Jeremiah 12:2

Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. THEY GROW - literally, go on, progress. Thou givest them sure dwellings and increasing prosperity. THOU ART NEAR IN THEIR MOUTH, AND FAR FROM THEIR REINS - (; ). Hypocrities....

When the happiness of the wicked disturbs our minds, two false thoughts occur to us, — either that this world is ruled by chance and not governed by God’s providence, or that God does not perform the office of a good and righteous judge when he suffers light to be so blended with darkness. But the Prophet here takes it as granted, that the world is governed by God’s providence; he therefore does not touch the false notion, which yet harasses pious minds, that fortune governs the world. Well known are these words, “I am disposed to think that there are no gods.” (53) It was thought there were no gods who ruled the world, because he died who deserved a longer life. And the wisest heathens have thus spoken, “I see fortune, which yet no reason governs; I see fortune, which prevails more than reason in these matters.” (54) But the Prophet, who was far removed from these profane notions, held...

1-6 When we are most in the dark concerning God's dispensations, we must keep up right thoughts of God, believing that he never did the least wrong to any of his creatures. When we find it hard to understand any of his dealings with us, or others, we must look to general truths as our first principles, and abide by them: the Lord is righteous. The God with whom we have to do, knows how our hearts are toward him. He knows both the guile of the hypocrite and the sincerity of the upright. Divine judgments would pull the wicked out of their pasture as sheep for the slaughter. This fruitful land was turned into barrenness for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein. The Lord reproved the prophet. The opposition of the men of Anathoth was not so formidable as what he must expect from the rulers of Judah. Our grief that there should be so much evil is often mixed with peevishness on account...

Verse Jeremiah 12:2. _THOU_ ART _NEAR IN THEIR MOUTH_] They have no sincerity: they have something of the _form_ of religion, but nothing of its _power_....

THEIR VEINS - i. e., their heart. The reins were regarded by the Jews as the seat of the affections....

EXPOSITION JEREMIAH 12:1 Painfully exercised by the mysteries of the Divine government, the prophet opens his grief to Jehovah. Righteous art thou, etc.; rather, _Righteous wouldest thou be_,_ O Jehovah_,_ if I should plead with thee_;_ i.e._ if I were to bring a charge against thee, I should be unable to convict thee of injustice (comp. Psalms 51:4; Job 9:2). The prophet, however, cannot refrain from laying before Jehovah a point which seems to him irreconcilable with the Divine righteousness. The rendering, indeed, must be modified. LET ME TALK WITH THEE OF THY JUDGMENTS should rather be, _yet will I debate questions of right with thee_....

THOU HAST PLANTED THEM,.... In the land of Canaan, fixed the bounds of their habitation, given them a firm and comfortable settlement; for all the good things, even of the wicked, come from God: YEA, THEY HAVE TAKEN ROOT; as everything that is planted does not; but these did, though it was downwards in the earth, on which their hearts were set, and so were strengthened and established in their worldly circumstances: THEY GROW, YEA, THEY BRING FORTH FRUIT; but to themselves, not to God; not fruits of righteousness or good works; they grow, not in grace and holiness, but in their worldly substance; and they brought forth fruit, not such as were meet for repentance, but they had great riches, and numerous families; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, "they produce children, and bring forth fruit." The Targum is, "they become rich, yea, they possess substance.'' THOU ART NEAR IN T...

CHAPTER 12 The Prophet's Prayer and the House Forsaken, Yet Compassion _ 1. The prophet's prayer (Jeremiah 12:1) 2. The house forsaken, yet compassion (Jeremiah 12:7) _ Jeremiah 12:1. In his outburst of grief and in great mental perplexity Jeremiah states the old question, why does the righteous man suffer, why does the wicked prosper? And then the prayer for His intervention. Such will be again the case with the godly remnant in the end of this present age. They will suffer and be persecuted as godly Jeremiah was and pray as Jeremiah prayed: “Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.” The imprecatory psalms are of the same prophetic meaning. Jeh

THE PROBLEM OF UNRIGHTEOUS PROSPERITY. Jeremiah raises (for the first time in Hebrew literature) the problem of the prosperity of the unrighteous, apparently in connexion with his experiences at Anathoth. He ventures to complain (rather than plead) unto Yahweh, since He should award adversity to the evildoers who dishonour Him in their inner man (reins, see on Jeremiah 11:20), and he appeals for their punishment. God answers Jeremiah (Jeremiah 12:5) with the warning that he has worse trials to face than the troubles at Anathoth Jeremiah 12:4 has little point in this context except for its close, He shall not see our latter end, which apparently means that Jeremiah will not live to see the vengeance desir

NEAR. Anathoth was. city of priests. MOUTH. Put by Figure of ch _Metonymy_ (of Cause), for the words uttered by it. REINS. kidneys. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), App-6, for the affections....