1Tehdy - Jahvův výrok - vytáhnou z jejich hrobů kosti králů Judy, kosti jeho knížat, kosti kněží, kosti proroků a kosti obyvatel Jeruzaléma. 2Vystaví je na odiv slunci, měsíci a veškerému nebeskému vojsku, jež oni milovali a jimž sloužili, za nimiž chodili, před nimiž se klaněli. Nebudou posbírány ani pochovány: zůstanou na zemi coby hnůj. 3A pro všechny, kdo zůstanou z tohoto zvráceného rodu, bude všude, kam je vyženu, lepší smrt než život, výrok Jahva Sabaot. 4Řekneš jim: Takto mluví Jahve. Což někdo padne, aniž zase povstane? Což se někdo nenávratně odvrátí? 5Proč je tento lid vzpurný, proč je Jeruzalém ustavičně vzpurný? Pevně se drží klamu, odmítají se obrátit. 6Pozorně jsem poslouchal: takhle to nikomu nepřijde. Nikdo nelituje své zlovolnosti a neříká: „Co jsem to udělal?“ Všichni se zase dávají do běhu jako kůň, jenž se vrhá do boje. 7I čáp na obloze zná svůj čas, hrdlička, vlaštovka i jeřáb zachovávají dobu svého tahu. Ale můj lid nezná Jahvovo právo! 8Jak můžete říkat: „Jsme moudří a je s námi Jahvův Zákon!“ Ten ve skutečnosti obrátilo v lež lživé pero písařů! 9Moudří budou zahanbeni, ohromeni a polapeni do léčky. Hle, pohrdli Jahvovým slovem! Co tedy je pro ně moudrost? 10Proto dám jejich ženy jiným, jejich pole novým pánům. Neboť od nejmenšího po největšího dychtí všichni po lupu; prorok i kněz, všichni žijí ve lži. 11Lehkovážně ošetřují zranění dcery mého lidu, když říkají: „Pokoj! Pokoj!“ A přitom žádný pokoj není. 12Lpí na nich hanba pro jejich ohavné činy, ale oni hanbu už ani nepociťují, neumějí se už zardít. Proto padnou mezi těmi, kdo padají, klopýtnou, až je navštívím, říká Jahve. 13Odstraním je - Jahvův výrok -, na vinici už nebudou hrozny, na fíkovníku fíky, ba i listí uvadne: poslal jsem k nim muže, kteří po nich šlapou! 14- „Proč zůstáváme sedět? Nástup! Vzhůru do našich opevněných měst, tam budeme umlčeni, jelikož nás k mlčení přivádí Jahve, náš Bůh, a napájí nás otrávenou vodou, protože jsme proti němu zhřešili. 15Doufali jsme v pokoj - dobrého nic! V čas uzdravení - úděs! 16Od Danu je slyšet řehtání jeho koní; při hlučném ržání jeho hřebců se otřásá celá zem: přicházejí pohltit zemi i její statky, město i jeho obyvatele.“ 17- Ano, hle, posílám proti vám jedovaté hady, proti nimž není zaklínání, a oni vás uštknou, Jahvův výrok. 18Zaplavuje mě nevyléčitelná strast, nedostává se mi odvahy. 19Hle, dcera mého lidu volá o pomoc z daleké, širé země. „Což Jahve už není na Sionu? Už tam není její král? (Proč mě dráždili svými modlami, těmi marnostmi z ciziny?) 20Je po žních, skončilo léto, a my nejsme zachráněni!“ 21Zraněním dcery svého lidu jsem poraněn, jsem stále sklíčený, svírá mě úděs. 22Což už v Galaadu není balzám? Což tam není žádný lékař? Ano, proč se tak pomalu uzdravuje dcera mého lidu? 23Kdo promění mou hlavu v pramen a oči ve zřídlo slz, abych ve dne v noci plakal nad padlými dcery mého lidu!
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].