Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 16:12
And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
12. stubbornness ] Cp. ch. Jer 3:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Imaginations – Read stubbornness.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. And ye have done worse than your fathers] The sins of the fathers would not have been visited on the children, had they not followed their example, and become even worse than they.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ye in latter ages, in the time of Manasseh,
have done worse than your fathers did, and now in the time of Jehoiakim you run on much in the same course of idolatry and superstition, which in this is worse in you, because for thirty years together you had the better example of good Josiah the father of your present king, together with what his authority could do to reduce you; he hath not been gone now above five years, and you are returned to your old vomit, and are all of you serving me according to your own fancies, so stubborn are you, and resolved against obedience to me.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. yeemphatic: so far fromavoiding your fathers’ bad example, ye have done worse (Jer 7:26;1Ki 14:9).
imaginationrather,”stubborn perversity.”
that they may nothearkenrather, connected with “ye”; “ye havewalked . . . so as not to hearken to Me.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And ye have done worse than your fathers,…. Not only committed the same sins, but greater, or, however, attended with more aggravating circumstances; they were wilfully and impudently done, and obstinately persisted in; and therefore deserving of the great evil of punishment pronounced against them.
For, behold, ye walk everyone after the imagination of his evil heart; they walked not as the word of God directs, but as their own evil heart dictated; the imagination of which was evil, and that continually, Ge 6:5.
That they may not hearken unto me; to the word of the Lord, and obey that; their minds being blinded, and their hearts hardened, and they obstinately bent on their own evil ways.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I was constrained yesterday to leave unfinished the words of the Prophet. He said that the children were worse than their fathers, and gave the reason, Because they followed the wickedness of their evil heart, and hearkened not to God He seems to have said before the same thing of the fathers: it might then be asked, Why does he say that the children had done worse than their fathers, and pronounce their sins worse? Now we have already seen that sins became worse before God, when the children strengthened themselves in wickedness by following the examples of their fathers. We must also notice, that not only the law had been set before them, but that also Prophets had been often sent to them, who added their reproofs: and this is what Jeremiah seems to have expressed at the end of the verse, by saying that they hearkened not, though daily spoken to by the Prophets. It was then their obstinacy that God so severely punished: they had imitated their wicked fathers, and then they not only had despised, but also through their obstinate wickedness had rejected all the warnings which the Prophets gave them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) Imagination.Better, as before, stubbornness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 16:12 And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
Ver. 12. And ye have done worse. ] See Jer 7:26 .
For, behold, ye walk.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
imagination = stubbornness. Reference to Pentateuch, (see notes on Jer 3:17; Jer 7:24; Jer 9:14; Jer 13:10). App-92.
evil. Hebrew. ra’a’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
worse: Jer 7:26, Jer 13:10, 2Ti 3:13
imagination: or, stubbornness, Jer 7:24, Jer 9:14, Jer 13:10, *marg. Deu 9:27, Deu 29:19, *marg. Jdg 2:19, 1Sa 15:23
evil: Jer 17:9, Gen 6:5, Gen 8:21, Ecc 8:12, Ecc 9:3, Mar 7:21, Heb 3:12
Reciprocal: 2Ki 22:13 – because our fathers Isa 1:4 – a seed Jer 3:17 – walk Jer 17:23 – they obeyed Jer 18:12 – we will walk Jer 25:4 – ye Jer 32:36 – now Jer 44:3 – of their Lam 5:7 – fathers Eze 2:3 – rebelled Eze 20:30 – Are ye Eze 23:30 – thou hast
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 16:12. The question arises as to why this generation should be penalized for the sins of their fathers. They were not, but it was because they had done, worse than their fathers. Then why mention the sins of their fathers if it was to be for their own conduct they would receive the punishment? It was because they had the example of their fathers with all of its results to teach them the danger of such a life. The Lord always expects his servants to profit by the example, either good or bad, that is left for their observation, Paul very aptly teaches this in 1Co 10:11.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The punishment was also for their own sins, which were worse than those of their forefathers. They had been stubborn in their hearts and had not responded to the Lord’s Word.