Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 42:5
Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.
5. amongst ] better, as mg. against, i.e. to bear witness and punish us if we fail to do our part as we now promise.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
5. from all the nations ] These words, as implying a much wider dispersion of inhabitants of the Southern kingdom than had actually taken place, may be a scribe’s insertion from ch. Jer 40:11 f. The LXX omit “from all the nations driven.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Between us – Against us, as in Jer 42:19 (margin.)
According to all things – literally, according to the whole word as to which Yahweh thy God shall send thee to us.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. The Lord be a true and faithful Witness] The Lord is such; and as ye have bound yourselves to obey his voice, he will register the covenant, and bless or curse according as ye shall conduct yourselves in this matter.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
5. Lord be a true . . . witness(Gen 31:50; Psa 89:37;Rev 1:5; Rev 3:14;Rev 19:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then they said to Jeremiah, the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us,…. Which is the form of an oath; a solemn appeal to God, as a witness to what they were about to say, and to the sincerity of their hearts in it; who is true to his word, and faithful to his promises and threatenings; and who bears a true and faithful testimony, and will do what is just and right; and yet these people never intended to perform what they promised; which is a most shocking piece of atheism in a professing people; and who, at this very time, could not but observe the judgments of God upon their nation, city, and temple:
if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us; they promise to do everything the Lord should signify by the prophet as his will; and, if they did not, wish the severest judgments of God might fall upon them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
It hence appears that the people understood for what purpose Jeremiah, before he consulted God, assured them of his faithfulness and sincerity; for it was not without reason that they promised to be obedient to God; but as they saw that they were suspected as being not sincere by Jeremiah, and as he had promised to be a true and faithful teacher, they on the other hand declared that they would be sincere disciples, and would receive whatever God might command them. But they soon betrayed their perfidy, for when they heard that what they had resolved to do did not please God, they not only rejected the counsel of God and the Prophet, but treated him insolently, and even loaded the holy man with reproaches, as though he had told them what was false. Their hypocrisy ought at the same time to be a lesson to us, so that when God is pleased through a singular favor to shew us the way of acting rightly by faithful instructors and competent teachers, we may not be like them, but be teachable and ready to obey, and prove this not only by the mouth but also by our deeds.
The Prophet then says, that they spoke thus, Let God be a faithful and true witness between us. Being not content with a simple affirmation, they dared to interpose the name of God; and thus we see how blind is hypocrisy. For if men duly weigh what it is to profane God’s name, surely they would dread and abominate all perjury. As then they rushed on so audaciously to swear, it is evident that they were as it were stupefied; and there is no inebriety which so confuses the minds of men and all their senses as hypocrisy.
They then added, According to whatever word which Jehovah thy God shall send to us, so will we do, that is, whatever Jehovah shall command us by thee; for God is said to send to men, when he sends a messenger in his name to bring his commands. Jeremiah then was, as it were, a middle person to address the people in God’s name, as though he had been sent from heaven. They therefore said, that they would do whatever God commanded. A stronger expression follows, Whether good or evil, we will obey the voice of Jehovah our God They did not here charge God’s word with being wrong, as though it had anything unjust in it; but they used good in the sense of joyful, and evil as meaning what is sad or grievous, as though they had said, that they asked for no other thing but that God should declare what pleased him, and that they were so submissive as to refuse nothing though contrary to the flesh. Had this declaration proceeded from the heart, it would have been a testimony of true piety; for the minds of the godly ought to be so framed as to obey God without making any exception, whether he commands what is contrary to their purpose, or leads them where they do not wish to go; for they who wish to make a compact with God, that he should require nothing but what is agreeable to them, shew that they know not what it is to serve God. Hence the obedience of faith in an especial manner requires this, that man should renounce his own desires, that he should not set up his own counsels and wishes against the word of God, nor object and say, this is hard, that is not quite agreeable. Whether then it be good or evil, that is, though it may be contrary to the feelings of the flesh, we ought still to embrace what God requires and commands: this is the rule of true religion.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5, 6) The Lord be a true and faithful witness . . .The emphatic adjuration implies that they are ready to accept the punishment which the righteous Judge will inflict in the event of their proving unfaithful to their promise. The name of the place where they had lately been staying may have reminded them of the history of Gen. 31:49 (though that refers to another Mizpah), in which we find the same formula.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. A true and faithful witness “True and faithful” are from the same root, and both occupy emphatic positions in the sentence. “True and faithful is Jehovah.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 42:5 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.
Ver. 5. The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us. ] Did these men know what it was so solemnly to swear a thing? Or were they stark atheists, thus to promise that with an oath which they never meant to perform?
“ At sperate Deum memorem fandi atque nefandi. ”
Their king, Zedekiah, paid dearly for his perjury to God and men.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The Lord be: Jer 5:2, Gen 31:50, Exo 20:7, Jdg 11:10, 1Sa 12:5, 1Sa 20:42, Mic 1:2, Mal 2:14, Mal 3:5, Rom 1:9, Rev 1:5, Rev 3:14
if we: Exo 20:19, Deu 5:27-29
Reciprocal: Jer 43:4 – obeyed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 42:5. The people even called upon the Lord to witness their promise to do whatever He should require of them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
42:5 Then they said to Jeremiah, {b} The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.
(b) There are as ready to abuse the Name of God and take it in vain as the hypocrites who colour their falsehood, use it without all reverence and make it a means for them to deceive the simple and the godly.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The people promised three times that they would obey the Lord, the faithful and true witness, in all that He told them to do, so that things would go well for them.
Jeremiah obtained and then reported the Lord’s message to the remnant, which was encamped near Bethlehem (Jer 42:7-22).