Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 33:22
As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
Verse 22. So will I multiply the seed of David] This must be understood of the spiritual David, Jesus Christ, and his progeny, genuine Christians. The two families which God chose for the priesthood, that of Aaron and Phinehas, or, on its being taken away from him, that of Ithamar, 1Sa 2:35, are both extinct. Nor has the office of high priest, or priest of any kind offering sacrifice, been exercised among the Jews for nearly eighteen hundred years; therefore what is said here of the priesthood must refer to the spiritual priesthood, at the head of which is Jesus Christ.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The former promise was for the stability, this for the multiplication of the church, which is here expressed under the notion of the
seed of David, that is, the members of Christ: the Jews were ordinarily called the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but I do not remember they are any where called the seed of David, unless it be 1Ki 11:39, where it seems also to be understood only of the princes that came from David; nor indeed could they be so called in any proper sense; David being no common head to the whole Jewish nation, as both Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were; but Christ is often called the seed of David, Joh 7:42; Act 13:23; Rom 1:3; 2Ti 2:8; and Christ is himself called David, whose seed and whose
Levites are multiplied in the multiplying of Christians and of faithful ministers under the gospel, which certainly are the things here promised.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. (Gen 15:5;Gen 22:17). The blessing therepromised belonged to all the tribes; here it is restricted tothe family of David and the tribe of Levi, because it was on thesethat the welfare of the whole people rested. When the kingdom andpriesthood flourish in the person of Messiah, the whole nation shalltemporally and spiritually prosper.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured,…. As the stars of heaven are innumerable, and the sand of the sea immeasurable:
so will I multiply the seed of David my servant; the Messiah; the son and antitype of David; and who is often called by his name; and as the son of David is the servant of the Lord, his spiritual seed are meant, which shall endure for ever; and in Gospel times, especially in the latter part of them, shall be very numerous; see Ps 89:29;
and the Levites that minister unto me; meaning the same as before; not ministers of the Gospel, for they never were, or will be, so numerous as here expressed; but true believers in Christ, who are all priests unto God, and minister in holy things, offering up the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise through Christ: these Levites are the same with the seed of David, or Christ, in whom the kingdom and the priesthood are united.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
There is an omission at the beginning; the particle of comparison is left out, for אשר asher, cannot be taken for כאשר caasher: As the hosts of the heavens cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea, so God promises that he would multiply the seed of David, and also the Levites. This promise, as given to Abraham, referred to the whole body of the people; for when Abraham was bidden to go out, and to look on the heavens, God made this promise to him, “Number the stars, if thou canst, and the sands of the sea, so shall thy seed be.” We hence see that this blessing was extended to the whole seed of Abraham, and especially to the twelve tribes. And now it is confined to the family of David, and to the Levitical tribe.
But what we have already touched upon ought to be borne in mind, — that the safety of the people was grounded on the kingdom and the priesthood. As then kings ruled not for themselves, nor had the sacerdotal dignity been given to the Levites for their own private advantage, but for the sake of the people, so now the Prophet, stating a part for the whole, intimates that the whole people would be secure and safe, when the royal and sacerdotal dignity flourished. There is not, then, anything diminished from God’s promise, as though the other tribes were not to multiply; but what Jeremiah testifies respecting the family of David and the Levitical tribe, is to be extended, without any difference, to the whole Church. It is yet not without reason that an especial mention is made of David and Levi; for, as it has been said, the Church must have been in a miserable state, without a head, and without a Mediator. There is, however, no doubt but that Jeremiah alluded to that passage which we have already quoted, (Gen 15:5; Rom 4:18) and thus he reproved the want of faith in the people; for they could not have doubted the restoration of the Church without impugning the truth of God, as though he had given only vain words to Abraham, when he said,
“
Number the stars of heaven if thou canst, and the sands of the sea, so shall thy seed be.”
He therefore shews that God would be true and faithful in that promise, so as to multiply his Church like the stars of heaven, and the sands of the sea. It follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Jer 33:22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
Ver. 22. As the host of heaven. ] See Gen 13:16 ; Gen 15:5 .
So will I multiply the seed of David.
And the Levites.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the host of heaven. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 15:3; Gen 22:17). Compare Jer 31:37. App-92.
the sand of the sea. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 13:19).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the host: Jer 31:37, Gen 13:16, Gen 15:5, Gen 22:17, Gen 28:14, Hos 1:10, Heb 11:12, Rev 7:9, Rev 7:10
so: Psa 22:30, Psa 89:3, Psa 89:4, Psa 89:29, Isa 53:10-12, Eze 37:24-27, Zec 12:8
the Levites: Isa 66:21, Eze 44:15
Reciprocal: Gen 41:49 – General Num 25:13 – an everlasting 1Ki 4:29 – as the sand 2Ch 13:5 – to David Job 12:23 – increaseth Psa 72:16 – of the city Psa 115:14 – Lord Isa 48:19 – seed Jer 30:19 – and I Jer 33:24 – The two Nah 3:16 – above Zec 10:8 – and they Rev 20:8 – the number
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 33:22. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, &c. The former promise respected the stability, this the enlargement of the church, the members of which are here termed the seed of David, as they are elsewhere often called the seed of Abraham, being the imitators of the faith of Abraham and David. Or they may be termed the seed of David, because they are the seed of Christ, who is sometimes called David in the writings of the prophets, (see Jer 30:9,) and whose seed and whose Levites are multiplied in the multiplying of Christians and of faithful ministers under the gospel, which are the blessings here promised.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Yahweh promised to multiply the descendants of David and the Levites as the stars of the heavens and as the sand grains of the sea (cf. Gen 13:16; Gen 15:5; Gen 22:17).
"Just as the covenant with Noah (cf. Gen 8:22) is kept, so the covenant with David (cf. 2 Samuel 7) and that with Levi (Numbers 17) will also be kept." [Note: Feinberg, "Jeremiah," p. 592. See also Leviticus 25:12-13.]