It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great [is] the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.
7. they will present their supplication ] mg. their supplication will fall. The attitude of the petitioners is transferred in thought to the petition. Cp. the phrase in several other places (Jer 37:20, Jer 38:26, etc.), and sometimes (Jer 37:20, Jer 42:2) with the further sense, which also seems to belong to it here, of acceptance.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They will present their supplication – i. e., humbly. See the margin. The phrase also contained the idea of the prayer being accepted.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Present their supplication] “Let their supplication fall,” that they may fall down before God, and deplore their sins.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
We had an expression like this Jer 36:3; it teacheth us that the only means to turn away Gods fierce anger ready to fall upon people is prayer and reformation.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. present . . .supplicationliterally, “supplication shall fall”;alluding to the prostrate attitude of the supplicants (Deu 9:25;Mat 26:39), as petitioners fallat the feet of a king in the East. So Hebrew, Jer 38:26;Dan 9:18, Margin.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord,…. Or, “perhaps their supplication will fall” o; they will present it in an humble manner before him; alluding to the prostration of their bodies, and dejection of their countenances, in prayer:
and will return every man from his evil way; not only pray for mercy, but repent of sin, and reform; without which mercy is not to be expected:
for great [is] the anger and fury that the Lord hath pronounced against this people; a very sore judgment, no less than the utter destruction of their city, temple, and nation.
o “forte, [vel] fortasse cadet deprecatio eorum”, Piscator, Schmidt. So Pagninus, Montanus, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jeremiah, after having dictated to the scribe Baruch what he had before preached to the people, repeats what the object was, which we have previously observed; for it was God’s will to make the trial, whether the people could by any means be restored to a sound mind. This had, indeed, been in vain attempted for a long time; but God was yet willing to proceed to the utmost extent in his mercy. Hence Jeremiah now declares the purpose for which he wished the book to be read to the people. Nor is there a doubt but that Baruch had been thus admonished, that he might exhort the people to repentance as it were from the mouth of Jeremiah.
Now, there are two things mentioned as necessary in order to obtain pardon, — prayer, and turning or conversion. For if any one only in words seeks to be reconciled to God, he will not succeed. Turning or conversion cannot be separated from prayer. But then were a sinner to repent a thousand times, he would still remain exposed to God’s judgment; for reconciliation, by which we are absolved, does not depend on repentance, but on the gratuitous favor of God; for God does not receive us into favor because he sees that we are changed to a better mind, as though conversion were the cause of pardon; but he embraces us according to his gratuitous mercy. This, then, is the reason why Jeremiah joins together these two things — prayer, and conversion or repentance; for as I have said, hypocrites confess in words their sins and seek pardon, but it is with a feigned or a double heart. Hence that prayer may be genuine, repentance must be added, by which men shew that they loathe themselves. And then, ou the other hand, it is not enough for us to turn or repent, except the sinner flees to the mercy of God, for pardon flows from that fountain; for God, as it has been said, does not forgive us for any merit in us, but because it seemeth him good to bury our sins. The sum of the whole is, that God would have the prophecies of Jeremiah to be recited before the whole people, as they were conducive to their safety and salvation. The manner is described, — that the people were humbly to pray and also really to repent.
As to the expression, It may be, a prayer will fall, (102) we have elsewhere explained its meaning. The Scripture speaks of prayer, that it rises and that it falls. Both expressions are suitable, though to be understood in a different way; for prayer cannot be rightly offered except man ascends and falls. These two things seem contrary, but they well agree together; nay, they cannot be separated. For in prayer two things are necessary — faith and humility: by faith we rise up to God, and by humility we lie prostrate on the ground. This is the reason why Scripture often says that prayer ascends, for we cannot pray as we ought unless we raise upwards our minds; and faith, sustained by promises, elevates us above all the world. Thus then prayer is raised upwards by faith; but by humility it falls down on the earth; for fear ought to be connected with faith. And as faith in our hearts produces alacrity by confidence, so also conscience casts us down and lays us prostrate. We now understand the meaning of the expression.
He adds, Because great is the wrath and indignation which Jehovah hath pronounced, or hath spoken, against this people. By wrath and indignation we are to understand God’s vengeance, the cause being put for the effect. But the Prophet intimates, that except men are wholly blinded, and as it were estranged in mind, they ought to be very deeply touched, when God sets before them some dreadful judgment. When God chastises some slight fault, and when he does not so very grievously threaten us, we ought to feel alarmed; but when God shews his wrath to be so kindled that final ruin ought to be dreaded, we must be stupid indeed, if such a threatening does not terrify us. Then the Prophet says that there was no hope of relaxation, for God had pronounced no light or common judgment on the people; but he shews that he was prepared to destroy the whole nation, as the Jews had deserved extreme punishment.
(102) So the verb is rendered in the Sept. and Vulg.; but “accepted” by the Syr. and Targ. Our version is a paraphrase; to convey fully the meaning the word “humbly” ought to have been introduced,” It may be, they will humbly present their supplication,” etc. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
7. They will present their supplication The original is more beautiful their supplication shall fall; alluding to the prostrate attitude of the supplicants.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 36:7 It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great [is] the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.
Ver. 7. It may be they will present their supplication. ] Heb., Their supplication will fall before the Lord. Fasting of itself is but a “bodily exercise,” and profiteth little. If the soul be not afflicted, rebel flesh tamed, prayers edged, and reformation effected, men fast to no purpose. Isa 58:3 ; Isa 58:5 Zec 5:5 ; Zec 5:7
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
It may: Jer 36:3, 1Ki 8:33-36, 2Ch 33:12, 2Ch 33:13, Dan 9:13, Hos 5:15, Hos 6:1, Hos 14:1-3
they will present their supplication: Heb. their supplication shall fall
and will: Jer 1:3, Jer 25:5, Jon 3:8, Zec 1:4
for: Jer 4:4, Jer 16:10, Jer 19:15, Jer 21:5, Deu 28:15-68, Deu 29:18-28, 2Ki 22:13, 2Ki 22:17, 2Ch 34:21, Lam 4:11, Eze 5:13, Eze 8:18, Eze 13:13, Eze 20:33, Eze 22:20, Eze 24:8-13
Reciprocal: Jer 11:17 – pronounced Jer 18:11 – return Jer 21:12 – lest Jer 37:20 – be accepted before Jer 42:2 – be accepted before thee Jer 44:6 – my fury Lam 2:4 – he poured Eze 12:3 – it may Dan 9:18 – present Nah 1:2 – is furious Luk 20:13 – it may
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A DREAD UNCERTAINTY
It may be.
Jer 36:3; Jer 36:7
The words tell of an awful uncertainty as to the future of the chosen people.
Will they repent? It may be
Let us recognise
I. The even balance.Could anything be more soul-stirring than to realise that a crisis so momentous had come? In Jer 36:3 it is the voice of God, in Jer 36:7 the voice of Jeremiah in echo. Divine love and prophetic zeal were linked in a supreme effort to turn the scale of destiny for a whole people. A people, too, with a history that has no parallel for its marvels of providence and grace. Now they stood on the brink of a precipice of disaster. Before the last step, the dreadful plunge, is taken, another effort is to be made to save them. It may be Among us there may be some for whom the personal crisis is just as momentous, just as urgent. Who knows the hour at which he passes over the line when God and His messengers are to make the last great effort to save him? Is it always at death? One dare not say Yes, always! Might it not be here and now, in the hour when God speaks home some searching truth to the heart? Has He sent forth for some of us to-day His message that may never be repeated, saying, It may be that [they] will hear that they may return that I may forgive.
II. The favouring conditions.A series of prophecies, twenty-three years long, culminated in Jer 25:1-12, a vivid forecast of Babylons victory over Jerusalem, and the fall and captivity of the Jews. This was trumpeted forth in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (Jer 25:1). Probably at that very time Nebuchadnezzar had just defeated the forces of Egypt at Carchemish, and was marching towards Jerusalem. In a few months the city was captured. But Nebuchadnezzar, being called away, shortly left the vanquished city (2Ch 36:6-7; Dan 1:1), and before the year closed God stirred up Jeremiah to repeat all his warnings given in those long twenty-three years. Baruch wrote at Jeremiahs dictation in some secluded hiding-place, and took, it seems, some nine months to prepare his awful message. Then, when the people had themselves arranged a day of fasting, in view of their calamitous estate, Baruch came forth and spoke the words of Jeremiah, in which was the voice of God (Jer 36:1-10). Was there not everything to make the message effective? If only the peoples heart had been sincere in their day of fast, how could they do other than hear, heed, and repent? For us it is a matter of the greatest moment that we should not miss our crisis. If it comes in the solemn hour of worship, though it be on some ordinary Sunday, we shall look back upon it and feel that only hardened perversity could have blinded our eyes to its meaning. Is it our crisis now?
III. The disaster.There is the burning of the roll. So impotent to do away with the prophecy. Cf. the case of Luthers books. Do you imagine that Luthers doctrines are found only in those books that you are throwing into the fire? They are written where you cannot reach them, in the hearts of the nation. Then the dread captivity, now inevitable. But withal the remnant and the restoration, and every good promise wholly fulfilled. For the many, spite of all the tender mercy and longsuffering of God, desolation and misery; for the few, repentance, hope, and salvation. For us, too, there is the overshadowing of a great possibility of disaster, but also a promise and hope that never fail.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Jer 36:7. It may be should be considered in the light of the comments, Jer 35:15.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 36:7-8. It may be they will present their supplications Hebrew, , peradventure they may prostrate themselves in supplication before Jehovah; or, more literally, their supplication may fall before Jehovah, which, undoubtedly, says Blaney, respects the humble posture of the supplicant in presenting it: see note on Jer 36:3. In the subsequent part of the verse, the words anger and fury (or, wrath, as , should rather be rendered) are put by a metonymy for the effects of them, namely, the heavy judgments which, in consequence thereof, Jehovah had denounced against this people. We learn from this verse that prayer and reformation are the most likely means that can be used to turn away Gods wrath when it is ready to fall upon a sinful nation.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
36:7 It may be they will {f} present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great [is] the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.
(f) He shows that fasting without prayer and repentance does nothing but is mere hypocrisy.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jeremiah hoped that the reading of the scroll would move the people to repent and pray, since the Lord was very angry with His people.