Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859 edition.

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JEREMIAS - Chapter 11

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Jeremias xi.

Notes & Commentary:

Ver. 1. The, &c. He continues his discourse, (ver. 15.) or rather addresses the people, when Josias renewed the covenant, 2 Paralipomenon xxxiv. 29., Leviticus xxvi., and Deuteronomy xxvii. (Calmet)

Ver. 4. Fathers. God chooses his people for obedience, not for kindred, &c. (St. Jerome) (Worthington)

Ver. 5. Amen. Septuagint, "So be it." (Haydock) --- Thou hast fulfilled thy engagements.

Ver. 6. Cities, or to those who come thence to the temple, that all may know.

Ver. 7. For. This and the next verse have not been read by Septuagint; (Calmet) but only "and they did not comply." Grabe supplies the rest. (Haydock)

Ver. 8. Brought; or "will bring," seems preferable. What does the history of God's people till the captivity exhibit, but scenes of disorder and of succeeding misery? (Calmet)

Ver. 9. Conspiracy. They are leagued together to do evil, with all earnestness. (St. Jerome)

Ver. 10. To them, for a long time. Yet they must not despair, or have recourse to idols, (ver. 12.) or witches, 1 Kings xxviii.

Ver. 13. Confusion. Thus he contemptuously denotes Baalim, chap. iii. 24. (Calmet) --- Various idols were objects of adoration, (Haydock) so that no city or street, perhaps not any house, was pure, chap. vii. 18., and xliv. 17., Isaias lxv. 11., and Ezechiel xvi. 25.

Ver. 15. Beloved, dilectus. Hebrew and Septuagint have the feminine. Chaldean, "people." They presumptuously thought that they would be freed from all their abominations, by partaking of the sacrifices. (Calmet) --- But the offerings of such are not accepted. (Menochius) --- The flesh is holy, but is of no service to the obstinate sinner. (Worthington)

Ver. 16. Burnt, by lightning. The olive was a most useful and beautiful tree.

Ver. 18. Shewedst me. He insinuates that something more than what appears must be understood. (Theodoret) --- All Christians explain what follows of Jesus Christ, (St. Jerome; Worthington) whom Jeremias prefigured in his sufferings. (Calmet) --- "Let us follow the rule which shews that all the prophets did most things for a type of our Lord and Saviour; and what was now done by Jeremias, foreshewed what would happen to our Lord." (St. Jerome)

Ver. 19. Meek: pet lamb. The Arabs still keep one in their houses, 2 Kings xii. 3. (Bochart ii. 46.) (Calmet) --- Knew. I acted as if I had been ignorant. (Menochius) --- Yet Christ foretold his sufferings, Matthew xx. 18., &c. (Worthington) --- Bread. Christ, the bread of life, was nailed to the disgraceful wood. (St. Jerome; St. Gregory, Mor. iii. 12.) --- They threaten to beat him, (De Dieu) or to mix a poisonous wood with his food. (Calmet) (Menochius) --- Some Jews had corrupted this text in St. Justin's time. (Du Hamel)

Ver. 20. Sabaoth. That is, of hosts or armies; a name frequently given to God, in the Scriptures. --- Thy revenge. This was rather a prediction of what was to happen, with an approbation of the divine justice, than an imprecation. (Challoner) --- He speaks of the impenitent, (St. Jerome) and wishes they may be converted.

Ver. 21. Life. What precedes, was spoken concerning the prophet, though it regarded Christ also in a proper but more elevated sense. (Calmet)

Ver. 23. Remains. All these priests shall perish, Psalm xxxvi. 28. (Haydock) --- He speaks of the wicked, as a remnant was still left, chap. iv., and Isaias x. (Worthington)


Bible Text & Cross-references:

The prophet proclaims the covenant of God: and denounces evils and to the obstinate transgressors of it. The conspiracy of the Jews against him, a figure of their conspiracy against Christ.

1 The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias, saying:

2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3 And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man that shall not hearken to the words of this covenant.

4 Which I commanded your fathers, in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying: Hear ye my voice, and do all things that I command you: and you shall be my people, and I will be your God:

5 That I may accomplish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. And I answered, and said: Amen, O Lord.

6 And the Lord said to me: Proclaim aloud all these words in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear ye the words of the covenant, and do them:

7 For protesting, I conjured your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, even to this day: rising early, I conjured them, and said: Hearken ye to my voice:

8 And they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear: but walked every one in the perverseness of his own wicked heart: and I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.

9 And the Lord said to me: A conspiracy is found among the men of Juda, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 They are returned to the former iniquities of their fathers, who refused to hear my words: so these likewise have gone after strange gods, to serve them: the house of Israel, and the house of Juda, have made void my covenant, which I made with their fathers.

11 Wherefore thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring in evils upon them, which they shall not be able to escape: and they shall cry to me, and I will not hearken to them.

12 And the cities of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall go, and cry to the gods to whom they offer sacrifice, and they shall not save them in the time of their affliction.

13 *For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda: and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem, thou hast set up altars of confusion, altars to offer sacrifice to Baalim.

14 *Therefore do not thou pray for this people, and do not take up praise and prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time of their cry to me, in the time of their affliction.

15 What is the meaning, that my beloved hath wrought much wickedness in my house? shall the holy flesh take away from thee thy crimes, in which thou hast boasted?

16 The Lord called thy name, a plentiful olive-tree, fair, fruitful, and beautiful: at the noise of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and the branches thereof are burnt.

17 And the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee: for the evils of the house of Israel, and of the house of Juda, which they have done to themselves, to provoke me, offering sacrifice to Baalim.

18 But thou, O Lord, hast shewn me, and I have known: then thou shewedst me their doings.

19 And I was as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim: and I knew not that they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living, and let his name be remembered no more.

20 *But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, who judgest justly, and triest the reins and hearts, let me see thy revenge on them: for to thee have I revealed my cause.

21 Therefore thus saith the Lord to the men of Anathoth, who seek thy life, and say: Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and thou shalt not die in our hands.

22 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold I will visit upon them: and their young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine.

23 And there shall be no remains of them: for I will bring in evil upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their visitation.

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*

13: Jeremias ii. 28.

14: Jeremias vii. 16. and xiv. 11.

20: Jeremias xvii. 10. and xx. 12.