8 How do ye say, H559 We are wise, H2450 and the law H8451 of the LORD H3068 is with us? Lo, certainly H403 in vain H8267 made H6213 he it; the pen H5842 of the scribes H5608 is in vain. H8267
He disappointeth H6565 the devices H4284 of the crafty, H6175 so that their hands H3027 cannot perform H6213 their enterprise. H8454 He taketh H3920 the wise H2450 in their own craftiness: H6193 and the counsel H6098 of the froward H6617 is carried headlong. H4116
Woe H1945 unto them that decree H2710 unrighteous H205 decrees, H2711 and that write H3789 grievousness H5999 which they have prescribed; H3789 To turn aside H5186 the needy H1800 from judgment, H1779 and to take away H1497 the right H4941 from the poor H6041 of my people, H5971 that widows H490 may be their prey, H7998 and that they may rob H962 the fatherless! H3490
Behold, G2396 thou G4771 art called G2028 a Jew, G2453 and G2532 restest G1879 in the law, G3551 and G2532 makest thy boast G2744 of G1722 God, G2316 And G2532 knowest G1097 his will, G2307 and G2532 approvest G1381 the things that are more excellent, G1308 being instructed G2727 out of G1537 the law; G3551 And G5037 art confident G3982 that thou thyself G4572 art G1511 a guide G3595 of the blind, G5185 a light G5457 of them which are in G1722 darkness, G4655 An instructor G3810 of the foolish, G878 a teacher G1320 of babes, G3516 which hast G2192 the form G3446 of knowledge G1108 and G2532 of the truth G225 in G1722 the law. G3551 Thou therefore G3767 which G3588 teachest G1321 another, G2087 teachest thou G1321 not G3756 thyself? G4572 thou that preachest G2784 a man should G2813 not G3361 steal, G2813 dost thou steal? G2813 Thou that sayest G3004 a man should G3431 not G3361 commit adultery, G3431 dost thou commit adultery? G3431 thou that abhorrest G948 idols, G1497 dost thou commit sacrilege? G2416 Thou G3739 that makest thy boast G2744 of G1722 the law, G3551 through G1223 breaking G3847 the law G3551 dishonourest thou G818 God? G2316 For G1063 the name G3686 of God G2316 is blasphemed G987 among G1722 the Gentiles G1484 through G1223 you, G5209 as G2531 it is written. G1125 For G1063 circumcision G4061 verily G3303 profiteth, G5623 if G1437 thou keep G4238 the law: G3551 but G1161 if G1437 thou be G5600 a breaker G3848 of the law, G3551 thy G4675 circumcision G4061 is made G1096 uncircumcision. G203 Therefore G3767 if G1437 the uncircumcision G203 keep G5442 the righteousness G1345 of the law, G3551 shall G3049 not G3780 his G846 uncircumcision G203 be counted G3049 for G1519 circumcision? G4061 And G2532 shall not G2919 uncircumcision G203 which is by G1537 nature, G5449 if it fulfil G5055 the law, G3551 judge G2919 thee, G4571 who by G1223 the letter G1121 and G2532 circumcision G4061 dost transgress G3848 the law? G3551 For G1063 he is G2076 not G3756 a Jew, G2453 which is one outwardly; G1722 G5318 neither G3761 is that circumcision, G4061 which is outward G1722 G5318 in G1722 the flesh: G4561 But G235 he is a Jew, G2453 which is one inwardly; G1722 G2927 and G2532 circumcision G4061 is that of the heart, G2588 in G1722 the spirit, G4151 and not G3756 in the letter; G1121 whose G3739 praise G1868 is not G3756 of G1537 men, G444 but G235 of G1537 God. G2316
Let G1818 no man G3367 deceive G1818 himself. G1438 If any man G1536 among G1722 you G5213 seemeth G1380 to be G1511 wise G4680 in G1722 this G5129 world, G165 let him become G1096 a fool, G3474 that G2443 he may be G1096 wise. G4680 For G1063 the wisdom G4678 of this G5127 world G2889 is G2076 foolishness G3472 with G3844 God. G2316 For G1063 it is written, G1125 He taketh G1405 the wise G4680 in G1722 their own G846 craftiness. G3834 And G2532 again, G3825 The Lord G2962 knoweth G1097 the thoughts G1261 of the wise, G4680 that G3754 they are G1526 vain. G3152
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 8
Commentary on Jeremiah 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
Jer 8:1-22. The Jew's Coming Punishment; Their Universal and Incurable Impenitence.
1. 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.
loved … 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 (2Ki 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, 22; Re 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; 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 39:19-25).
7. The instinct of the migratory birds leads them with unfailing regularity to return every spring from their winter abodes in summer climes (So 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, 5; Isa 1:3).
8. law … with us—(Ro 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 119:98-100; Pr 1:7; 9:10).
10-12. Repeated from Jer 6:12-15. See a similar repetition, Jer 8:15; Jer 14:19.
inherit—succeed to the possession of them.
11. (Eze 13:10).
13. surely consume—literally, "gathering I will gather," or "consuming I will consume."
no grapes … nor figs—(Joe 1:7; Mt 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; 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 Phœnicia. 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, 29; 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, 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 (Joe 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; 51:8; Ge 37:25; 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].