Jeremiah 30:14

All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. ALL THY LOVERS - the people formerly allied to thee, Assyria and Egypt (cf. ). SEEK THEE NOT - have cast away all concern for thee in thy distress. I HAVE WOUNDED THEE WITH THE WOUND OF AN ENEMY - a wound such as an enemy would inflict. God condescends to employ language adapted to human conceptions. He is incapable of "enmity" or "cruelty;" it was their grievous sin which righteously demanded a grievous punishment, as though he were an "enemy" (; ;...

The Prophet again repeats, that nothing remained for Israel as coming from men, for no one offered to bring help. Some, indeed, explain the words as though the Prophet had said, that friends, as it is usually the case, concealed themselves through shame on seeing the condition of the people hopeless: for as long as friends can relieve the sick, they are ready at hand, and anxiously exert themselves, but when life is despaired of, they no longer appear. But the Prophet, I have no doubt, condemns here the Jews for the false confidence with which they had been long fascinated; for we know, that at one time they placed hope in the Egyptians; at another in the Assyrians; and thus it happened that they brought on themselves many calamities. And we have seen elsewhere, in many passages, that these confederacies are compared to impure lusts; for when the people sought at one time the friendship...

12-17 When God is against a people, who will be for them? Who can be for them, so as to do them any kindness? Incurable griefs are owing to incurable lusts. Yet, though the captives suffered justly, and could not help themselves, the Lord intended to appear for them, and to punish their oppressors; and he will still do so. But every effort to heal ourselves must prove fruitless, so long as we neglect the heavenly Advocate and sanctifying Spirit. The dealings of His grace with every true convert, and every returning backslider, are the same in effect as his proceedings to the Jews....

FOR THE MULTITUDE ... - Or, Because of the multitude of thine iniquity, Because thy sins are strong. Judah’s lovers are the nations which once sought her alliance (see Jeremiah 22:20; Jeremiah 27:3)....

EXPOSITION This and the three next chapters form a kind of book in themselves, which contrasts admirably with Jermiah 27-29. In the latter Jeremiah aimed at casting down the delusive hope that the time of trial would soon be over and the captives restored; here he assumes that all are aware of the sad reality, and concentrates himself on the happier topics of comfort and encouragement. Jeremiah 30:1; Jeremiah 31:1. shine out among all Jeremiah's prophecies; there is a combination of softness and vigour which, even from a purely literary point of view, is most attractive. Strictly speaking, they ought to form but one chapter; they represent (as verse 4 states) the revelation from Jehovah "concerning Israel and concerning Judah." It is, indeed, most touching, this yearning of the inspi

ALL THY LOVERS HAVE FORGOTTEN THEE,.... The Egyptians and Assyrians, whom they sought unto for help, and entered into an alliance with, and who promised them great things; but forgot their promises and forsook them: THEY SEEK THEE NOT; to ask of thy welfare, as the Targum adds; they do not, visit thee, nor inquire after thine health, or how it is with thee, having no manner of care and concern for thee; this has been the case of the Jews for many ages: FOR I HAVE WOUNDED THEE WITH THE WOUND OF AN ENEMY, WITH THE CHASTISEMENT OF A CRUEL ONE; so it might seem to be; and thus it might be interpreted by them, as if the Lord acted the part of an enemy, and a very cruel one, that had no mercy; though he corrected them, as in Jeremiah 30:11, in measure, moderation, and mercy: or else the meaning is, that he wounded them, when their nation, ci

Jeremiah 30:1. _The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book._ We believe in verbal inspiration; and, though some people treat with contempt the very idea of words being inspired, be you sure of this, if you have not inspired words, you are not likely to get inspired men. Besides, words are to the thought what the shell is to the egg; and if you break the shell, you have destroyed the egg; somehow or other, the thought will ooze out unless it is conveyed in God's own words. Observe that the Lord does not say to Jeremiah, «Write thee all the thought that I have given thee;» but, «Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.» Jeremiah 30:3. F

THE GLORIOUS FUTURE OF THE NATION (30-31) CHAPTER 30 _ 1. The time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:1) _ 2. Zion's desperate condition and the promise of deliverance (Jeremiah 30:12) 3. Restoration and glory (Jeremiah 30:18) Jeremiah 30:1. The critics have made havoc with this great prophecy. De Wette, Hitzig, and other rationalists, claim to have discovered that this chapter, and those which follow, are the work of the spurious “second Isaiah.” The critics, with their present day echoes in different colleges, reject these Chapter s as not being Jeremianic. They are totally wrong

Description of the people's terror (Jeremiah 30:5 _mg._) at the Day of Yahweh (Amos 5:18); but this Day shall bring deliverance from the (heathen) yoke (Jeremiah 30:8), and Israel shall have (religious) freedom under the future Davidic king. The gathered people shall be delivered from fear (like a protected flock, Isaiah 17:2); the heathen nations shall be destroyed, Israel escaping with proper chastisement only (Jeremiah 10:24). At present, Zion is sorely wounded (Jeremiah 3

See introd. note to section. For a parallel in the character of the description in Jeremiah 30:5, Dr. compares Isaiah 13:6-15 (the overthrow of Babylon) followed by Isaiah 14:1 f. (the deliverance of Israel); also Isaiah 24:14-15; Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 25:1-5....