Глава 18

1–12. Potter and clay. 13–17. The disloyalty of the Jews to Jehovah. 18–23. Their plans are against the prophet. Jeremiah 18:1–12. Jehovah, as the Supreme Ruler, has the absolute right to make promises and revoke them, just as a potter can dispose of the clay in his hands as he pleases. As the condition of one or another people changes, Jehovah’s attitude towards this people also changes. But this admonition, conveyed by the prophet to the people, met with complete opposition from the people. Jeremiah 18:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Jeremiah 18:2. Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will proclaim My words to you. "Get down." The potters lived below the city, where they could get their own clay - perhaps near the Ginnom Valley. Jeremiah 18:3. And I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was working his work on the wheel. A circle is a pottery machine, consisting of two circles and driven by the foot (among the ancient Egyptians, by the left hand). The potter used his right hand to round the outer side of the vessel, and with his left hand he gradually expanded the inside. Jeremiah 18:6. May I not deal with you, O house of Israel, like this potter? says the Lord. Behold, as clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. The image of God as a potter is often found in other saints. writers (Job 10:9, 33:6; Isa 29:16, 45:9; Wis. 15:7; Sir 36.13; Rom 9.21). Jeremiah 18:13–17. Israel's disloyalty to Jehovah, their Benefactor, is a highly unnatural matter and very sad for Israel in its consequences, since the Lord will turn His face away from them and leave the Jews to the mercy of their enemies. Jeremiah 18:14. Does the snow of Lebanon leave the rock of the mountain? and do the flowing cold waters dry up from other places? The snow on the highest cliffs of Lebanon never melts, even in the hot summer. - “From other places flowing... waters.” These are waters flowing from the outskirts of Lebanon, from Syria, and therefore foreign to Palestine. Lebanon feeds them with its snow and they constantly flow from its peaks. The prophet obviously contrasts these strange, foreign waters with the waters of Canaan, that is, the people of Israel, which is like the Canaanite stream that dries up in the summer. Jeremiah 18:17. I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind; I will turn my back and not my face to them in the day of their calamity. The east wind in Palestine is particularly strong and withering heat (Ps 47.8; Job 27.21; Jer 13.24). Jeremiah 18:18–23. In view of the plans of his enemies against him, the prophet asks God to punish them with all justice. These enemies were priests, sages and prophets who considered themselves legitimate and capable leaders of the chosen people. Jeremiah 18:18. And they said: “Come, let us form a plan against Jeremiah; For the law has not disappeared from the priest, and the counsel from the wise, and the word from the prophet; come, let us smite him with our tongue, and let us not heed his words.” The priests were the keepers of the Law of Moses among the people, the wise men were advisers to rulers and leaders of the people, and the prophets conveyed divine revelations. - “We will strike with the tongue,” that is, we will bring a serious accusation against Jeremiah (cf. v. 23 and Jer. 19:2, 7, 11 et seq.). Jeremiah 18:20. Should we repay good with evil? and they are digging a hole for my soul. Remember that I stand before Your face to speak good for them, to turn away Your anger from them. Special notes. The prophet's parable speech contained in this chapter was most likely spoken during the reign of Joachim. This is proven by its similarity to the speech of the nineteenth chapter, which, according to all data, was delivered precisely during the reign of the named king. You might be interested in: