Jeremiah 42:18

Jer 42:18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

Ver. 18. As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth,] {a} scil., Like scalding lead or burning bell-metal, {b} which runneth fiercely, spreadeth far, and burneth extremely.

Upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem.] Out of which fire I have late pulled you as a brand; the smell thereof is yet upon your clothes, as it were: Cavete. Beware.

{a} Metaph. a metallis.

{b} The substance of which bells are made; an alloy of copper and tin, the tin being in larger proportion than in ordinary bronze.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Read Jer. 26:6 and 24:12, showing that this should come upon them for their infidelity and stubbornness.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

As mine anger, &c.--As ye have already, to your sorrow, found Me true to My word, so shall ye again (Jer 7:20; Jer 18:16).

shall see this place no more--Ye shall not return to Judea, as those shall who have been removed to Babylon.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Prophet confirms what he had already said, by an example of God’s vengeance, which had lately been shewn as to the Jews; for though the destruction of the city and the Temple had been often predicted to them, they yet had become torpid as to God’s threatenings. God, however, after having delayed for a long time, at length executed what he had threatened. They had titan seen that dreadful example, which ought to have filled them, and also their posterity, with fear. Then the Prophet, as he saw that they were so tardy and stupid that they thoughtlessly derided God’s threat-enings, reminded them of what they had lately seen. “Ye know,” he says, “how God’s fury had been poured forth on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, such also will be poured forth on those who will flee into Egypt.”

Now Jeremiah was able to speak with authority, as he had been the herald of that vengeance now mentioned. If any other had declared in God’s name what had happened, they might have objected and said, that they had indeed been justly punished by God, but that it did not hence follow flint what he said was true; but as the Prophet had for forty years often and constantly denounced on them what at length they had really and by experience found to have been predicted to them from above, he was able to repeat a similar judgment of God with the highest authority, as he now does.

Thus saith Jehovah, he says, as my fury was poured forth, etc. The similitude is taken either from water or from metals: hence some give this rendering, “As my fury flowed down;” but the verb used by Jeremiah means properly to pour forth. It may, however, as I have said, be applied to water, which spreads when poured out, or to metals, which being liquid spread here and there. He then means, that all who should go to Egypt would be wretched and miserable; for wheresoever they might try to withdraw themselves, the vengeance of God would yet find them though exiles, for it would spread like a deluge over all the inhabitants, so that they would in vain seek hiding-places. We now see the design of the Prophet. The meaning is, that as the Jews had by their calamity known him to have been a true and faithful servant of God in foretelling the destruction of the city and Temple, so would they find now, except they repented, that the message by which he threatened a second destruction, had come also from God. Poured forth, he says, shall be mine indignation on you when ye come into Egypt

He afterwards adds a passage from the Law, which often occurs in the Prophets, that they would be an execration, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach The word אלה, ale, which we have rendered “execration,” means properly an oath; but as imprecation is often added, when we wish to be believed, it is also understood as an execration. He then says that they would be an execration, that is, a formula of execration, as we have elsewhere explained. Whosoever then had a wish to express a curse, they would, as the Prophet says, use this form as a common proverb, “May God curse thee as he did the Jews,” — “May I perish as the Jews perished.” In short, he intimates that the punishment would be so horrible that men would turn it to a common proverb, he adds, And an astonishment, that is, that God’s vengeance would be so dreadful, that all would be filled with amazement. He further adds, And a curse and a reproach The sum of what is said is, that God would inflict on the Jews not a common punishment, but such as would be remembered among all the heathens, in order that it might appear that their wickedness in obstinately rejecting the prophetic word was not light.

He lastly adds that they should never see their own land; for it was not the design of the Jews to dwell perpetually in Egypt; for they pretended that they remained firm and constant in their dependence on God’s promise, and boasted that they had a hope of a return, because God had fixed seventy years for their exile. As they then thus foolishly gloried, that they hoped in God for the promised favor, he says that they were shut out as to any hope of a return; for though God would restore the other captives dispersed throughout the East, yet the Egyptian guests were doomed to die in their exile. This then was to cut off from them every hope, in order that they might know that they were wholly rejected, and would have a place no more among- God’s people, however they might wish to be deemed the first. It follows, —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah,.... Or, "unto you" (w); by the mouth of the prophet; or, "against you" (x); that which was contrary to their inclination and will, as follows:

go ye not into Egypt: this was the express command of God:

know certainly that I have admonished you this day; not to go into Egypt: or, "have testified unto you" (y); the will of God concerning this matter; and therefore they could not plead ignorance.

(w) "alloquitur vos", Junius & Tremellius; "ad vos", so some in Vatablus. (x) "Contra vos", Calvin. (y) "contestatus sum vos", Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A curse - contempt, or ignominy.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Kindled. Hebrew, "hath dropped," 2 Paralipomenon xii. 7. --- Curse. People can wish no greater misery to their enemies. (Calmet) --- They shall be execrated, Isaias lxv. 15. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

If you would see your doom in a glass, look upon Jerusalem, which according to my word I have dealt so severely with, that amongst men it would be called fury, though in me it was but deliberate justice, that my wrath declared against it (like liquid things melted) diffused itself into all the parts of it: I will deal so with you soon after you shall have entered into that land, where you promise yourselves so much ease, rest, and prosperity; and as I threatened to make Jerusalem a curse, an astonishment, and a reproach, Jer 24:9; 29:18, so I will deal with you; and in this I will (saith God) deal worse with you, that whereas those of your brethren that were carried from Jerusalem to Babylon shall some of them come back again after sixty years, you shall see this place no more. There was this aggravation of the Jews’ sin, to whom God was now by his prophet speaking, they had lately seen the words of the Lord spoken by the same prophet verified, and yet would take no warning, but ran into the same sin of unbelief.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Yahweh of hosts ... says this

Jeremiah often uses these words to introduce an important message from Yahweh. See how you translated this in Jeremiah 6:6.

my wrath and my fury were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem

Yahweh punishing people because he is very angry is spoken of as if wrath and fury were liquids that he poured out on the people. This can be stated in active form. AT: "I became very angry and punished the people of Jerusalem" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)

my wrath and my fury

The words "wrath" and "fury" mean basically the same thing. Together they emphasize the intensity of his wrath. AT: "my terrible wrath" (See: Doublet)

in the same way my fury will be poured out on you

Yahweh punishing people because he is very angry is spoken of as if fury were a liquid that he pours out on the people. This can be stated in active form. AT: "I will became very angry and punish you" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)

You will become an object of cursing and a horror, an object for speaking curses, and something dishonorable

All of these statements mean basically the same thing and emphasize how badly the nations will treat the people of Judah after Yahweh punishes them. AT: "People will be terrified when they see what has happened to you. They will curse and mock you" (See: Parallelism)

I have been a witness against you

The phrase "been a witness against" is an idiom that means to give a warning. AT: "I have warned you" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

wrath

Jerusalem

curse

dishonor

testimony

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.