1In jener Zeit, ist des Ewigen Spruch, da wird man die Gebeine der Könige Jehudas, die Gebeine seiner Oberen, die Gebeine der Priester, die Gebeine der Gottbegeisteten und die Gebeine der Bewohner Jeruschalaims aus ihren Gräbern herausschaffen 2und wird sie ausbreiten vor Sonne, Mond und dem ganzen Himmelsheer, die sie geliebt und denen sie gedient haben, denen sie nachgegangen sind, die sie aufgesucht und denen sie sich niedergeworfen haben; sie werden nicht eingetan und bestattet werden, zum Dünger auf dem Ackerboden sollen sie werden. 3Und vorgezogen wird der Tod dem Leben von dem ganzen Überrest derer, die übriggeblieben sind von dieser bösen Sippschaft, die übriggeblieben an allen Orten, wohin ich sie verstoßen habe! ist der Spruch des Ewigen der Scharen. 4Und sprich zu ihnen: So spricht der Ewige: Fällt man und steht nicht auf? Kehrt ab sich, kehrt nicht um? 5Warum brach los dies Volk, Jeruschalaim in ewiger Abkehr sie halten fest am Trug verweigern die Umkehr? 6Ich lauschte hin und hörte: unwahr sie reden! Nicht einen dauerts seiner Bosheit zu sprechen: ,Was tat ich?' Sie alle stürzen fort im Lauf wie hin das Roß im Kampf stürmt. 7Kennt selbst der Storch am Himmel / ja seine Zeiten und Turtel, Schwalbe, Wandervogel sie wahren ihrer Heimkunft Frist; mein Volk nur, es kennt nicht des Ewigen Recht! 8Wie sprecht ihr: ,Weise sind wir! Des Ewgen Weisung ist bei uns!' Fürwahr, zum Truge schuf die Schrift zu Lug die Schreiber! 9Zuschanden sind die Weisen worden bestürzt, ertappt. Sie haben ja des Ewgen Wort verworfen - welch Wissen bliebe ihnen? 10Drum geb ich andern ihre Weiber preis an Erben ihre Äcker denn von dem Kleinen bis zum Großen, alles rafft Raub vom Gottbegeisteten zum Priester, alles übt Trug. 11Sie heilen meines Volkes Bruch dem Verschwärten da sie da sprechen: ,Friede, Friede!' Und ist kein Friede! 12Beschämt werden sie, da sie Greuel verübt! Aber auch Scham haben sie nicht, und zu erröten wissen sie nicht. Drum sollen sie fallen mit dem Fallenden, zur Zeit ihrer Ahndung sollen sie niederbrechen! spricht der Ewige. 13Will sammeln, fort sie schaffen, spricht der Ewige: Sind keine Beeren da am Weinstock und keine Feigen an dem Feigenbaum und welk das Laub! Und gab ich ihnen, schwindets ihnen fort! 14Was sitzen wir da? Bergt euch und laßt uns kommen in die festen Städte und dort ersterben! Denn er ließ uns, der Ewge, unser Gott, ersterben tränkt uns mit giftgem Wasser da wir dem Ewgen uns versündigt. 15Man harrt des Friedens - ist kein Heil! Der Zeit der Lindrung - sieh da: Schrecken! 16Von Dan her wird laut seiner Rosse Schnauben vom jauchzenden Ruf seiner Ritter erbebt alles Land. Sie kommen und fressen das Land und was es füllt die Stadt und ihre Sassen. 17Denn sieh, ich lasse los gegen euch Basilisken-Schlangen, gegen die es keine Beschwörung gibt, und sie werden euch beißen! ist des Ewigen Spruch. 18Getröstung mir im Kummer? Mein Herz ist mir siech! 19Horch! Wehgeschrei der Tochter meines Volkes aus fernem Land: ,Ist nicht der Ewige in Zijon sein König nicht drin?' Was kränkten sie mit ihren Bildern mich Wahnwesen der Fremde? 20Vorbei ist der Schnitt die Sommerlese hin uns war keine Hilfe! 21Ob meines Volkes Sturz ward ich gebrochen verfinstert hält Entsetzen mich gepackt! 22Gibts keinen Balsam im Gil'ad? Ist da kein Arzt? Warum doch erwuchs nicht meinem Volke Genesung? 23Wer machte doch mein Haupt zur Flut mein Aug zum Tränenquell daß Tag und Nacht ich beweine meines Volkes Erschlagne!
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE JEW'S COMING PUNISHMENT; THEIR UNIVERSAL AND INCURABLE IMPENITENCE. (Jer. 8:1-22)
The victorious Babylonians were about to violate the sanctuaries of the dead in search of plunder; for ornaments, treasures, and insignia of royalty were usually buried with kings. Or rather, their purpose was to do the greatest dishonor to the dead (
Isa 14:19).
2 spread . . . before the sun, &c.--retribution in kind. The very objects which received their idolatries shall unconcernedly witness their dishonor.
lover . . . served . . . after . . . walked . . . sought . . . worshipped--Words are accumulated, as if enough could not be said fully to express the mad fervor of their idolatry to the heavenly host (
2Kgs 23:5).
nor . . . buried-- (
Jer 22:19).
dung-- (
Jer 9:22;
Ps 83:10).
3 The survivors shall be still worse off than the dead (
Job 3:21-
Job 3:22;
Rev 9:6).
which remain in all the places--"in all places of them that remain, whither I . . . that is, in all places whither I have driven them that remain [MAURER].
4 "Is it not a natural instinct, that if one falls, he rises again; if one turns away (that is, wanders from the way), he will return to the point from which he wandered? Why then does not Jerusalem do so?" He plays on the double sense of return; literal and metaphorical (
Jer 3:12;
Jer 4:1).
5 slidden . . . backsliding--rather, as the Hebrew is the same as in
Jer 8:4, to which this verse refers, "turned away with a perpetual turning away."
perpetual--in contrast to the "arise" ("rise again,"
Jer 8:4).
refuse to return--in contrast to, "shall he . . . not return" (
Jer 8:4;
Jer 5:3).
6 spake not aright--that is, not so as penitently to confess that they acted wrong. Compare what follows.
every one . . . his course--The Keri reads "course," but the Chetib, "courses." "They persevere in the courses whatever they have once entered on." Their wicked ways were diversified.
horse rusheth--literally, "pours himself forth," as water that has burst its embankment. The mad rapidity of the war horse is the point of comparison (
Job 39:19-
Job 39:25).
7 The instinct of the migratory birds leads them with unfailing regularity to return every spring from their winter abodes in summer climes (
Song 2:12); but God's people will not return to Him even when the winter of His wrath is past, and He invites them back to the spring of His favor.
in the heaven--emphatical. The birds whose very element is the air, in which they are never at rest, yet show a steady sagacity, which God's people do not.
times--namely, of migrating, and of returning.
my people--This honorable title aggravates the unnatural perversity of the Jews towards their God.
know not, &c.-- (
Jer 5:4-
Jer 5:5;
Isa 1:3).
8 law . . . with us-- (
Rom 2:17). Possessing the law, on which they prided themselves, the Jews might have become the wisest of nations; but by their neglecting its precepts, the law became given "in vain," as far as they were concerned.
scribes--copyists. "In vain" copies were multiplied. MAURER translates, "The false pen of the scribes hath converted it [the law] into a lie." See Margin, which agrees with Vulgate.
9 dismayed--confounded.
what wisdom--literally, "the wisdom of what?" that is, "wisdom in what respect?" the Word of the Lord being the only true source of wisdom (
Ps 119:98-
Ps 119:100;
Pro 1:7;
Pro 9:10).
10 Repeated from
Jer 6:12-
Jer 6:15. See a similar repetition,
Jer 8:15;
Jer 14:19.
inherit--succeed to the possession of them.
11 (
Ezek 13:10).
13 surely consume--literally, "gathering I will gather," or "consuming I will consume."
no grapes . . . nor figs-- (
Joel 1:7;
Matt 21:19).
things that I have given . . . shall pass away--rather, "I will appoint to them those who shall overwhelm (pass over) them," that is, I will send the enemy upon them [MAURER]. English Version accords well with the context; Though their grapes and figs ripen, they shall not be allowed to enjoy them.
14 assemble--for defense.
let us be silent--not assault the enemy, but merely defend ourselves in quiet, until the storm blow over.
put us to silence--brought us to that state that we can no longer resist the foe; implying silent despair.
water of gall--literally, "water of the poisonous plant," perhaps the poppy (
Jer 9:15;
Jer 23:15).
15 Repeated (
Jer 14:19).
We looked for--owing to the expectations held out by the false prophets.
health--healing; that is, restoration from adversity.
16 his horses--the Chaldean's.
was heard--the prophetical past for the future.
from Dan--bordering on Phśnicia. This was to be Nebuchadnezzar's route in invading Israel; the cavalry in advance of the infantry would scour the country.
strong ones--a poetical phrase for steeds, peculiar to Jeremiah (
Jer 47:3; compare
Jer 4:13,
Jer 4:29;
Jer 6:23).
17 I--Jehovah.
cockatrices--basilisks (
Isa 11:8), that is, enemies whose destructive power no means, by persuasion or otherwise, can counteract. Serpent-charmers in the East entice serpents by music, and by a particular pressure on the neck render them incapable of darting (
Ps 58:4-
Ps 58:5).
18 (
Isa 22:4). The lamentation of the prophet for the impending calamity of his country.
against sorrow--or, with respect to sorrow. MAURER translates, "Oh, my exhilaration as to sorrow!" that is, "Oh, that exhilaration ('comfort', from an Arabic root, to shine as the rising sun) would shine upon me as to my sorrow!"
in me--within me.
19 The prophet in vision hears the cry of the exiled Jews, wondering that God should have delivered them up to the enemy, seeing that He is Zion's king, dwelling in her (
Mic 3:11). In the latter half of the verse God replies that their own idolatry, not want of faithfulness on His part, is the cause.
because of them that dwell in a far country--rather, "from a land of distances," that is, a distant land (
Isa 39:3). English Version understands the cry to be of the Jews in their own land, because of the enemy coming from their far-off country.
strange vanities--foreign gods.
20 Proverbial. Meaning: One season of hope after another has passed, but the looked-for deliverance never came, and now all hope is gone.
21 black--sad in visage with grief (
Joel 2:6).
22 balm--balsam; to be applied to the wounds of my people. Brought into Judea first from Arabia Felix, by the queen of Sheba, in Solomon's time [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.2]. The opobalsamum of PLINY; or else [BOCHART] the resin drawn from the terebinth. It abounded in Gilead, east of Jordan, where, in consequence, many "physicians" established themselves (
Jer 46:11;
Jer 51:8;
Gen 37:25;
Gen 43:11).
health . . . recovered--The Hebrew is literally, "lengthening out . . . gone up"; hence, the long bandage applied to bind up a wound. So the Arabic also [GESENIUS].