Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 9:13
And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
13. I set before them ] See e.g. Deu 4:8; Deu 4:44.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jer 9:13-16
Because they have forsaken My law . . . give them water of gall to drink.
The wages of sin
A quaint preacher, addressing miners, drew a picture of two mines. He represented payday at one of the mines, and described the long line of men coming to the cashiers desk to receive their wages. Presently some men came up whom the cashier did not know. Where have you been working? he asked. We were working in the other pit, they answered. Then that is the place to go for your money. No, they said, we like your pay best; we are tired, and we want rest, and we want peace and plenty. At the pit where we have been working they are treating us cruelly, and we get no pay, but blows and hard words. Wont you pay us? But the cashier says, No; you chose to work in the other pit, and you must take the wages they pay; you cannot work for one employer and get your wages from another. That was fair, was it not? the preacher asked. His hearers answered that it was. Then, said he, dont you serve the devil unless you want his wages.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Either this and the next verse refer to the former, viz. because there are none can give the reason why the land perisheth, therefore God will; or else they refer to Jer 9:15,16, as showing the causes of those judgments threatened; for either of the references do not alter the sense: see Jer 5:19; this verse contains negative reasons.
They have forsaken my law; he chargeth them with their apostacy, and refusing to obey his precepts, and conform their conversation to them.
Which I set before them: lest they should plead they were obscure and hard to be understood, therefore he tells them he had made it plain to them, they could not be ignorant of it, except it were out of wilfulness and obstinacy: the like expression Deu 11:32.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Answer to the “for whatthe land perisheth” (Jer9:12).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord saith,…. The Septuagint version adds, “to me”; there being no wise and understanding man, nor prophet b, to take up this affair, and open the cause of it, therefore the Lord undertakes it himself: the question was put to them, but they not answering it, the Lord does it,
because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; in a plain and easy manner, so as to be readily understood; yet this they attended not unto, but forsook it, neglected it, and cast it behind their backs. Kimchi’s note on the phrase, “before them”, is,
“not in heaven is it, nor beyond the sea is it;”
see De 30:11:
and have not obeyed my voice; in the law, and by the prophets:
neither walked therein: according to it, as the Lord directed; they neither hearkened to the voice of the Lord, nor did as they were instructed by it.
b Vid. T. Nedarim, fol. 81. 1. & Bava Metzia fol. 85. 1, 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jeremiah now confirms what I have stated, and more fully explains it, — that though no teacher or a disciple was found in the land, yet there was sufficient power in God’s word alone, and that his judgment depended not on the will or the perceptions of men. After having then complained that all were foolish, and that there were no prophets to reprove their security and indifference, he adds, Thus saith Jehovah Here he sets God in opposition to all men, to the king and his courtiers, as well as to the common people. Who then is a wise man? as though He looked around him; and there was no man who considered. he was then in suspense; and afterwards he said, “There is no prophet to rouse them from their usual stupor.” He remained still in suspense; and then he turned to God and said, “But Jehovah has spoken;” that is, “Be it, that they are like brute beasts, though they arrogate to themselves great wisdom; nevertheless God speaks, and we ought to be satisfied. We ought then to be silent, and to make no stir; though no one approves, though no one attends to God speaking, there is yet sufficient authority and power in his voice alone.” We now then more fully understand the Prophet’s design: He had said that all men were stupid, and that there was no prophet; and now, on the other hand, he shews that God was not silent nor asleep.
Thus saith Jehovah, Because this people have forsaken my law, etc. He shews that the cause of all evils was a departure from God’s law. No one was willing to confess this, and all the prophets were silent; yet Jeremiah says here, that the cause was to be asked of God why he so grievously afflicted the people. But he takes as granted what was most true, that God was not without reason displeased with the chosen people. It hence then follows, that they were apost, ates, and had forsaken the law: God would not have otherwise so severely punished them. Though then no one perceived the cause of their evils, though no one shewed it, yet God himself ought to have been attended to, who said, that they had forsaken the law
He then adds, Which l have set before their face. Here he takes away every pretense for ignorance; for they might have objected and said, that the doctrine of the law was obscure, and that they were deceived through want of knowledge. The Prophet anticipates this objection by saying, that the law was set before them; that is, that they were abundantly taught what was right, what pleased God; so that they now in vain and even falsely pleaded ignorance; for they went astray wilfully by closing their eyes against clear light., For this is what he means by saying that the law was set before their face: and it is what Moses often repeats,
“
Behold, I have set before thee,” (Deu 11:32, and elsewhere:)
and this he said, that the people might not seek for themselves vain excuses for ignorance, as they were wont to do.
But while we are not to overlook this circumstance, we may yet hence learn this general truth, — that the law of God is not so obscure but that we may learn from it what is right. When, therefore, Moses is quoted, and the prophets are added as interpreters, there is no ground for us to evade, or to make the excuse, that the truth is too hidden or profound; for the law is set before our face, that, the will of God may be made known to us. Whosoever then can read and hear what God has revealed once to the world by Moses and the prophets is inexcusable; for we are taught here, and in other places, that it is a mere perverseness in all who hear the law, when they do not obey: I have set the law, he says, before their face
And he adds, And they have not hearkened to my voice, and have not walked in it He defines what it is not to hearken to his voice: for even hypocrites pretend to hear, and nod with their ears like asses; but as they obey not God when he speaks, it is evident that they are deaf. Hence He says that they walked not in his voice, (245) that is, that they obeyed not his voice. He hence concludes that they were deaf; for their life ought to have testified that they had heard the voice of God speaking to them.
(245) “Voice” is for God’s word; and so the Targum renders it: they did not walk in, or according to, his word — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Jer 9:13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
Ver. 13. And the Lord saith. ] Or, Therefore the Lord saith, q.d., Because neither yourselves know, nor have any else to tell you, the true cause of your calamities; hear it from God’s own mouth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
forsaken. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 32:15, Deu 32:21). App-92.
My law. Reference to Pentateuch (Ex. 20, &c). App-92.
set before them. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 4:8, Deu 4:44). App-92.
therein. In the law, not the voice.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 22:9, Deu 31:16, Deu 31:17, 2Ch 7:19, Ezr 9:10, Psa 89:30, Psa 119:53, Pro 28:4, Zep 3:1-6
Reciprocal: Jdg 6:10 – ye have Psa 90:8 – Thou Jer 11:8 – obeyed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 9:13. The Lord always has a reason for what he does though he does not reveal it to man In every case. In the present one, however, the reason is stated and has been many times, It was because of their rejection of Gods law that he was determined to expel his people out of their own land and cause them to languish many years in a foreign country.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The Lord Himself provided the answer to His own question. The land would lay desolate because His people had abandoned His covenant with them, had not walked in its commandments, and had not paid attention to His messages to them. The Israelites had promised to do these things at Mount Sinai (Exo 19:4-8).