Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 30:13
[There is] none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
13. In the same v. the people of God appears both as defendant in a suit at law, and as one suffering from a wound which cannot be staunched.
There is none to plead thy cause ] Thine enemies at present are having it all their own way, as they arraign thee for thy sins before the bar of God’s justice.
that thou mayest be bound up ] rather, as mg. for thy wound thou hast no medicines nor plaister. “Wound” is lit. a compressed (i.e. bound up) thing. Cp. Hos 5:13 twice; Oba 1:7 mg.
medicines ] plaister, lit. that which goes up (on the wound).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That thou mayest be bound up – Others put a stop after cause, and translate, For binding thy wound, healing plaster thou hast none.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. There is none to plead thy cause] All thy friends and allies have forsaken thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Concerning the general design of the prophet in these words, all interpreters seem agreed that the prophets scope is to bring their uneasy thoughts to a rest, and make them rest satisfied with the providence of God; for there was no resistance of the will of God, which he metaphorically expresseth under the notion of one miserably and incurably wounded, whom no physician or surgeon could heal, and for whom there was no effectual plaster: but concerning the particular sense of the Hebrew words much is critically said, which I conceive not my work to repeat, nor is it of much moment to us to know whether the word more properly signifies
healing medicines, or courses of cure, or plasters; those who are curious may read sufficiently about it in the English Annotations upon the text. It may be more material to consider whether the prophets meaning be, there was none would do it, or there was none could do it, or there was none should do it, that is, whom God would admit at present to do it; as he elsewhere saith, though Noah, Daniel, and Job, and though Moses and Samuel, stood before him, they should save none but their own souls. The prophets design doubtless was to satisfy this people that there was no present remedy for them but patience: though some would in charity plead for them, and though their false prophets might promise a cure; yet in very deed God would admit now of no plea for them, and all means that could be used for their more speedy restoration would prove no healing medicines, but like medicines that make the patients worse, and irritate instead of allaying the distemper.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. none to pleada new imagefrom a court of justice.
bound upnamely, withthe bandages applied to tie up a wound.
no healingmedicinesliterally, “medicines of healing,” or elseapplications, (literally, “ascensions”) of medicaments.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[There is] none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up,…. None that will give themselves the trouble to look into their wound to judge of it; to consult, and reason, and debate about the nature of it; and what methods are most advisable to take for the healing and binding of it up: or, as others, “for the compression” w of it; the squeezing out the corrupt matter, in order to bring it to a cure:
thou hast no healing medicines; either of thine own, or of others, preparing for thee: the design of all these expressions is to show the helpless and hopeless state of the people of Israel, before their call, conversion, and restoration; by which it will appear to be the Lord’s work, and his only; and since he was able to do it, and would do it, therefore Jacob and Israel had no reason to be afraid and dismayed, though their case might seem desperate.
w “compressioni”, Junius Tremellius “ad compressionem”, Gataker.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet speaks first without a figure, then he illustrates the simple truth by a metaphor. He says that there was no one to undertake the cause of the people; as though he had said, that they were destitute of every aid. This was, indeed, in a measure already evident; but so supine was the security of the people, that they daily formed for themselves some new hopes. Then Jeremiah declared what had already in part happened and was still impending; and thus he proved the folly of the people, who still flattered themselves while they were involved in evils almost without a remedy. “Thou seest,” he says, “that there is no one to stretch forth a hand to thee, or who is ready to help thee; and yet thou thinkest that thou wilt soon be free: whence is this vain expectation?” He then comes to a metaphor, There is no one to apply medicine for thy healing In one sentence he includes the whole first chapter of Isaiah, who handles the subject, but explains more fully his meaning. There is, however, nothing obscure when the Prophet says that there was no one to heal the evils of the people. (10)
We must ever bear in mind his object, that is, that the people were too easily deceived, when they hoped to return shortly to their own country. But we may hence gather a general truth, — that men never understand the favor of God until they are subdued by many and severe reproofs: for they always shun God’s judgment, and then they become blind to their own sins, and foolishly flatter themselves. And, further, when they only in words confess that they have sinned, they think that they have done abundantly enough. They ought therefore to be urged to the practice and duty of repentance. It afterwards follows —
(10) According to Calvin, the verse reads thus, —
No one undertakes thy cause; For a cure, medicines and healing thou hast not.
This division is made by the Sept., though not by the other versions, nor the Targ. Venema adopts it. The word מזור, rendered above “cure,” means evidently a wound. It only occurs here, and Oba 1:7, and twice in Hos 5:13, where it is rendered “wound.” It comes from זור, in the sense of compressing or binding up; but the noun taken passively, signifies what is compressed or bound up, and that is a wound. Then the literal rendering would be —
None is pleading thy cause; As to the wound, medicatives, binding up, none to thee;
or in other words, —
As to the wound, thou hast no medicatives, no binding up.
The word רפאות means medicatives or medicaments, rather than medicines, as it designates here, and in most places, outward applications to wounds and bruises. The order, as in the foregoing verse, is reversed, the medicaments are put before the binding up. See Eze 30:21. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) There is none to plead thy cause . . .The words bring before us two images of extremest miserythe criminal who, standing before the dread judgment-seat, has no advocate, the plague-stricken sufferer who has no physician. The word is that used of Josiah in Jer. 22:16. There, and commonly elsewhere, it is translated judge. The second part of the sentence is better rendered, with a different punctuation, by Thou hast no healing medicines for binding up. It continues the symbolism of Jer. 30:12, and reproduces that of Isa. 1:6. There, and in Isa. 38:21, Hos. 5:13, and probably in Pro. 3:8, we have indications of the prominence given to external applications such as plasters, bandages, and the like, in the Eastern treatment of disease.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 30:13 [There is] none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
Ver. 13. There is none to plead thy cause. ] Thou art friendless.
That thou mayest be bound up.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
that thou mayest, &c. = for binding thee up.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
none: Psa 106:23, Psa 142:4, Isa 59:16, Eze 22:30, 1Ti 2:5, 1Ti 2:6, 1Jo 2:1
that: etc. Heb. for binding up, or pressing, Luk 10:30-34
hast: Jer 30:17, Jer 8:22, Jer 17:14, Jer 33:6, Exo 15:26, Deu 32:39, Job 5:18, Job 34:29, Isa 1:6, Hos 6:1, Hos 14:4, Nah 3:19, 1Pe 2:24
Reciprocal: Job 13:4 – physicians Pro 3:8 – shall Jer 22:20 – and cry Eze 30:21 – it shall not Mar 5:26 – had suffered
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 30:13. None to plead could not mean that no one was willing to speak on behalf of Judah, for both Hezekiah and Josiah had tried to bring the nation to repentance with a view to securing the favor of the Lord. The key to the statement is in the words hast no healing medicine. Human plans could not work the cure necessary for the reinstatement of the nation in the favor of God.