1Kéž bych měl někde na poušti místo, kam se poutník uchýlí, abych mohl opustit svůj lid a odejít od nich pryč; vždyť jsou to samí cizoložníci, je to shromáždění nevěrných! 2"Ohýbají své jazyky jako luky, nevládnou v zemi pravdou, ale lží, ode zla ke zlu stále postupují, mě ale neznají, praví Hospodin. 3Před bližním se měj na pozoru, vlastnímu bratru se nesvěřuj; všichni ti bratři jsou totiž podrazáci, všichni ti bližní roznášejí pomluvy. 4Jeden druhého podvádějí, pravdu už vůbec nemluví; svůj jazyk naučili mluvit lži, pro zvrácenost by se ztrhali. 5Žiješ uprostřed lsti a kvůli lsti mě znát odmítli, praví Hospodin." 6Nuže, tak praví Hospodin zástupů: "Hle, budu je přetavovat a tříbit. Co si mám počít, když je můj lid takový? 7Jejich jazyky jsou smrtící šípy, svými ústy vykládají lsti; s bližními mluví o pokoji, v srdci však léčky osnují. 8Copak je mohu nechat bez trestu? praví Hospodin. Copak je nemám stihnout pomstou, když je ten národ takový?" 9Pláču a běduji nad horami, nad stepními pastvinami zpívám žalozpěv, že jsou vypáleny a nikdo tudy nechodí, bučení dobytka se tu neozve; všichni ptáci odsud uletěli, utekla všechna zvěř. 10"Obrátím Jeruzalém v hromady sutin, kde žijí jen šakali, obrátím judská města v trosky, kde nikdo nebydlí." 11Kdo je tak moudrý, aby to pochopil? Ke komu promluvila ústa Hospodinova, aby to vysvětlil? Proč je ta země zničená? Proč je spálená jako poušť, přes kterou se nedá cestovat? 12"Protože opustili můj Zákon, který jsem jim předložil, praví Hospodin. Protože mě neposlouchali a neřídili se mým Zákonem. 13Řídili se svým zarputilým srdcem a následovali baaly, jak je to naučili jejich otcové. 14Proto Hospodin zástupů, Bůh Izraele, praví: Hle, nakrmím tento lid pelyňkem a k pití jim dám jed. 15Rozptýlím je mezi národy, které neznali oni ani jejich otcové, a pošlu za nimi meč, abych je vyhladil." 16Tak praví Hospodin zástupů: "Pochopte to a zavolejte plačky, ať přijdou! Pošlete pro ty nejšikovnější, ať přijdou!" 17Ať si pospíší a bědují nad námi. Ať se nám z očí řinou slzy, zpod víček ať nám kanou. 18Ze Sionu je slyšet bědování: Jaká zkáza nás to potkala, jak hrozná ostuda! Musíme opustit vlastní zemi, naše příbytky jsou zbořeny! 19Proto slyšte, ženy, slovo Hospodinovo, slovům z jeho úst uši otevřete. Učte své dcery bědování, jedna druhou učte žalozpěv. 20Vždyť se k nám smrt vyšplhala okny, vnikla do našich pevností, aby nám vzala děti z ulic a mládence z náměstí. 21"Řekni - Tak praví Hospodin: Lidské mrtvoly leží jako hnůj na poli, jako za žencem padlé klasy, jež nikdo nesklidí." 22Tak praví Hospodin: "Ať se mudrc nechlubí svou moudrostí ani hrdina svým hrdinstvím ani boháč svým bohatstvím. 23Kdo se chce chlubit, ať se chlubí tím, že mě zná a že mi rozumí, neboť já Hospodin prokazuji milosrdenství, právo i spravedlnost na zemi; ano, v tom mám zalíbení, praví Hospodin." 24"Hle, přicházejí dny, praví Hospodin, kdy zúčtuji se všemi, kdo jsou obřezáni na těle25- s Egyptem, Judou, Edomem, s Amonci, Moábem a se všemi obyvateli pouště, kteří si vyholují skráně. Všechny ty národy jsou totiž neobřezané a všechen dům Izraele má neobřezané srdce."
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 JEREMIAH'S LAMENTATION FOR THE JEWS' SINS AND CONSEQUENT PUNISHMENT. (Jer. 9:1-26)
This verse is more fitly joined to the last chapter, as
Jer 9:23 in the Hebrew (compare
Isa 22:4;
Lam 2:11;
Lam 3:48).
2 lodging-place--a caravanseral for caravans, or companies travelling in the desert, remote from towns. It was a square building enclosing an open court. Though a lonely and often filthy dwelling, Jeremiah would prefer even it to the comforts of Jerusalem, so as to be removed from the pollutions of the capital (
Ps 55:7-
Ps 55:8).
3 bend . . . tongues . . . for lies--that is, with lies as their arrows; they direct lies on their tongue as their bow (
Ps 64:3-
Ps 64:4).
not valiant for . . . truth-- (
Jer 7:28). MAURER translates, "They do not prevail by truth" or faith (
Ps 12:4). Their tongue, not faith, is their weapon.
upon . . . earth--rather, "in the land."
know not me-- (
Hos 4:1).
4 supplant--literally, "trip up by the heel" (
Hos 12:3).
walk with slanders-- (
Jer 6:28).
5 weary themselves--are at laborious pains to act perversely [MAURER]. Sin is a hard bondage (
Hab 2:13).
6 Thine--God addresses Jeremiah, who dwelt in the midst of deceitful men.
refuse to know me--Their ignorance of God is wilful (
Jer 9:3;
Jer 5:4-
Jer 5:5).
7 melt . . . try them--by sending calamities on them.
for how shall I do--"What else can I do for the sake of the daughter of My people?" [MAURER], (
Isa 1:25;
Mal 3:3).
8 tongue . . . arrow shot out--rather, "a murdering arrow" [MAURER] (
Jer 9:3).
speaketh peaceably . . . in heart . . . layeth . . . wait--layeth his ambush [HENDERSON], (
Ps 55:21).
9 (
Jer 5:9,
Jer 5:29).
10 Jeremiah breaks in upon Jehovah's threats of wrath with lamentation for his desolated country.
mountains--once cultivated and fruitful: the hillsides were cultivated in terraces between the rocks.
habitations of . . . wilderness--rather, "the pleasant herbage (literally, 'the choice parts' of any thing) of the pasture plain." The Hebrew for "wilderness" expresses not a barren desert, but an untilled plain, fit for pasture.
burned up--because no one waters them, the inhabitants being all gone.
none can pass through them--much less inhabit them.
fowl-- (
Jer 4:25).
11 And--omit "And." Jehovah here resumes His speech from
Jer 9:9.
heaps--(see on
Isa 25:2).
dragons--jackals.
12 Rather, "Who is a wise man? (that is, Whosoever has inspired wisdom,
2Pet 3:15); let him understand this (weigh well the evils impending, and the causes of their being sent); and he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken (that is, whosoever is prophetically inspired), let him declare it to his fellow countrymen," if haply they may be roused to repentance, the only hope of safety.
13 Answer to the "for what the land perisheth" (
Jer 9:12).
14 (
Jer 7:24).
Baalim--plural of Baal, to express his supposed manifold powers.
fathers taught them-- (
Gal 1:14;
1Pet 1:18). We are not to follow the errors of the fathers, but the authority of Scripture and of God [JEROME].
15 feed-- (
Jer 8:14;
Jer 23:15;
Ps 80:5).
16 nor their fathers have known--alluding to
Jer 9:14, "Their fathers taught them" idolatry; therefore the children shall be scattered to a land which neither their fathers nor they have known.
send a sword after them--Not even in flight shall they be safe.
17 mourning women--hired to heighten lamentation by plaintive cries baring the breast, beating the arms, and suffering the hair to flow dishevelled (
2Chr 35:25;
Eccl 12:5;
Matt 9:23).
cunning--skilled in wailing.
18 (
Jer 14:17).
19 The cry of "the mourning women."
spoiled--laid waste.
dwellings cast us out--fulfilling
Lev 18:28;
Lev 20:22. CALVIN translates, "The enemy have cast down our habitations."
20 Yet--rather, "Only" [HENDERSON]. This particle calls attention to what follows.
teach . . . daughters wailing--The deaths will be so many that there will be a lack of mourning women to bewail them. The mothers, therefore, must teach their daughters the science to supply the want.
21 death . . . windows--The death-inflicting soldiery, finding the doors closed, burst in by the windows.
to cut off . . . children from . . . streets--Death cannot be said to enter the windows to cut off the children in the streets, but to cut them off, so as no more to play in the streets without (
Zech 8:5).
22 saith the Lord--continuing the thread of discourse from
Jer 9:20.
dung-- (
Jer 8:2).
handful . . . none . . . gather them--implying that the handful has been so trodden as to be not worth even the poor gleaner's effort to gather it. Or the Eastern custom may be referred to: the reaper cuts the grain and is followed by another who gathers it. This grain shall not be worth gathering. How galling to the pride of the Jews to hear that so shall their carcasses be trodden contemptuously under foot!
23 wisdom--political sagacity; as if it could rescue from the impending calamities.
might--military prowess.
24 Nothing but an experimental knowledge of God will save the nation.
understandeth--theoretically; in the intellect.
knoweth--practically: so as to walk in My ways (
Jer 22:16;
Job 22:21;
1Cor 1:31).
loving kindness--God's mercy is put in the first and highest place, because without it we should flee from God in fear and despair.
judgment . . . righteousness--loving-kindness towards the godly; judgment towards the ungodly; righteousness the most perfect fairness in all cases [GROTIUS]. Faithfulness to His promises to preserve the godly, as well as stern execution of judgment on the ungodly, is included in "righteousness."
in the earth--contrary to the dogma of some philosophers, that God does not interfere in terrestrial concerns (
Ps 58:11).
in these . . . I delight--as well in doing them as in seeing them done by others (
Mic 6:8;
Mic 7:18).
25 with the uncircumcised--rather, "all that are circumcised in uncircumcision" [HENDERSON]. The Hebrew is an abstract term, not a concrete, as English Version translates, and as the pious "circumcised" is. The nations specified, Egypt, Judah, &c., were outwardly "circumcised," but in heart were "uncircumcised." The heathen nations were defiled, in spite of their literal circumcision, by idolatry. The Jews, with all their glorying in their spiritual privileges, were no better (
Jer 4:4;
Deut 10:16;
Deut 30:6;
Rom 2:28-
Rom 2:29;
Col 2:11). However,
Ezek 31:18;
Ezek 32:19, may imply that the Egyptians were uncircumcised; and it is uncertain as to the other nations specified whether they were at that early time circumcised. HERODOTUS says the Egyptians were so; but others think this applies only to the priests and others having a sacred character, not to the mass of the nation; so English Version may be fight (
Rom 2:28-
Rom 2:29).
26 Egypt--put first to degrade Judah, who, though in privileges above the Gentiles, by unfaithfulness sank below them . . . Egypt, too, was the power in which the Jews were so prone to trust, and by whose instigation they, as well as the other peoples specified, revolted from Babylon.
in the utmost corners--rather, "having the hair shaven (or clipped) in angles," that is, having the beard on the cheek narrowed or cut: a Canaanitish custom, forbidden to the Israelites (
Lev 19:27;
Lev 21:5). The Arabs are hereby referred to (compare
Jer 25:23;
Jer 49:32), as the words in apposition show, "that dwell in the wilderness."
uncircumcised . . . uncircumcised in the heart--The addition of "in the heart" in Israel's case marks its greater guilt in proportion to its greater privileges, as compared with the rest.