Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 30:16

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Jeremiah 30:16. They that devour thee — The Chaldeans.

Shall be devoured — By the Medes and Persians.

All that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. — The Assyrians were destroyed by the Babylonians; the Babylonians, by the Medes and Persians; the Egyptians and Persians were destroyed by the Greeks, under Alexander. All these nations are now extinct; but the Jews, as a distinct people, still exist.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Disease, suffering and healing (30:1-24)

Although he has been prophesying the captivity of Judah, Jeremiah knows also that after seventy years the people will return to their homeland. A theme of hope and encouragement runs through the next few chapters (30:1-3).
The suffering of God’s people will almost be more than they can bear, but God assures them that it will not last indefinitely (4-7). He will release them from bondage and give them independence and peace under the rule of the Davidic dynasty again (8-9). Nations who have oppressed Judah will be destroyed, but God will not destroy Judah. He will discipline Judah because of its sins, but when the people repent he will re-establish them as a nation (10-11).
Nothing can save Judah from either the present distress or the greater distress to follow. The nation is like a person who has an incurable disease (12-13). As an immoral woman tries to win the favour of lovers, so Judah has tried to gain the help of other nations. But those she thought were allies will prove useless to her (14-15). The covenant God, Yahweh, is the only one who can restore his people. By his own power he will destroy Judah’s oppressors and heal her incurable disease (16-17).
Jerusalem will be rebuilt and its former power and prosperity will be restored. The population will increase to compensate for those slaughtered in the Babylonian destruction, and the streets of the city will be full of rejoicing again (18-20). The people will have their own kings to rule over them and they will worship God sincerely, as befitting those who belong to God (21-22). But before these glorious days come, God must punish the nation Judah for its wickedness (23-24).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"For thus saith Jehovah, Thy hurt is incurable, and thy wound grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. 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 greatness of thine iniquity, because thy sins were increased. Why criest thou for thy hurt? thy pain is incurable: for the greatness of thine iniquity, because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. Therefore all they that devour . thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that despoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith Jehovah, because they have called thee an outcast, saying, It is Zion whom no man seeketh after."

"Thy hurt is incurable… I will heal thee of thy wounds" From the human standpoint, there was no remedy for the condition of Israel, but God would supply the healing and restoration which were impossible from any other source.

Notice how the metaphors are multiplied here. There is an incurable sickness; there is a terrible wound; there are no medicines available; there is a lawsuit and no one to plead the cause of the defendant; all of Israel's lovers have forsaken her!

"Thy lovers have forgotten thee" "These were the surrounding nations upon which Israel had relied for help against Babylon."R. K. Harrison, Jeremiah in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 134.

"The greatness of thine iniquity . .. thy sins were increased" The terrible punishment which God decreed for Israel was fully justified and amply deserved by the apostate people.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Therefore - i. e., Because thou hast undergone thy punishment and cried out in consciousness of thy guilt.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

Here, again, the Prophet promises that God would be gracious to his people, but after a long time, when that perverseness would be subdued, which could not be soon cured. We ought, then, ever to bear in mind the difference between the promise of favors, of which Jeremiah was a witness and a herald, and those vain boastings, by which the false prophets deceived the people, when they encouraged them to expect a return in a short time, and said that the term of deliverance was at hand.

And this difference ought to be noticed on this account, because a most useful doctrine may hence be gathered: the unprincipled men who basely pretend God’s name, have this in common with his true and faithful servants, — that they both hold forth the favor of God: but those who falsely use God’s name bury the doctrine of repentance; for they seek only to soothe people with flatteries: and as they hunt for favor, they wholly omit the doctrine that may offend, and is in no way sweet and pleasant to the flesh. Jeremiah did not, indeed, deal so severely with the people, but that he gave them some hope of pardon, and always mitigated whatever severity there was in the doctrine of repentance: but at the same time he did not, by indulgence, cherish the vices of the people, as was wont to be done by the false prophets. But what did these do? they boasted that God was merciful, slow to wrath, and ready to be reconciled to sinners: hence they concluded that exile would not be long; and at the same time, as we have said, they perfidiously flattered the people. So then, it ought to be borne in mind, that we are not fit to receive the favor of God, nor are capable of it, so to speak, until all the pride of the flesh be really subdued, and also all self-security be corrected and removed.

We now see why the Prophet subjoined the promise of favor, after having spoken of the dreadful judgment of God. But the illative, לכן laken, does not seem suitable; for how can this verse be connected with the threatenings which we have noticed? Therefore they who devour thee shall be devoured But therefore refers to what he had before said. ⁽¹³⁾ It is not then strange, that he draws the inference, — that God having taken vengeance on the wickedness of the people, would also execute vengeance on their enemies. Then the illative is not unsuitable, because the time of mercy had arrived when the Jews became subdued, so as to humble themselves before God and to repent of their sins.

But there is here a common doctrine which we meet with everywhere in the Prophets, even that God, after having made a beginning with his Church, becomes then a judge of all nations; for if he by no means spares his elect, his own family, how can he leave aliens unpunished? And it is the perpetual consolation of the Church, that though God employs the wicked as scourges to chastise his people, vet their condition is not better, for when they have triumphed for a moment, God will soon bring them to judgment. There is, therefore, no reason why the faithful should envy their enemies when they are chastened by God’s hand, and when their enemies exult in their pleasures; for their prosperity will soon come to an end, and with the same measure will God mete unto them the reward of the wrong done to his people.

Whosoever, then, devours thee shall be devoured, and all thine enemies, yea, all, shall go into captivity; and, lastly, they who plunder thee, etc., which is rendered by some, “they who tread thee shall be for treading.” But as the verb means plundering, to avoid repetition, I prefer the former meaning: “They, then, who spoil thee shall become a spoil, and they who plunder thee shall be for plunder.” The reason follows, —

(13) What seems to be his meaning is, that as God had punished his people, therefore he would punish the nations. The versions and the Targ. render it “therefore;” but Lowth gives “yet surely;” and Blayney, “afterwards.” But we may render it “therefore,” or for this reason, as anticipative of what is contained at the end of the next verse, “Because an outcast have they called thee. Sion, whom no one seeks.” Venema, apprehending this to be the sense of the passage, supposed that the two verses have been transposed: but this kind of construction is not unfrequent in Scripture. — Ed.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 30

Now as we get into chapter 30, we enter into the future in these next four chapters. And this is now writing of the Great Tribulation period which is yet future. This is writing about this period of time, the final seven years in which God is going to be dealing with the nation Israel. For seventy sevens were determined upon the nation Israel, of which sixty-nine were fulfilled when Christ the Messiah came, leaving one seven-year cycle yet to be fulfilled which is yet future, which Jesus spoke to His disciples as being fulfilled during the time when the antichrist will be upon the earth. Now here in Jeremiah he speaks of this final seven-year period of God's dealing when He draws the Jews back into the land and He begins to deal with them. And thus, we are in this in yet future events of this final seven years. It is called here in Jeremiah the time of Jacob's trouble.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it ( Jeremiah 30:1-3 ).

And he's talking about the present re-gathering that you see in the nation of Israel, not the re-gathering from the Babylonian captivity. And if you notice the very last verse of chapter 30, in the very end of the verse it said, "In the latter days you will understand it or you'll consider it." You'll be able to understand this in the last days. So write it in the book. In the last days this will be understood. So as we see the nation Israel being re-gathered into the land, we can begin to understand now the words of this particular prophecy.

And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace ( Jeremiah 30:4-5 ).

Of course, the land hasn't really experienced peace since they've been re-gathered. And the people are beginning to live in fear. Quite an article in the paper the other day concerning the children from Kiryat Shemonah and the fear that they have of these Russian Katyusha rockets that are raining down upon them.

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? ( Jeremiah 30:6 )

Does a man travail? Does a man go through labor?

why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in travail, and all of their faces are turned into paleness? ( Jeremiah 30:6 )

And so he sees, really, the anguish that is upon the men of Israel.

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it ( Jeremiah 30:7 ).

So God promises that He is going to save the people out of it.

For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them ( Jeremiah 30:8-9 ).

So God is going to break up the yoke of the antichrist and of the oppression as Jesus comes again. And they will serve the Lord their God, and David. Christ, after the seed of David, Branch out of the stem of Jesse, will be the king out of the "throne of David, to order it, and to establish it in righteousness and in judgment" ( Isaiah 9:7 ). "Whom I will raise up," God said, "unto them."

Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid ( Jeremiah 30:10 ).

This is when Jesus comes again. "Then shall He gather together His elect from the four corners of the world" ( Isaiah 11:12 ). And Israel would be brought back and recognize Jesus and acknowledge Him and serve Him.

For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee ( Jeremiah 30:11 ):

For all of Israel shall be saved, as saith the scripture, for a deliverer shall come out of Zion to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers when Jesus comes again.

though I make a full end of all of the nations where I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished ( Jeremiah 30:11 ).

You're going to be punished, but you're not going to be destroyed.

For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that you may be bound up: you have no healing medicines. All of your lovers have forgotten thee; they do not seek you; 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. Why do you cry for your affliction? your sorrow is incurable for the multitude of your iniquity: because your sins were increased, I have done this unto you. Therefore all of they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all of your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and all of they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all they that prey upon thee will I give for a prey ( Jeremiah 30:12-16 ).

You remember Jesus said in Matthew's gospel when He returns again, when the Son of man comes in His kingdom, then shall He gather together the nations for judgment. And He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will say to those on His right hand, "Come, ye blessed of the Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared from the foundations of the earth. Enter into the joy of your Lord. For I was hungry and you fed Me; thirsty and you gave Me to drink; naked and you clothed Me; in prison, and sick, and you visited Me." And to those on His left He'll say, "Depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity into everlasting judgment or into Gehenna which was prepared for Satan and his angels. For I was hungry and you did not feed Me; thirsty and you did not give Me to drink; naked you did not clothe Me." "Lord, when did we see You hungry? When did we see You naked? When did we see You in these conditions?" And He said, "Inasmuch as you did it not unto My brethren, the least of My brethren, you did it not to Me" ( Matthew 25:31-36 , Matthew 25:41-45 ).

And Jesus is talking about the Jews and the treatment of the nations of the Jews. And the nations will be brought in judgment before God for their treatment of the Jewish race. That is why it is so important for us to maintain a strong pro-Israel position as a nation. God is going to judge the nations for their treatment of His brothers, Jesus' brothers, that is the Jewish nation. So here God is saying the same thing through Jeremiah that He will bring... "Those that devour you will be devoured. All of your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity, and those that spoiled you will be spoiled."

For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeks after. Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built upon her own heap ( Jeremiah 30:17-18 ),

And the city of Jerusalem has been built over the heaps of the past ruins.

and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as they were before, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them ( Jeremiah 30:18-20 ).

The glorious restoration of the nation Israel. Now there are Bible teachers today who deny this aspect of biblical truth. It is unfortunate, but there are many ministers who have been deceived into an anti-Semitic position. And I get tracts and all, letters from people with these tracts on anti-Semitism because they know my pro-Israel position. And they say, "God is through with the nation Israel. The church is now spiritual Israel. All of the promises that God gave to Israel now apply to the church and the church is now spiritual Israel, and God is through and forever finished with the nation Israel. As a people they are over. They had their chance. They ruined their chance. God has cast them out forever. They're gone, that's the end of it and all." Not so. These people are not scholars of the Old Testament. If they will read the Old Testament they would realize that God is making these promises to the nation Israel, to the seed of Jacob, and they do not and cannot apply to the church even in a spiritual way.

Now because these people misinterpret the scriptures and have such a lack of understanding of the Old Testament prophecies, they then make the second error and say that the church is going to go through the Great Tribulation. Because in the Great Tribulation God speaks of the saints. God speaks of the elect. And thus, if there are saints and elect in the Great Tribulation, they must be the church, because God is through with Israel and those promises, and all that apply to Israel are now all applicable to the church. Therefore, the other things that were applicable to Israel would also be applicable to the church, and thus, they see the church in the Great Tribulation. But it's only because of the spiritualizing of the church to become spiritual Israel and declaring that God is through once and forever with the nation Israel, the seed of Jacob. That is contrary to all of the prophecies.

As Peter spoke how that God spoke in all of the scriptures, he said, of the final restitution. Peter makes reference to how God in all of the scriptures spoke of that day when the final restitution of the nation Israel, of all things to the nation Israel. But these men either willfully or ignorantly overlook this fact and thus they fall into that tragic error of saying, "Well, the church is in the Great Tribulation because, look, here it speaks about the saints." What does it say about the saints? It says, "And the beast will make war against the saints, and overcome them" ( Revelation 11:7 ). Good luck, saints. You're going to be overcome by the antichrist. Doesn't that encourage you? In Daniel it speaks about the little horn, the antichrist, who makes war against the saints and prevails against them. Congratulations, saints, the antichrist is going to wipe you out. No, no, no, don't you believe that. Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" ( Matthew 16:18 ). Then who are the saints who the antichrist prevails against? Israel.

In this final seven-year period the time of Jacob's trouble, and that's why Jacob is in trouble, because he has made a covenant with the antichrist. So anxious are they to rebuild their temple, that when the European leader comes along and says, "Look, we'll help you to rebuild your temple. After all, you've eliminated Russia and given us now this great rise to power, and so we like to show you a favor and we'll just put a wall along here and we'll separate the Dome of the Rock mosque from this area here and go ahead and build your temple right here." And they will begin to worship this man as the Messiah. But after three-and-a-half years he'll come to this temple and he's going to stand in the holy of holies and he's going to say, "All right, that's enough. Stop the prayers, the sacrifices. I am God; you must now worship me as God." And the people are going to flee down to the area of Jordan, Trans-Jordan, into the area of Petra where God is going to preserve them. The antichrist is going to send out an army after them. The earth is going to open up and swallow the army of the antichrist. And then he is going to just make war against the remnant of the Jews that is still in the land, eradicating them. Time of Jacob's trouble. But then deliverance is coming.

For as the antichrist then begins to move with his European forces to conquer Africa, and he passes through Egypt, comes to the borders of Ethiopia, and he's moving down in a conquest of Africa, he'll hear the news that the forces of China and Russia have combined together and are moving across the Euphrates in a mass invasion of Europe. And he will return from his invasion of Africa, and he'll meet these combined forces of China and Russia in the valley of Megiddo there in Israel. And there the final great conflict will be fought. And while these armies of the world, the vast millions of people pour into this area where this holocaust and the blood is running to the horses' bridle through the space of the whole valley, then the Deliverer shall come out of Zion. Behold, He comes with ten thousands of His saints and He sets His foot upon the Mount of Olives which perpetrates an earthquake that splits the Mount of Olives in two. One part towards the north, one part towards the south, forming a new valley down to the Dead Sea area. And underground springs will be opened up and a river will come gushing out from Jerusalem and flow on down towards the Dead Sea. A part of it will branch off and go to the Mediterranean and when the waters come in to the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea will no longer become a Dead Sea, but will become alive and active. And they'll begin to have a fishing industry in the area of the Dead Sea and Engedi will be a place of drying fishers' nets.

And all of this God has predicted and told in advance. And when Jesus returns, by the brightness of His coming and by the word that goes forth out of His mouth, He's going to destroy this man of sin, the antichrist, this false Messiah. And He is going to sit upon the throne of David. He's going to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth and He will rule over the nation with the rod of iron. And He has said to those who overcome that they shall rule and reign with Him over the nations. And we shall reign with Him as kings and priests as He establishes God's kingdom here on the earth. And our prayer, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" will be consummated as we see the glorious day of God's kingdom here on earth. "And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: and they will study war no more" ( Isaiah 2:4 ). "And the lion will eat grass with the oxen and the wolf and the lamb will lie down together and a little child will lead a lion around by its mane" ( Isaiah 11:6-7 ). For there will be no more wars. There will be no more violence in God's kingdom. It will be a kingdom of righteousness and joy and peace. And that's the kingdom where we share because of God's grace and love to us through Jesus Christ.

So Jeremiah is now moving ahead to this Kingdom Age in his prophecy. He's going out beyond the darkness. There's going to be a period of darkness, period of captivity. But then, there will come foRuth (in verse Jeremiah 30:19 ) the "thanksgivings and the voices of those that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small. Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before Me, and I will punish all that oppress them."

And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days [you'll see it come to pass] ye shall consider it ( Jeremiah 30:21-24 ).

You'll understand it. As in this tribulation like a whirlwind from God until it has accomplished God's purposes. And then the kingdom shall be established. The book of Revelation closes with the words, "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let him who is athirst come. And drink of the water of life freely" ( Revelation 22:17 ). And Jesus said, "Behold I come quickly." And John responded, "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus" ( Revelation 22:20 ).

Oh, how I long for that day when Jesus shall come and establish His righteous reign over the earth. How I long for that day when we will see the world that God intended and God wanted from the beginning. A world that is cleaned up of its pollution, physical and spiritual. Where we live together in His love, in His righteousness, in His peace, in His glory. I'm so thankful that God has ordained that I should have a place and a part in that kingdom. Even if it is just picking up coconut on the beaches in Hawaii to keep them clean. Great! Love it. Keep my section of the beach clean.

May the Lord cause His Word to be established in each of your hearts and lives. And may you grow in grace and in knowledge of Him. And may He with His cords of loving-kindness just draw you unto Himself that you may ever experience a richer, fuller, deeper comprehension of that love that God has for you, His child. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The healing of Zion’s incurable wounds 30:12-17

"This strophe is only a fuller expression of the idea set forth in Jeremiah 30:11, that the Lord certainly chastises Israel, but will not make an end of him." [Note: Keil, 2:8.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Nevertheless, the Lord would turn the hostility of Israel’s enemies back on themselves, and punish them with the punishment they had inflicted on His people.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured,.... Thus rendering the words, they are to be connected with Jeremiah 30:10; and all between to be put into a parenthesis: but rather, in connection with the preceding words, they should be rendered "nevertheless", or "notwithstanding" y; though they had sinned at so great a rate, and were so much afflicted and chastened by the Lord, yet their enemies should not go unpunished, and mercy in the issue would be showed to them. Jarchi calls it an oath, that so it should be; the Romans that devoured them, and ate up their substance, were devoured by the Goths and Vandals; for this may be carried further than to the destruction of the Babylonish empire by the Persians;

and all thine adversaries, everyone of them shall, fro into captivity; or be conquered and subdued, as were the Assyrians, Egyptians, Chaldeans, Grecians, Romans; and not only Rome Pagan has been destroyed, but Rome Papal also will go into captivity; see Revelation 13:10;

and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey: they shall be used according to the law of retaliation; the same measure they have measured shall be measured to them again.

y לכן "verumtamen, [vel] nihilominus", Gataker. So Kimchi and Abarbinel.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.   11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.   12 For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.   13 There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.   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.   15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.   16 Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.   17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

      In these verses, as in those foregoing, the deplorable case of the Jews in captivity is set forth, but many precious promises are given them that in due time they should be relieved and a glorious salvation wrought for them.

      I. God himself appeared against them: he scattered them (Jeremiah 30:11; Jeremiah 30:11); he did all these things unto them,Jeremiah 30:15; Jeremiah 30:15. All their calamities came from his hands; whoever were the instruments, he was the principal agent. And this made their case very sad that God, even their own God, spoke concerning them, to pull down and to destroy. Now, 1. This was intended by him as a fatherly chastisement, and no other (Jeremiah 30:11; Jeremiah 30:11): "I will correct thee in measure, or according to judgment, with discretion, no more than thou deservest, nay, no more than thou canst well bear." What God does against his people is in a way of correction, and that correction is always moderated and always proceeds from love: "I will not leave thee altogether unpunished, as thou art ready to think I should, because of thy relation to me." Note, A profession of religion, though ever so plausible, will be far from securing to us impunity in sin. God is no respecter of persons, but will show his hatred of sin wherever he finds it, and that he hates it most in those that are nearest to him. God here corrects his people for the multitude of their iniquity, and because their sins were increased,Jeremiah 30:14; Jeremiah 30:15. Are our sorrows multiplied at any time and do they increase? We must acknowledge that it is because our sins have been multiplied and they have increased. Iniquities grow in us, and therefore troubles grow upon us. But, 2. What God intended as a fatherly chastisement they and others interpreted as an act of hostility; they looked upon him as having wounded them with the wound of an enemy and with the chastisement of a cruel one (Jeremiah 30:14; Jeremiah 30:14), as if he had designed their ruin, and neither mitigated the correction nor had any mercy in reserve for them. It did indeed seem as if God had dealt thus severely with them, as if he had turned to be their enemy and had fought against them, Isaiah 63:10. Job complains that God had become cruel to him and multiplied his wounds. When troubles are great and long we have need carefully to watch over our own hearts, that we entertain not such hard thoughts as these of God and his providence. His are the chastisements of a merciful one, not of a cruel one, whatever they may appear.

      II. Their friends forsook them, and were shy of them. None of those who had courted them in their prosperity would take notice of them now in their distress, Jeremiah 30:13; Jeremiah 30:13. It is commonly thus when families go to decay; those hang off from them that had been their hangers-on. In two cases we are glad of the assistance of our friends and need their service:-- 1. If we be impeached, accused, or reproached, we expect that our friends should appear in vindication of us, should speak a good word for us when we cannot put on a face to speak for ourselves; but here there is none to plead thy cause, none to stand up in thy defence, none to intercede for thee with thy oppressors; therefore God will plead their cause, for he might well wonder there was none to uphold a people that had been so much the favourites of Heaven, Isaiah 63:5. 2. If we be sick, or sore, or wounded, we expect our friends should attend us, advise us, sympathize with us, and, if occasion be, lend a hand for the applying of healing medicines; but here there is none to do that, none to bind up thy wounds, and by counsels and comforts to make proper applications to thy case; nay (Jeremiah 30:14; Jeremiah 30:14), All thy lovers have forgotten thee; out of sight out of mind; instead of seeking thee, they forsake thee. Such as this has often been the case of religion and serious godliness in the world; those that from their education, profession, and hopeful beginnings, one might have expected to be its friends and lovers, its patrons and protectors, desert it, forget it, and have nothing to say in its defence, nor will do any thing towards the healing of its wounds. Observe, Thy lovers have forgotten thee, for I have wounded thee. When God is against a people who will be for them? Who can be for them so as to do them any kindness? See Job 30:11. Now, upon this account, their case seemed desperate and past relief (Jeremiah 30:12; Jeremiah 30:12): Thy bruise is incurable, thy wound grievous, and (Jeremiah 30:15; Jeremiah 30:15) thy sorrow is incurable. The condition of the Jews in captivity was such as no human power could redress the grievances of; there they were like a valley full of dead and dry bones, which nothing less than Omnipotence can put life into. Who could imagine that a people so diminished, so impoverished, should ever be restored to their own land and re-established there? So many were the aggravations of their calamity that their sorrow would not admit of any alleviation, but they seemed to be hardened in it, and their souls refused to be comforted, till divine consolations proved strong ones, too strong to be borne down even by the floods of grief that overwhelmed them. Thy sorrow is incurable because thy sins, instead of being repented of and forsaken, were increased. Note, Incurable griefs are owing to incurable lusts. Now in this deplorable condition they are looked upon with disdain (Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah 30:17): They called thee an outcast, abandoned by all, abandoned to ruin; they said, This is Zion, whom no man seeks after. When they looked on the place where the city and temple had been built they called that an outcast; now all was in ruins, there was no resort to it, no residence in it, none asked the way to Zion, as formerly; no man seeks after it. When they looked on the people that formerly dwelt in Zion, but were now in captivity (and we read of Zion dwelling with the daughter of Babylon,Zechariah 2:7), they called them outcasts; these are those who belong to Zion, and are wont to talk much of it and weep at the remembrance of it, but no man seeks after them, or enquires concerning them. Note, It is often the lot of Zion to be deserted and despised by those about her.

      III. For all this God will work deliverance and salvation for them in due time. Though no other hand, nay, because no other hand, can cure their wound, his will, and shall. 1. Though he seemed to stand at a distance from them, yet he assures them of his presence with them, his powerful and gracious presence: I will save thee,Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 30:10. I am with thee, to save thee,Jeremiah 30:11; Jeremiah 30:11. When they are in their troubles he is with them, to save them from sinking under them; when the time has come for their deliverance he is with them, to be ready upon the first opportunity, to save them out of their trouble. 2. Though they were at a distance, remote from their own land, afar off in the land of their captivity, yet there shall salvation find them out, thence shall it fetch them, them and their seed, for they also shall be known among the Gentiles, and distinguished from them, that they may return,Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 30:10. 3. Though they were now full of fears, and continually alarmed, yet the time shall come when they shall be in rest and quiet, safe and easy, and none shall make them afraid,Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 30:10. 4. Though the nations into which they were dispersed should be brought to ruin, yet they should be preserved from that ruin (Jeremiah 30:11; Jeremiah 30:11): Though I make a full end of the nations whither I have scattered thee, and there might be danger of thy being lost among them, yet I will not make a full end of thee. It was promised that in the peace of these nations they should have peace (Jeremiah 29:7; Jeremiah 29:7), and yet in the destruction of these nations they should escape destruction. God's church may sometimes be brought very low, but he will not make a full end of it, Jeremiah 5:10; Jeremiah 5:18. 5. Though God correct them, and justly, for their sins, their manifold transgressions and mighty sins, yet he will return in mercy to them, and even their sin shall not prevent their deliverance when God's time shall come. 6. Though their adversaries were mighty, God will bring them down, and break their power (Jeremiah 30:16; Jeremiah 30:16): All that devour thee shall be devoured, and thus Zion's cause will be pleaded and will be made to appear to all the world a righteous cause. Thus Zion's deliverance will be brought about by the destruction of her oppressors; and thus her enemies will be recompensed for all the injury they have done her; for there is a God that judges in the earth, a God to whom vengeance belongs. "They shall every one of them, without exception, go into captivity, and the day will come when those that now spoil thee shall be a spoil." Those that lead into captivity shall go into captivity,Revelation 13:10. This might serve to oblige the present conquerors to use their captives well, because the wheel would turn round, and the day would come when they also should be captives, and let them do now as they would then be done by. 7. Though the wound seem incurable, God will make a cure of it (Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah 30:17): I will restore health unto thee. Be the disease ever so dangerous, the patient is safe if God undertakes the cure.

      IV. Upon the whole matter, they are cautioned against inordinate fear and grief, for in these precious promises there is enough to silence both. 1. They must not tremble as those that have no hope in the apprehension of future further trouble that might threaten them (Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 30:10): Fear thou not, O my servant Jacob! neither be dismayed. Note, Those that are God's servants must not give way to disquieting fears, whatever difficulties and dangers may be before them. 2. They must not sorrow as those that have no hope for the troubles which at present they lie under, Jeremiah 30:15; Jeremiah 30:15. "Why criest thou for thy affliction? It is true thy carnal confidences fail thee, creatures are physicians of no value, but I will heal thy wound, and therefore, Why criest thou? Why dost thou fret and complain thus? It is for thy sin (Jeremiah 30:14; Jeremiah 30:15), and therefore, instead of repining, thou shouldest be repenting. Wherefore should a man complain for the punishment of his sins? The issue will be good at last, and therefore rejoice in hope."