1Stalo se ke mně Hospodinovo slovo: 2Neber si ženu a neměj na tomto místě syny a dcery, 3protože toto praví Hospodin o synech a dcerách, zrozených na tomto místě, a o jejich matkách, které je porodily, a o jejich otcích, kteří je zplodili v této zemi: 4Zemřou na smrtelné nemoci. Nebudou oplakáváni ani pohřbeni. Budou jako hnůj na povrchu země, zajdou mečem a hladem. Jejich mrtvoly se stanou potravou nebeského ptactva a zemské zvěře. 5Neboť toto praví Hospodin: Nevstupuj do domu smutku, nechoď naříkat a neprojevuj jim účast, protože od tohoto lidu odejmu svůj pokoj, je Hospodinův výrok, své milosrdenství i slitování. 6V této zemi zemřou velcí i malí, nebudou pohřbeni, ani je nebudou oplakávat, nikdo si kvůli nim nebude zasazovat rány, ani vyholovat hlavu. 7Na smutečním obřadu nebudou lámat chléb, aby poskytli útěchu nad zemřelým, nedají jim napít z kalicha útěchy nad jejich otcem či matkou. 8Nevstupuj do domu hostiny, abys s nimi seděl, jedl a pil. 9Neboť toto praví Hospodin zástupů, Bůh Izraele: Hle, způsobím, že zmizí na tomto místě, před vašimi zraky a za vašich dnů hlas jásotu i hlas radosti, hlas ženicha i hlas nevěsty. 10Stane se, až oznámíš tomuto lidu všechna tato slova, že ti řeknou: Proč Hospodin proti nám vyslovil všechno toto veliké zlo? Jaká je naše vina? Jaký je náš hřích, kterým jsme zhřešili proti Hospodinu, svému Bohu? 11Řekni jim: Protože mě vaši otcové opustili, je Hospodinův výrok, a chodili za jinými bohy, sloužili jim a klaněli se jim; a mne opustili a můj zákon nezachovávali. 12A vy jste páchali ještě větší zlo, nežli vaši otcové; hle, žijete každý podle svého umíněného a zlého srdce a mne neposloucháte. 13Proto vás vyvrhnu z této země do země, kterou jste neznali vy ani vaši otcové; tam budete sloužit ve dne i v noci jiným bohům, protože se nad vámi neslituji. 14Ale hle, přicházejí dny, je Hospodinův výrok, kdy se už nebude říkat: Jakože živ je Hospodin, který vyvedl syny Izraele z egyptské země, 15nýbrž: Jakože živ je Hospodin, který vyvedl syny Izraele ze severní země a ze všech zemí, kam je zahnal. A přivedu je zpět do jejich země, kterou jsem dal jejich otcům. 16Hle, posílám pro mnoho rybářů, je Hospodinův výrok, a budou je chytat jako ryby a potom pošlu pro mnoho lovců a budou je lovit ze všech hor a ze všech návrší a ze skalních trhlin, 17neboť moje oči hledí na všechny jejich cesty; nejsou přede mnou ukryty a jejich vina se před mým zrakem neskryje. 18Avšak nejprve odplatím dvojnásobně za jejich vinu a jejich hřích, protože znesvětili mou zemi mrtvolami svých ohavných model a mé dědictví naplnili svými odpornými věcmi. 19Hospodine, moje sílo a má záštito, mé útočiště v den soužení, k tobě přijdou národy od končin země a řeknou: Naši otcové jistě zdědili klam, nicotné modly, které neprospějí. 20Cožpak si lidé mohou udělat bohy? To přece nejsou bohové! 21Proto hle, přivedu je k poznání, tentokrát jim dám poznat svoji moc a svoji udatnost a poznají, že mé jméno je Hospodin.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS PROPHECY. (Jer. 16:1-21)
in this place--in Judea. The direction to remain single was (whether literally obeyed, or only in prophetic vision) to symbolize the coming calamities of the Jews (
Ezek 24:15-
Ezek 24:27) as so severe that the single state would be then (contrary to the ordinary course of things) preferable to the married (compare
1Cor 7:8,
1Cor 7:26,
1Cor 7:29;
Matt 24:19;
Luke 23:29).
4 grievous deaths--rather, "deadly diseases" (
Jer 15:2).
not . . . lamented--so many shall be the slain (
Jer 22:18).
dung-- (
Ps 83:10).
5 (
Ezek 24:17,
Ezek 24:22-
Ezek 24:23).
house of mourning-- (
Mark 5:38). Margin, "mourning-feast"; such feasts were usual at funerals. The Hebrew means, in
Amos 6:7, the cry of joy at a banquet; here, and
Lam 2:19, the cry of sorrow.
6 cut themselves--indicating extravagant grief (
Jer 41:5;
Jer 47:5), prohibited by the law (
Lev 19:28).
bald-- (
Jer 7:29;
Isa 22:12).
7 tear themselves--rather, "break bread," namely, that eaten at the funeral-feast (
Deut 26:14;
Job 42:11;
Ezek 24:17;
Hos 9:4). "Bread" is to be supplied, as in
Lam 4:4; compare "take" (food) (
Gen 42:33).
give . . . cup of consolation . . . for . . . father--It was the Oriental custom for friends to send viands and wine (the "cup of consolation") to console relatives in mourning-feasts, for example, to children upon the death of a "father" or "mother."
8 house of feasting--joyous: as distinguished from mourning-feasts. Have no more to do with this people whether in mourning or joyous feasts.
9 (
Jer 7:34;
Jer 25:10;
Ezek 26:13).
10 (
Deut 29:24;
1Kgs 9:8-9).
11 (
Jer 5:19;
Jer 13:22;
Jer 22:8-
Jer 22:9).
12 ye--emphatic: so far from avoiding your fathers' bad example, ye have done worse (
Jer 7:26;
1Kgs 14:9).
imagination--rather, "stubborn perversity."
that they may not hearken--rather, connected with "ye"; "ye have walked . . . so as not to hearken to Me."
13 serve other gods--That which was their sin in their own land was their punishment in exile. Retribution in kind. They voluntarily forsook God for idols at home; they were not allowed to serve God, if they wished it, in captivity (
Dan 3:12;
Dan 6:7).
day and night--irony. You may there serve idols, which ye are so mad after, even to satiety, and without intermission.
14 Therefore--So severe shall be the Jews' bondage that their deliverance from it shall be a greater benefit than that out of Egypt. The consolation is incidental here; the prominent thought is the severity of their punishment, so great that their rescue from it will be greater than that from Egypt [CALVIN]; so the context,
Jer 16:13,
Jer 16:17-
Jer 16:18, proves (
Jer 23:7-
Jer 23:8;
Isa 43:18).
15 the north--Chaldea. But while the return from Babylon is primarily meant, the return hereafter is the full and final accomplishment contemplated, as "from all the lands" proves. "Israel" was not, save in a very limited sense, "gathered from all the lands" at the return from Babylon (see on
Jer 24:6;
Jer 30:3;
Jer 32:15).
16 send for--translate, "I will send many"; "I will give the commission to many" (
2Chr 17:7).
fishers . . . hunters--successive invaders of Judea (
Amos 4:2;
Hab 1:14-
Hab 1:15). So "net" (
Ezek 12:13). As to "hunters," see
Gen 10:9;
Mic 7:2. The Chaldees were famous in hunting, as the Egyptians, the other enemy of Judea, were in fishing. "Fishers" expresses the ease of their victory over the Jews as that of the angler over fishes; "hunters," the keenness of their pursuit of them into every cave and nook. It is remarkable, the same image is used in a good sense of the Jews' restoration, implying that just as their enemies were employed by God to take them in hand for destruction, so the same shall be employed for their restoration (
Ezek 47:9-
Ezek 47:10). So spiritually, those once enemies by nature (fishermen many of them literally) were employed by God to be heralds of salvation, "catching men" for life (
Matt 4:19;
Luke 5:10;
Acts 2:41;
Acts 4:4); compare here
Jer 16:19, "the Gentiles shall come unto thee" (
2Cor 12:16).
17 (
Jer 32:19;
Pro 5:21;
Pro 15:3).
their iniquity--the cause of God's judgments on them.
18 first . . . double--HORSLEY translates, "I will recompense . . . once and again"; literally, "the first time repeated": alluding to the two captivities--the Babylonian and the Roman. MAURER, "I will recompense their former iniquities (those long ago committed by their fathers) and their (own) repeated sins" (
Jer 16:11-
Jer 16:12). English Version gives a good sense, "First (before 'I bring them again into their land'), I will doubly (that is, fully and amply,
Jer 17:18;
Isa 40:2) recompense."
carcasses--not sweet-smelling sacrifices acceptable to God, but "carcasses" offered to idols, an offensive odor to God: human victims (
Jer 19:5;
Ezek 16:20), and unclean animals (
Isa 65:4;
Isa 66:17). MAURER explains it, "the carcasses" of the idols: their images void of sense and life, Compare
Jer 16:19-
Jer 16:20.
Lev 26:30 favors this.
19 The result of God's judgments on the Jews will be that both the Jews when restored, and the Gentiles who have witnessed those judgments, shall renounce idolatry for the worship of Jehovah. Fulfilled partly at the return from Babylon, after which the Jews entirely renounced idols, and many proselytes were gathered in from the Gentiles, but not to be realized in its fulness till the final restoration of Israel (Isa. 2:1-17).
20 indignant protest of Jeremiah against idols.
and they (are) no gods-- (
Jer 2:11;
Isa 37:19;
Gal 4:8). "They" refers to the idols. A man (a creature himself) making God is a contradiction in terms. Vulgate takes "they" thus: "Shall man make gods, though men themselves are not gods?"
21 Therefore--In order that all may be turned from idols to Jehovah, He will now give awful proof of His divine power in the judgments He will inflict.
this once--If the punishments I have heretofore inflicted have not been severe enough to teach them.
my name . . . Lord--Jehovah (
Ps 83:18): God's incommunicable name, to apply which to idols would be blasphemy. Keeping His threats and promises (
Exod 6:3).
The the Septuagint omits the first four verses, but other Greek versions have them.