Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 1:14

Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

14. evil ] the evil the evil which was to be expected, foretold by all the prophets as the result of national sin.

shall break forth ] shall be opened, shall disclose itself. But it is best by a slight change in the Hebrew to render shall be blown (as in Jer 1:13), i.e. kindled.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Out of the north … – The caldron represents the great military empires upon the Euphrates. In Hezekiahs time, Nineveh was at their head; but stormed by the armies of Cyaxares and Nabopalassar it is itself now the victim whose limbs are seething in the caldron, and the seat of empire has been transferred to Babylon. But whoever may for the time prevail, the tide of passion and carnage is sure finally to pour itself upon Judaea.

An evil shall break forth – The evil shall be opened, shall show itself, be disclosed from the north: that special evil, which from the days of Micah Mic 3:12 all the prophets had denounced upon the Jews if they lapsed into idolatry. At present the caldron is fiercely boiling upon the Euphrates. As soon as either of the parties struggling there gains the victory it will pour the whole seething mass over other countries in the shape of an invading army (see Jer 25:17-26).

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Shall break forth] tippathach, shall be opened. The door shall be thrown abroad, that these calamities may pass out freely.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The Lord said; explained this vision.

Out of the north, i.e. from Babylon, a metonymy of the subject; for though it lie eastward, yet it is north from Jerusalem, as lying four degrees more from the equinoctial. See Jer 1:13.

Shall break forth; it shall be withheld or restrained no longer in my treasure; I will let it out, viz. that evil of punishment represented by the fire.

Of the land: though God gave almost all the then known world to the king of Babylon, yet here he understands the land of Judea, Jer 25:9.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. break forth“shalldisclose itself.”

Out of the north(Jer 4:6; Jer 6:1;Jer 6:22; Jer 10:22;Jer 25:9; Eze 26:7).The Chaldeans did not cast off the yoke of Assyria till several yearsafter, under Nabopolassar, 625 B.C.;but long previously they had so increased as to threaten Assyria,which was now grown weak, and other neighboring peoples.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then the Lord said unto me,…. Explaining the above vision:

out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land; that is, out of Babylon, which lay north, as Jarchi says, and so the Talmud t; or north east, as Kimchi and Ben Melech, to the land of Israel; from hence came Nebuchadnezzar and his army, which are meant by “the evil” that should break forth, or “be opened” u and loosed, which before were bound and hindered by the providence of God; see Re 9:14 and come upon all the inhabitants of the land of Israel; and who are signified by the boiling pot to the north; or, however, by the fire under it, which came from thence; for rather by the pot is meant Jerusalem; and, by the boiling of it, its destruction by the Chaldeans; see Eze 11:3.

t T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 6. 1. and Bava Bathra, fol. 25. 2. u “aperietur”, Munster, Tigurine version, Cocceius; “pandetur”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

And thus God testifies that the fire was already kindled in Chaldea and Assyria, which was not only to boil the Jews, but also reduce them to nothing. And then he expresses the same in other words — that evil would come from the north upon all the Jews. We shall hereafter see that there is presented here a brief summary of the truth which was committed to Jeremiah; at least it is a summary of one half of it; for God designed also to provide for his own elect; and he thus terrified them, that they might be subdued, and submit to him, and not that they might abandon themselves to despair. At the same time, this half of the prediction was — that there was no hope of pardon, because the Jews had with extreme obstinacy provoked God’s wrath, and had so abused his patience, that their impiety could no longer be tolerated. Hence, what other prophets had denounced Jeremiah now confirms more strongly, and points it out, as it were, by the finger. It afterwards follows —

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(14) Out of the north an evil.Literally, the evil, long foretold, as in Mic. 3:12, and elsewhere, and long expected.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

14. Shall break forth Literally, shall be opened.

All the inhabitants of the land Of Judea. The language suggests the universality of the evil.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Ver. 14. Out of the north an evil shall break forth, ] i.e., From Chaldea, which is north from Judea. Gregory moraliseth the text thus: Man’s mind is this pot; that which from the north sets it on fire is the devil, by inflaming it with evil lusts, and then he sets up his throne therein. a As,

a Aquilo est sedes diabolo. – Aug.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)