Jeremiah 14:9

14:1-9 The people were in tears. But it was rather the cry of their trouble, and of their sin, than of their prayer. Let us be thankful for the mercy of water, that we may not be taught to value it by feeling the want of it. See what dependence husbandmen have upon the Divine providence. They cannot plough nor sow in hope, unless God water their furrows. The case even of the wild beasts was very pitiable. The people are not forward to pray, but the prophet prays for them. Sin is humbly confessed. Our sins not only accuse us, but answer against us. Our best pleas in prayer are those fetched from the glory of God's own name. We should dread God's departure, more than the removal of our creature-comforts. He has given Israel his word to hope in. It becomes us in prayer to show ourselves more concerned for God's glory than for our own comfort. And if we now return to the Lord, he will save us to the glory of his grace.

Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied,.... Astonished, and so surprised as not to know what to say or do; or "asleep", as the Septuagint; taking no notice of us, and being altogether unconcerned what becomes of us; or, as one "dumb" (i); that will give no answer to our prayers: as a mighty man that cannot save? who, though he is able to save, yet, through want of a heart or will, does not exert his power: yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us; having his residence and dwelling in the temple at Jerusalem; and therefore was not a stranger and foreigner among them; and this carries in it an entreaty and an argument that he would not in his providence conduct towards them in such manner as though he was: and we are called by thy name; the people of God, the Israel of God, and the like: leave us not; in our distress and trouble, but deliver us out of it. (i) "obmutefactus", Fosterus, Mercerus,

Verse 9. - As a man astonished ; rather (comparing the Arabic dahama ), as one struck dumb. But Dr. Payne Smith, with much reason, is more than half inclined to follow the Septuagint reading, equivalent to "as one in a deep sleep." Leave us not ; literally, lay us not down ; as if a burden of which the bearer is tired. Jeremiah 14:9

(9) As a man astonied. —The word so rendered is not found elsewhere, but cognate words in Arabic have the meaning of being startled and perplexed. Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us.—After all, then, so the prophet’s reviving faith tells him, Jehovah is more than the passing guest. He abides still among His people. He is as a mighty man, strong to save, though as yet He refrains from action. We are called by thy name.—Literally, as in the margin, Thy name is called upon us, i.e. (as in Isaiah 4:1; Isaiah 63:19; Isaiah 65:1), “we are still recognised as Thine, the people of Jehovah.”

Astonied; the Hebrew word here used being found in no place of holy writ but this, hath given interpreters a liberty to translate it variously, sleepy, weak, astonished, frighted , like a man in such disorder, through some great passions, that he is able to do nothing. As a mighty man that cannot save; like a man who in his own nature is strong and mighty enough, but through sickness or passion is so weakened, that he cannot put forth any strength for the succour and relief of his friends. Yet (saith the prophet) thou art in the midst of us; that is, we have thy temple, to which thou hast promised thy special presence; or rather it is to be understood of the whole land, according to what God had declared, Numbers 5:3 35:34 , Defile not the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel. We are called by thy name; that is, we are called the Lord’s people, and that not only by others, amongst whom we have that repute, but by thyself. God often calleth his people in Scripture his people, his portion . Therefore he begs that God would not leave them; he means as to that special providence by which he had formerly watched over them, and cared for them, and been a protection to them; nor as to his ordinances, and his special gracious presence with them in his temple.

9. astonied—like a "mighty man," at other times able to help (Isa 59:1), but now stunned by a sudden calamity so as to disappoint the hopes drawn from him. art in the midst of us—(Ex 29:45, 46; Le 26:11, 12). called by thy name—(Da 9:18, 19) as Thine own peculiar people (De 9:29).

The pleader makes further appeal to God's almighty power. It is impossible that Jahveh can let Himself look like a man at his wit's end or a nerveless warrior, as He would seem to be if He should not give help to His people in their present need. Since the time of A. Schultens the ἁπ. λεγ. נדהם is rendered, after the Arab. dahama, to make an unforeseen attack, by stupefactus, attonitus, one who, by reason of a sudden mischance, has lost his presence of mind and is helpless. This is in keeping with the next comparison, that with a warrior who has no strength to help. The passage closes with an appeal to the relation of grace which Jahveh sustains towards His people. ואתּה comes in adversatively: yet art Thou in our midst, i.e., present to Thy people. Thy name is named upon us, i.e., Thou hast revealed Thyself to us in Thy being as God of salvation; see on Jeremiah 7:10 . אל־תּנּחנוּ, lit., lay us not down, i.e., let us not sink.

The sense of the expression, over whom my name was called , appears clearly from 2 Samuel 12:28 , where Joab, while besieging Rabbah of the Ammonites, invites David to come and take it himself “lest I (emph.) take the city, and my name be called over it ,” i.e. lest I get the credit of having captured it, and it be counted as my conquest. The phrase expresses thus the fact of ownership —whether acquired by actual conquest or otherwise (cf. Isaiah 4:1 ). It is used especially of the people of Israel, Jerusalem, or the temple, as owned by Jehovah: see Deuteronomy 28:10 ; Jeremiah 7:10-11 ; Jeremiah 7:14 ; Jeremiah 7:30 ; Jeremiah 14:9 ; Jeremiah 15:16 (of Jeremiah himself), Jeremiah 25:29 , Jeremiah 32:34 , Jeremiah 34:15 ; 1 Kings 8:43 (= 2 Chronicles 6:33 ); Isaiah 63:19 ; 2 Chronicles 7:14 ; Daniel 9:18-19 ; and the newly-recovered Hebrew text of Sir 47:18 . In A.V., R.V., the phrase is often, unfortunately, represented by the obscure paraphrase, “called by my name”; but the literal rendering, which is both clearer and more forcible than the paraphrase, is sometimes added in the margin of R.V. (e.g. 1 Kings 8:43 ). that doeth this ] An epithet confirmatory of the preceding promise; cf. Jeremiah 33:2 . Amos 9:11-12 stands in the LXX. (cod.

The Lord God hath sworn by His holiness - They had sinned to profane His "Holy Name" (see the note at Amos 2:7 ). God swears by that holiness which they had profaned in themselves on whom it was called, and which they had caused to be profaned by others. He pledges His own holiness, that He will avenge their unholiness. : "In swearing "by His holiness," God sware by Himself. For He is the supreme uncreated justice and Holiness. This justice each, in his degree, should imitate and maintain on earth, and these had sacrilegiously violated and overthrown." Days shall come (literally, are among) upon you - God's Day and eternity are ever coming. He reminds them of their continual approach. He says not only that they will certainly come, but they are ever coming. They are holding on their steady course. Each day which passes, they advance a day closer upon the sinner. People put out of their minds what "will come;" they "put far the evil day." Therefore, God so often in His notices of woe to come, (1 Samuel 2:31; Isaiah 39:6; Jeremiah 7:32; Jeremiah 9:25; Jeremiah 17:14; Jeremiah 19:6; Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:7; Jeremiah 30:3; Jeremiah 31:27-31, Jeremiah 31:38; Jeremiah 33:14; Jeremiah 48:12; Jeremiah 49:2; Jeremiah 51:47, Jeremiah 51:52. (Ges.); Amos 8:11), brings to mind, that those "days are" ever "coming" ; they are not a thing which shall be only; in God's purpose, they already "are;" and with one uniform steady noiseless tread "are coming upon" the sinner.