Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 9:25

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Jeremiah 9:25. I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised — Do not imagine that you, because of your crimes, are the only objects of my displeasure; the circumcised and the uncircumcised, the Jew and the Gentile, shall equally feel the stroke of my justice, their transgressions being alike, after their advantages and disadvantages are duly compared. In like manner, other nations also were delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, these he immediately enumerates: Egypt and Edom, and the Moabites and the Ammonites, and the Arabians of the desert. All these nations were uncircumcised in that way which God required that rite to be practised as a sign of his covenant; and the Israelites, that did practise it as a sign of that covenant, did not attend to its spiritual meaning, for they were all uncircumcised in heart. And it may be remarked, that these people were in general confederated against the Chaldeans.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Knowledge of the only true God (9:23-10:16)

People may have knowledge, power and wealth, but these are no substitute for a true understanding and knowledge of God (23-24). The Judeans may have been circumcised as a sign that they are the covenant people of God, but in their hearts they have not been true to God or the covenant. They might as well be uncircumcised like their heathen neighbours. Israel’s rite of circumcision is no more beneficial to disobedient people than the heathen rite of cutting the hair into certain shapes (25-26).
Jeremiah warns God’s people against copying the practices of other nations and worshipping the sun, moon and stars. He warns them also against worshipping idols, which he describes as merely decorated pieces of wood (10:1-5). Judah’s God, Yahweh, is not just one among many national gods. He is the only God, incomparable and all-powerful (6-7). People may be very artistic in carving or moulding their idols, and may go to much expense to clothe and decorate them, but the idols are still senseless and worthless. Yahweh alone is the true and living God (8-10).
Idols cannot make anything or do anything (11), but God created the universe and keeps it going. Idols are lifeless, and those who make them have no sense; but God is a living being, and all his works are the products of his wisdom (12-15). This God is the almighty Yahweh, the one who created all things and who chose Israel to be his people (16).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision: Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart."

Due to certain ambiguities in the Hebrew text, some have challenged the implication here that all of the nations mentioned actually practiced circumcision. "The KJV asserts that circumcision was not practiced by any of these nations; whereas, all we can affirm is, that, except for a small class (of priests) in Egypt, there is no proof of the general acceptance of circumcision by the list of nations mentioned here."Scribner's Bible Commentary (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898), p. 386. We prefer the KJV rendition, because, generally, the translators who gave us that version of the scriptures believed they were translating the "Word of God," whereas, it is evident that some more recent translators prefer to give us what they believe the prophet meant, or what they think he should have said, instead of what is written. With this view of the text, we agree with Robinson that, "Israel is here degraded to the level of other uncircumcised nations."WR, p. 481. "The passage also teaches the glory of Israel's religion, and the futility of physical without spiritual circumcision."Ibid.

"Uncircumcised in heart" This meant that physical circumcision alone, without the devoted and obedient heart that was supposed to accompany such a sign of the covenant, was worthless.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

All them which are circumcised ... - Rather, “all circumcised in uncircumcision,” i. e., all who though outwardly circumcised have no corresponding inward purity.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

The Prophet, after having removed the obstacle which he saw hindered the Jews from reverently receiving the truth of God, now speaks more sharply, and performs the office of a herald in denouncing the vengeance which was at hand: Behold, he says, come shall the days, in which I will visit all the uncircumcised in uncircumcision

This passage admits of two meanings. Some interpreters take as distinct these two words, מול mul, the circumcised, בערלה, beorle, in uncircumcision; as though Jeremiah had said, “I will visit the Jews, who are circumcised, as well as the heathen nations, who are uncircumcised,” Others read them jointly, — that God threatens vengeance on the Jews and Gentiles, because they were circumcised, and still retained uncircumcision. The passage may however be thus suitably explained, — that there was a mixture, which corrupted the sacredness of circumcision, and made it like the uncircumcision of the Gentiles; as though it were thus expressed, “I will visit the circumcised with the uncircumcision,” that is, promiscuously and without any difference, as we say in our language, Pele mele. For it follows afterwards, that all were uncircumcised in heart; that is, all the Jews. We hence see that the Prophet makes circumcision and uncireumcision the same, and that he intended to render profane the sacred symbol of adoption;but he had reference to the Jews, who, being degenerated, thus adulterated God’s covenant, and at the same time violated circumcision, so that in differed nothing from uncircumcision. I therefore think, that the Jews are classed with the Gentiles, so that he ascribes even to them uncircumcision: I will then visit all the circumcised with the uncircumcision; that is, the circumcision of each is vain, and is like uncircumcision.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 9

Now Jeremiah declares,

Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes were as a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men ( Jeremiah 9:1-2 );

You know now why he was called the weeping prophet. He wished that his head were water and his eyes were the fountain that these tears might run continually for the tragedy of the people. "Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men."

that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, they are an assembly of treacherous men. And they bend their tongues like a bow for lies ( Jeremiah 9:2-3 ):

That's quite a picturesque speech, isn't it? Bending their tongue like a bow so they can shoot out the arrow of lies. Hit ya!

but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from one evil to another, and they know not me, saith the LORD. Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and they will not speak the truth: for they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; and through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? Their tongue is as an arrow that is shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he is lying in wait [to strike him]. Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. And I will make Jerusalem heaps [that is, heaps of destruction], the den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perished and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; But they have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them the water of gall to drink. I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, until I have consumed them ( Jeremiah 9:3-16 ).

So God pronounces His judgment. But the reasons for His judgment: they have forsaken His law which He had set before them; they had not obeyed His voice, neither walked they according to His commandments. But they walked everyone after his own wickedness, the imagination of his own heart.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation. For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children without, and the young men from the streets. Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them. Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches ( Jeremiah 9:17-23 ):

It is interesting, these are three things that people often glory in. The wise men glory in their wisdom. The mighty man glories in his strength. And the rich man glories in his riches. But God said,

but he that glorieth let him glory in that he understands and knows me ( Jeremiah 9:24 ),

Now that's worth glorying about. "How dies the wise man?" Solomon says, "as the fool" ( Ecclesiastes 2:16 ). How dies the rich man? like the poor. And even the strong are made weak through age. Catabolic forces. So these things in which men glory are all temporal things. They're all very passing. My strength is failing. My wisdom will yield to senility. And my riches will be left unto others. If I'm going to glory, I need to glory in the fact that I understand and know God, because that's eternal and that has eternal value to it. The rest may give me an advantage for a time. Wisdom may give me an advantage for a time. Strength may give me an advantage for a time. Riches may give me an advantage for a time. But understanding and knowing God will give me an advantage for eternity. That's something to really glory in-that I know God. That you understand the ways of God.

that I am the LORD which exercises loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD ( Jeremiah 9:24 ).

What does He delight in? Just look again. Loving-kindness, true judgment. Fairness, actually, is what it's about. Righteousness--that's what God wants you to do. That's how God wants you to live. Loving one another. Kind to one another. "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us" ( Ephesians 4:32 ). God wants you to be fair in your dealings. Just. God wants you to be righteous, do the right thing. And in that He is pleased.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcision ( Jeremiah 9:25 );

In other words, this ritual of circumcision--not going to do a thing for you. You're going to be punished just as those who are uncircumcised. Ritual is of no avail if it isn't a reality. The physical ritual is meaningless unless there is a corresponding work within a person's heart. Baptism is totally meaningless unless there is a corresponding work of the Spirit within your heart. They can hold you down till you drown; it's not going to save you. They can baptize you frontwards, forwards, or any formula that they might seek to use. It's not going to save you unless there is a corresponding work of God's Spirit within your heart. And the death to the old man, the old nature, and the burying of the old man and the newness of life in Christ Jesus as we live and walk after the Spirit. That's what counts, not the ritual.

Now these people were counting in the fact that they've gone through the ritual of circumcision which marked them as God's special people. And the whole idea of circumcision was cutting off the flesh which was a symbol of no longer living after the flesh but living after the Spirit. But here they'd gone through the ritual of circumcision but were still living after the flesh. Thus, the ritual was totally meaningless as long as they lived after the flesh. It is only meaningful if a man lives after the Spirit. So Paul the apostle reasons, "If my living after the flesh can negate my experience of circumcision, then my living after the Spirit will make unnecessary the right of circumcision in that God counts the heart of the man."

Now your lifestyle can negate your water baptism. Water baptism can't save you. And your lifestyle can totally negate any kind of baptismal experience you've ever had, because the whole idea is there in baptism, it is death to the self and living after the Spirit, the new man after Christ. And baptism is to the church what circumcision was to the Jew, in that a symbol of no longer living after the flesh, now living after the Spirit. But if your life is lived after the flesh, it can negate any meaning to your baptism. In the same token, if you're living and walking after the Spirit, that would be accounted as baptism. Though I believe that person should be baptized, I do not believe in baptismal regeneration, and I don't believe that a person is lost who lives after the Spirit who has not had an opportunity to be baptized.

So the days are going to come when I'll punish all of them which are circumcised along with the uncircumcised.

Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are as they were uncircumcised for they are uncircumcised in the heart ( Jeremiah 9:26 ).

It's only in the flesh. It's only an outward ritual, but it isn't in the heart where it really counts.

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The Lord promised to punish those "circumcised" in one way but not in another in the future. Jeremiah used an oxymoron to describe the Jews: the "uncircumcised (in heart) circumcised (in body)."

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The worthlessness of circumcision 9:25-26

Trust in religious ritual (Jeremiah 9:25-26) is just as wrong as trust in human achievements (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

"Just as the knowledge of God is more important than wisdom, power, or might, even so faith that springs from the heart is more important than any outward show of religion." [Note: Kelley, p. 154.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,.... Or, "are coming" h; it seems to respect the time after the Babylonish captivity, when the punishment after threatened took place, and not before:

that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Jews and Gentiles together. The circumcised. Jews trusting in their circumcision, and being, as is said in the next verse, uncircumcised in heart, were no better than the uncircumcised Gentiles; wherefore both being transgressors of the law, and despisers of the Gospel of Christ, are threatened with destruction; see Romans 2:12.

h ימים באים "dies [sunt] venientes", Schmidt, Montanus; "venturi sunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:   24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.   25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;   26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

      The prophet had been endeavouring to possess this people with a holy fear of God and his judgments, to convince them both of sin and wrath; but still they had recourse to some sorry subterfuge or other, under which to shelter themselves from the conviction and with which to excuse themselves in the obstinacy and carelessness. He therefore sets himself here to drive them from these refuges of lies and to show them the insufficiency of them.

      I. When they were told how inevitable the judgment would be they pleaded the defence of their politics and powers, which, with the help of their wealth and treasure, they thought made their city impregnable. In answer to this he shows them the folly of trusting to and boasting of all these stays, while they have not a God in covenant to stay themselves upon, Jeremiah 9:23; Jeremiah 9:24. Here he shows, 1. What we may not depend upon in a day of distress: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, as if with the help of that he could outwit or countermine the enemy, or in the greatest extremity find out some evasion or other; for a man's wisdom may fail him when he needs it most, and he may fail him when he needs it most, and he may be taken in his own craftiness. Ahithophel was befooled, and counsellors are often led away spoiled. But, if a man's policies fail him, yet surely he may gain his point by might and dint of courage. No: Let not the strong man glory in his strength, for the battle is not always to the strong. David the stripling proves too hard for Goliath the giant. All human force is nothing without God, worse than nothing against him. But may not the rich man's wealth be his strong city? (money answers all things) No: Let not the rich man glory in his riches, for they may prove so far from sheltering him that they may expose him and make him the fairer mark. Let not the people boast of the wise men, and mighty men, and rich men that they have among them, as if they could make their part good against the Chaldeans because they have wise men to advise concerning the war, mighty men to fight their battles, and rich men to bear the charges of the war. Let not particular persons think to escape the common calamity by their wisdom, might, or money; for all these will prove but vain things for safety. 2. He shows what we may depend upon in a day of distress. (1.) Our only comfort in trouble will be that we have done our duty. Those that refused to know God (Jeremiah 9:6; Jeremiah 9:6) will boast in vain of their wisdom and wealth; but those that know God, intelligently, that understand aright that he is the Lord, that have not only right apprehensions concerning his nature, and attributes, and relations to man, but receive and retain the impressions of them, may glory in this it will be their rejoicing in the day of evil. (2.) Our only confidence in trouble will be that, having through grace in some measure done our duty, we shall find God a God all-sufficient to us. We may glory in this, that, wherever we are, we have an acquaintance with an interest in a God that exercises lovingkindness, and judgment, and righteousness in the earth, that is not only just to all his creatures and will do no wrong to any of them, but kind to all his children and will protect them and provide for them. For in these things I delight. God delights to show kindness and to execute judgment himself, and is pleased with those who herein are followers of him as dear children. Those that have such knowledge of the glory of God as to be changed into the same image, and to partake of his holiness, find it to be their perfection and glory; and the God they thus faithfully conform to they may cheerfully confide in, in their greatest straits. But the prophet intimates that the generality of this people took no care about this. Their wisdom, and might, and riches, were their joy and hope, which would end in grief and despair. But those few among them that had the knowledge of God might please themselves with it, and boast themselves of it; it would stand them in better stead than thousands of gold and silver.

      II. When they were told how provoking their sins were to God they vainly pleaded the covenant of their circumcision. They were undoubtedly the people of God; as they had the temple of the Lord in their city, so they had the mark of his children in their flesh. "It is true that Chaldean army has laid such and such nations waste, because they were uncircumcised, and therefore not under the protection of the divine providence, as we are." To this the prophet answers, That the days of visitation were now at hand, in which God would punish all wicked people, without making any distinction between the circumcised and uncircumcised, Jeremiah 9:25; Jeremiah 9:26. They had by sin profaned the crown of their peculiarity, and lived in common with the uncircumcised nations, and so had forfeited the benefit of that peculiarity and must expect to fare never the better for it. God will punish the circumcised with the uncircumcised. As the ignorance of the uncircumcised shall not excuse their wickedness, so neither shall the privileges of the circumcised excuse theirs, but they shall be punished together. Note, The Judge of all the earth is impartial, and none shall fare the better at his bar for any external advantages, but he will render to every man, circumcised or uncircumcised, according to his works. The condemnation of impenitent sinners that are baptized will be as sure as, nay, and more severe than, that of impenitent sinners that are unbaptized. It would affect one to find here Judah industriously put between Egypt and Edom, as standing upon a level with them and under the same doom, Jeremiah 9:26; Jeremiah 9:26. These nations were forbidden a share in the Jews' privileges (Deuteronomy 23:3); but the Jews are here told that they shall share in their punishments. Those in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness, are supposed to be the Kedarenes and those of the kingdoms of Hazor, as appears by comparing Jeremiah 49:28-32; Jeremiah 49:28-32. Some think they are so called because they dwelt as it were in a corner of the world, others because they had the hair of their head polled into corners. However that was, they were of those nations that were uncircumcised in flesh, and the Jews are ranked with them and are as near to ruin for their sins as they; for all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart: they have the sign, but not the thing signified, Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 4:4. They are heathens in their hearts, strangers to God, and enemies in their minds by wicked works. Their hearts are disposed to idols, as the hearts of the uncircumcised Gentiles are. Note, The seals of the covenant, though they dignify us, and lay us under obligations, will not save us, unless the temper of our minds and the tenour of our lives agree with the covenant. That only is circumcision, and that baptism, which is of the heart,Romans 2:28; Romans 2:29.