1Slovo, které Jeremiáš dostal od Hospodina: 2„Slyšte slova této smlouvy! Vyřiď je judským mužům a obyvatelům Jeruzaléma. 3Řekni jim – Tak praví Hospodin, Bůh Izraele: Zlořečený je každý, kdo neposlouchá slova této smlouvy, 4kterou jsem svěřil vašim otcům v den, kdy jsem je vyvedl z Egypta, z té tavicí pece. Řekl jsem: ‚Poslouchejte mě a plňte vše, co vám přikazuji, a budete mým lidem a já budu vaším Bohem. 5Tehdy splním přísahu, kterou jsem složil vašim otcům, že jim dám zemi oplývající mlékem a medem‘ – zemi, v níž dnes žijete.“ „Amen, Hospodine,“ odpověděl jsem. 6Hospodin mi řekl: „Volej v judských městech a v ulicích Jeruzaléma všechna tato slova: Poslouchejte slova této smlouvy a plňte je. 7Ode dne, kdy jsem vyvedl vaše otce z Egypta, až dodnes jsem je naléhavě nabádal. Znovu a znovu jsem je nabádal: ‚Poslouchejte mě.‘ 8Oni však neposlouchali, vůbec nevnímali a každý se raději řídil svým zarputilým a zlým srdcem. Proto na nich vyplním všechny hrozby uvedené v této smlouvě, kterou jsem přikázal plnit, ale oni ji neplnili.“ 9Hospodin mi řekl: „Judský lid a obyvatelé Jeruzaléma se proti mně spikli. 10Vrátili se k hříchům svých dávných předků, kteří odmítali poslouchat má slova a odcházeli za cizími bohy, aby jim sloužili. Jak dům Izraele, tak dům Judy porušil mou smlouvu, kterou jsem uzavřel s jejich otci. 11A proto tak praví Hospodin: Hle, přivedu na ně neštěstí, kterému nebudou moci utéci. Tehdy budou volat ke mně, ale já je nevyslyším. 12Jen ať si judská města a obyvatelé Jeruzaléma jdou volat k bohům, kterým pálí kadidlo, jestli by je nespasili v čase neštěstí. 13Máš přece tolik bohů, Judo – jednoho boha na každé město! A kolik je ulic v Jeruzalémě, tolik oltářů jste postavili Hanbě, oltářů k pálení kadidla Baalovi. 14Nemodli se za tento lid. Nevysílej za ně prosby a modlitby. Až ke mně budou volat kvůli svému neštěstí, neuslyším. 15Co vlastně můj milý lid pohledává v mém domě? To chce dál s mnoha jinými kout pikle? Může snad maso obětí odvrátit tvé neštěstí, aby ses znovu veselil? 16Košatou olivou tě nazval Hospodin, krásnou a s pěkným ovocem. Za hřmění hrozné bouře ji ale zapálí, její ratolesti zničí oheň! 17Hospodin zástupů, který tě sázel, vyslovil nad tebou zlý ortel, protože dům Izraele i dům Judy páchal zlé věci: uráželi mě, když pálili kadidlo Baalovi.“ 18Hospodin mě poučil a já jsem to pochopil, jakmile mi ukázal, co dělají. 19Byl jsem totiž důvěřivý jako beránek vedený na porážku, netušil jsem, jaké úklady na mě chystají: „Porazme strom i s ovocem, ze země živých ho vytněme, ať si na jeho jméno už nikdo nevzpomene!“ 20Hospodine zástupů, Soudce spravedlivý, jenž zkoumáš srdce i svědomí, kéž uvidím tvou pomstu nad nimi – vždyť jsem ti svěřil svoji při. 21Toto praví Hospodin o mužích z Anatotu, kteří ti usilují o život a říkají: „Neprorokuj Hospodinovým jménem, nebo tě zabijeme.“ 22Nuže, toto praví Hospodin zástupů: „Já s nimi zúčtuji. Jejich mládenci padnou mečem, jejich synové a dcery pomřou hladem. 23V čase, kdy s nimi zúčtuji, přivedu na muže z Anatotu neštěstí a nepřežije ani jeden z nich.“
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).