Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 32:30
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
30. from their youth ] from their earliest times; cp. Hos 11:1. In Jer 2:2 the Exodus time is spoken of as the youth of Israel.
for the children the Lord ] omitted in LXX and probably a gloss, for otherwise why should its reference, in spite of the preceding clause, be confined to the Northern tribes? “Israel” can hardly be used in the wide and restricted senses in the same v.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 30. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil] They have all been transgressors from their earliest history.
For the children of Israel] The ten tribes.
Have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands] They have been sinners beyond all others, being excessive idolaters. Their hands have formed the objects of their worship.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If they had offended me only by some particular single acts, or by some few omissions, or but for a small time, I might have been judged too severe upon them; but from the time they first began to be a nation they have made it their business, course, and trade, passing from one idolatry to another, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
30. have . . . doneliterally,”have been doing”; implying continuous action.
only . . . evil . . . onlyprovoked meThey have been doing nothing else but evil;their sole aim seems to have been to provoke Me.
their youththe timewhen they were in the wilderness, having just before come intonational existence.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah,…. The former are mentioned, as well as the latter, though they had been carried captive some years ago, to justify the dealings of God with them; and besides, there were some of the ten tribes that remained, and were mingled with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: of all which it is said, that they
have only done evil before me from their youth; from their infancy, being conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; and so being destitute of the grace of God, did nothing else but sin all their days, as is said of the men of the old world, Ge 6:5. Some understand this, from the time of their becoming a people, a body politic; or from the time of their coming out of Egypt, and being in the wilderness, when their idolatry began, they brought out of Egypt; or from the time of the judges:
for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the Lord; with their idols, made by their own hands; these they worshipped instead of their Creator and Benefactor; which must be very provoking indeed!
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He amplifies the sin of the people, that they never departed from their vices. And he mentions the ten tribes, and also the tribe of Judah. The ten tribes, we know, had departed from the pure worship of God, when as yet true religion continued at Jerusalem. By mentioning then the children of Judah, he no doubt aggravated their guilt, intimating that they had fallen together with the Israelites, while yet they had for a time been preserved. The Israelites had become degenerated, afterwards the whole seed of Abraham became implicated in the same defection, so that they forsook the true worship of God. But afterwards he mentions only the children of Israel, but he includes also the tribe of Judah. For it ought to be observed, that when Scripture connects Israel with Judah, Israel then means the ten tribes, and that for the sake of honor or reproach the house of Judah is referred to separately; from the kingdom of Israel; but that when Israel is alone mentioned, it includes generally all the children of Abraham without exception. So it is in this place, when he says that the children of Israel and the children of Judah had done nothing but provoked God. Afterwards he mentions only Israel, and includes the twelve tribes.
But he says that the children of Israel and of Judah had only provoked him from their youth The particle אך ak, is sometimes taken as an affinnative, and sometimes as an adversative, but, or nevertheless; and this latter sense would be suitable, were the context to allow it. I am inclined to agree with those who render it “only;” and the Prophet seems to have removed all ambiguity, for he not only says, that they had done, but that they had been doing evil, which is a mode of speaking that intimates a continued action; they had then been doing evil, that is, they never ceased. And he confirms this declaration by saying אך, ak, only, that is, their purpose had been nothing else, or all their study has been no other than to provoke me without end and measure. (68) We hence see that every ground of complaint is taken away from the Jews, because God, by long forbearance, had deferred his vengeance, for he might have punished them many ages before. As then they had never ceased to provoke God, the rigor shewn to them could not have appeared too much, for he had, in his goodness, invited them to repentance, but with no effect.
And from their youth here is not to be understood of individuals, but is to be extended to the whole people; and so youth is to be taken for the time of their redemption, as we shall hereafter see. For the Church was in a manner then born, and in the desert, when they had been recently brought to the light, for God had delivered them from the darkness of death. In their very childhood they began to provoke God; from that time they had always been perverse in their wickedness.
The meaning then is, that the people of Israel had been of such a perverse disposition that it became necessary at length to punish them severely, for they ceased not to add evils to evils. And the particle אך ak, shews their aggravated guilt, because they applied their whole minds to provoke God, and had been ingenious in devising superstitions, by which they polluted the worship of God: They have then, he says, been only doing evil
And he adds, with the work of their hands This explanation is added, because the Israelites might have raised a clamor, and asked what that evil was. God had indeed shewn sufficiently that it availed them nothing to seek evasions, for he had made himself their judge when he said, before my eyes; for by these words the Prophets intimate that a right judgment cannot be formed of men’s works by themselves, for willing or unwilling, they must stand or fall according to the judgment of God. Whenever then God declares that men have sinned before his eyes, he means that it is in vain for them to seek subterfuges, by alleging their good intentions, as they are wont commonly to say, because with him is the authority to judge. But this truth he confirms, when he says, that they had provoked him by the work of their hands (69) By the work of their hands the Prophet means the superstitions will tell the people had invented for themselves. And we must ever bear in mind the contrast between God’s commands and the works of our hands, for whatever we obtrude on God besides his Law is the work of our hands; but obedience is better than sacrifice. Then God here expressly condemns all the inventions of men, as though he had said, that however men may delight in their own superstitions, they are yet impious and detestable, for it is not lawful to devise anything. For God having given us his Law, has left nothing for us to do, except to follow what he has commanded; and when we turn aside and add something of our own, we do nothing but what is sacrilegious. It now follows —
(68) The particle אך means also truly, verily, surely. It is rendered “only,” by the Sept., — “continually,” by the Vulg., — “verily,” by the Targ., — and is omitted by the Syr; Its most proper meaning is, “nevertheless,” but is often rendered “surely” in our version: and it might be rendered here, surely or doubtless. — Ed.
(69) It appears evident, that the last clause of this is explanatory of the first, as Calvin shews. “The evil,” for the article precedes it, was “the work of their hands,” that is, idolatry:
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have doubtless been doing the evil before mine eyes from their youth; for the children of Israel have doubtless been provoking me with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah.
The connection in this way appears more obvious. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(30) The children of Israel have only provoked me to anger . . .The words the children of Israel are apparently taken with a different range of extension in the two clauses(1) for the northern kingdom, as contrasted with Judah; and (2) for the collective unity of Israel before, and perhaps also after, the division of the monarchy. The latter words of the verse reproduce Deu. 31:29.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30. Children of Israel Israel is mentioned here for two reasons: 1) The name is generic, and so suggests the whole sweep of Jewish history, even from the time when they came forth from Egypt; 2) The fate of Israel would serve as an illustrative example of what awaited Judah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 32:30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
Ver. 30. Have only done evil before me. ] Have made it their whole practice to provoke me, like as Jer 32:23 they are said to have “done nothing of all that God commanded them to do,” so cross grained they were, and “to every good work reprobate.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
evil. Hebrew. ra’a’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 32:30. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
Here were people who had done nothing else but evil. God had been very good to them, but they had been very bad to him. From their youth, and without a break, they had continued to rebel.
Jer 32:31. For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face,
Jerusalem, which ought to have been a holy city, had been so impure that it had been a standing provocation to God from the day it was built.
Jer 32:32. Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
They seem to have been all alike. With scarcely an exception, from the highest class to the lowest, they were always disobeying God.
Jer 32:33. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
This is a fearful indictment. When men refuse to learn better, turn their back upon the King of kings, and will have nothing to do with him, surely the time for vengeance has come.
Jer 32:34-35. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech;
There was nothing so terribly bad but they would do it; there was nothing so unnatural, so detestable, but they must needs practice it.
Jer 32:35-38. Which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
Is not this a wonderful passage? After all this sin, and all this provocation, when we expect the thunder and lightning of divine judgment, behold, there is nothing but the sweet voice of pitying love: They shall be my people, and I will be their God. Oh, the wonders of divine grace! See what the covenant of grace does for guilty men.
Jer 32:39-40. And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them,
With them with these very people who had provoked him, and served Molech, and bowed before idol gods, and put the Lord to shame, and angered him.
Jer 32:40-41. That I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
A whole-hearted God, blessing those upon whom he looks with an eye of grace. It is a wonderful thing. If he had set his whole heart to destroy them, it would have seemed natural; but God is far above any conception of ours; and so, in the midst of guilt extraordinary and almost immeasurable, behold love equally extraordinary and grace altogether measureless.
Jer 32:42. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
Oh, for grace to lay hold upon this everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David; and to be saved thereby!
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
children: Jer 2:7, Jer 3:25, Jer 7:22-26, Deu 9:7-12, Deu 9:22-24, 2Ki 17:9-20, Neh 9:16-37, Psa 106:6, Psa 106:7, Isa 63:10, Eze 16:15-22, Eze 20:8, Eze 20:28, Eze 23:43, Eze 23:44, Act 7:51-53
from: Jer 22:21, Gen 8:21, Eze 23:3
Reciprocal: 2Ch 32:19 – the work Isa 65:3 – A people Jer 7:25 – the day Jer 25:7 – that ye Jer 30:15 – for the Jer 31:19 – I did Jer 34:14 – but Jer 36:2 – against Israel Zec 8:13 – O house
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 32:30. When Israel and Judah are named separately but in the same sentence it means the 10-tribe and the 2-tribe kingdoms. Both groups had sinned against God by the works of their hands which means their man-made gods.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
32:30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done evil only before me from their {n} youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
(n) From the time that I brought them out of Egypt and made them my people and called them my firstborn.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord would do this because ever since the Israelites had built Jerusalem, all of them had been practicing idolatry there. Solomon completed building the city, and he was the first of Israel’s kings to practice idolatry.