Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 9:14
But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
14. the Baalim ] See on ch. Jer 2:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Imagination, or stubbornness and obstinacy: see Jer 7:24.
Baalim: see Jer 2:23. The prophet doth not charge them with new crimes, but with their tenacious sticking to their idolatry.
Which their fathers taught them: see Jer 7:18. It seems they might partly thank their education for it, as well as their own natural perverseness: hence we should learn to follow Gods counsel in the Scriptures, and not blindly follow our fathers counsel, precepts, or examples, or our own will, which is the worst guide.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. (Jer7:24).
Baalimplural of Baal,to express his supposed manifold powers.
fathers taught them(Gal 1:14; 1Pe 1:18).We are not to follow the errors of the fathers, but the authority ofScripture and of God [JEROME].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But have walked after the imagination of their own heart,…. What their own hearts devised, chose, and were best pleased with;
[See comments on Jer 7:24],
and after Baalim; the idols of the Gentiles; these they served and worshipped, and not the true God:
which their fathers taught them; which was so far from excusing them, that it was an aggravation of their sin, that they had continued in their wicked ways and idolatrous practices, from age to age, from one generation to another. This then was the cause of their calamity and destruction; they had forsaken the law of the Lord, and had broken that; they had chose their own ways, and had been guilty of idolatrous practices time out of mind; wherefore the Lord had shown much longsuffering and patience with them, and would now no longer forbear he was just and righteous in his doings.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He then adds, And they have walked after the hardiness, or obstinacy, or imaginations, of their own heart (246) He opposes the imaginations, or hardness of the heart, to the voice of God, as we find in other places, where contrary things are stilted, that is, what men’s minds devise, and what God shews by his word to be right; for there is no less contrariety between the rule of right living and the imaginations of men, than there is between fire and water. Let us therefore know, that our life cannot be rightly formed except we renounce our own imaginations, and simply obey the voice of God: for as soon as we yield the least to our own imaginations, we necessarily turn aside from the right way, which God has made known to us in his word. This contrast, then, between the law of God and the imaginations or the obduracy of men ought to be carefully noticed.
He then more clearly explains how they had sinned, and after Baalim (247) The Prophet here adds nothing new; but by specifying one thing he shews how the Jews followed their own imaginations, by giving themselves up to profane superstitions. What indeed must happen to men, when they forsake God, and allow themselves to follow their own thoughts? what but error and superstition, yea, the abyss of all errors? In short, the Prophet in this clause intended to cut off every occasion for subterfuges; for the Jews, like hypocrites, who sophistically deal with God, might have made this evasion, and said, “Why dost thou object to us our imaginations? what are these imaginations?” Baalim, he says, “Ye have devised idols far yourselves in addition to the only true God; it is hence quite evident, that having forsaken God’s word, ye have followed your own imaginations.” He adds to Baalim, as their fathers have taught them: the relative אשר, asher, is to be taken for כ caph, as. (248) I shall speak of this clause tomorrow.
(246) See Note on Jer 3:17.
(247) It is supposed that the Israelites made a difference between this word and God: they allowed but one God, but introduced Baalim, or inferior gods, and worshipped them. They tried to evade the charge of idolatry, by alleging that Baalim were mediators. But no excuse of this kind was admitted, as God everywhere imputed idolatry to them. Notwithstanding this example, and the distinct declaration of Scripture, that there is but one God and one Mediator, (1Co 8:5; 1Ti 2:5,) the error, the awful error of praying to saints, etc., as mediators, has prevailed in the Christian Church! — Ed.
(248) It makes no difference as to the meaning, but the true construction of this clause is as follows, —
Which their fathers have taught them.
The verb “to teach,” in Hebrew as well as in some other languages, admits of two objective cases. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) Imagination.Stubbornness, as in Jer. 3:17.
Baalim.The generic name for false gods of all kinds, and therefore used in the plural. (Comp. Jer. 2:8; Jer. 2:23.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 9:14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
Ver. 14. But have walked after the imagination of their own heart. ] Than the which they could not have chosen a worse guide, since it is evil, “only evil,” and “continually” so. Gen 6:5 See Trapp on “ Gen 6:5 “
Which their fathers taught them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
imagination = stubbornness. Reference to Pentateuch, (see note on Jer 3:17).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
walked: Jer 3:17, Jer 7:24, Gen 6:5, Rom 1:21-24, Eph 2:3, Eph 4:17-19
imagination: or, stubbornness
which: Jer 44:17, Zec 1:4, Zec 1:5, Gal 1:14, 1Pe 1:18
Reciprocal: Num 15:39 – ye seek not Jdg 2:11 – and served Baalim Jer 11:8 – obeyed Jer 13:10 – walk Jer 16:11 – walked Jer 16:12 – imagination Jer 23:17 – imagination Eze 18:14 – that seeth Eze 20:30 – Are ye Amo 2:4 – after
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 9:14. It is wrong to disobey the word of the Lord even once, but it is much worse to icalk alter such a life, and that is what the people of Judah did. Imagination is rendered “stubbornness in the margin and the lexicon defines the original word as obstinancy.” and both renderings truly describe the spirit and conduct of the people of Judah. The specific thing which their stubbornness Jed them to do was to worship the idolatrous gods of Baalim. They accepted the instructions and followed the example of their fleshly ancestors Instead of obeying their spiritual Father.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
9:14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which {l} their fathers taught them:
(l) He shows that the children cannot excuse themselves by their fathers: for both father and child if they are wicked will perish.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Instead the people had followed their own desires and the Baals, just like their ancestors. "Stubbornness" was one of their chief sins (cf. Deu 29:18; Psa 81:13).
"The threat of ’stubbornness’ still exists today. It has been described as ’atrophy of the will.’ When people stubbornly refuse to do right, the time comes when they cannot do right. Judgment then comes in the form of living in the prison you have erected for yourself." [Note: Ibid., p. 148.]