Jeremiah 7:19

Jer 7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: [do they] not [provoke] themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

Ver. 19. Do they provoke me to anger?] i.e., Hurt they me by their provocations? or hope they to get the better of me, and to cause me to lay down the bucklers first? Surely, as Ulysses’s companions said to him, when he would needs provoke Polydamas, may we better say to such as provoke the Almighty,

“Sχετλιε, τιπτ δθελεις εριθεζεμεν αγριον ανδρα.”

Or as the wise man, "Contend not with him that is mightier than thou"; meddle with thy matchman.

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.

7:19 God’s law was made for human benefit. Those who refused to follow his instructions hurt themselves (cp. Mark 2:27).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Is it I that they provoke to anger? Is it not themselves? (Deu 32:16, Deu 32:21; Job 35:6, Job 35:8; Pro 8:36).

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 subjoins, Do they provoke me, and not rather to the shame of their own faces? God here intimates, that however reproachfully the Jews acted towards him, they yet brought no loss to him, for he stood in no need of their worship. Why then does he so severely threaten them? Because he had their sins in view: but yet he shews that he cared not for them nor their sacrifices, for he could without any loss be without them. Hence he says, that they sought their own ruin, and whatever they devised would fall on their own heads. They seek to provoke me; they shall know with whom they have to do.” It is like what is said by the Prophet Zechariah, “They shall know whom they have pierced: I indeed continue uninjured; and though they provoke me as much as they can, I yet despise all their wickedness, for they cannot reach me; they can neither hurt me nor take anything from me.” But he says, they provoke themselves, that is, their fury shall return on their own heads; and hence it shall be, that their faces shall be ashamed.

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) Do they not provoke themselves . . .?—The interpolated words, though they complete the sense, mar the abrupt force of the Hebrew. Is it not themselves, to the confusion of their own faces?

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord,.... No: he cannot be provoked to anger as men are; anger does not fall upon him as it does on men; there is no such affection in God as there is in men; his Spirit cannot be irritated and provoked in the manner that the spirits of men may be; and though sin, and particularly idolatry, is disagreeable to him, contrary to his nature, and repugnant to his will; yet the damage arising from it is more to men themselves than to him; and though he sometimes does things which are like to what are done by men when they are angry, yet in reality there is no such perturbation in God as there is in men:

do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? the greatest hurt that is done is done to themselves; they are the sufferers in the end; they bring ruin and destruction upon themselves; and therefore have great reason to be angry with themselves, since what they do issues in their own shame and confusion. The Targum is,

"do they think that they provoke me? saith the Lord; is it not for evil to themselves, that they may be confounded in their works?''

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

Do they not provoke ... - literally, Is it not themselves (“that they provoke”) to the shame of their faces?

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

Do they think to grieve me, and trouble my mind? They are deceived, I am without passion, and can be without their offerings. Will not they themselves feel the smart of it? Jer 7:6. Will they not procure anger to themselves, as an arrow falls on the head of him that shoots? 1Co 10:22; of the phrase see Jer 3:25.

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

Do they provoke me, etc.? literally, Is it me that they provoke (or, vex)? Is it not themselves

The recoil of sin.

I THE RESULTS OF SIN ON OTHERS ARE TERRIBLE.

1. What may not be their deadly influence upon those with whom the sinner comes in contact? How hereditary, how contagious, how virulent, the poison of sin! As no man liveth unto himself, so also "no man dieth unto himself." If he die by reason of his sin, he ever drags down others into the same doom.

2. And their results Godward. It is said they "provoke him to anger;" "God is angry with the wicked every day;" "God is slow to anger, and of great mercy." But still sin is "the abominable thing that he hates." He will not tolerate it in his children, and hence, however severe the measures necessary to separate it and them, those measures will be taken. "Our God is a consuming fire." But

II THE RECOIL OF SIN ON THE SINNER HIMSELF IS TERRIBLE ALSO. It is described in the text.

1. It provokes him to anger. It is not alone the Lord whose anger is aroused, but the sinner"s anger also is provoked. As he looks back on the folly, the utter madness, of what he has done, how completely he has been deceived, what rage of remorse fills his soul! How he flogs himself with the lashings of his own self-upbraiding! What epithets of anger and contempt does he heap upon his own head! He is filled with the fruit of his own ways. And another of these bitter fruits is:

2. Confusion of face. He is ashamed, abashed, confounded, because of his sin. He is so

(1) before his own conscience, He cannot bear to think of himself. From the companionship of his own thoughts he flees as from a haunting ghost. Like a sheeted specter conscience seems to be pointing at him with its dread finger, its stony eyes ever glaring upon him, so that, turn which way he will, he cannot escape their gaze. He is ashamed of himself, covered with confusion of face before his own conscience. Oh, miserable, miserable wretch that he is!

(2) Before God. He cannot pray. He shuns the throne of grace. His iniquities have so "taken hold of him" that he cannot "look up." All joy, all confidence, all hope in God, have fled. He feels himself an outcast from the Divine presence; he would feel the eye of God upon him if he knelt down to pray, and that he cannot bear.

(3) Before man. He cannot forever conceal his sin and folly, and even when it is as yet undiscovered, he is conscious of this "confusion of face "in the presence of others. And when at length the sin is discovered, oh, what agony of shame and remorse then! Death is chosen rather than life, and men rush to the suicide"s grave as to a positive relief. "Anywhere, anywhere out of the world," which has become aware of their sin! Oh, this awful recoil of sin! "I believe that if the mental sufferings of such backsliders could be written and faithfully published, they would astound you, and be a more horrible story to read than all the torments of the Inquisition. What racks a man is stretched upon who has been unfaithful to his covenant with God! What fires have burned within the souls of those men who have been untrue to Christ and his cause! What dungeons, what grim and dark prisons underground, have saints of God lain in who have gone aside into by-path meadows instead of keeping to the King"s highway! He who sins must smart, especially if he be a child of God, for the Lord hath said of his people, "You only have I known of all the people of the earth, therefore I will punish you for your iniquities." Whoever may go unchastised, a child of God never shall" (Spurgeon).

III THE ALONE CURE FOR THIS CONFUSION OF FACE IS THE CONTRITE CONFESSION OF THAT WHICH HAS CAUSED IT. God"s word is passed that such confession shall avail; but let not him who has gone back from God think that the return will be as easy as the departure. It will not. David was never the same after his sin as he was before. Oh, it is dreadful to think of this recoil of sin, and how it staggers and wounds and weakens the soul for the whole life long. We slide back, gliding easily as over smooth ice. Not so do we return. Still, let the return be ever so difficult, the Lord bids us return, and he will heal all our backslidings. Oh, let us all go straight away to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for fear we should be backsliders; for there is the surest standing-ground, there our footsteps never slip! And if we have thus sinned, and sin"s recoil is now terribly felt by us, then still go to the same cross; for our only hope of healing is there, and there alone. Come, let us to the Lord our God With contrite hearts return; Our God is gracious, nor will leave The penitent to mourn. C.

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

But instead of vexing Him (Jahveh) they rather vex themselves, inasmuch as God causes the consequences of their idolatry to fall on their own head. אתם is used reflexively: se ipsos; cf. Ew. 314, c; Gesen. 124, 1, b. For the cause of the shame of their face, i.e., to prepare for themselves the shame of their face, to cover their face with shame; cf. Jer 3:25. - For (Jer 7:20) because of this idolatrous work, the wrath of the Lord will pour itself over the land in the consuming fire of war (cf. Jer 4:4 with Jer 5:17, Nah 1:6, etc.), so as to cut off men and beasts, trees and fruit.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The Judgment Pronounced

v. 29. Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, shearing it off as the sign of the deepest mourning, Jerusalem here being considered a virgin consecrated to the Lord, and cast it away and take up a lamentation on high places, on account of the uncleanness and desecration of her guilt; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath, the people against whom His indignation has been aroused, against whom His anger is burning.

v. 30. For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith the Lord, things which are loathsome before His eyes; they have set their abominations, altars for the host of heaven and graven images of various idols, 2Ki 21:4-7, in the house which is called by My name to pollute it. Jer 32:34.

v. 31. And they have built the high places of Tophet, idolatrous altars with their sanctuaries at this point, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, southwest of Jerusalem, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, in the terrible child sacrifices made in honor of Moloch; which I commanded them not, neither came it into My heart, He had not even thought of permitting such abominations, much less of sanctioning them, His prohibition being strictly against such practices. Cf Deu 17:3; Deu 12:31.

v. 32. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called, Tophet, nor the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, or Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, a name applied to it as the result of the great number of burials of Jews slaughtered in the siege of the city; for they shall bury in Tophet till there be no place, all available space being occupied by the graves of the fallen.

v. 33. And the carcasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, the birds of prey, particularly the buzzards, feeding on the unburied corpses, and for the beasts of the earth, and none shall fray them away, no person being present then to frighten them away from their loathsome repast.

v. 34. Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the reference being made to the joyous processions in the Orient in which the bride and the bridegroom are led through the streets, accompanied by bands of musicians and singers; for the land shall be desolate. So completely was the punishment of the Lord carried out upon reprobate Judah for having rejected Him and His mercy.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

Yahweh continues to speak to Jeremiah about the people of Judah.

General Information:

In these verses, "they" and "themselves" refer to the people of Judah.

Are they truly provoking me?

This question expects a negative answer. It can be expressed as a statement. AT: "They are not really provoking me" (See: Rhetorical Question)

this is Yahweh's declaration

Yahweh speaks of himself as if he were another person so that Jeremiah and the people of Judah will listen carefully to what he says. See how you translated this in Jeremiah 1:8. AT: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what Yahweh has said" (See: Pronouns)

is it not themselves whom they are provoking, so that shame is on them?

This question expects a positive answer. It can be expressed as a statement. AT: "they are provoking themselves, so that shame is on them!" or "they are troubling and bringing shame on themselves!" (See: Rhetorical Question and Reflexive Pronouns)

shame is on them

The abstract noun "shame" can be translated using the verb "shamed." AT: "they are shamed" (See: Abstract Nouns)

See

This word is used here to draw someone's attention to what is said next. AT: "Listen" or "Pay attention to what I am about to tell you"

my anger and wrath will gush out onto this place

Yahweh speaks of his anger as if it were something that could be poured out. AT: "I will punish this place" (See: Idiom)

anger and wrath

These words mean basically the same thing and emphasize the intensity of Yahweh's anger. (See: Doublet)

gush out

"pour out"

It will burn and never be extinguished

Yahweh speaks of his anger as if it were a fire that could not be put out. AT: "No one will will be able to stop my anger" (See: Idiom)

never be extinguished

"never stop burning"

translationWords

shame

Lord Yahweh

anger

wrath

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