Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 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.
33. though I taught them, etc.] This verb and the two participles following are infinitives in the Heb. (as in ch. Jer 7:9, where see note), and there was a teaching of them, etc.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jer 32:33
They have turned unto Me the back, and not the face
Human wickedness
I.
As condemning Divine authority. To turn the back upon any one, not only indicates an utter lack of interest in him, but a dislike. To turn the back upon God means–
1. An ignorement of His existence. The language of wickedness is, Depart from me, I desire not a knowledge of Thy ways. The wicked are without God in the world. They shut their eyes to the greatest fact of facts. God is not in all their thoughts.
2. A repugnance to His presence. What a monstrous sight is this, man turning his back on God.
II. As regardless of Divine instruction. God is constantly teaching men early and late–teaching them–
1. In the operations of nature.
2. In the events of their history.
3. In the monitions of their consciences.
4. In the declarations of His Word. (Homilist.)
Though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
Disregard of Gods teaching
I. Gods merciful instruction is given to man according to mans capacity and present situation; and is of that special and particular nature that no one need mistake it; and is so simple and yet so full and impressive in itself that a child even may comprehend it.
1. We have no cloudy pillar resting over our churches, no fire from heaven blazing forth upon an altar of sacrifice, no voice of prophecy attended with signs and wonders, no mysterious Urim and Thummim sparkling on the breastplate of a high priest, nor do we hear the voice of God speaking to us audibly from the summit of a mountain encircled with fire and with loud peals of thunder: but the Deity nevertheless teaches us by means equally potent. We have gathered into one source of Divine instruction the accumulated experience of many centuries–the Bible, and this carries with it the evidence of its own Divinity. We have the Church with her solemn sacraments, her public forms of worship, her large assemblies of believers, and her glorious history of martyrs and confessors of the faith. We have the Divine Spirit entering the hearts of the humble, and by the glory of His light piercing the darkest abodes of ignorance, and leading the teachable disciple of Christ into all truth. We have the providence of God showing us in many ways how quickly the sands of life drop away, how uncertain and how frail it is, how like the flower of the field we look for an instant bright and joyous, but the next, droop from the blight of disease, and crumble away into the ashes of the grave God teaches us also through our own everyday feelings, and the very common concerns of our daily existence
2. The words of Jeremiah express an earnestness in the Divine teaching. God is spoken of as rising up early and teaching them. He is the first among teachers. He is so desirous that His people should be guided by His counsels that He will be with them in the earliest dawn of their existence, both nationally as well as personally.
II. Mans disregard of the Divine instruction. They have turned unto Me, saith the Lord, the back and not the face: and again, they have not hearkened to receive instruction. The Jews stand not alone in this matter. We may see some such strange manifestations in our own day. The same spirit of practical infidelity is abroad now, and the same infatuation which makes the most sublime subjects of religion matters for scorn and mockery, may be witnessed in our own land of freedom and enlightenment. We are happy to say the good sense of society and the spread of intelligence keeps this spirit down within narrow boundaries; but nevertheless it may be observed publishing itself with the godless jest, with the boast of independence, and with the mocking contempt of all which bears the stamp of religious profession. (W. D. Horwood.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 33. Though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them] From the frequent reference to this, we may naturally conclude that morning preaching prevailed much in Judea.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They have behaved themselves against me contemptuously, like men who, when they are spoken to, admonished, or instructed, instead of looking towards those who instruct or admonish them, turn their back upon them. Yet their sin had not been so great and heinous, if I by my prophets had not diligently instructed them, and they as stubbornly refused to be taught or amended by their instruction.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
33. (Jer 2:27;Jer 7:13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face,…. When he reproved them for their sins; called them to repentance; instructed them in their duty; and warned them of the dangers they exposed themselves to; instead of turning the face to him, as scholars to their masters, and as subjects to their prince, to listen to what was said to them; they turned their backs or necks, the hinder part of them; expressive of contempt, and showing great rudeness and irreverence:
though I taught them, rising up early, and teaching [them]; by his prophets, as the Targum; whom he sent to them early in the morning; or in the early time of their life; or when they first began to practise idolatry; so careful was the Lord of them; so diligent to instruct them, and prevent their ruin:
yet have not hearkened, to receive instruction; or “correction” i; so as to repent of their sins, reform and amend; see Jer 7:13.
i “disciplinam”, Cocceius; i.e. “correctionem”, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here the Prophet expresses more clearly the perverseness of the people, as though he had said, that they had deliberately rejected every instruction, and had shewn no regard for God; for he who turns his back on us, does this knowingly and wilfully, and indeed not without contempt. When any one addresses me, and I look another way, is it not a manifest sign of contempt or disdain? and he who speaks, does he not see that he is disregarded? Thus God then complains that the Jews had not fallen away through ignorance, but as it were through a premeditated obstinacy: they then turned to me, he says, the neck, (71) when yet they ought to have been attentive to hear the doctrine of the Law. For God shews to us his face whenever he is pleased to prescribe what ought to be done, or to shew the way of salvation. When he looks on us, how detestable must be our pride, if we look not also on him in return? This, then, is the first thing, that the Jews had knowingly and wilfully despised God and his Law.
Then he amplifies their guilt by saying, And I taught them, I rose up early and taught them, and they hearkened not (72) If the Law had been only once promulgated, the Jews might have objected and said, that they were for the most part illiterate; but no color of pretense remained for them, since the Prophets were continually interpreting the Law, as God had also promised by Moses,
“
A Prophet will I raise up for thee from the midst of thy brethren.” (Deu 18:18)
For he intimates that this benefit would be perpetual in the Church, so that there would never be wanting Prophets to shew the right way to the people. For he sets Prophets in opposition to soothsayers, diviners, foretellers, and all other ministers of Satan, as though he had said, that there was no reason for the people to seek the fallacies of Satan, since the Prophets were sufficient. Lest the Jews then should complain that they were hardly dealt with, God here shews that he had taught them, for he ascribes to himself what he had done by his Prophets: and doubtless Prophets and teachers are nothing else but the instruments of the Holy Spirit; for no one is fit to teach, but when he is guided by the Spirit of God. Justly then does God claim for himself these offices, so that all the praise for the building up of his Church is due to him, though he employs the labors of men. In this sense it is, that he says, that he had taught them.
Then he adds, that he rose up early, that is, that he had been sedulous. As a master of a family, who is solicitous for his own, early inquires how they are, and looks around the whole house; so also God represents himself here, speaking of his care in teaching the Israelites, as though he had said, that not only his Law was set before their eyes, by which they might learn what was right, but that Prophets were also given who ceased not to admonish and exhort them.
Now this manner of speaking ought to be particularly observed, as we hence learn how base their ingratitude is who reject the teaching of the Prophets; for they not only disregarded men, but God himself, as Christ also declares,
“
He who hears you, hears me; and he who rejects you, rejects me.” (Luk 10:16)
This form of speaking, then, commends the truth of the doctrine taught by the Prophets; for God comes forth and shews that he speaks by his servants. And on the other hand, we learn what an incomparable blessing it is to have faithful and true teachers; for God, through them and their labors, with certainty declares that he cares for our salvation, as though he watched over us, as though he rose up early, as though he visited us; and the preaching of the Gospel is not without reason called the visitation of God. There is, then, no reason for us to seek anything better, when God is present with us by his word; for we have a sure testimony of his presence whenever true and faithful teachers rise up.
He adds, to receive correction He intimates by the word מוסר musar, that the Jews had not sinned through ignorance, but that they had been intractable, for they refused to be corrected. The word is, indeed, taken sometimes for doctrine, but it means here correction, even when any one, who generally holds a right course, deviates from the right way, but being warned, repents. We hence see what the Prophet means, even that the Jews had not only closed their eyes against the clear light which shone forth in the Law, but that they had been wholly refractory, so that they could not be subdued when God called them to repentance, that when he sought to heal their diseases, they showed such stubbornness that they cast aside all correction and discipline. (73) We hence learn that the time of vengeance had come, because God had tried all means to promote their welfare, and had lost, as the common saying is, both pains and cost. It follows, —
(71) So the original is; but we say the back. The same words are found in Jer 2:27. — Ed.
(72) The words for teaching, and early rising, are participles, dependent on “me,” in the previous clause, and by making a little change in the order of the words, the sense would be more evident, —
And they turned the neck and not the face to me, while teaching them, early-rising and teaching; yet they hearkened not to receive instruction.
They turned their back, while God was teaching them! — Ed.
(73) It is true that the word means correction as well as instruction; but as “teaching” is what was previously mentioned, our version, which gives the latter word, seems to present the true meaning here. It is so rendered by Blayney. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(33) They have turned unto me the back . . .It will be remembered that this image was more or less a favourite one with the prophet. (See Notes on Jer. 2:27; Jer. 7:24.) The same holds good of the rising up early. (See Notes on Jer. 7:13; Jer. 7:25.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. Back, and not the face Thus expressing contemptuous indignity. In the latter part of the verse the construction is impersonal; literally, there was a teaching of them, etc.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
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.
Ver. 33. And they have turned unto me. ] See Jer 2:27 .
Though I taught them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
rising up early, &c. See note on Jer 7:13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
turned: Jer 2:27, Jer 7:24, Jer 18:17, Eze 8:16, Hos 11:2, Zec 7:11
back: Heb. neck
rising: Jer 7:13, Jer 25:3, Jer 25:4, Jer 26:5, Jer 35:15, Jer 44:4, 2Ch 36:15, 2Ch 36:16, Joh 8:2
Reciprocal: Jer 6:8 – Be thou Jer 7:28 – correction Jer 17:23 – nor Jer 29:19 – General Jer 35:13 – Will Jer 35:14 – rising Jer 35:17 – because Eze 23:35 – Because Dan 9:6 – have we Zep 3:2 – correction Mar 10:1 – he taught
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 32:33. Turned the back denotes they had deserted the Lord and had faced themselves toward their Idols. It was not for lack of information, either, for God had been prompt, rising up early, in teaching them the good and the right way.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
32:33 And they have turned to me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, {o} rising early and teaching [them], yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
(o) 2Ch 36:15,Isa 65:2,Jer 7:13; Jer 7:13; Jeremiah 3, 26; Jer 5:1-31; Jer 29:19; Jer 35:14; Jer 44:4 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The people had turned away from the Lord rather than seeking Him.