Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 29:18
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
18. For the general sense and language of the v. cp. Jer 19:8, Jer 24:9, Jer 25:18, Jer 42:18.
tossed to and fro ] mg. a terror unto. See on Jer 15:4, where the Heb. verb is the same.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
These verses contain no more than the threatening which we have had more than once before. He had compared them to vile figs, Jer 24:8,9,10 there threatened them with being made a reproach, a proverb, a taunt, and a curse; and consuming them with the sword, famine, and pestilence: the same thing before delivered by word of mouth to those in Judea, is here repeated in a letter to that part of the Jews in Babylon, to take them off from giving credit to their false prophets, whether in Judea or in Babylon, who deluded them with the promises of a speedy return. Believe it, (saith the prophet,) you shall be so far from returning, whatever your idle prophets tell you, that your brethren that are here shall be brought to you, or destroyed with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, or scattered into other kingdoms, where they shall be made
a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. removed to all . . . kingdoms(Jer 15:4; Deu 28:25).
curse, c. (Jer 29:6Jer 18:16; Jer 19:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine,
and with the pestilence,…. Or, “follow after a them”; such as should make their escape out of the city, and go into Egypt, or other countries, for shelter and safety, should be pursued by the vengeance of God, and should fall by sword, famine, or pestilence, in other places:
and will deliver them; such as should not perish by the above mentioned calamities:
to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth; where they should be scattered, and live in exile: or “for a shaking to all the kingdoms of the earth” b; who should shake and tremble at such a dreadful spectacle of vengeance; or rather they should shake and tremble at the wrath of God upon them; or else their enemies, among whom they should be, should shake their heads at them, by way of insult and triumph over them:
to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach,
among all the nations whither I have driven them; where men shall look at them with amazement, and curse theft, and hiss at them, and reproach them, as the offscouring of the world.
a “et persequar post eos”, Calvin, Piscator. b “in commotionem”, Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He goes on with the same subject, — that he would not cease to consume them with pestilence, famine, and the sword, until he wholly destroyed them, according to what we find in the twenty-fourth chapter. He repeats what is in that chapter; but the words are taken from the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, and from the twenty-ninth. The prophets, we know, drew the substance of their doctrine from the fountain of the Law, and, strictly speaking, brought forward nothing new, but accommodated the doctrine of Moses to the circumstances of the time in which each lived.
Hence we find among the curses of the Law these words, I will set them for a commotion, or a concussion. The word may be explained in two ways, — either that the nations would tremble at such a sad spectacle, — or that they would shake their head. The second view is to be preferred, according to what I have stated elsewhere, I will then set them for a commotion, that is, every one who shall see their miseries, will shake his head in contempt, as though he had said, “All will assent to the just vengeance of God, and ye shall be objects of reproach among all the heathens; for all will acknowledge that ye suffer most justly for your sins.”
He adds, for a curse The word אלה, ale, is properly an oath, but is taken in many places for a curse, which is introduced or understood when we swear. But as men often expose themselves to punishment for perjury, the word means, frequently, a curse; and what is to be understood, as it has been explained elsewhere, is a pattern or formula of a curse; and we have seen in what sense the Prophet said this, that is, that every one who wished to curse himself or others, or to imprecate, as they say, some dire things, would take the Jews for an example, “May God curse thee as he did the Jews;” or, “May he draw forth his severity to thy ruin, as he did to the Jews.” He then says that they would be for a curse, that is, that they would be so miserable that they would be taken as an example in imprecations.
He afterwards adds, for an astonishment, as he had spoken of the shaking of the head, so now he mentions astonishment, which is something more grievous, that is, when such a spectacle presents itself as makes all men to stand astonished, as not knowing what it means. Hissing is mentioned; as it is said elsewhere that they would be a proverb, משל, meshel, and also a taunt, so Jeremiah says in this place, that they would be a hissing, as he has spoken of the shaking of the head.
And lastly he adds, that they would be a reproach even to all nations, for all would deem them worthy of their calamities, however grievous they were, when a comparison would be made between their iniquities and God’s vengeance. The reason follows, because they hearkened not to God But I cannot now finish.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
18. I have driven them God was the wind; man, the winnowing shovel. Compare Jer 19:8; Jer 24:9; and Jer 25:18.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 29:18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Ver. 18. And will deliver them to be removed. ] See Jer 15:4 ; Jer 24:9 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
with. Some codices, with one early printed edition, read “and with”.
removed. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 28:25, the same word).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
will deliver: Jer 15:4, Jer 24:9, Jer 34:17, Lev 26:33, Deu 28:25, Deu 28:64, 2Ch 29:8, Psa 44:11, Eze 6:8, Eze 12:15, Eze 22:15, Eze 36:19, Amo 9:9, Zec 7:14, Luk 21:24
to be a curse: Heb. for a curse, Jer 29:22, Jer 19:8, Jer 25:9, Jer 26:6, Jer 42:18, Deu 29:21-28, 1Ki 9:7, 1Ki 9:8, 2Ch 7:19-22, 2Ch 29:8, Isa 65:15, Lam 2:15, Lam 2:16
Reciprocal: Lev 26:25 – I will send Num 5:27 – the woman Neh 1:3 – reproach Psa 89:41 – he is Jer 14:12 – but Jer 29:17 – Behold Jer 38:2 – He Jer 44:8 – a curse Jer 51:37 – an hissing Dan 9:16 – Jerusalem Zec 8:13 – a curse
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 29:18. Persecute does not have the ordinary meaning for God never treats anyone in that way regardless of his deserts. It comes from the Hebrew words and the meaning is to pursue or chase one with hostile intent. The means the Lord proposed to use in bringing about the punishment threatened against his people was the one frequently mentioned; sword, famine and pestilence. (See the comments on this subject at Jer 14:12). The meaning of the tuitions is explained at verse 14.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
29:18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be {k} a curse, and an horror, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them:
(k) Read Jer 26:6 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord Himself would drive them from the land and kill them. They would become objects of horror and shame to the nations where He would drive them, because they had not listened to His servants the prophets. The Lord had sent these messengers to them repeatedly, but they would not listen.