1Procházejte ulicemi Jeruzaléma, jen se dívejte a zkoumejte, hledejte na jeho náměstích, jestli najdete někoho, jestli je někdo, kdo jedná podle práva a kdo usiluje o věrnost, a já Jeruzalému odpustím. 2I když říkají: Jakože živ je Hospodin, jistě přísahají lživě. 3Hospodine, cožpak tvoje oči nehledí na věrnost? Ranil jsi je, ale necítili bolest, ničil jsi je, ale odmítali přijmout kázeň. Zatvrdili se víc než skála, odmítali se navrátit. 4Já jsem si myslel: Jsou to jen chudáci; jednali hloupě, protože neznají Hospodinovu cestu, nařízení svého Boha. 5Zajdu si k vysoko postaveným a promluvím si s nimi, protože oni znají Hospodinovu cestu, nařízení svého Boha. Jenže i tihle zlomili jho, zpřetrhali pouta. 6Proto je zabije lev z houštiny, zničí je stepní vlk. Před jejich městy číhá leopard; každého z nich, kdo vyjde, roztrhá na kusy, protože jejich přestoupení je mnoho, mnoho je jejich odvrácení. 7Proč bych ti měl odpustit? Tvoji synové mě opustili a přísahali při těch, kdo nejsou bohy. Nasytil jsem je, ale oni cizoloží a houfují se v nevěstinci. 8Jsou to vykrmení, bujní hřebci; všichni dychtí po ženě svého bližního. 9Cožpak je za to nemám navštívit?, je Hospodinův výrok. Zdalipak se moje duše nepomstí na národě, jako je tento? 10Vystupte na jeho vinohrady a ničte, ale nezničte je úplně. Odstraňte jeho výhonky, protože nejsou Hospodinovy. 11Dům izraelský i dům judský mi totiž byl zcela nevěrný, je Hospodinův výrok. 12Lhali o Hospodinu a říkali: Kdepak on. Zlo na nás nepřijde, nezažijeme meč ani hlad. 13Ti proroci jsou jen vítr a Hospodinovo slovo v nich není. Tak se jim stane. 14Proto takto praví Hospodin, Bůh zástupů: Protože jste mluvili toto slovo, hle, svá slova učiním ve tvých ústech ohněm a tento lid dřívím a stráví je. 15Hle, dome izraelský, přivedu na vás zdaleka národ, je Hospodinův výrok, národ prastarý, národ odvěký, národ, jehož jazyk neznáš, ani nerozumíš, co mluví. 16Jeho toulec je jako otevřený hrob, všichni jsou hrdinové. 17Pohltí tvoji sklizeň a tvůj chléb, pohltí tvoje syny a tvoje dcery, pohltí tvůj brav a tvůj skot, pohltí tvou révu i tvůj fíkovník. Mečem rozboří tvá opevněná města, na která ty spoléháš. 18Ale ani v oněch dnech, je Hospodinův výrok, vás nezničím úplně. 19I stane se, až se budete ptát: Proč nám Hospodin, náš Bůh, toto všechno provedl? že jim odpovíš: Jako jste mě opustili a sloužili jste ve své zemi cizím bohům, tak budete sloužit cizincům v zemi, která není vaše. 20Oznamte to v domě Jákobově a zvěstujte to v Judsku: 21Slyšte to přece, lide bláznivý a bez rozumu! Mají oči, ale nevidí. Mají uši, ale neslyší. 22Cožpak se mě nebudete bát? — je Hospodinův výrok. Zdalipak se nebudete třást přede mnou, který jsem umístil písek jako hráz, věčnou hranici moře, kterou nepřekročí? Jeho vlny se sice dmou, ale nezdolají ji, burácejí, ale nepřekročí ji. 23Avšak tento lid má umíněné a vzpurné srdce; odvrátili se a odešli. 24Neříkají si v srdci: Bojme se Hospodina, svého Boha, který dává podzimní i jarní déšť ve svůj čas a zachovává nám týdny ustanovené pro sklizeň. 25Narušily to vaše viny a vaše hříchy před vámi zadržely dobro. 26Protože se v mém lidu našli ničemové, každý číhá jako přikrčený ptáčník — nastražili past a lapají lidi. 27Jako klec plná ptáků, tak jsou jejich domy plné podvodu; takto dosáhli vysokého postavení a získali bohatství. 28Ztloustli a dosáhli blahobytu, překročili i každou hranici zla. Nepomohou získat právo, sirotka nehájí, ale těší se z vlastního úspěchu. Chudým právo nezjednají. 29Cožpak je za to nemám navštívit? je Hospodinův výrok. Zdalipak se moje duše nepomstí na národě, jako je tento? 30V zemi dochází k hrozné a otřesné věci: 31Proroci prorokují lživě a kněží berou věci do svých rukou, a mému lidu se to tak líbí! Co však budete dělat na konci toho všeho?
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE CAUSE OF THE JUDGMENTS TO BE INFLICTED IS THE UNIVERSAL CORRUPTION OF THE PEOPLE. (Jer. 5:1-31)
a man--As the pious Josiah, Baruch, and Zephaniah lived in Jerusalem at that time, Jeremiah must here mean the mass of the people, the king, his counsellors, the false prophets, and the priests, as distinguished from the faithful few, whom God had openly separated from the reprobate people; among the latter not even one just person was to be found (
Isa 9:16) [CALVIN]; the godly, moreover, were forbidden to intercede for them (
Jer 7:16; compare
Gen 18:23, &c.;
Ps 12:1;
Ezek 22:30).
see . . . know--look . . . ascertain.
judgment--justice, righteousness.
pardon it--rather, her.
2 (
Titus 1:16).
swear falsely--not a judicial oath; but their profession of the worship of Jehovah is insincere (
Jer 5:7;
Jer 4:2). The reformation under Josiah was merely superficial in the case of the majority.
3 eyes upon the truth-- (
Deut 32:4;
2Chr 16:9). "Truth" is in contrast with "swear falsely" (
Jer 5:2). The false-professing Jews could expect nothing but judgments from the God of truth.
stricken . . . not grieved-- (
Jer 2:30;
Isa 1:5;
Isa 9:13).
refused . . . correction-- (
Jer 7:28;
Zeph 3:2).
4 poor--rather, "the poor." He supposes for the moment that this utter depravity is confined to the uninstructed poor, and that he would find a different state of things in the higher ranks: but there he finds unbridled profligacy.
5 they have known--rather, "they must know." The prophet supposes it as probable, considering their position.
but these--I found the very reverse to be the case.
burst . . . bonds--set God's law at defiance (
Ps 2:3).
6 lion . . . wolf . . . leopard--the strongest, the most ravenous, and the swiftest, respectively, of beasts: illustrating the formidable character of the Babylonians.
of the evenings--Others not so well translate, of the deserts. The plural means that it goes forth every evening to seek its prey (
Ps 104:20;
Hab 1:8;
Zeph 3:3).
leopard . . . watch . . . cities-- (
Hos 13:7). It shall lie in wait about their cities.
7 It would not be consistent with God's holiness to let such wickedness pass unpunished.
sworn by-- (
Jer 5:2;
Jer 4:2); that is, worshipped.
no gods-- (
Deut 32:21).
fed . . . to the full--so the Keri (Hebrew Margin) reads, God's bountifulness is contrasted with their apostasy (
Deut 32:15). Prosperity, the gift of God, designed to lead men to Him, often produces the opposite effect. The Hebrew Chetib (text), reads: "I bound them (to Me) by oath," namely, in the marriage covenant, sealed at Sinai between God and Israel; in contrast to which stands their "adultery"; the antithesis favors this.
adultery . . . harlots' houses--spiritually: idolatry in temples of idols; but literal prostitution is also included, being frequently part of idol-worship: for example, in the worship of the Babylonian Mylitta.
8 in the morning-- (
Isa 5:11). "Rising early in the morning" is a phrase for unceasing eagerness in any pursuit; such was the Jews' avidity after idol-worship. MAURER translates from a different Hebrew root, "continually wander to and fro," inflamed with lust (
Jer 2:23). But English Version is simpler (compare
Jer 13:27;
Ezek 22:11).
9 (
Jer 5:29;
Jer 9:9;
Jer 44:22).
10 Abrupt apostrophe to the Babylonians, to take Jerusalem, but not to destroy the nation utterly (see on
Jer 4:27).
battlements--rather, tendrils [MAURER]: the state being compared to a vine (
Jer 12:10), the stem of which was to be spared, while the tendrils (the chief men) were to be removed.
11 (
Jer 3:20).
12 belied--denied.
It is not he--rather, "(Jehovah) is not HE," that is, the true and only God (
Jer 14:22;
Deut 32:39;
Isa 43:10,
Isa 43:13). By their idolatry they virtually denied Him. Or, referring to what follows, and to
Jer 5:9, "(Jehovah) is not," namely, about to be the punisher of our sins (
Jer 14:13;
Isa 28:15).
13 Continuation of the unbelieving language of the Jews.
the prophets--who prophesy punishment coming on us.
the word--the Holy Spirit, who speaks through true prophets, is not in them [MAURER]. Or else, "There is no word (divine communication) in them" (
Hos 1:2) [ROSENMULLER].
thus, &c.--Their ill-omened prophecies shall fall on themselves.
14 ye . . . thy . . . this people--He turns away from addressing the people to the prophet; implying that He puts them to a distance from Him, and only communicates with them through His prophet (
Jer 5:19).
fire . . . wood--Thy denunciations of judgments shall be fulfilled and shall consume them as fire does wood. In
Jer 23:29 it is the penetrating energy of fire which is the point of comparison.
15 (
Jer 1:15;
Jer 6:22). Alluding to
Deut 28:49, &c.
Israel--that is, Judah.
mighty--from an Arabic root, "enduring." The fourfold repetition of "nation" heightens the force.
ancient--The Chaldeans came originally from the Carduchian and Armenian mountains north of Mesopotamia, whence they immigrated into Babylonia; like all mountaineers, they were brave and hardy (see on
Isa 23:13).
language . . . knowest not--
Isa 36:11 shows that Aramaic was not understood by the "multitude," but only by the educated classes [MAURER]. HENDERSON refers it to the original language of the Babylonians, which, he thinks, they brought with them from their native hills, akin to the Persic, not to the Aramaic, or any other Semitic tongue, the parent of the modern Kurd.
16 open sepulchre--(Compare
Ps 5:9). Their quiver is all-devouring, as the grave opened to receive the dead: as many as are the arrows, so many are the deaths.
17 (
Lev 26:16).
18 Not even in those days of judgments, will God utterly exterminate His people.
I will not make a full end with you-- (
Jer 5:10;
Jer 4:27).
19 Retribution in kind. As ye have forsaken Me (
Jer 2:13), so shall ye be forsaken by Me. As ye have served strange (foreign) gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers (foreigners) in a land not yours. Compare the similar retribution in
Deut 28:47-
Deut 28:48.
21 eyes . . . ears, and--Translate, "and yet" (compare
Deut 29:4;
Isa 6:9). Having powers of perception, they did not use them: still they were responsible for the exercise of them.
22 sand--Though made up of particles easily shifting about, I render it sufficient to curb the violence of the sea. Such is your monstrous perversity, that the raging, senseless sea sooner obeys Me, than ye do who profess to be intelligent [CALVIN], (
Job 26:10;
Job 38:10-
Job 38:11;
Pro 8:29;
Rev 15:4).
23 (
Jer 6:28).
24 rain . . . former . . . latter--The "former" falls from the middle of October to the beginning of December. The "latter," or spring rain in Palestine, falls before harvest in March and April, and is essential for ripening the crops (
Deut 11:14;
Joel 2:23).
weeks of . . . harvest--the seven weeks between passover and pentecost, beginning on the sixteenth of Nisan (
Deut 16:9). By God's special providence no rain fell in Palestine during the harvest weeks, so that harvest work went on without interruption (see
Gen 8:22).
25 National guilt had caused the suspension of these national mercies mentioned in
Jer 5:24 (compare
Jer 3:3).
26 (
Pro 1:11,
Pro 1:17-
Pro 1:18;
Hab 1:15).
as he that setteth snares--rather, "as fowlers crouch" [MAURER].
trap--literally, "destruction": the instrument of destruction.
catch men--not as Peter, to save (
Luke 5:10), but to destroy men.
27 full of deceit--full of treasures got by deceit.
rich-- (
Ps 73:12,
Ps 73:18-
Ps 73:20).
28 shine--the effect of fatness on the skin (
Deut 32:15). They live a life of self-indulgence.
overpass . . . the wicked--exceed even the Gentiles in wickedness (
Jer 2:33;
Ezek 5:6-
Ezek 5:7).
judge not . . . fatherless-- (
Isa 1:23).
yet . . . prosper-- (
Jer 12:1).
29 (
Jer 5:9;
Mal 3:5).
30 (
Jer 23:14;
Hos 6:10).
31 bear rule by their means--literally, "according to their hands," that is, under their guidance (
1Chr 25:3). As a sample of the priests lending themselves to the deceits of the false prophets, to gain influence over the people, see
Jer 29:24-
Jer 29:32.
love to have it so-- (
Mic 2:11).
end thereof--the fatal issue of this sinful course when divine judgments shall come.