Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 25:31
A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
31. A noise ] lit. a crash, battle-din. So in Jer 51:55; Isa 13:4; Isa 17:12; Hos 10:14; Amo 2:2.
plead ] See on Jer 2:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A noise – The trampling of an army in motion. Compare Amo 2:2.
A controversy – i. e., a suit at law.
Will plead – Or, will hold judgment. As judge He delivers the wicked to the sword.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 25:31
He will plead with all flesh.
No excuse needed for faith in God
I. God pleads with men chiefly through the Spirit of the life of Jesus Christ. This part of our life is a probation, like being at school; it is an apprenticeship to eternal life, a life in which we are to be journeymen and masters of the work of being good and doing good. We are learners here. Some learn their lifes lesson thoroughly, and others only partially. God means us to learn; and if a man will not do Gods will, he can only learn by the bitter pain of experience. There are only two ways of learning–either by doing Gods will, or by disobeying it; either way will bring us to our senses at some time or other, either in this world or in that which is to come.
II. Christianity urges that if we be wise every one will choose the highest aim of life. Unless we have some great object in view, our life is a task which is hard to bear; it is like being rubbed with sandpaper, everything seeming to be in unpleasant friction with us. Yet you cannot get a polish without friction; and so the friction of daily life that vexes and torments us, is an experience which is good for us. It is one of Gods means of polishing us; but it is unpleasant, like having small pebbles in ones boots. It is, however, a needful discipline. But were we humbly and lovingly to do Gods will, as you would have your little child do your will, life would not be a painful task, nor would it be a state of perpetual friction.
III. Christianity also teaches us that God is worthy to be both esteemed and loved.
IV. Christianity sweetly teaches us of the other life. Have you ever lived in the country, and after being away for a time felt the joy of returning home? (W. Birch.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
There shall be such confusion, and noises as shall ring over all the world; for Gods quarrel is not against the Jews only, but other nations also. Nor will he in any thing he doth act unjustly; if they will join issue with him, he will plead with them, and make it appear to all that he acteth righteously. He will give up many to the sword, but they shall be such only as by their wickedness have deserved it, recompensing to them their own works and evil doings.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31. controversycause at issue(Mic 6:2).
plead with all flesh(Isa 66:16). God shows thewhole world that He does what is altogether just in punishing.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A noise shall come up [even] to the ends of the earth,…. Wars, and rumours of wars, everywhere, till the cup has gone round, and all nations have drank of it, and have felt the power of divine wrath for their sins:
for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations; will enter into a judicial process with them; will litigate the point with them, and try it openly; that it may be seen who is in the right, and who in the wrong:
he will plead with all flesh; or enter into judgment with them, as Kimchi; or reprove them in judgment, as Jarchi; he will be too many for them; he will carry his case, overcome them in judgment, and reprove and condemn them. Or the words may be rendered, “he will be judged by all flesh” s; he will submit it to the judgment of the whole world, if it is not a righteous thing in him to do what he is about to do, and will do; he will make it clear and manifest that he does nothing unjustly, but all according to the strict rules of justice and equity:
he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the Lord; to be destroyed by it, and none but them; and seeing they are such that deserve it, he is not to be charged with unrighteousness in so doing.
s “judicium subibit ipse cum omni carne”, Tigurine version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He pursues the same subject; he says that there would be a dreadful assault, and that it would extend to the extreme parts of the earth. The word שאון, shaun, means a noise or sound; but it is also taken for violence or assault; and either meaning would not be unsuitable here. The sound then, or assault, shall come to the extreme parts of the earth It then follows, that God had a strife with all nations; and here the Prophet seems to obviate a question that might have been raised, “What does this mean? that God will suddenly raise a commotion, after having been quiet and still for so many ages, without giving any symptom of his vengeance?” For we have said that the nations here mentioned had been long in a tranquil state. Hence the Prophet answers this unexpressed objection and says, that God had a contention with them.
The time of contending is not always: he who does not immediately bring his adversary before the judge, but deals kindly with him, and seeks to obtain amicably from him what is right, does not thereby forego what is justly due to him; but when he finds that the contumacy of his adversary is such that his kind dealing effects nothing, he may then litigate with him. The same thing is now expressed by the Prophet, even that God would now contend with the nations and dispute with all flesh God is indeed, properly speaking, the judge of the world; and there is no arbiter or a judge in heaven or on earth to be found before whom he can dispute; but yet this mode of speaking ought to be especially noticed; for God thus silences all those complaints which men are wont to make against him. Even they who are a hundred times proved guilty, yet complain against God when he severely punishes them, and they say that they are made to suffer more than they deserve. Hence God for this reason says, that when he punishes he does not exercise a tyrannical power, but that he does as it were dispute with sinners. At the same time he sets forth his own goodness by representing the end he has in view; for what he regards in rigidly punishing wickedness, is nothing else than to obtain his own rights; and as he cannot secure these by kind means, he extorts them as it were by the aid of laws. (152)
Let us then observe, that nothing is detracted from God’s power and authority, when it is said, that he disputes or contends with men; but that in this way all those clamors are checked which the ungodly raise against him, as though he raged immoderately against them, and also that thus the end of all punishment is pointed out, even that God condescends to assume the character of an opponent, and proposes nothing else than to require what is reasonable and just, like him who having a cause to try before the judge, would willingly agree beforehand, if possible, with his adversary; but as he sees no hope, he has recourse to that remedy. So God contends with us; for except we were wholly irreclaimable, we might be restored to his favor; and reconciliation would be ready for us, were we only to allow him his rights.
(152) The terms are legal terms, —
31. Gone has the sound to the extremity of the earth; For a contention had Jehovah with the nations, Into judgment hath he entered with all flesh; The wicked — he gave them to the sword, saith Jehovah.
The past is evidently used for the future. “The sound” then was to go forth, and for the reasons here assigned, — God would have a dispute with all, would try the matter as it were by a judicial process, and would give up the condemned, the wicked, to the sword. The object of this representation is very correctly stated by Calvin. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(31) A noise.i.e., the tumult of an advancing army (Isa. 13:4; Isa. 17:12).
A controversy.The term properly denotes a legal process, like the pleading of Jer. 2:9; Jer. 2:35, rather than a debate or discussion, and is therefore rightly followed by the technical term will plead or judge. Jehovah appears, so to speak, as the Accuser in the suit in which He is also the supreme Judge.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. A noise The din of war, the noise of great armies; hence full of terror and danger.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 25:31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Ver. 31. For the Lord hath a controversy with the nations. ] a A disceptation, which showeth that his revenge to be taken upon them shall be just and lawful. It shall well appear to be so, at that day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Rom 2:5
a Disceptatio catholica.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
plead with = judge.
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
A noise: The dreadful devastations made by the Chaldeans through all the nations of the East, and afterwards the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and Persians, are here primarily foretold in this awful language; but it also accords very much with the passages in which the ruin of all the anti- christian powers is evidently predicted. Jer 45:5, Isa 34:8, Hos 4:1, Hos 12:2, Mic 6:2
plead: Isa 66:16, Eze 20:35, Eze 20:36, Eze 38:22, Joe 3:2
Reciprocal: Isa 29:7 – the multitude Jer 1:15 – I will call Eze 33:2 – When I bring the sword upon a land Joe 3:16 – roar
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 25:31. The original word for controversy is defined as contest by Strong. The meaning of the clause is that the nations have opposed the Lord which virtually amounts to a challenge from them to show His power as against that of the gods of their service. God has accepted the challenge and all who are acquainted with the ability of God will have no douht as to the outcome.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
His judgment would cause clamor worldwide. He would judge everyone because He holds them guilty in a lawsuit. The wicked would die violent deaths.