Jeremiah 5:9

5:1-9 None could be found who behaved as upright and godly men. But the Lord saw the true character of the people through all their disguises. The poor were ignorant, and therefore they were wicked. What can be expected but works of darkness, from people that know nothing of God and religion? There are God's poor, who, notwithstanding poverty, know the way of the Lord, walk in it, and do their duty; but these were willingly ignorant, and their ignorance would not be their excuse. The rich were insolent and haughty, and the abuse of God's favours made their sin worse.

Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord,.... For such adulteries and lasciviousness, and that in a way of punishment. The Targum adds, "to bring evil upon them;'' the evil of punishment for the evil of sin: and shall not my soul be avenged upon such a nation as this? which cannot delight in sin, but hates it; and therefore must punish for it; vindictive and punitive justice is essential to God; as sin is contrary to his nature, it is agreeable to it to punish for it; he cannot but do it; and he does avenge all sin, either on the sinner himself, or on his surety.

Visit, i.e. punish, Psalm 89:32 . Should I connive at such things, the wicked would say, I did not see them, or take notice of them, Psalm 50:21 , much to the same purpose with Jeremiah 5:7 , beginning; and punishment may be termed visiting, as implying the equity of God’s procedures, that he first sees and considers the case, before he inflicts punishment; as in the case of Sodom, Genesis 18:21 ; spoke after the manner of man. My soul, for I ; it speaks the greatness of God’s displeasure, Shall not my very soul be in this work of vengeance? Psalm 11:5 .

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.

The Hebrew Chetib (text) reads: "I bound them (to Me) by oath," namely, in the marriage covenant, sealed at Sinai between God and Israel; in contrast to which stands their "adultery"; the antithesis favors this. adultery … harlots' houses —spiritually: idolatry in temples of idols; but literal prostitution is also included, being frequently part of idol-worship: for example, in the worship of the Babylonian Mylitta. 8. in the morning —(Isaiah 5:11). "Rising early in the morning" is a phrase for unceasing eagerness in any pursuit; such was the Jews' avidity after idol-worship. M AURER translates from a different Hebrew root, "continually wander to and fro," inflamed with lust (Jeremiah 2:23). But English Version is simpler (compare Jeremiah 13:27; Ezekiel 22:11). 9. (Jeremiah 5:29; Jeremiah 9:9; 44:22). 10. Abrupt apostrophe to the Babylonians, to take Jerusalem, but not to destroy the nation utterly (see on Jeremiah 4:27). battlements —rather, tendrils [M AURER ]: the state being compared to a vine (Jeremiah 12:10), the stem of which was to be spared, while the tendrils (the chief men) were to be removed. 11. (Jeremiah 3:20). 12. belied —denied. It is not he —rather, "(Jehovah) is not H E ," that is, the true and only God (Jeremiah 14:22; Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 43:10, 13). By their idolatry they virtually denied Him. Or, referring to what follows, and to Jeremiah 5:9, "(Jehovah) is not," namely, about to be the punisher of our sins (Jeremiah 14:13; Isaiah 28:15). 13.

So in Jeremiah 7 the men of Judah point to the material Temple in their midst as the palladium of their security; but the prophet retorts in a similar strain, that, if they desire to merit Jehovah’s protection, and wish Jerusalem to escape the fate of Shiloh, they must ‘amend their ways,’ and practise more consistently than they have done hitherto the ordinances of civil righteousness ( Jeremiah 7:3-15 ). punish you for ] R.V. more lit., visit upon you , as the same phrase is often rendered, Amos 3:14 ; Exodus 20:5 ; Jeremiah 5:9 ; Jeremiah 5:29 ; Jeremiah 23:2 (but punish , Jeremiah 11:22 , Jeremiah 25:12 , Jeremiah 29:32 , &c.). The expression is particularly frequent in Jeremiah. iniquities ] the conventional, and sufficient rendering of ‘âwôn . Etymologically, however, as Arabic shews (where the corresponding verb ghawâ means to err , or go astray ), the idea expressed by it is that of deviation from the right track, error: so the corresponding verb, 2 Samuel 7:14 ; 2 Samuel 24:17 ; 1 Kings 8:47 al. Comp. the writer’s Notes on the Hebrew Text of Samuel , on 1 Samuel 20:30 .

2 . Jehovah’s indignation is aroused; and He swears (cf. Amos 6:8 , Amos 8:7 ), that retribution will overtake them for such selfishness and cruelty. hath sworn by his holiness ] God’s holiness is made the pledge of the validity of the oath: so Psalm 89:35 ; cf. Jeremiah 44:26 . behold, days are coming &c.] The expression implies a sudden and unexpected reversal of what at present prevails: it occurs besides, Amos 8:11 , Amos 9:13 ; 1 Samuel 2:31 ; 2 Kings 20:17 (= Isaiah 39:6 ), and fifteen times in Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 7:32 ; Jeremiah 9:24 ; Jeremiah 16:14 ; Jeremiah 19:6 ; Jeremiah 23:5 ; Jeremiah 23:7 ; Jeremiah 30:3 , &c.). he will take you away with hooks &c.] rather, ye shall be taken &c. The image is one partly of ignominy, partly of helplessness. The women of Samaria are no longer like fat cattle, proudly disdainful of all who may approach them: they are dragged violently by the foe out of the ease and luxury of their palaces, like fishes out of their native element, the water. your posterity ] your residue (R.V.),—any of you who happen to escape the ‘hooks’ of the preceding clause. It is a total destruction which the prophet contemplates.