Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 49:11
Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
11. A remarkable v. and decidedly Jeremianic in character, as compared with the attitude which later days would have assumed towards an enemy so bitterly hated. On the other hand, it is extremely abrupt in the midst of denunciation. We may take it as meaning, Fathers and husbands are dead, but Jehovah will protect children and widows.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jer 49:11
Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in Me.
The compassion and beneficence of the Deity
No subject is more open to general observation, or more confirmed by manifold experience, than the goodness of God. In Scripture it is most frequently presented to us in the light of compassion to the distresses of mankind (Psa 102:17; Psa 10:17; Psa 58:5; Psa 69:33; Psa 146:7; Psa 22:24, &c.).
I. The discoveries of Divine compassion were purposely intended to furnish to us particular ground for trust in God amid all the vicissitudes of human life. Compassion is a principle which we all feel and know. We know that it is the strongest of all benevolent instincts in our nature, and that it tends directly to interest us in behalf of those who need our aid. We are taught to believe that a similar attribute belongs to the Divine nature; in order that, from that species of goodness which we are best acquainted with, and which we can most rely upon, we may be trained both to love our Almighty Benefactor, and, as long as we are in the practice of our duty, to trust to His protection amid every distress. Compassion to the unfortunate, as it is exerted among men, is indeed accompanied with certain disturbed and painful feelings, arising from sympathy with those whom we pity. But every such feeling we must remove from our thoughts when we ascribe an affection of this nature to the Deity. His compassion is such a regard as suits the perfection of the great Governor of the universe, whose benignity, undisturbed by any violent emotion, ever maintains the same tranquil tenor, like the unruffled and uninterrupted serenity of the highest heavens.
II. Such discoveries of the Divine nature were designed, not only to administer encouragement and consolation, but also to exhibit the pattern of that disposition which we are bound, in our measure, to imitate and follow. That hardness of heart which renders men insensible to the distresses of their brethren, that insolence of prosperity which inspires them with contempt of those who are fallen below them, are always represented in Scripture as dispositions most opposite to the nature of God, and most hateful in His sight. In order to make this appear in the strongest light, He has turned His goodness chiefly into the channel of compassionate regard to those whom the selfish and proud despise (Psa 12:5; Psa 10:17-18).
III. In the course of human life innumerable occasions present themselves for all the exercises of that humanity and benignity to which we are so powerfully prompted. The diversities of rank among men, the changes of fortune to which all, in every rank, are liable, the necessities of the poor, the wants of helpless youth, the infirmities of declining age, are always giving opportunities for the display of humane affections. (Hugh Blair, D. D.)
The God of orphans and widows
The Rev. J. Brown of Haddington, said that his epitaph might appropriately be: Here lies one of the cares of providence, who early wanted both father and mother, and yet never missed them.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 11. Leave thy fatherless children] The connexion of this with the context is not easy to be discerned; but, as a general maxim, it is of great importance. Widows and orphans are the peculiar care of God. He is as the best of fathers to the one, and the most loving of husbands to the other. Even the widows and orphans of Esau, who escape the general destruction, shall be taken care of by the Lord.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The only question upon this verse is, whether, in the whole of it, it be a promise or a threatening: if it be a promise, the sense is, that though this great destruction should come upon the body of the Edomites, yet God would take care of some of their
fatherless children, whose parents being carried into captivity, they had none to provide for them: if it be taken as an ironical threatening, it soundeth ruin to those as well as the rest, and
I will is as much as I will not. But others think that these are rather to be understood with the supply of some other words, There is not, or there shall be none to say, Leave thy fatherless children, &c.; and whoso considereth those words in the tenth verse, his seed shall be spoiled, will see reason to judge it rather a threatening (whether by way of irony or no) than a promise.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. Thy fatherless and widowsmust rest their hope in God alone, as none of the adult males shallbe left alive, so desperate will be the affairs of Edom. The versealso, besides this threat, implies a promise of mercy to Esau inGod’s good time, as there was to Moab and Ammon (Jer 49:6;Jer 48:47); the extinction of theadult males is the prominent idea (compare Jer49:12).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive,…. Leave them with me; commit them to my care; I will provide for them; they shall have food and raiment, and want nothing to make them comfortable: to have such a friend or friends, promising such things to a man, when he is obliged to flee and leave his family, or is at the point of death, serves to make him easy; but there would be none left of the Edomites to say such kind words, or do such a friendly part. Some think they are the words of God, either spoken ironically or seriously; suggesting that they should have no children or widows to leave, all should be destroyed; or, if any left, they could not expect that he would take care of them, whom they had so provoked; or that such would be their miserable case, unless he had mercy on them, and took care of their fatherless children, there would be none to do it. Others think it respects a remnant of the Edomites that should be preserved, and be converted to Christ in Gospel times. The Targum takes them to be an address to the people of Israel, paraphrasing them thus:
“you, O house of Israel, your orphans shall not be left, I will sustain them, and your widows shall trust in my word:”
which last clause we render,
let your widows trust in me; which, could they be considered as the words of God, agree well with him, who is the Father of the fatherless, and Judge of the widows, Ps 68:5; and a great encouragement to persons, in such circumstances, to place their confidence in him; and it must be right so to do.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With regard to the end of the verse, some give this explanation, “There will be none to say:” there is then a word to be understood, — “there will be none to say, Leave thy orphans to me, I will nourish or sustain them, or I will he a father to them; and thy widows, let them hope or trust in me, or rest on me.” For it is no small comfort to parents, when they know that their widows would have one to flee to, and also their orphans. When one dies and sees that his widow is destitute of every help, and sees that his orphans are miserable and needy, his paternal and conjugal love is grievously wounded. For is it more bitter than death itself, when the husband cannot provide any help for his widow, when he cannot provide any relief for his orphans. Hence some interpreters think that the ruin of this people is in this way exaggerated; that is, because no one would be found to bring comfort to parents, and to take as it were the place of the dead.
But the meaning would not be unsuitable, were the words deemed ironical, that the Prophet spoke in the person of God, Leave to me thy orphans, I will nourish them, and let thy widows rest on me, or trust in me: for it follows afterwards, Behold, they to whom there was no judgment, have drunk of the cup, etc. The passage then would not read amiss, if we consider that God taunts the Idumeans, and ironically declares that he would be a judge against them even after they were dead; for God’s vengeance, we know, reaches to the third and the fourth generation. As then he had before declared, that the Idumeans would be destroyed, their seed, their brethren, and their neighbors, so he now confirms the same thing, — “What! dost thou expect that I should be a father or a protector to thy orphans? that I should bring aid to thy widow? This thou expectest in vain from me.”
The Prophet, in a few words, very sharply goads the minds of the Idumeans, when God thus presents himself, and says by way of mockery, that he would be a protector to their orphans and widows; for they had indiscriminately vented their rage on orphans and women, and spared neither sex nor age. Then God shews here that there was no reason why they should expect any comfort as to their children, for he would be their avenger to the third and the fourth generation. And forced, no doubt, is what some say; at least I do not see how the words, I will nourish them, can comport with the rest of the context. This clause, then, I apply to God himself, because his vengeance would consume them with their brethren, their neighbors and their seed. And the irony is the most suitable to the whole passage; that is, that God meant to show, that he could bring no help to orphans or aid to widows, since they had been so cruel both to orphans and widows. (38) Then follows a confirmation —
(38) Neither of the two explanations here given are satisfactory, though the first especially has been adopted by many, such as Henry and Scott. It is difficult to know the meaning of the Sept.; the Vulg. and the Syr. are literally our version. The Targ. goes wide astray, representing this verse as addressed to the people of Israel, of whom there is no mention here. Blayney supposes a typographical mistake, joins עזב to the preceding verse, and puts ה, to the next word, and gives this version, —
And there is nothing of him left. 11. Shall I preserve the life of thy fatherless children? Or shall thy widows trust in me?
The questions he considers as strong negatives. The simpler view seems to be this: in the preceding verse the destruction not only of Esau, but also of his brethren and neighbours, is announced. His “seed” means his posterity, the nation, and he was was not to be, that is, as a kingdom. There would be still some “orphans” and “widows, ” and as “brethren” and “neighbors” would be destroyed as well as Esau himself, as to all grown up people, forming the nation, and thus orphans and widows would be left helpless, God was pleased to give the promise here stated:
Leave thy orphans, I will preserve them, Thy widows also, in me let them trust.
The last verb is both masculine and feminine, and refers both to the orphans and widows. This is substantially the explanation given by Venema, and is the most satisfactory. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Leave thy fatherless children . . .Were the words uttered in the stern irony of one who veils & threat in the form of a promise, as some have thought, or was there even in the case of Edom a mingling of pity for the helpless? The latter view seems truer to the prophets character (Jer. 48:36). If the sentence was passed which left the wives of Edom widows, and their children orphans, yet God had not forgotten that He was the God of the widow and the fatherless.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Thy fatherless children, I will preserve God’s mercy then, is not taken away from them, but restrained. In this there is an impressive intimation of their swiftly coming helplessness and desolation, and at the same time of God’s pity and care.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 49:11. Leave thy fatherless children This is understood by many to be an irony. See Isa 16:4. But there is nothing in the context, says Houbigant, which can lead to this interpretation. I rather understand it as a prophesy; nor was it any thing wonderful that the conquerors should spare the little children and widows, from whom they had nothing to fear; nor that the Edomites should forsake both the one and the other, when compelled to a precipitate flight.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 49:11 Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
Ver. 11. Leave thy fatherless children, &c. ] Thus God speaketh to the profane Edomites in derision, but to all true Israelites in serious sadness: and so it is very comfortable, and must needs be a good stay of mind to a dying saint, as it was to Claviger, a dutch divine a He was held happy of whom Cassiodore saith, So many sons, so many counsellors to the state, b but he is happier that can say, So many children, so many of God’s clients, heaven’s heirs, &c.
a Selnec., Paedag. Christ., par. 2. p. 379.
b Quot dedit familiae iuvenes, tot reddidit Curiae consulares.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
children = young children. Not the same word as in Jer 49:6.
trust = confide. Hebrew. batah. App-69.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
trust
(See Scofield “Psa 2:12”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
thy fatherless: Deu 10:18, Psa 10:14-18, Psa 68:5, Psa 82:3, Psa 146:9, Pro 23:10, Pro 23:11, Hos 14:3, Jon 4:11, Mal 3:5, Jam 1:27
let thy: 1Ti 5:5
Reciprocal: Num 27:7 – General Luk 4:4 – That Act 20:32 – I commend 1Ti 5:3 – widows 1Pe 3:5 – who
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 49:11. This verse sounds like a favorable prediction in that the widows and orphans were to be cared for by the Bord. It virtually is a prediction of a misfortune since the very need for such special care indicates some form of disaster for the land.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 49:11. Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them, &c. The Chaldee paraphrast understands this of the Jews, to whom the following words do certainly belong, as if it contained Gods promise to take care of their families, in that distressed and forlorn state to which the captivity had reduced them. Some, who apply it to the Edomites, understand it as spoken by way of irony, in which light they understand Isa 16:4. But there is nothing in the context, says Houbigant, which can lead to this interpretation. I rather understand it as a prophecy; nor was it any thing wonderful that the conquerors should spare the little children and widows, from whom they had nothing to fear; nor that the Edomites should forsake both the one and the other, when compelled to a precipitate flight. Or, it is a promise that God would not wholly destroy the race of Esau, but protect and preserve a remnant of them; and that, at the time when he sent these his judgments on the proud and self-confident, and all their boasted strength was cast down, the weak and helpless should be remembered by him, the Father of mercies.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
49:11 Leave thy {m} fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
(m) The destruction will be so great that there will be none left to take care of the widows and the fatherless.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Yahweh, or perhaps a kindly survivor, promised to care for the widows and orphans left behind during the devastation of the nation.