Jeremiah 6:13

6:9-17 When the Lord arises to take vengeance, no sinners of any age or rank, or of either sex escape. They were set upon the world, and wholly carried away by the love of it. If we judge of this sin by God's word, we find multitudes in every station and rank given up to it. Those are to be reckoned our worst and most dangerous enemies, who flatter us in a sinful way. Oh that men would be wise for their souls! Ask for the old paths; the way of godliness and righteousness has always been the way God has owned and blessed. Ask for the old paths set forth by the written word of God. When you have found the good way, go on in it, you will find abundant recompence at your journey's end. But if men will not obey the voice of God and flee to his appointed Refuge, it will plainly appear at the day of judgment, that they are ruined because they reject God's word.

For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them,.... From the least in age to the oldest among them; or rather, from persons of the lowest class of life, and in the meanest circumstances, to those that are in the highest places of trust and honour, and are in the greatest affluence of riches and wealth; so that as men of every age and station had sinned, old and young, high and low, rich and poor, it was but just and right that they should all share in the common calamity: everyone is given to covetousness; which is mentioned particularly, and instead of other sins, it being the root of evil, and was the prevailing sin among them: from the prophet even unto the priest everyone dealeth falsely; the false prophet, as Kimchi interprets it, and so the Septuagint and other versions; and the priest of Baal, as the same interpreter; both acted deceitfully; the one in prophesying lies to the people, the other in drawing them off from the pure worship of God. The Targum is, "from the scribe to the priest;'' from the lowest order of teachers to the highest in ecclesiastical office. The whole shows a most general and dreadful corruption.

Jeremiah 6:13-15 . For, from the least of them, &c. — Old and young, rich and poor, high and low, those of all ranks, professions, and employments; every one is given to covetousness — Greedy of filthy lucre; and this made them oppressive, for of that evil, as well as others, the love of money is the bitter root. Nay, and this hardened their hearts against the word of God and his prophets: they were the covetous Pharisees that derided Christ. From the prophet to the priest, every one dealeth falsely — Not only in speaking false things, but, as the Hebrew, עשׁה שׁקר , signifies, doing falsehood; acting a lie; that is, playing the hypocrite; keeping up an outward form, or appearance, of piety, and desiring to be accounted righteous, when, before God, they were abominably wicked. They have healed also the hurt, &c., slightly — Skinning over the wound, and never searching it to the bottom; applying lenitives, soothing speeches, when there was need of corrosives, or sharp reproofs, which might have brought them to a true sense of the danger of their condition: encouraging them in their sins, and carnal security, by promising them peace and safety when they were on the brink of ruin and destruction. So that the ministry of these priests and prophets, instead of proving a blessing, became a real curse to them. Were they ashamed, &c. — Nothing is a greater sign of an incorrigible temper than being past shame.

Such the prophet tells us was the character of the generality of the Jews at this time: their hearts were so hardened that they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Nay, it seems they even gloried in their wickedness, and openly confronted the convictions that should have humbled and brought them to repentance. This is thought by some to refer especially to the priests and prophets, who had soothed the people in their sins, with false hopes of peace, and yet were not ashamed of their deceit and treachery; no, not when the event disproved and gave the lie to their promises. Therefore shall they fall among them that fall — They shall have their portion with those whom they have deceived and destroyed.

Verse 13. - Given to covetousness ; literally, gaineth gain ; but the word here rendered "gain" implies that it is unrighteous gain (the root means "to tear"), Unjust gain and murder are repeatedly singled out in the Old Testament as representative sins (comp. Ezekiel 33:31 ; Psalm 119:36 ; Isaiah 1:15 ; Jeremiah 2:34 ; and see my note on Isaiah 57:17). There is a special reason for the selection of "covetousness" here. Land was the object of a high-born Jew's ambition, and expulsion from his land was his appropriate punishment (comp. Isaiah 5:8, 9 ). Jeremiah 6:13

(13) Is given to covetousness. —Literally, gained gain. The Hebrew word (as in Genesis 37:26 ; Job 22:2 ) does not necessarily involve the idea of dishonest gain, though this (as in Proverbs 1:19 ; Habakkuk 2:9 ) is often implied. What the prophet condemns is the universal desire of gain ( rem . . . rem . . . quocunque modo rem ) , sure to lead, as in the second clause, to a gratification of it by fair means or foul. From the prophet even unto the priest . . .—The two orders that ought to have checked the evil are noted as having been foremost in promoting it. (Comp. Note on Jeremiah 5:31.) Dealeth falsely.—Literally, worketh a lie, in the sense of “dishonesty.”

From the least of them; not respecting so much their age as degree and quality, poor and rich; the prophet notes the generality of their corruption as the reason of God’s severity against them, as Jeremiah 6:6 ; observing also that it was even among the greatest, who ought to have given better examples, no soundness from head to foot. Covetousness; in which possibly all their wickednesses, as cruelty, oppression, injustice, &c., may be comprised, it being the root of all evil, 1 Timothy 6:10 , and may also speak the justice of God, in the Chaldeans taking them and all their substance away, that had by violence and fraud wrested it from others, Micah 2:2 . Dealeth falsely, Heb. doing falsehood ; as if that were their whole work, the proper and peculiar sin of the priests and prophets, to deceive the people, and to flatter them by false visions, as in the next verse; not that they were not also guilty of the other sins, Isaiah 56:11 , and the princes and people of this, Micah 3:9 Jeremiah 5:31 , for they were all involved in the same wickedness; but the prophet mentions those sins that were most peculiar to each party. See the same Jeremiah 8:10 .

Jeremiah 6:12 gives the result of being thus taken: their houses, fields, and wives will be handed over to others, descend to others. Wives are mentioned along with houses and fields, as in the commandment, Exodus 20:17 ; cf. Deuteronomy 5:18 . The loss of all one's possessions is mentioned in connection with reproof, following in Jeremiah 6:13 , of greed and base avarice. The threatening is confirmed in Jeremiah 6:12 by the clause: for I((Jahveh) stretch my hand out, etc. Then in Jeremiah 6:13 and Jeremiah 6:14 the cause of the judgment is adduced. The judgment falls upon all, for all, great and little, i.e., mean and powerful (cf. Jeremiah 6:4 , Jeremiah 6:5 ), go after base gain; and the teachers, who ought to lead the people on the true way ( Isaiah 30:21 ), sue deceit and dishonesty. They heal the breach of the daughter of my people, i.e., the infirmities and injuries of the state, after a light and frivolous fashion (נקלּה is partic.Niph. faem., and על is of the thing that covers another); - in this, namely, that they speak of peace and healing where there is no peace; that they do not uncover the real injuries so as to heal them thoroughly, but treat them as if they were trifling and in no way dangerous infirmities.