with God; the path of duty which He calls us to tread is always plain to him that seeks understanding and wisdom from Him. It is only when we begin to ask the why and wherefore that difficulties spring up; when we ask, Lord, why art Thou doing this? then we come into the presence of impossibilities. But when we ask, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? then the path of duty lies before us, and with our hearts set at liberty we run in the way of Gods commandments. But now we have to consider the promise of faith in connection with the difficulties of our daily experience; and here, too, the example of Jeremiah is instructive. We have seen that he maintained the exercise of faith and resisted temptations, notwithstanding mysteries; that he went forward in the path of simple obedience, notwithstanding seeming impossibilities; but was he not severely exercised and tried with all this mystery, and difficulty, and seeming impossibility? Certainly he was. But faith led him to prayer. And this is the way in which faith deals with difficulty–it takes men to God. (W. Cadman, M. A.)
The infinite capability of God
It is the glory of God, that there is nothing too hard for Him but wrong. The fact of Gods infinite capability should lead us–
I. To render Him supreme homage. Surely, before Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will, all should bow with profoundest reverence and awe.
II. To place in Him unbounded confidence. Confide in Him–
1. To supply all wants. He can do exceeding abundantly, &c.
2. To fulfil all promises. There are wonderful promises–the conversion of the whole world, the resurrection of the mighty dead. He is able to fulfil them all; and He is faithful that hath promised.
III. To expect from Him wonderful manifestations. He is always at work. He has done wonders, is doing wonders, and will continue to do wonders through all ages. He fainteth not, neither is weary. With such a God, what wonderful things await us! (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah,…. This is an answer to the prophet’s prayer, and particularly to the latter part of it; showing the consistency of the destruction of the city with his purchase of a field, and with God’s promise of fields and vineyards being purchased and possessed again; and how each of these would be brought about:
saying; as follows:
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The answer of the Lord. – Behold, I am Jahveh, the God of all flesh; is there anything impossible to me? Jer 32:28. Therefore, thus saith Jahveh: Behold, I give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, that he may take it. Jer 32:29. The Chaldeans that fight against this city shall come, and shall set fire to this city, and burn it and the houses on whose roofs you have burned incense to Baal and poured out libations to other gods, to provoke me. Jer 32:30. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only what is evil in mine eyes from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me with the work of their hands, saith Jahveh. Jer 32:31. For this city has been to me a burden upon mine anger and upon my wrath from the day that it was built till this day, that I might remove it from before my face;] Jer 32:32. Because of all the wickedness of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done, to provoke me-they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jer 32:33. They turned to me the back and not the face; and though they were constantly being taught, they would not hear so as to receive instruction. Jer 32:34. And they placed their abominations in the house which is called by my name, in order to defile it; Jer 32:35. And built high places to Baal in the valley of Ben-hinnom, to devote their sons and their daughters of Moloch-which I did not command them, nor did it come into my mind that they would do such abomination-that they might lead Judah to sin. Jer 32:36. And now, therefore, thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, concerning this city, of which ye say, ‘It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, through the sword, famine, and pestilence:’ Jer 32:37. Behold, I shall gather them out of all lands whither I have driven them in my wrath, and in mine anger, and in great rage, and shall bring them back to this place, and make them dwell safely. Jer 32:38. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Jer 32:39. And I will give them one heart and one way, to fear me always, for good to them and to their children after them. Jer 32:40. And I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I shall not turn aside form doing them good; and I will put my fear in their heart, that they may not depart from me. Jer 32:41. And I shall rejoice over them, to do them good, and shall plant them in this land, in truth, with my whole heart and my whole soul. Jer 32:42. For thus saith Jahveh: ‘Just as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so shall I bring on them all the good of which I speak regarding them.’ Jer 32:43. And fields shall be bought in this land, of which ye say, It is a desolation, without man or beast, and it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Jer 32:44. They shall buy fields for money, and write it in the letter, and seal it up, and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places round Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill-country, and in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south; for I shall turn again their captivity, saith Jahveh.”
The Lord replies to the three points touched on in the prayer of the prophet. First, in Jer 32:27, He emphatically confirms the acknowledgment that to Him, as Creator of heaven and earth, nothing is impossible (Jer 32:17), and at the same time points out Himself as the God of all flesh, i.e., the God on whom depend the life and death of all men. This description of God is copied from Num 16:22; Num 27:16, where Jahveh is called “the God of the spirits of all flesh.” “All flesh” is the name given to humanity, as being frail and perishing. – Then God reaffirms that Jerusalem will be given into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, and be burned by the Chaldeans (Jer 32:28.), because Israel and Judah have always roused His wrath by their idolatry and rebellion against His commands (Jer 32:30-35). The substance of these verses has been often given before. On cf. Jer 21:10; Jer 37:8; on cf. Jer 19:13 with Jer 7:9, Jer 7:18. The mention of the children of Israel in connection with the children of Judah is not to be understood as if the destruction of Jerusalem was partly owing to the former; but it is here made, to signify that Judah can expect no better fate than the Israelites, whose kingdom has been destroyed long before, and who have for a long time now been driven into exile. , “they were only doing,” i.e., doing nothing else than what is displeasing to the Lord. In Jer 32:30 “the children of Israel” is a designation of the whole covenant people. The whole sentence has reference to Deu 31:29. “The work of their hands” is not the idols, but signifies the whole conduct and actions of the people. Jer 32:31. The difficult construction … is most easily explained from the employment of with reference to the superincumbency of a duty or burden lying on one. “This city became to me a burden on my wrath,” an object which lay upon my wrath, called it forth. No other explanation can be vindicated. The passages Jer 52:3 and 2Ki 24:3, 2Ki 24:20, are of a different character, and the meaning juxta, secundum for , after 2Ki 6:14 (Hitzig), is quite unsuitable. The words, “from the day when it was built,” are not to be referred to the earliest founding of Jerusalem, but to that time when the Israelites first built it; and even in reference to this, they are not to be pressed, but to be viewed as a rhetorically strong expression for, “from its earliest times.” Even so early as David’s time, opposition against Jahveh showed itself in the conspiracy of Absalom; and towards the end of Solomon’s reign, idolatry had been introduced into Jerusalem, 1Ki 11:5. After the words “to remove it from before my face,” there follows once more, in Jer 32:32, the reason of the rejection; cf. Jer 7:12; Jer 11:17, and for enumeration of the several classes of the population, Jer 2:26; Jer 17:25. The sins are once more specified, Jer 32:33-35; in Jer 32:33, as a stiff-necked departure from God, and in Jer 32:34. the mention of the greatest abomination of idolatry, the setting up of idols in the temple, and of the worship of Moloch. With 33 a cf. Jer 2:27. The inf. abs. stands with special emphasis instead of the finite tense: though they were taught from early morn, yet they were inattentive still. On this point cf. Jer 2:13, Jer 2:25; Jer 25:3-4. On cf. Jer 17:23; Jer 7:28. Jer 32:34, Jer 32:35 are almost identical with Jer 7:30-31. does not belong to the relative clause ‘ (Ngelsbach), but is parallel to ‘ , continuing the main clause: “that they should commit these abominations, and thereby cause Judah to sin,” i.e., bring them into sin and guilt. with dropped; see Jer 19:15. – After setting forth the sin for which Judah had drawn on herself the judgment through the Chaldeans, the Lord proclaims, Jer 32:36., the deliverance of the people from exile, and their restoration; thus He answers the question which had been put to Him, Jer 32:25. , “but now,” marks what follows as the antithesis to what precedes. “Therefore, thus saith Jahveh,” in Jer 32:36, corresponds to the same words in Jer 32:28. Because nothing is impossible to the Lord, He shall, as God of Israel, gather again those who have been scattered through every land, and bring them back into their own country. “To this city,” – namely, of which ye speak. The suffix of refers to , whose inhabitants are meant. Jerusalem, as the capital, represents the whole kingdom. “The dispersed” are thus, in general, the inhabitants of Judah. Hence, too, from the nature of the case, “this place” is the kingdom of Judah. On this point cf. Eze 36:11, Eze 36:33; Hos 11:11.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Judgments Predicted; Restoration of the Jews; Encouraging Promises. | B. C. 589. |
26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? 28 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. 31 For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.
We have here God’s answer to Jeremiah’s prayer, designed to quiet his mind and make him easy; and it is a full discovery of the purposes of God’s wrath against the present generation and the purposes of his grace concerning the future generations. Jeremiah knew not how to sing both of mercy and judgment, but God here teaches to sing unto him of both. When we know not how to reconcile one word of God with another we may yet be sure that both are true, both are pure, both shall be made good, and not one iota or tittle of either shall fall to the ground. When Jeremiah was ordered to buy the field in Anathoth he was willing to hope that God was about to revoke the sentence of his wrath and to order the Chaldeans to raise the siege. “No,” says God, “the execution of the sentence shall go on; Jerusalem shall be laid in ruins.” Note, Assurances of future mercy must not be interpreted as securities from present troubles. But, lest Jeremiah should think that his being ordered to buy this field intimated that all the mercy God had in store for his people, after their return, was only that they should have the possession of their own land again, he further informs him that that was but a type and figure of those spiritual blessings which should then be abundantly bestowed upon them, unspeakably more valuable than fields and vineyards; so that in this word of the Lord, which came to Jeremiah, we have first as dreadful threatenings and then as precious promises as perhaps any we have in the Old Testament; life and death, good and evil, are here set before us; let us consider and choose wisely.
I. The ruin of Judah and Jerusalem is here pronounced. The decree has gone forth, and shall not be recalled. 1. God here asserts his own sovereignty and power (v. 27): Behold, I am Jehovah, a self-existent self-sufficient being; I am that I am; I am the God of all flesh, that is, of all mankind, here called flesh because weak and unable to contend with God (Ps. lvi. 4), and because wicked and corrupt and unapt to comply with God. God is the Creator of all, and makes what use he pleases of all. He that is the God of Israel is the God of all flesh and of the spirits of all flesh, and, if Israel were cast off, could raise up a people to his name out of some other nation. If he be the God of all flesh, he may well ask, Is any thing too hard for me? What cannot he do from whom all the powers of men are derived, on whom they depend, and by whom all their actions are directed and governed? Whatever he designs to do, whether in wrath or in mercy, nothing can hinder him nor defeat his designs. 2. He abides by that he had often said of the destruction of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon (v. 28): I will give this city into his hand, now that he is grasping at it, and he shall take it and make a prey of it, v. 29. The Chaldeans shall come and set fire to it, shall burn it and all the houses in it, God’s house not excepted, nor the king’s neither. 3. He assigns the reason for these severe proceedings against the city that had been so much in his favour. It is sin, it is that and nothing else, that ruins it. (1.) They were impudent and daring in sin. They offered incense to Baal, not in corners, as men ashamed or afraid of being discovered, but upon the tops of their houses (v. 29), in defiance of God’s justice. (2.) They designed an affront to God herein. They did it to provoke me to anger, v. 29. They have only provoked me to anger with the works of their hands, v. 30. They could not promise themselves any pleasure, profit, or honour out of it, but did it on purpose to offend God. And again (v. 32), All the evil which they have done was to provoke me to anger. They knew he was a jealous God in the matters of his worship, and there they resolved to try his jealousy and dare him to his face. “Jerusalem has been to me a provocation of my anger and fury,” v. 31. Their conduct in every thing was provoking. (3.) They began betimes, and had continued all along provoking to God: “They have done evil before me from their youth, ever since they were first formed into a people (v. 30), witness their murmurings and rebellions in the wilderness.” And as for Jerusalem, though it was the holy city, it has been a provocation to the holy God from the day that they built it, even to this day, v. 31. O what reason have we to lament the little honour God has from this world, and the great dishonour that is done him, when even in Judah, where he is known and his name is great, and in Salem where his tabernacle is, there was always that found that was a provocation to him! (4.) All orders and degrees of men contributed to the common guilt, and therefore were justly involved in the common ruin. Not only the children of Israel, that had revolted from the temple, but the children of Judah too, that still adhered to it–not only the common people, the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, but those that should have reproved and restrained sin in others were themselves ringleaders in it, their kings and princes, their priests and prophets. (5.) God had again and again called them to repentance, but they turned a deaf ear to his calls, and rudely turned their back on him that called them, though he was their master, to whom they were bound in duty, and their benefactor, to whom they were bound in gratitude and interest, v. 33. “I taught them better manners, with as much care as ever any tender parent taught a child, rising up early, in teaching them, studying to adapt the teaching to their capacities, taking them betimes, when they might have been most pliable, but all in vain; they turned not the face to me, would not so much as look upon me, nay, they turned the back upon me,” an expression of the highest contempt. As he called them, like froward children, so they went from him, Hos. xi. 2. They have not hearkened to receive instruction; they regarded not a word that was said to them, though it was designed for their own good. (6.) There was in their idolatries an impious contempt of God; for (v. 34) they set their abominations (their idols, which they knew to be in the highest degree abominable to God) in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. They had their idols not only in their high places and groves, but even in God’s temple. (7.) They were guilty of the most unnatural cruelty to their own children; for they sacrificed them to Moloch, v. 35. Thus because they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, but changed his glory into shame, they were justly given up to vile affections and stripped of natural ones, and their glory was turned into shame. And, (8.) What was the consequence of all this? [1.] They caused Judah to sin, v. 35. The whole country was infected with the contagious idolatries and iniquities of Jerusalem. [2.] They brought ruin upon themselves. It was as if they had done it on purpose that God should remove them from before his face (v. 31); they would throw themselves out of his favour.
II. The restoration of Judah and Jerusalem is here promised, v. 36, c. God will in judgment remember mercy, and there will a time come, a set time, to favour Zion. Observe, 1. The despair to which this people were now at length brought. When the judgment was threatened at a distance they had no fear when it attacked them they had no hope. They said concerning the city (v. 36), It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, not by any cowardice or ill conduct of ours, but by the sword, famine, and pestilence. Concerning the country they said, with vexation (v. 43), It is desolate, without man or beast; there is no relief, there is no remedy. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Note, Deep security commonly ends in deep despair; whereas those that keep up a holy fear at all times have a good hope to support them in the worst of times. 2. The hope that God gives them of mercy which he had in store for them hereafter. Though their carcases must fall in captivity, yet their children after them shall again see this good land and the goodness of God in it. (1.) They shall be brought up from their captivity and shall come and settle again in this land, v. 37. They had been under God’s anger and fury, and great wrath; but now they shall partake of his grace, and love, and great favour. He had dispersed them, and driven them into all countries. Those that fled dispersed themselves; those that fell into the enemies; hands were dispersed by them, in policy, to prevent combinations among them. God’s hand was in both. But now God will find them out, and gather them out of all the countries whither they were driven, as he promised in the law (Deu 30:3; Deu 30:4) and the saints had prayed, Psa 106:47; Neh 1:9. He had banished them, but he will bring them again to this place, which they could not but have an affection for. For many years past, while they were in their own land, they were continually exposed, and terrified with the alarms of war; but now I will cause them to dwell safely. Being reformed, and having returned to God, neither their own consciences within nor their enemies without shall be a terror to them. He promises (v. 41): I will plant them in this land assuredly; not only I will certainly do it, but they shall here enjoy a holy a security and repose, and they shall take root here, shall be planted in stability, and not again be unfixed and shaken. (2.) God will renew his covenant with them, a covenant of grace, the blessings of which are spiritual, and such as will work good things in them, to qualify them for the great things God intended to do for them. It is called an everlasting covenant (v. 40), not only because God will be for ever faithful to it, but because the consequences of it will be everlasting. For, doubtless, here the promises look further than to Israel according to the flesh, and are sure to all believers, to every Israelite indeed. Good Christians may apply them to themselves and plead them with God, may claim the benefit of them and take the comfort of them. [1.] God will own them for his, and make over himself to them to be theirs (v. 38): They shall be my people. He will make them his by working in them all the characters and dispositions of his people, and then he will protect, and guide, and govern them as his people. “And, to make them truly, completely, and eternally happy, I will be their God.” They shall serve and worship God as theirs and cleave to him only, and he will approve himself theirs. All he is, all he has, shall be engaged and employed for their good. [2.] God will give them a heart to fear him, v. 39. That which he requires of those whom he takes into covenant with him as his people is that they fear him, that they reverence his majesty, dread his wrath, stand in awe of his authority, pay homage to him, and give him the glory due unto his name. Now what God requires of them he here promises to work in them, pursuant to his choice of them as his people. Note, As it is God’s prerogative to fashion men’s hearts, so it is his promise to his people to fashion theirs aright; and a heart to fear God is indeed a good heart, and well fashioned. It is repeated (v. 40): I will put my fear in their hearts, that is, work in them gracious principles and dispositions, that shall influence and govern their whole conversation. Teachers may put good things into our heads, but it is God only that can put them into our hearts, that can work in us both to will and to do. [3.] He will give them one heart and one way. In order to their walking in one way, he will give them one heart: as the heart is, so will the way be, and both shall be one; that is First, They shall be each of them one with themselves. One heart is the same with a new heart, Ezek. xi. 19. The heart is then one when it is fully determined for God and entirely devoted to God. When the eye is single and God’s glory alone aimed at, when our hearts are fixed, trusting in God, and we are uniform and universal in our obedience to him, then the heart is one and way one; and, unless the heart be thus steady, the goings will not be stedfast. From this promise we may take direction and encouragement to pray, with David (Ps. lxxxvi. 11), Unite my heart to fear thy name; for God says, I will give them one heart, that they may fear me. Secondly, They shall be all of them one with each other. All good Christians shall be incorporated into one body; Jews and Gentiles shall become one sheep-fold; and they shall all, as far as they are sanctified, have a disposition to love one another, the gospel they profess having in it the strongest inducements to mutual love, and the Spirit that dwells in them being the Spirit of love. Though they may have different apprehensions about minor things, they shall be all one in the great things of God, being renewed after the same image. Though they may have many paths, they have but one way, that of serious godliness. [4.] He will effectually provide for their perseverance in grace and the perpetuating of the covenant between himself and them. They would have been happy when there were first planted in Canaan, like Adam in paradise, if they had not departed from God. And therefore, now that they are restored to their happiness, they shall be confirmed in it by the preventing of their departures from God, and this will complete their bliss. First, God will never leave nor forsake them: I will not turn away from them to do them good. Earthly princes are fickle, and their greatest favourites have fallen under their frowns; but God’s mercy endures for ever. Whom he loves he loves to the end. God may seem to turn from this people (Isa. liv. 8), but even then he does not turn from doing and designing them good. Secondly, They shall never leave nor forsake him; that is the thing we are in danger of. We have no reason to distrust God’s fidelity and constancy, but our own; and therefore it is here promised that God will give them a heart to fear him for ever, all days, to be in his fear every day and all the day long (Prov. xxiii. 17), and to continue so to the end of their days. He will put such a principle into their hearts that they shall not depart from him. Even those who have given up their names to God, if they be left to themselves, will depart from him; but the fear of God ruling in the heart, will prevent their departure. That, and nothing else, will do it. If we continue close and faithful to God, it is owing purely to his almighty grace and not to any strength or resolution of our own. [5.] He will entail a blessing upon their seed, will give them grace to fear him, for the good of them and of their children after them. As their departures from God had been to the prejudice of their children, so their adherence to God should be to the advantage of their children. We cannot better consult the good of posterity than by setting up, and keeping up, the fear and worship of God in our families. [6.] He will take a pleasure in their prosperity and will do every thing to advance it (v. 41): I will rejoice over them to do them good. God will certainly do them good because he rejoices over them. They are dear to him; he makes his boast of them, and therefore will not only do them good, but will delight in doing them good. When he punishes them it is with reluctance. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? But, when he restores them, it is with satisfaction; he rejoices in doing them good. We ought therefore to serve him with pleasure and to rejoice in all opportunities of serving him. He is himself a cheerful giver, and therefore loves a cheerful servant. I will plant them (says God) with my whole heart and with my whole soul. He will be intent upon it, and take delight in it; he will make it the business of his providence to settle them again in Canaan, and the various dispensations of providence shall concur to it. All things shall appear at last so to have been working for the good of the church that it will be said, The governor of the world is entirely taken up with the care of his church. [7.] These promises shall as surely be performed as the foregoing threatenings were; and the accomplishment of those, notwithstanding the security of the people, might confirm their expectation of the performance of these, notwithstanding their present despair (v. 42): As I have brought all this great evil upon them, pursuant to the threatenings, and for the glory of divine justice, so I will bring upon them all this good, pursuant to the promise, and for the glory of divine mercy. He that is faithful to his threatenings will much more be so to his promises; and he will comfort his people according to the time that he has afflicted them. The churches shall have rest after the days of adversity. [8.] As an earnest of all this, houses and lands shall again fetch a good price in Judah and Jerusalem, and, though now they are a drug, there shall again be a sufficient number of purchasers (Jer 32:43; Jer 32:44): Fields shall be bought in this land, and people will covet to have lands here rather than any where else. Lands, wherever they lie, will go off, not only in the places about Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah and of Israel, too, whether they lie on mountains, or in valleys, or in the south, in all parts of the country, men shall buy fields, and subscribe evidences. Trade shall revive, for they shall have money enough to buy land with. Husbandry shall revive, for those that have money shall covet to lay it out upon lands. Laws shall again have their due course, for they shall subscribe evidences and seal them. This is mentioned to reconcile Jeremiah to his new purchase. Though he had bought a piece of ground and could not go to see it, yet he must believe that this was the pledge of many a purchase, and those but faint resemblances of the purchased possessions in the heavenly Canaan, reserved for all those who have God’s fear in their hearts and do not depart from him.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Vs. 26-35: THE LORD’s REPLY TO JEREMIAH’s DILEMMA OF FAITH
1. Jehovah is, indeed, the kind of God to whom Jeremiah has born witness! (vs. 26-27).
a. He is “the God of all flesh” (comp. Num 16:22; Num 27:16).
b. Is there any thing too hard for Him? (vs. 17; Mat 19:26) any need that He cannot supply?
c. Surely He SPECIALIZES in that which seems impossible to men!
2. The Lord has, indeed, delivered Jerusalem into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar; the Chaldeans will fight against it, subdue it and burn it with fire – destroying the houses whose inhabitants have provoked Him to anger by their sacrifices to dumb idols! (vs. 28-29).
3. From their youth, the children of Israel and Judah have done only evil – provoking the Lord to anger; by the works of their hands, (vs. 30; Jer 3:25; Jer 22:21).
4. Jerusalem has so provoked the Lord to anger and wrath that He is removing it from before His face, (vs. 31-35).
a. This has Involved kings, princes, priests, prophets, the men of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, (comp. Ezr 9:7; Isa 1:4-6). ,
b. Though the Lord has faithfully and repeatedly taught them, they have turned their backs, stopped their ears and refused instruction! (Jer 2:27; Eze 8:16; Zec 7:11; Jer 18:17).
c. They have even dared to set up their abominable idols in the house which is called by His name – TO DEFILE IT! (Jer 7:30-31; 2Ki 21:4-7).
d. They have built high places for Baal-worship, and caused their children to pass through the fire – sacrificing them to Molech! (Lev 18:21; Lev 20:2-5; 2Ch 28:1-3; 2Ch 33:6).
e. Could one believe in the holiness and righteousness of a God who would NOT BE PROVOKED to anger and consuming wrath BY SUCH ABOMINATIONS?
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
JEHOVAH’S GRACIOUS ANSWER, Jer 32:26-44.
26. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah This answer consists of three divisions: 1) It affirms the fearfulness of the calamities impending: 2) It refers them all to the sins of the people: 3) But also states that this is not for final destruction but for discipline, and so will be followed by restoration.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
YHWH’s Answer Is Unequivocal. It Is True That Nothing Is Too Hard For Him, But That Must Be Seen As Precisely The Reason Why He Was Delivering The City Into The Hands Of The Chaldeans. For He Will Also Later Cause His People To Return From Exile So That Land Will Once Again Be Bought And Sold In Judah ( Jer 32:26-44 ).
YHWH answers both of the questions that are preying on Jeremiah’s mind. On the one hand He stresses that He does intend to deliver the city into the hands of the Chaldeans because of all their iniquity (Jer 32:28-35), and on the other He draws out that He does intend one day to deliver them again and restore them to the land, so that they might buy and sell land once again (Jer 32:36-44). Thus both of Jeremiah’s options are to be seen as true. And that is because NOTHING is too hard for YHWH.
Jer 32:26
‘Then came the word of YHWH to Jeremiah, saying,’
Observing His servant’s perplexity YHWH graciously comes to Jeremiah with the final answer to his questions.
Jer 32:27
“Behold, I am YHWH, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?”
He confirms that Jeremiah is quite correct in having said that nothing is too hard from Him because He is ‘the God of all flesh’, the Universal Lord, with complete authority over all men. For the phrase ‘of all flesh’ compare Num 16:22; Num 27:16.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
3. Nothing is impossible to the Lord.
Jer 32:26-44
26, 27Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the28Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me? Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and 29into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall take it: and the Chaldeans that fight against this city shall come and set fire on [to] this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal and 30poured out drink offerings into other gods, to provoke Me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before Me from their youth;13 for the children of Israel have only provoked Me to anger with the work 31of their hands, saith the Lord. For this city hath been to Me as a provocation of Mine anger [or for My anger] and of my fury from the day that they built it even 32to this day; that I should remove it from before my face,14 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, 33and the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they have turned unto Me the back [neck] and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early 34and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. But they 35set their abominations in the house, which is called by My name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom [or valley of Ben-Hinnom] to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded not, neither came it into My mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.15
36And now therefore thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the 37sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; behold I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in Mine anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to 38, 39dwell safely; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart,16 and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good 40of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them,17 that I will not turn away from [lit., behind] them, to do them good; 41but I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land as42suredly [or in truth] with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the Lord: Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will 43I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields18 shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without19 man or beast; it Isaiah 44 given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences [deeds]20 and seal them, and take witness in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the South: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
At the head of this discourse, the limpid but diffuse style of which is peculiar to the prophets later period, and is notably distinguished from that of the preceding discourse, we again find the thought, which the prophet has once before made the basis of a prayer (Jer 32:17): can anything be too wonderful for the Lord? (Jer 32:27). The answer is, No! Therefore Jerusalem shall indeed be destroyed by the Chaldeans (Jer 32:28-29), as a well deserved punishment for the manifold abominations, by which Judah and Israel had provoked the Lord from the first (Jer 32:30-35), but therefore also a re-assembling and bringing back of the people to their own country shall take place (Jer 32:36-37). Then will Israel be Jehovahs people and Jehovah be Israels God (Jer 32:38); they will with unanimity serve the Lord to their own eternal welfare (Jer 32:39); the Lord will conclude an everlasting covenant with them, in consequence of which neither will He ever cease to do them good, nor will they ever again depart from the Lord (Jer 32:40); it will be a joy to the Lord to do them good, and with all His heart He promises them that from this time forward they shall be firmly planted and rooted in their land (Jer 32:41). With these two colors does the prophet paint the future of his nation, for (Jer 32:42) this is the very proof of His omnipotence, to which nothing is impossible, that as certainly as He has now brought destruction on Jerusalem, He will one day also perform His promise of blessing to the people (Jer 32:42). Then will fields again be bought in the country, which is now called a desert (Jer 32:43); yea, with all the usual formalities will purchases be made, deeds drawn, sealed and witnessed in all parts of the country (Jer 32:44). The passage thus seems to be closely connected with the historical basis of Jeremiahs purchase of a field (Jer 32:7 sqq.), as well as to be a logical exposition of the main thought of Jer 32:27 b;nothing is impossible to the Lord, therefore He destroys Jerusalem and restores it again. It is because He is almighty that He can do both.
Jer 32:26-29. Then came the word provoke me to anger.God of all flesh. The expression reminds us of Num 16:22; Num 27:16, where God is called the God of the spirits of all flesh.Is there anything, etc. Comp. Jer 32:17.Therefore. The blinded Israelites thought it impossible that the chosen place of the sanctuary could be destroyed (comp. rems. on Jer 7:4; Jer 21:13). They did not reflect that to the Lord nothing is impossible.Set fire. Comp. Jer 17:27; Jer 21:10; Jer 21:14; Jer 34:22; Jer 37:8.Offered incense, etc. Comp. Jer 7:9; Jer 19:4; Jer 19:13.
Jer 32:30-35. For the children Judah to sin. These six verses express the reason of the punitive judgment announced in Jer 32:28-29. Verses 30, 31 give the general reason, Jer 32:32-35 the special. In Jer 32:30-31 we find three causal sentences beginning with for. In what relation do these stand to each other and to the preceding context? The first for might refer (1) to the acts of the Chaldeans, or (2) to Offered incense, etc., and poured out, etc., or (3) to to provoke me. It is not probable that it can refer to (2), for no one expects a reason in this connection for the Jews having offered incense to their idols, but for the Lords giving up the place of the sanctuary to destruction. (Comp. on therefore Jer 32:28). This for may then refer either to (1) or (3). Regarded according to the subject both amount to the same, for what produced the anger of the Lord also brought about the destruction. The ground of the one is also the ground of the other. Add to this that a special ground of the to provoke me is expressed in the sentence immediately preceding. We shall thus have to refer the first causal sentence, Jer 32:30, essentially to the prediction of destruction in Jer 32:28-29. This will accordingly have for its motive the objective fact of the habitual sinfulness of the Jews and Israelites, since done evil further strengthened by only expresses the habitual state. The second and third causal sentences set forth more the subjective element of the Divine anger; Jerusalem must be destroyed, for they have provoked Jehovah. It must not however be overlooked that the words have only provoked me to anger by the work of their hands look back to Jer 32:29 b. For (1) provoked is only a confirmation of to provoke; (2) the work of their hands is not their moral conduct in general (this would be only a tautological repetition of the first half-of the verse), but the idol images are to be understood by it in a concrete sense, to which according to Jer 32:29 b incense was burned. Comp. Jer 1:16; Deu 4:28; Deu 27:15. The prophet appears also to have had Deu 31:29 generally in view.The third causal sentence forms a climax with the second. He no longer uses the expression to provoke but the cumulative and stronger expressions for My anger and for My fury. Jerusalem has filled the measure of the divine anger, hence the total destruction announced in Jer 32:28-29. The expression this city has been to Me, for My anger and for My fury (on which the passages Jer 52:3; 2Ki 24:3; 2Ki 24:20 seem to be founded) is unusual. The sense can only be that the city became an object of anger to Me. On Jer 32:33 comp. Jer 2:27; Jer 7:13; Jer 7:25; Jer 25:3-4. On Jer 32:34-35 comp. Jer 7:30-31; Jer 19:5.In Jer 32:35 the sentence neither came it, etc., does not depend on which, but is to be regarded as a new and independent sentence. Both sentences however, from which to abomination, are parentheses, and to cause to sin is connected with cause to pass.
Jer 32:36-41. And now therefore my whole soul. By and now Jeremiah designates the joyful present in contrast with the mournful past, which he described in the previous context. This is indeed not yet real but ideal, yet none the less certain; for this ideal present is based on the word of Divine promise. Therefore, as already remarked, corresponds to therefore in Jer 32:28, and now draws the second inference from the proposition that nothing is too wonderful for God. As from this followed the destruction which appeared impossible to the Jews, so also follows the apparently equally impossible restoration. with respect to this city, comp. Jer 22:11; Jer 28:8-9; Jer 29:16; Jer 29:21.By the sword. Comp. because of the sword, Jer 32:24.Behold I will gather them refers to the idea of inhabitants, citizens contained implicitly in the city, to which in the widest sense all those enumerated in Jer 32:32 belong. On the subject-matter comp. Deu 30:3 sqq.; Jer 3:18-20; Jer 23:3; Jer 29:14; Jer 31:8; Jer 31:10.Cause them to dwell safely. Comp. Hos 11:11; Eze 36:11; Eze 36:33.
Jer 32:38. And they shall be, etc. Comp. rems. on Jer 30:32.
Jer 32:39. And I will give, etc. The restoration and return must necessarily be at the same time spiritual (comp. Jer 31:18-20.) An essential element of this spiritual return is also the cessation of all enmity and discord among the members of the people, consequently the prevalence of a spirit of love and concord among them. Comp. Eze 11:19; Jer 24:7; Jer 31:34.One way. An allusion to the division introduced by Jeroboam I. between Judah and Israel. Comp. Jer 10:2; Amo 8:14.That they may fear me. In this the unity of the way is manifested that they fear the Lord with one mind. The sentence is taken verbatim from Deu 4:10.For the good of them. A reminiscence from Deu 6:24 coll. Jer 10:13; Jer 30:9-10.
Jer 32:40. And I will make,etc. Comp. rems. on Jer 31:31-32; Jer 50:5. According to the stipulations of the covenant the Lord promises two things: (1) that He will no more turn away behind the people in respect of doing them good, i. e., that as a faithful shepherd to His people He will always follow them with His protective and blessed guardianship; (2) that He will also give the people themselves the power no longer to turn away from Him. We see that the Lord takes the prstanda entirely upon Himself. Hence also the construction , which does not occur elsewhere in Jeremiah.That they shall not, etc. Comp. Deu 17:20, Jos 23:6.Yea, I will rejoice, etc. Comp. Deu 28:63; Deu 30:9; Isa 62:5.I will plant,etc. This is the opposite of . Comp. Jer 1:10; Jer 18:7 sqq.; Jer 31:28.In truth is explained in the following words. The first planting had been imperfect (comp. Jer 2:21) as much so as the first covenant, (Jer 31:32). Because this was only hypothetical (Jer 7:5-7) and because the Lord knew that the condition would not be kept, He could not be in it with His whole heart. Now He knows (for He has Himself promised, Jer 32:40 b), that the condition will be fulfilled; therefore He can designate the planting as done in truth (i. e., without the reservation that it is only for a short time), and also as one which He performs with a full and undivided heart. Comp. 2Sa 7:10.
Jer 32:42-44. For thus saith Jehovah. From Jer 32:27 onwards a double inference is drawn from the general proposition that nothing is impossible to the Lord (Jer 32:28-35, and Jer 32:36-41). From Jer 32:42 onwards the argument is different. It is to demonstrate the certainty of the promise, Jer 32:36-41. This is done by pointing to the fulfilment of the minatory prophecy, which was indeed regarded as impossible by blinded Israel. As certainly as the Lord has brought great calamity on us, and so verified His word on the one hand, so certainly will He verify it on the other hand.Like as I have brought, etc. Comp. Jer 31:28.
Jer 32:43. And fields, etc. Return to the historical point of departure. Comp. Jer 32:15.In the land of Benjamin. Comp. Jer 17:26; Jer 33:13. Benjamin is mentioned not because Anathoth belonged to this tribe, but because the tribes of Benjamin and Judah constituted the Jewish kingdom. Benjamin as the smaller part of this kingdom is named only in general, while Judah as the main part is characterized according to its chief constituents, as they are also enumerated elsewhere. (Comp. besides loc. cit. Jos 10:40; Jude 1:40). [The New Testament mentions the sale of lands in Judea in Apostolic times, when Jerusalem was about to be destroyed, and the church was to be planted in all the world (Act 4:34; Act 5:4). Wordsworth.S. R. A.]
Footnotes:
[13]Jer 32:30.On (the fem. form here only). Comp. Jer 3:24-25; Jer 22:21.
[14]Jer 32:31.The is less surprising (since this preposition is frequently interchanged with , [comp. rems. on Jer 10:1, Isa 29:11; Isa 29:14], and even [comp. Isa 60:7 with Isa 56:7; Jer 6:20]) than the suffix in the following . Accordingly the construction, which takes in the causal sense and makes depend immediately on , on account of the pregnant sense in which must then be taken, and on account of the suffix in is still more difficult. This latter word forms the transition to the special grounds of the judgments, of which Jer 32:32-35 treat. In Jer 32:32 first follows a specification of the subjects. comp. Jer 2:26; Jer 17:25. Then in Jer 32:33; Jer 32:35 a specification of the predicates.
[15]Jer 32:35.On the form comp. Olsh., 38, c.:192, f. Olshausen supposes a clerical error, which may certainly, as Graf thinks, have been occasioned by the following . Comp. Jer 19:15.
[16]Jer 32:39.On the infinitive comp. Ewald 238, a; Olsh. 245, d.
[17]Jer 32:40.The construction with as in Isa 55:3; Isa 61:8; Eze 34:25; Eze 37:26; Psa 89:4. here is evidently a conjunction = that. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., 109, 1 b.
[18]Jer 32:43.. The article is generic. Comp. rems. on Jer 32:9.
[19]Jer 32:43.. Comp. Jer 2:15; Jer 4:7; Jer 9:9-12; Naegelsb. Gr., 106, 5.
[20]Jer 32:44.. Comp. Naegelsb. Gr., 92, 2, a.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
We have here the Lord’s gracious answer to the Prophet’s prayer, Isa 65:24 . I think it not altogether improbable, but, as the Lord had directed Jeremiah to buy the field in Anathoth, even in the prospect of the ruin of the whole nation; that Jeremiah had some hopes that the Lord would still spare the people from captivity. The Lord’s answer throws down all those hopes. The sentence is gone forth, and the Lord will not reverse it. Oh! what a lesson in all ages of the Church, to seek the Lord while he may be found, and not to put off from day to day.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 32:26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
Ver. 26. Then came the word of the Lord. ] See on Jer 32:1 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 32:26-35
26Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 27Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me? 28Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. 29The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. 30Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the Lord. 31Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, 32because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger-they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. 34But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
Jer 32:26-44 This is God’s reply to Jeremiah’s prayer. It covers several aspects of judgment and several wonderful promises of future hope.
Jer 32:27 the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me This is God’s affirmation that Jeremiah’s theology was accurate (i.e., monotheism) and his doubts were unfounded.
Jer 32:28 Jerusalem will fall to the Babylonians!
Jer 32:29 The city of Jerusalem will be burned because of its idolatrous practices (cf. Jer 32:30), as the Canaanite cities were burned in the conquest (cf. Deu 3:6).
Baal The worship of Ba’al (the male fertility god of the Canaanites) was somehow connected with the astral deities (i.e., Babylonian, cf. Jer 8:2; Jer 19:13). See Special Topic: Fertility Worship of the Ancient Near East . Possibly the Babylonian deities (which were called on by name and rituals) became known to Palestine through political alliance treaties.
Jer 32:31 This is a strange verse! It seems to imply that Jerusalem (and by implication, the temple) was not pleasing to YHWH, even from their beginnings. This is surely hyperbolic, but does clearly show YHWH’s reaction to His people worshiping other gods (who are not gods).
Jer 32:32 The entire population, from king to peasants, were unfaithful, disobedient, and idolatrous. Even those who should have known better (priests, prophets) did not obey!
Jer 32:33-35 These verses describe how serious their rebellion was.
1. They turned their backs to God (no respect, cf. Jer 18:17; no worship, cf. Jer 2:27).
2. They should have faced Him (i.e., intimate, personal relationship illustrated in worship and life).
3. YHWH spoke (through His prophets) again and again (cf. similar idiomatic statements in Jer 7:13; Jer 7:25; Jer 11:7; Jer 25:3-4; Jer 26:5; Jer 26:19; and also note Hos 11:2).
4. They would not listen or heed the words of YHWH.
5. They put idols in YHWH’s temple (cf. Jer 7:30; 2Ki 23:4; 2 Chronicles 33; Ezekiel 8).
6. They built high places to Ba’al (cf. Jer 19:5).
7. They worshiped, by child sacrifice, the fertility god, Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; Lev 18:21; Lev 20:2-5).
Jer 32:34 the house which is called by My name This refers to the temple (cf. Jer 7:10-11; Jer 7:14; Jer 7:30). This reflects the language of Deuteronomy, the place I will cause My name to dwell (cf. Deu 12:5; Deu 12:11; Deu 12:14; Deu 12:18; Deu 12:21; Deu 12:26; Deu 14:23-24; Deu 15:20; Deu 16:2; Deu 16:6; Deu 16:11; Deu 16:15; Deu 17:8; Deu 17:10; Deu 18:6; Deu 26:2; Deu 31:11).
For more information see Deu 12:5; Deu 26:2 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org.
Jer 32:35 which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination Child sacrifice was part of the worship of Molech (see Special Topic: Molech , cf. Lev 18:21; Lev 20:2-5; Deu 12:31; Deu 18:10; 2Ki 21:1-7). There may have been some confusion about the child sacrifice being the will of God because of the account of Abraham offering Isaac at God’s command in Genesis 22 (or even the death of Job’s children in Job 1). A reflection of this misunderstanding is seen in Mic 6:7.
YHWH clearly and emphatically rejects this false understanding of worship.
For Ben-hinnom see note at Jer 31:40 (i.e., the valley of dead bodies and of the ashes).
For abomination see Special Topic: Abomination .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
The Twenty-Third Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).
Jeremiah. Septuagint reads “me”: for Jeremiah’s answer to Zedekiah took in not only verses: Jer 32:16-25, but verses: Jer 32:27-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 32:26-35
Jer 32:26-35
Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: and the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink-offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah. For this city hath been to me a provocation of mine anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: and though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
The purpose of God’s answer in this first segment of it is that of announcing his justice in the punishment coming upon Israel. Here is a shameful catalogue of their, abominations. Several things here are of particular interest.
Jerusalem a provocation to God since the day they built it…
(Jer 32:31). Ever diligent to find inaccuracies in the Bible, some commentators point out that the Jews did not actually build Jerusalem; David captured it. Yes, yes; but Solomon was the first king to pour vast riches into the rebuilding of the city, and that alone entitles it to be said that they built it; and from that very reign began the long road to total idolatry for Israel. Solomon’s seven hundred wives all wanted temples built to their pagan gods; and Solomon accommodated them. Thus the words are strictly true as they stand in the sacred text; and there is no need to say that, The prophet means ‘from the earliest times.’ Again, we would like to protest the affinity which scholars have for telling us what the prophet meant, instead of what the prophet said! This is sometimes necessary, but the habit easily spills over into situations where it is not necessary at all.
The high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom…
(Jer 32:5). Note the close connection here between the high places of Baal and the horrible human sacrifices to Molech in the valley of the son of Hinnom. Baal worship is sometimes explained as being a lot more innocent than it actually was.
Which I commanded them not…
(Jer 32:35). Today, there are some very aggressive and strident voices proclaiming that what God has not forbidden by specific commandment is allowable, in such matters as the appointment of women deacons and in the use of mechanical instruments of music in God’s worship; but a passage like this indicates that things which God has not commanded are simply not allowable under any circumstances as elements of God’s worship.
The Plan of God Jer 32:26-44
Jeremiah not only prayed; he also listened. Prayer is dialogue. Too often a Christian prays but does not tarry in meditation to listen to the still, small voice speaking to the heart and mind. Jeremiah requested; God answered. After a brief but important introductory word (Jer 32:27) God makes announcements regarding the present (Jer 32:28-35) and future (Jer 32:36-41) circumstances of His people. These announcements are followed by assurance that God is true to His Word.
1. A basic proposition (Jer 32:27)
The reply to the prayer of Jeremiah fittingly begins with a declaration. The Lord declares Himself God, Elohim, the strong, the mighty, the God of creation and therefore the Ruler over all flesh. The contrast here between God and flesh is obvious-the exalted and powerful over against the lowly and weak. He is God of all flesh. What to mankind are baffling and perplexing problems find their solutions in Him. The purpose and plans of God can be thwarted neither by the most bitter attacks of His enemies nor the unbelief, misgivings or misunderstandings of His friends. He will not allow His actions to be circumscribed by the limits of human comprehension. He is God. Jeremiah needed to be reminded of that fact and so does every perplexed child of God today.
The declaration that the Lord is God is followed by a question: IS there anything too hard for Me?” The same question is asked When Sarah laughed at the promise of a son in her old age (Gen 18:14). At the beginning of his prayer the prophet had affirmed that nothing was too hard for God (Jer 32:17). But Jeremiah did not fully understand the implications of his own convictions. Had he fully comprehended the omnipotence of God he would not have seen any difficulty in the promise that God would resurrect Judah and Jerusalem from the grave of desolation. How easy it is to utter great truths without fully understanding their import. So God asks Jeremiah a question in order to make him think. It is as if God were saying, Jeremiah, you have the right convictions; but why have you not made the right deductions. If, as you say, nothing is too hard for Me, then trust Me that I can and will do all that I have promised to do. In Jer 32:28-41 God makes two announcements regarding the immediate and ultimate fate of Judah and Jerusalem. Both announcements are introduced by therefore (Jer 32:28; Jer 32:36) which connects them logically with the basic proposition of Jer 32:27. Since nothing is impossible to the Lord, therefore He destroys Jerusalem (Jer 32:28-35) and restores it (Jer 32:36-41). Because he is God-Almighty and Sovereign-both destruction and restoration are within His power.
2. Gods plan for the present (Jer 32:28-35)
The answer of God for Jeremiah continues with a reaffirmation of the fact that Jerusalem would fall to the Chaldeans (Jer 32:28-29) and a summation of the reasons why this calamity must take place (Jer 32:30-35).
Throughout his ministry Jeremiah had been preaching that the enemy from the north, the Chaldeans, would destroy Jerusalem. God now assures Jeremiah that these threats had not been negated by the promise of a new day for Judah. God would indeed give Jerusalem into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 32:28) and the Chaldeans would put the torch to the city (Jer 32:29). The blinded Jews thought it impossible that the chosen place of the sanctuary could be destroyed (Jer 7:4; Jer 21:13). They did not stop to think that with the Lord nothing was impossible. But it is not the might of the enemy which will gain the victory; God would deliver the city into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Thus even though the people could not comprehend or accept what God was about to do, nonetheless God would still fulfill His word.
Following the reaffirmation of His intent to destroy Jerusalem, God discusses the reasons for His decision. The basic cause of the calamity was idolatry. From the very beginning of the nation, the people had provoked God with their idolatry (Jer 32:30). What was true of the nation as a whole was also true of Jerusalem-one continuous record of idolatrous practice from the day the city was built. The Israelites did not build Jerusalem; but when David captured the city from the Jebusites alterations and additions were made. The Hebrew verb used here (banah) is frequently used in the sense of enlarging and repairing. Because of its sin Jerusalem must be removed out of the sight of God (Jer 32:31). Idolatry permeated every strata of society including the professional priests and prophets (Jer 32:32). Time and again God tried to teach them, instruct them, discipline them but to no avail (Jer 32:33). The last vestige of allegiance to God disappeared when they erected abominable images in the Temple (Jer 32:34). Yahweh thereby became just another god and His Temple just one among many shrines. The climax of the apostasy came with the erection of high places in the valley of Hinnom and the institution of the rites of child sacrifice (Jer 32:35). Could such sin be ignored? Surely Jerusalem must fall!
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Jer 32:26-27. The requested information came, in which Jeremiah was also reminded of the greatness of the One who was doing all this. It was repeated that nothing was too hard for the Lord, therefore he could suffer the siege and captivity to occur, and then return the people so that they could use the land that was purchased. With this assurance the immediate situation with its outcome was described again to Jeremiah.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 32:26-35. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah To this difficulty of Jeremiah, between what was commanded him, and the prospect of its being, not only useless, but disadvantageous to him, the Lord answered, Behold, I am the God of all flesh Of all men: is any thing too hard for me? The difficulties which thou thinkest are not to be surmounted are not difficulties to me, who can do all things, and have the lives and actions of men wholly at my disposal. Therefore, thus saith the Lord The Lord now proceeds to confirm again the predictions so frequently given, concerning both the destruction and the restoration of Jerusalem; and to explain more fully the reasons of his conduct toward the Jews and Israelites. The Chaldeans, that fight against this city shall burn it Thou judgest right: this city shall be taken, and that by this very army of Chaldeans which now besieges it; who shall destroy it by fire; with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense, &c. As if he had said, In the execution of my vengeance I shall not act by absolute power, but as a just and righteous judge, vindicating the honour of my violated laws. For they have polluted their houses by idolatrous worship upon the roofs of them, openly and publicly, in contempt of my authority, and defiance of my justice. For the children of Israel and Judah have only done evil before me, &c. If they had offended me only by some particular acts of sin, or by omitting their duty in only some few instances, or but for a short time, I might have been thought to act with severity toward them; but from the time they first began to be a nation they have only provoked me to anger with the works of their hands Passing from one course of sin, and from one species of idolatry, to another. For this city hath been a provocation of mine anger, &c. The conduct of its inhabitants has been generally and long provoking: they began betimes, and have continued in the commission of the most daring wickedness from age to age. From the day that they built it Or, that it was built, the verb personal being often used for the impersonal. Solomon completed the building of Jerusalem, having greatly enlarged and beautified it with the temple and other stately buildings, and he afterward greatly defiled it by idolatry, the sin here spoken of. See 1Ki 11:7, compared with 2Ki 23:13. And, except in Davids time, the worship of God could hardly be said to be preserved pure through the entire reign of any one king. That I should remove it from before my face As if they had pursued these idolatrous practices on purpose to provoke me to destroy the city, and to cast its inhabitants out of it. As nothing can be more easy than for people to keep close to the divine rule, as to external acts of worship, so nothing is more provoking to God than their not doing so. And yet nothing has been more rarely done in any nation; as if men had set themselves to bid defiance to a jealous God. Because of all the evil of the children of Israel Still God makes their destruction to be of themselves, provoking him to that wrath which he executed upon them. They, their kings, their princes, &c. The whole head was sick, the whole heart faint. All orders of men were so corrupted that there was no hope of their reformation or amendment. They have turned unto me the back and not the face They have behaved themselves contemptuously toward me, like men who, when they are admonished or instructed, instead of looking toward those who instruct or admonish them, turn their backs upon them: see note on Jer 2:27. Though I taught them, rising up early. &c. Their sin would not have been so great and heinous if I, by my prophets, had not so continually instructed and reproved them; and they as stubbornly refused to hearken to the instruction, and to be amended by the reproofs. They set their abominations Their idols, which, above all things, the jealous God abhors; in the house which is called by my name That is, in the temple, which was ordinarily called the house of the Lord. This they did under some of the idolatrous kings. And they built the high places of Baal, &c. See the notes on Jer 19:5-6, where all the clauses of this verse are explained.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 32:26-44. Yahweh answers the prophet by declaring the issue and cause of the present distress, and by promising (Jer 32:36 ff.) the future restoration of the people to Palestine, where they shall dwell in religious unity and in prosperity. Most or all of this seems later than Jeremiah; e.g. Jer 32:31 agrees with Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16), rather than with Jer 32:43 presupposes the exile; Jer 32:27-35 is irrelevant to the context.
Jer 32:29. Cf. Jer 19:13.
Jer 32:34 f., as Jer 7:30 f. (see the notes).
Jer 32:39. Cf. Eze 11:19.
Jer 32:40. Cf. Jer 31:33.
Jer 32:44. Cf. Jer 17:26.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Yahweh’s reply to Jeremiah’s prayer 32:26-44
The Lord’s response to the prophet’s prayer assured him that He would indeed restore Israel to her land. Jeremiah had not made a mistake in buying the property.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The Lord began His reply by affirming His universal deity and the fact that indeed nothing is too difficult for Him (cf. Mat 19:26; Luk 1:37). By restating Jeremiah’s statement back to him as a question, the Lord was asking if he really believed it (Jer 32:17).