Jeremiah 6:19

Jer 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, [even] the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

Ver. 19. Hear, O earth.] In case none else will hear.

Even the fruit of their thoughts.] Why, then, should any man think that "thought is free?" Free they are from men’s courts and consistories, but not from God’s eye, law, or hand.

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.

(Isa 1:2).

fruit of . . . thoughts-- (Pro 1:31).

nor to my law, but rejected it--literally, "and (as to) My law they have rejected it." The same construction occurs in Gen 22:24. Literally, "To what purpose is this to Me, that incense cometh to Me?"

incense . . . cane-- (Isa 43:24; Isa 60:6). No external services are accepted by God without obedience of the heart and life (Jer 7:21; Psa 50:7-9; Isa 1:11; Mic 6:6, &c.).

sweet . . . sweet--antithesis. Your sweet cane is not sweet to Me. The calamus.

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

He then adds, Hear, thou earth This is general, as though he said, “Hear ye, all the inhabitants of the earth: “Behold, I am bringing an evil on this people He would have directly addressed the Jews, had they ears to hear; but as their vices and contempt of God had made them deaf, it was necessary for him to address the earth. Now, God testifies here that he should not act cruelly in visiting with severity this people, as he would only reward them as they deserved. The sum of what is said then is, that however grievous might be the punishment he would inflict, yet the people could not complain of immoderate rigor, for they should only receive what their works justly deserved. But Jeremiah not only speaks of their works, but he mentions the fruit of their thoughts; for they concocted their wickedness within, so that they did not offend God through levity or ignorance. By thoughts, then, he means that daily meditation on evil, to which the Jews had habituated themselves. So then their interior wickedness and obstinacy are here set forth.

He afterwards adds, Because they have not to my words attended, and for nothing have they esteemed my law. We ever see that the guilt of the Jews was increased by the circumstance, that God had exhorted them by his servants, and that they had rejected all instruction. That they then would not hearken, and that they counted the law and instruction as nothing, made it evident that their sin could not by any pretense be excused; for they knowingly and openly carried on war with God himself, according to what is said of the giants.

We may learn from this passage, that nothing is more abominable in the sight of God than the contempt of divine truth; for his majesty, which shines forth in his word, is thereby trampled under foot; and further, it is art extreme ingratitude in men, when God himself invites them to salvation, willfully to seek their own ruin and to reject his favor. It is no wonder then that God cannot endure the contempt of his word; by which his majesty, as I have said, is dishonored, and his goodness, by which he would secure the salvation of men, is treated with the basest ingratitude. He afterwards adds —

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.

19. The conclusion of the threefold appeal. Thus God pledges Himself as it were in the sight of the whole world, that He will no longer forbear.

the fruit of their thoughts] the results of their rebelliousness. Cp. Pro_1:31.

my law] See on Jer_8:8.

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.

Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people,.... The people of the Jews; the evil of punishment, for the evil of sin committed by them; wherefore the earth, and the inhabitants of it, are called upon to bear witness to, the righteousness of such a procedure:

even the fruit of their thoughts; which they thought of, contrived, and devised; which shows that they did not do what they did inadvertently, but with thought and design. Kimchi interprets it of sinful deeds and actions, the fruit of thoughts; but his father, of thoughts themselves. The Talmudists, (y) comment upon it thus,

"a thought which brings forth fruit, the holy blessed God joins it to an action; but a thought in which there is no fruit, the holy blessed God does not join to action;''

that is, in punishment; very wrongly. For the sense is, that God would bring upon them the calamities and distresses their thoughts and the evil counsels of their minds deserved. The Targum renders it,

"the retribution or reward of their works.''

Because they have not hearkened unto my words; spoken to them by the prophets:

nor to my law, but rejected it; neither hearkened to the law, nor to the prophets, but despised both. The Targum is,

"because they obeyed not the words of my servants, the prophets, and abhorred my law.''

(y) T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 40. 1.

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

The fathers understood this to be the decree rejecting the Jews from being the Church.

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

Hear, O earth; the inhabitants of the earth; or else God having spoken to the rational, he now speaks to the very senseless creatures to observe his proceedings, Eze 36:4.

I will bring evil; the Chaldean army, with all the direful effects of it. The fruit of their thoughts: q.d. They may thank themselves for what is come upon them, being the fruit of all these contrivances and wicked imaginations that their hearts were full of, Pro 1:29-31; see Isa 59:7; Jer 4:14; by which phrase is also intimated that their sins were not some slight oversights, but meditated and digested wickedness; and therefore God will bring upon them the just punishment for their doings.

My words; those messages that I so frequently and earnestly sent unto them by my prophets, Pro 1:24,25.

But rejected it; as it were bidding open defiance to me, scorning to be ruled by me.

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

The fruit of their thoughts. That punishment is the ripe fruit of sin, is the doctrine of the Old (Isa_3:10 Psa_58:11, margin) as well as of the New Testament. (Jam_1:15)

The fruit of thought.

I THOUGHT HAS FRUIT. In all departments of life its fruit is seen scientific, political, social, moral, religious. Thoughts are born in some one mind. Sown by words spoken or written, and by the influence of the lives of those in whom they are born; they germinate by contact with other minds; they appear above ground in the tendencies of any given age; they bear fruit in the achievements of the age.

II THOUGHT BEARS GOOD FRUIT OR EVIL, ACCORDING AS THE LAW OF GOD IS HEEDED OR REJECTED. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to that Word.

III THE CHIEF PARTAKER OF THE FRUIT OF THOUGHT WILL BE THE THINKER. (Cf. text.) And it is true both of good thoughts and ill. As a man thinketh so is he.

CONCLUSION. Let it be our prayer that we may come into full sympathy with him who said, "How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God!" So shall the fruit of our thoughts be precious likewise. C.

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

the fruit of their thoughts the retribution for their thoughts.

and they rejected My instruction Heb. ותורתי וימאסו בה. This follows the pattern of (Exodus 15:2) “The strength and destruction of God was my salvation (ויהי לי לישועה),” for he should have said: והיה לי לישועה. So too, here it should have said, ותורתי מאסו בה, but it is the style of Scripture to speak in this manner.

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.