Jeremiah 18:33

The sovereign power of God is expressed under the simile of a potter working in his shop, and making and marring vessels at pleasure, Jeremiah 18:1; the application of which to God, and the house of Israel, is in Jeremiah 18:5; and is illustrated by his usual dealings with kingdoms and nations; for though he is a sovereign Being, yet he acts both in a kind and equitable way; and as the potter changes his work, so he changes the dispensations of his providence, of which two instances are given; the one is, that having threatened ruin to a nation, upon their repentance and good behaviour he revokes the threatening, Jeremiah 18:7; and the other is, that having made a declaration of good to a people, upon their sin and disobedience he recalls it, and punishes them for their wickedness, Jeremiah 18:9; then follows a prophecy of the destruction of the Jews in particular, in which they are exhorted to repentance to prevent it; their obstinacy is observed; their folly in departing from God, and worshipping idols, is exposed; and they are threatened with utter ruin, Jeremiah 18:11; the conspiracy and evil designs of the Jews against the prophet, their malice and ingratitude, are complained of by him, Jeremiah 18:18; his imprecations upon them, and prayers for their destruction, are delivered out in Jeremiah 18:21. Ver. 1. The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying.

Ezekiel had already set this word of grave before the people in Ezekiel 18:23 , Ezekiel 18:32 , accompanied with the summons to salvation for them to lay to heart: there, it was done to overthrow the delusion that the present generation had to atone for the sins of the fathers; but here, to lift up the hearts of those who were despairing of salvation; and for this reason it is accompanied with the asseveration (wanting in Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 18:32 ): "as truly as I live, saith the Lord," and with the urgent appeal to repent and turn. But in order to preclude the abuse of this word of consolation by making it a ground of false confidence in their own righteousness, Ezekiel repeats in Ezekiel 33:12-20 the principal thoughts contained in that announcement ( Ezekiel 18:20-32 ) - namely, first of all, in Ezekiel 33:12-16 , the thought that the righteousness of the righteous is of no avail to him if he gives himself up to the unrighteousness, and that the sinner will not perish on account of his sin if he turns from his wickedness and strives after righteousness (יכּשׁל , Ezekiel 33:12 , as in Hosea 5:5 ; Jeremiah 6:15 ; compare Ezekiel 18:24-25 , and Ezekiel 18:21 , Ezekiel 18:22 ; and for Ezekiel 33:14 and Ezekiel 33:15 , more especially Ezekiel 18:5 and Ezekiel 18:7 ); and then, secondly, in Ezekiel 33:17-20 , the reproof of those who find fault with the way of the Lord (compare Ezekiel 18:25 , Ezekiel 18:27 , Ezekiel 18:29-30 ).

Ezekiel had already set this word of grave before the people in Ezekiel 18:23 , Ezekiel 18:32 , accompanied with the summons to salvation for them to lay to heart: there, it was done to overthrow the delusion that the present generation had to atone for the sins of the fathers; but here, to lift up the hearts of those who were despairing of salvation; and for this reason it is accompanied with the asseveration (wanting in Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 18:32 ): "as truly as I live, saith the Lord," and with the urgent appeal to repent and turn. But in order to preclude the abuse of this word of consolation by making it a ground of false confidence in their own righteousness, Ezekiel repeats in Ezekiel 33:12-20 the principal thoughts contained in that announcement ( Ezekiel 18:20-32 ) - namely, first of all, in Ezekiel 33:12-16 , the thought that the righteousness of the righteous is of no avail to him if he gives himself up to the unrighteousness, and that the sinner will not perish on account of his sin if he turns from his wickedness and strives after righteousness (יכּשׁל , Ezekiel 33:12 , as in Hosea 5:5 ; Jeremiah 6:15 ; compare Ezekiel 18:24-25 , and Ezekiel 18:21 , Ezekiel 18:22 ; and for Ezekiel 33:14 and Ezekiel 33:15 , more especially Ezekiel 18:5 and Ezekiel 18:7 ); and then, secondly, in Ezekiel 33:17-20 , the reproof of those who find fault with the way of the Lord (compare Ezekiel 18:25 , Ezekiel 18:27 , Ezekiel 18:29-30 ).

5 . will leave thee thrown] I will throw thee down upon. brought together ] does not differ from “gathered,” meaning “buried,” cf. Jeremiah 8:2 ; Jeremiah 16:4 ; Jeremiah 25:33 . The great dragon’s carcase shall be flung upon the fields, which means death to the water monster; and the fowls and beasts shall feed on it. It is not necessary to allegorize the fowls and beasts, they belong to the figure of the carcase, ch. Ezekiel 39:17 seq .; Isaiah 18:6 ; Jeremiah 7:33 ; Jeremiah 34:20 . Ezekiel 29:5

Micah and Isaiah, a little later, speak of such opposition, in Judah, as habitual Micah 2:6; Isaiah 30:10-11; much more in Israel, where the opposition to God's law was more fundamental, and where God's prophet's had been all but exterminated. Even Asa, in his degenerate days, imprisoned Hanani for prophesying that he would "have wars" 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:10; Joash killed Zechariah son of Jehoiada 2 Chronicles 24:20-21; Amaziah silenced the prophet who rebuked him, "Art thou made of the king's council? forbear. Why shouldest thou be smitten?" 2 Chronicles 25:15-16. Jehoiakim sent even into Egypt to fetch Uriah and killed him Jeremiah 26:20-23. Jeremiah's life was one continuous encounter with false accusations Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:4, contradictions by false prophets (Jeremiah 23:17 ff; Jeremiah 27:9-10, Jeremiah 27:14-16; Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29), hatred Jeremiah 15:10, mockery Jeremiah 17:15; Jeremiah 20:7-8; Jeremiah 23:33, persecution Jeremiah 17:18, imprisonment Jeremiah 20:2; Jeremiah 32:3; Jeremiah 33:1; Jeremiah 37:15-21; Jeremiah 38:6-13, attempts to destroy him (Jeremiah 11:18-21; Jeremiah 18:18, Jeremiah 18:20-23; Jeremiah 26:8 ff; Jeremiah 36:26). The complaint was, as here, "wherefore dost thou prophesy?" Jeremiah 32:3.