1Slovo, které se stalo k Jeremjášovi od Hospodina: 2Slyšte slova této smlouvy! Promlouvej je k judským mužům a k obyvatelům Jeruzaléma; 3řekni jim: Toto praví Hospodin, Bůh Izraele: Proklet je každý, kdo neposlouchá slova této smlouvy, 4kterou jsem přikázal vašim otcům v den, kdy jsem je vyvedl z egyptské země, z pece na tavení železa, se slovy: Poslouchejte mě a jednejte podle všeho, co vám přikazuji, a budete mým lidem a já budu vaším Bohem, 5abych naplnil přísahu, kterou jsem přísahal vašim otcům, že jim dám zemi oplývající mlékem a medem, jak je tomu dnes. Odpověděl jsem: Amen, Hospodine. 6Hospodin mi řekl: Volej všechna tato slova v judských městech i na ulicích Jeruzaléma, řka: Poslouchejte slova této smlouvy a jednejte podle nich. 7Vždyť jsem naléhavě napomínal vaše otce ode dne, kdy jsem je vyvedl z egyptské země, až dodnes, stále znovu jsem je napomínal slovy: Poslouchejte mě! 8Avšak neposlouchali a nenakláněli ucho, ale žili každý podle svého umíněného a zlého srdce. Přivedl jsem na ně všechna slova této smlouvy, kterou jsem jim přikázal plnit, ale neplnili ji. 9Hospodin mi řekl: Mezi judskými muži a mezi obyvateli Jeruzaléma došlo k spiknutí. 10Navrátili se k vinám svých praotců, kteří odmítali poslouchat má slova, chodili za jinými bohy a sloužili jim. Dům izraelský i dům judský porušoval mou smlouvu, kterou jsem uzavřel s jejich otci. 11Proto takto praví Hospodin: Hle, přivedu na ně zlo, před nímž nebudou moci ujít. Budou ke mně volat, ale nevyslyším je. 12Judská města a obyvatelé Jeruzaléma půjdou a budou volat k bohům, kterým obětují. V čase, kdy se jim bude dařit zle, je určitě nezachrání. 13Vždyť kolik je tvých měst, Judo, tolik je tvých bohů, a kolik je jeruzalémských ulic, tolik jste postavili oltářů pro hanebnost, oltářů pro pálení kadidla Baalovi. 14Ty se za tento lid nemodli, nepozdvihuj za ně nářek a modlitbu, protože je nevyslyším, až budou ke mně volat kvůli tomu, že se jim daří zle. 15Co chce můj miláček v mém domě? Provádět pletichy? Cožpak od tebe sliby a posvátné maso odstraní zlo? Tehdy se budeš radovat? 16Hospodin tě pojmenoval zelenou olivou s krásně narostlým ovocem, ale se zvukem velké bouře na ní zapálí oheň a její větve se polámou. 17Hospodin zástupů, který tě zasadil, proti tobě vyslovil zlo kvůli zlu domu izraelského a domu judského, které páchali — aby mě rozzlobili, obětovali Baalovi. 18Hospodin mi to dal poznat a dozvěděl jsem se to. Tehdy jsi mi ukázal jejich činy. 19Byl jsem jako krotký beránek vedený na porážku, ani jsem nevěděl, že proti mně vymýšlejí plán: Zničme strom i s jeho ovocem, vytněme jej ze země živých a jeho jméno už nebude připomínáno. 20Hospodine zástupů, který soudíš spravedlivě, který zkoumáš ledví i srdce, kéž na nich uzřím tvoji pomstu, protože tobě jsem přenechal svůj spor. 21Proto takto praví Hospodin o anatótských mužích, kteří usilují o tvůj život a říkají: Neprorokuj v Hospodinově jménu, abys nezemřel naší rukou, 22proto takto praví Hospodin zástupů: Hle, navštívím je s trestem. Mládenci zemřou mečem a jejich synové a jejich dcery zemřou hladem; 23ani ostatek z nich nezůstane, protože na anatótské muže přivedu zlo, rok jejich navštívení.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 EPITOME OF THE COVENANT FOUND IN THE TEMPLE IN JOSIAH'S REIGN. JUDAH'S REVOLT FROM IT, AND GOD'S CONSEQUENT WRATH. (Jer. 11:1-23)
this covenant--alluding to the book of the law (
Deut 31:26) found in the temple by Hilkiah the high priest, five years after Jeremiah's call to the prophetic office (2Ki. 22:8-23:25).
Hear ye--Others besides Jeremiah were to promulgate God's will to the people; it was the duty of the priests to read the law to them (
Mal 2:7).
3 (
Deut 27:26;
Gal 3:10).
4 in the day--that is, when. The Sinaitic covenant was made some time after the exodus, but the two events are so connected as to be viewed as one.
iron furnace-- (
Deut 4:20;
1Kgs 8:51). "Furnace" expresses the searching ordeal; "iron," the long duration of it. The furnace was of earth, not of iron (
Ps 12:6); a furnace, in heat and duration enough to melt even iron. God's deliverance of them from such an ordeal aggravates their present guilt.
do them--namely, the words of the covenant (
Jer 11:3).
so, &c.-- (
Lev 26:3,
Lev 26:12).
5 oath-- (
Ps 105:9-
Ps 105:10).
a land flowing with milk and honey--(See on
Num 14:8).
as it is this day--These are the concluding words of God to the Israelites when formerly brought out of Egypt, "Obey . . . that I may at this time make good the promise I made to your fathers, to give," &c. [MAURER]. English Version makes the words apply to Jeremiah's time, "As ye know at this time, that God's promise has been fulfilled," namely, in Israel's acquisition of Canaan.
So be it--Hebrew, Amen. Taken from
Deut 27:15-
Deut 27:26. Jeremiah hereby solemnly concurs in the justice of the curses pronounced there (see
Jer 11:3).
6 Jeremiah was to take a prophetic tour throughout Judah, to proclaim everywhere the denunciations in the book of the law found in the temple.
Hear . . . do-- (
Rom 2:13;
Jas 1:22).
7 rising early-- (
Jer 7:13).
8 imagination--rather, "stubbornness."
will bring--The words, "even unto this day" (
Jer 11:7), confirm English Version rather than the rendering of ROSENMULLER: "I brought upon them."
words--threats (
Jer 11:3;
Deut 27:15-
Deut 27:26).
9 conspiracy--a deliberate combination against God and against Josiah's reformation. Their idolatry is not the result of a hasty impulse (
Ps 83:5;
Ezek 22:25).
11 cry unto me--contrasted with "cry unto the gods," (
Jer 11:12).
not hearken-- (
Ps 18:41;
Pro 1:28;
Isa 1:15;
Mic 3:4).
12 cry unto the gods . . . not save-- (
Deut 32:37-
Deut 32:38). Compare this verse and beginning of
Jer 11:13;
Jer 2:28.
in the time of their trouble--that is, calamity (
Jer 2:27).
13 shameful thing--Hebrew, "shame," namely, the idol, not merely shameful, but the essence of all that is shameful (
Jer 3:24;
Hos 9:10), which will bring shame and confusion on yourselves [CALVIN].
14 There is a climax of guilt which admits of no further intercessory prayer (
Exod 32:10, in the Chaldee version, "leave off praying";
Jer 7:16;
1Sam 16:1;
1Sam 15:35;
1John 5:16). Our mind should be at one with God in all that He is doing, even in the rejection of the reprobate.
for their trouble--on account of their trouble. Other manuscripts read, "in the time of their trouble" a gloss from
Jer 11:12.
15 my beloved--My elect people, Judea; this aggravates their ingratitude (
Jer 12:7).
lewdness with many-- (
Ezek 16:25). Rather, "that great (or, manifold) enormity"; literally, "the enormity, the manifold"; namely, their idolatry, which made their worship of God in the temple a mockery (compare
Jer 7:10;
Ezek 23:39) [HENDERSON].
holy flesh-- (
Hag 2:12-
Hag 2:14;
Titus 1:15), namely, the sacrifices, which, through the guilt of the Jews, were no longer holy, that is, acceptable to God. The sacrifices on which they relied will, therefore, no longer protect them. Judah is represented as a priest's wife, who, by adultery, has forfeited her share in the flesh of the sacrifices, and yet boasts of her prerogative at the very same time [HORSLEY].
when thou doest evil--literally, "when thy evil" (is at hand). PISCATOR translates, "When thy calamity is at hand (according to God's threats), thou gloriest" (against God, instead of humbling thyself). English Version is best (compare
Pro 2:14).
16 called thy name--made thee.
olive-- (
Ps 52:8;
Rom 11:17). The "olive" is chosen to represent the adoption of Judah by the free grace of God, as its oil is the image of richness (compare
Ps 23:5;
Ps 104:15).
with . . . noise of . . . tumult--or, "at the noise," &c., namely, at the tumult of the invading army (
Isa 13:4) [MAURER]. Or, rather, "with the sound of a mighty voice," namely, that of God, that is, the thunder; thus there is no confusion of metaphors. The tree stricken with lightning has "fire kindled upon it, and the branches are broken," at one and the same time [HOUBIGANT].
17 that planted thee-- (
Jer 2:21;
Isa 5:2).
against themselves--The sinner's sin is to his own hurt (see on
Jer 7:19).
18 Jeremiah here digresses to notice the attempt on his life plotted by his townsmen of Anathoth. He had no suspicion of it, until Jehovah revealed it to him (
Jer 12:6).
the Lord . . . thou--The change of person from the third to the second accords with the excited feelings of the prophet.
then--when I was in peril of my life.
their doings--those of the men of Anathoth. His thus alluding to them, before he has mentioned their name, is due to his excitement.
19 lamb--literally, a "pet lamb," such as the Jews often had in their houses, for their children to play with; and the Arabs still have (
2Sam 12:3). His own familiar friends had plotted against the prophet. The language is exactly the same as that applied to Messiah (
Isa 53:7). Each prophet and patriarch exemplified in his own person some one feature or more in the manifold attributes and sufferings of the Messiah to come; just as the saints have done since His coming (
Gal 2:20;
Phil 3:10;
Col 1:24). This adapted both the more experimentally to testify of Christ.
devices-- (
Jer 18:18).
tree with . . . fruit--literally, "in its fruit" or "food," that is, when it is in fruit. Proverbial, to express the destruction of cause and effect together. The man is the tree; his teaching, the fruit. Let us destroy the prophet and his prophecies; namely, those threatening destruction to the nation, which offended them. Compare
Matt 7:17, which also refers to prophets and their doctrines.
20 triest . . . heart-- (
Rev 2:23).
revealed--committed my cause. Jeremiah's wish for vengeance was not personal but ministerial, and accorded with God's purpose revealed to him against the enemies alike of God and of His servant (
Ps 37:34;
Ps 54:7;
Ps 112:8;
Ps 118:7).
21 Prophesy not-- (
Isa 30:10;
Amos 2:12;
Mic 2:6). If Jeremiah had not uttered his denunciatory predictions, they would not have plotted against him. None were more bitter than his own fellow townsmen. Compare the conduct of the Nazarites towards Jesus of Nazareth (
Luke 4:24-
Luke 4:29).
22 The retribution of their intended murder shall be in kind; just as in Messiah's case (Psa. 69:8-28).
23 (
Jer 23:12).
the year of . . . visitation--The Septuagint translates, "in the year of their," &c., that is, at the time when I shall visit them in wrath. JEROME supports English Version. "Year" often means a determined time.
He ventures to expostulate with Jehovah as to the prosperity of the wicked, who had plotted against his life (
Jer 12:1-
Jer 12:4); in reply he is told that he will have worse to endure, and that from his own relatives (
Jer 12:5-
Jer 12:6). The heaviest judgments, however, would be inflicted on the faithless people (
Jer 12:7-
Jer 12:13); and then on the nations co-operating with the Chaldeans against Judah, with, however, a promise of mercy on repentance (
Jer 12:14-
Jer 12:17).