Jeremiah 45:4

Jer 45:4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, [that] which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

Ver. 4. Behold, that which I have built, &c.] A metaphor, as is before noted, ab architectura et agricultura. I am turning all upside down, and wouldst thou only go free and untouched of the common calamity? It is no whit likely; thou must share with the rest.

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.

Meaning, that God might destroy this people, because he had planted them.

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

that which I have built . . . planted I will pluck up-- (Isa 5:5). This whole nation (the Jews) which I founded and planted with such extraordinary care and favor, I will overthrow.

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

Verse 4. Behold, that which I have built] I most certainly will fulfil all those threatenings contained in the roll thou hast written; for I will destroy this whole land.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He afterwards adds, Thus shalt thou say to him, etc. Here the Prophet shews that he was not roused against Baruch through any private displeasure, but that he had only conveyed to him God’s message. Behold, what I have built I pull down, and what I have planted I root up. Here it is evident that the cause of the reproof was, that Baruch loved himself too much, and wished to evade dangers when God ordered him to engage in the conflict. Jeremiah sets forth what would be to the whole people. The comparison shews what I have stated, that Baruch, disregarding the public safety, was too cautious, and was thus timid and tender as to his own life. This is the reason why God mentions the whole people, as though he had said, “Dost thou wish to be deemed of more importance than the whole people? Is thy life of more value than the wellbeing of the whole community?” It was a disgrace to Baruch to prefer himself to the whole people, and even to the Temple and the worship of God. When, therefore, the severity of God was now ready to fall on the whole people, though Baruch might have endangered his life a hundred times, yet he ought not to have made so much account of his life. Then the Prophet shews here that Baruch was too delicate as to himself; and because he was blinded by the love of himself, he did not consider the public safety of the people, nor did he regard the Temple and the holy land.

These metaphors of building and planting often occur in Scripture, I shall not therefore dwell on them here. But we must observe, that though God be the creator of the whole world, yet the people of Israel were peculiarly his work, and also the land of Israel. For God had consecrated that land to himself that he might be served in it, and had adopted the people. Hence he often compares that people to a vineyard.

“O my vineyard, I have planted thee.” (Jeremiah 2:21; Isaiah 5:1-7.)

I will not multiply quotations, for in a thing so easy it would be a foolish ostentation to heap together many texts. God, then, had built his people, because they dwelt there as in their own habitations, and the land was called his rest He had also planted his people. We may remark, in short, that the building mentioned here and also the plantation, refer to those special favors which God had bestowed on that people. For though he had planted the whole world and all nations, yet the people of Israel was especially his planting, as it is said by Isaiah,

“The planting of the Lord is for glory,”

that is, this people had been planted, that God through them might manifest his own glory. (Isaiah 61:3)

Let us come now to what is here declared; he says, I pull down what I have built, I root up what I have planted; as though he had said, “I have hitherto adorned this people with singular endowments; for I chose them as a heritage to myself, it is a holy race, it is a priestly kingdom, I dwell in the midst of them, I have undertaken the care of defending them, I am their Father, they are to me not only as a son, but also as a first-born; and titan this land is holy, because I have set my name in it: I have therefore built and planted this people and this land; but now, he says, I am pulling down and rooting up.”

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.

4. Thus … him] omit as a gloss. Baruch himself, not the prophet, is still addressed.

Behold, that which I have built, etc.] Baruch is pained at the calamities in which his country is involved, but let him be sure that the Lord, in bringing Himself to overthrow His cherished people, can only be thus acting because no other course is possible (see introd. note).

and this … land] probably a gloss (LXX omit). If the clause stands, the reference is to the overthrow of kingdoms by Nebuchadnezzar.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not,.... Riches and wealth honour and esteem, peace and prosperity; these were not to be sought after and expected, when the whole nation would be involved in such a general calamity. Baruch perhaps expected that his reading the roll to princes would have been a means of preferring him at court, of advancing him to some post or office, in which he might have acquired wealth, and got applause, and lived in peace and plenty all his days; but this was not to be looked for; when, if he observed, the very roll he wrote and read contained in it prophecies of the general ruin of the nation. The Jews restrain this to the gift of prophecy they suppose Baruch sought after, which was not to be enjoyed out of the land of Canaan:

for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh; not upon every individual person in the world; but upon all the inhabitants of Judea, who should either die by the sword or by famine, or by pestilence, or be carried captive, or be in some distress or another:

but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest; suggesting that he should be obliged to quit his native place and country, and go from place to place; as he did, after the destruction of Jerusalem, along with the prophet; and even into Egypt with the Jews that went there; where his life would be in danger, and yet should be preserved; he should be snatched as a brand out of the burning, when Jerusalem was taken; and in other places, when exposed, though he should lose everything, yet not his life; which should be as dear to him as a rich spoil taken by the soldier, being a distinguishing mercy.

Next: Jeremiah Chapter 46

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

land - Or, earth. Baruch’s lot was cast in one of those troublous times when God enters into judgment with all flesh Jer 45:5. It was not Judaea only but the whole known world that was thrown into turmoil by Nebuchadnezzars energy Jer 25:26.

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

4. Built… break down — This announces God’s purpose and his right. His proprietorship is involved in that he is the builder, and out of this comes his right to destroy.

Even this whole land — Rather, whole earth. The original word is ambiguous, but the parallel all flesh in the following verse limits its import to that land.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That which I have built. (comp, Jer_1:10 and parallel passages) Even this whole land; rather, and that is the whole earth.

Divine destruction.

I GOD CAN DESTROY HIS OWN WORK. What he made he can unmake. People dogmatize about the indestructibility of matter, of atoms, of souls. How do we know they are indestructible? Is God"s omnipotence limited by the properties of his own works? But apart from all metaphysics, the complex world, being constructed, is plainly subject to destruction. It is monstrous to think the universe is a huge Frankenstein, able to escape from the power of its Maker.

II GOD HAS A RIGHT TO DESTROY HIS OWN WORK. There is no property so clearly belonging to a person as the work of his own hands. All things that exist were made by God, and all belong to him. What he gave us he has a right to withdraw. His gifts are loans, talents to be used for a season and then returned. No creature has a right to its own life before God. He freely gave it; he may withdraw it. Much less have we sinful creatures any such right.

III GOD WILL NOT DESTROY HIS OWN WORK WITHOUT GOOD REASON. A power is not necessarily always put forth nor a right in perpetual exercise. God does not act capriciously nor cruelly. He is the Creator rather than the Destroyer. He delights in creating because he loves his creatures. He takes no pleasure in destroying, but will only do it under urgent necessity.

IV NEVERTHELESS THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH GOD WILL DESTROY HIS OWN WORK. All things were good when they came from their Maker"s hands. But some have been corrupted. When a thing is hopelessly corrupt there is no reason for preserving it and much for destroying it. See this in earthly experience the Flood, the destruction of Jerusalem, and m greater judgments the wages of sin, death, and the final destruction of the world. Therefore let us not presume that any work or institution is eternal because it was established by the eternal God, that any possession of ours must be permanent because it came from him, or that our own life is safe because God breathed it into us.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This is what you must say to him

Yahweh is telling Jeremiah what to say to Baruch.

what I built, I am now tearing down. What I planted, I am now pulling up

Both of these metaphors mean the same thing. Yahweh destroying the people of the nation of Judah is spoken of as if the nation were a building he would tear down or a plant that he will pull up. AT: "this nation is like a building that I built, but I am now tearing down. It is like a plant that I planted, but I am now pulling out of the ground" (See: Parallelism and Metaphor)

But are you hoping for great things for yourself?

Yahweh uses a question to state that he knows Baruch is hoping for others to treat him in a special way. AT: "I know you hope for great things for yourself." or "I know you hope others will honor you." (See: Rhetorical Question)

For see

"For understand" or "Be aware"

disaster is coming on all humanity

Causing disaster to happen is spoken of as if disaster were something that could travel and arrive at a place. AT: "I will cause all of humanity to experience disaster" (See: Metaphor)

this is Yahweh's declaration

Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in Jeremiah 1:8. AT: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: First, Second, or Third Person)

your life as your plunder everywhere you will go

Allowing Baruch to escape and remain alive is spoken of as if his life were plunder that he would take after a battle. AT: "but wherever you go, I will protect you and allow you to live" (See: Metaphor)

plunder

things stolen from a place by force

translationWords

earth

hope

declare

life

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

and it is all the land that is being judged with this uprooting and tearing down.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.