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Jer. 5:1. Woe to me, for my soul disappears over the slain 48 . Walk in the ways of Jerusalem. Do you see what does not plunge you into despair? See how God defends himself and does not entrust others with the search. You yourself, who have been subjected to suffering, he says, find it. I entrust this task not to another, not to an enemy, not to an adversary, not to someone who does not think or care about your grandfathers, but to you yourself, enduring labors and misfortunes. And so as not to relax again, get used to it, he says, since disasters are approaching, and commands a thorough search. We are talking about those subject to judgment when there were righteous people among them, like Jeremiah, the sons of Rechab, former priests, and Ebedmelech the Ethiopian. So he speaks of priests, kings, false prophets and the people. Jer. 5:2. The Lord lives, they say, and for this reason do they not swear to lies? It is not enough, he says, to swear, but one must not break the oath. You see that God everywhere seeks not only his own, but also (the good of) his neighbors. Think about the (evil) false oath, how it destroyed an entire city. After all, whoever swears not by God, but perhaps by demons, thereby (causes) a great insult, as here, when we use an oath to the harm of others. That is, they break the oath, considering it worthless to worship Me, and, certifying in My name, they abuse this to commit bad deeds. Jer. 5:3. Lord, your eyes are on faith. That is, Your eye does not look at anything contrary. Your judgment is pure. A great indictment and evidence of extreme insensitivity. That is, you know everything for sure and your words are true. You beat them and did not hurt them: a sign of insensitive people, like Pharaoh was. (This is said in order) to show that it has no justification (οὐ προφαοιζόμενος). He speaks about this: get used to it, and, based on previous (events), indicates His care. What does it mean: you have crushed? He defeated everyone, destroyed most of them, and yet they did not come to their senses. And nothing that was needed for you was left out. Everywhere (what is meant) is will, and not nature, when (it is said): I did not want (οὐκ ἠ θέλησας) 49 to convert. Look at the corruption that has turned into nature. Jer. 5:4. I said: I didn’t want to do it for 50 days, I couldn’t do it for that. And what obstacle could poverty serve as? This is not what he says, but eliminates the excuse of many, showing that it was not poverty that served as an obstacle for them. For anyone who thinks to object to us, as if he did not run away on his own, he foretold poverty 51 . Out of poverty, many do this and, wanting to have food, are drawn into wickedness. For this reason they were not able, that is, they could not resist poverty and achieve wisdom; having been deceived, they did not know the way of God. Jer. 5:5. I'll go to the sovereigns. But so do the rich, since neither wealth nor poverty serves as an obstacle to this. Look how he destroys excuses everywhere. That is, I went to the nobles and kings, thinking that perhaps they would obey the law. But he found that everyone had turned aside for the worse and rejected the sovereignty of God and the keeping of the law - he calls sovereignty a yoke, and the established laws, which, as a kind of guiding thread, those under the law were supposed to use in their lives. If poverty serves as a benefit for these (ἐφόδιον) 52, then wealth should have made them better. But none of these or those were the best. Jer. 5:6. For this reason, strike them with the lion from the oak grove. Speaks of all animals, not just lions; embraces (in thought) all animals. Thus, he does everything to increase fear, and speaks not as about the future, but as about what has happened. Babylonian. The wolf and the lynx (belong) to Feglaphasar. (Of course) insatiability, helplessness, when he 53 can reach houses without fear, wanting not only to intimidate, but also to devastate. The wolf, perhaps, however, is Senacherib, who carried out only theft and did nothing (else); and others by trot mean Antiochus. Jer. 5:7. Why will I be merciful to you? Your sons have left me. Here he accuses not of having acted wickedly, and not of having turned away, but of having repeatedly acted wickedly and insanely turned away. It’s hard to sin once, but to continue (to sin), to add (one sin to another) is even more terrible. If you have sinned, do not apply to anyone, and pray for your former ones (Sir. 21:1). For each punishment, look at the excuses presented everywhere and the flow of speech interrupted as if someone were punishing whom. Then, interrupting his speech, he justifies himself and thus the prophet is completely consoled in everything (εὐφρα ί νεται) 54 by the threat and defense. Jer. 5:7. She fed them and committed adultery. Do you see the debauchery, the uncleanness that has occurred as a result of prosperity? What do you say? What can they complain about? For lack of what is necessary? However, there was such abundance that they committed adultery and remained in the houses of harlots. Jer. 5:8. Misogynistic horses. Look how he portrayed pleasure. Look how you have fallen into lewdness that disgraces nature itself. Look at the shameless copulation characteristic of animals. In the Hebrew (text), they say, the word is not found: “attracted” (έλκόμενοι 55), but it can be concluded that they were driven by lust. Jer. 5:10. Get up. You won’t create the ending. Leave the remains of the city so that those taken captive will have a basis for returning; Therefore, he predicts that when they see those destroying not to the ground, they will attribute this not to their love for mankind, but to a divine prohibition. Jer. 5:11. The crime before was committed on me. If they are the Lord’s, then why did you undergo (πέπονθε) this? For the sake of the residents, because they committed a crime. That is, they transgressed the covenants with Me and completely strayed into wickedness. Jer. 5:12. Lying to the Lord and reproaching: this is not the essence. Think about how evil it is: they didn’t believe him when he threatened; They didn’t believe when he punished and punished. Many people even now talk about Gehenna, not believing God. The house of Israel and the house of Judah lie. Jer. 5:13. Our prophets blew into the wind. They, preaching what they liked, did not allow them to ever become better. That is, they do not expect any disaster, and many say that the prophets spoke in vain, and died, and did not reveal divine intentions about us. This will be the case for them, that is, similar to those you say who consider themselves prophets. Just as when they predicted, the state was not subject to any disaster, so it will not be subject to it now. Jer. 5:14. For this reason. Behold, I give my words fire in your mouth. Indicates the speed with which everything will go up in flames. Jer. 5:15. I will point my tongue at you from afar. So even through prayer you will not achieve any mercy. The words: and old show that (this is a people) and ancient, and terrible, and that they do not come on their own impulse (οὐκ οἴκοθεν), - because at such a time they could not calm down and leave again. Jer. 5:16. And they will devour your harvest. He speaks about the time of attack: when you hope to enjoy the fruits, then they will come and devastate the earth; and your bread instead: they will destroy the supply. Jer. 5:19. And it will be, when you say: soon. And it is a sign of great insensitivity that, having suffered, they say: what have you done? However, then the suggestion will come in good time. Therefore he says: thus serve as a strange god in a land that is not yours; this again threatens. Jer. 5:20. Proclaim this to the house of Jacob. Again he reminds us of our ancestors, so that they may turn in this way. Again he makes you see this patriarch, a wonderful and great man, calling the house of Jacob and the house of Judah, so that you know how great the power of God is, how through one ancestor he raised up entire cities, tribes and peoples. Jer. 5:21. Hear this people. Why does he use a reproachful word? He wants to raise the fallen with reproach. There is no worse punishment than that of ignorance of God. Jer. 5:21. Those who have eyes do not see, and ears do not hear, and do not hear. He names only those feelings that, above all others, lead to the knowledge of God and which we need. Jer. 5:22. Will you not fear me, says the Lord, who set the sand as the limit of the sea? He did not say: I created the sea, but “I curbed it,” he says, because he wants to open up not only from the side of creation, but also from the dispensation. It is impossible, he says, to say that he remains calm and obedient 56 without experiencing a strong effect; but even when a great force moves it outward and a strong pressure forces it to overflow, it endures this force and remains (in place) so as not to violate God’s command. But perhaps someone will say to this that this is established by nature and law, and I have an inclination towards both, in order to choose the best at my own discretion. What do you say? What spirit (πνεῦμα) and bad wishes guide the soul? But contrast them with the divine command. Is nature weak? And the sand (is like this), but it is made very strong by the divine law; so you too - by the fear of God. There is nothing so weak, so powerless, that it does not transcend its nature under the influence of the fear of God. And then, after a few more words (continues): why didn’t he give an example of another element other than the sea? Because he was talking about war, battle and the coming of warriors who would attack the entire state like a cloud and a sea wave. So, wanting to show that war does not occur as a result of (the enemies’) own strength and power, but by His permission, 57 (the prophet) points to the sea, showing that He who can curb this great huge element with insignificant sand, which did not tolerate violence, was agitated, raging, will all the more be able to pacify your enemies, so that they do not come and harm any of your (property). Jer. 5:24. And not rekosha: giving us rain. So: you did not want (to think about what you receive) through Me. Shouldn't you have feared Me because of what you receive from Me, not only by giving rain, but also by giving it in season? That only served as an indication that I could give rain, but this (shows) great care and love. Jer. 5:24. During the fulfillment of the command of the harvest. This is said unclearly; and what he is talking about is the following. Now, he says, having gathered the produce of the earth from the threshing floor and filled the granaries, we enjoy the rains - He does not delay the giving (of the rains) until the time when (the collected fruits) are spent. But at the same time as the harvest ended, when we had not begun to spend what we had collected and the former had not yet been spent, the rain fell, commanding us to throw other (seeds) into the ground. Human nature is cowardly and burdened with cares; she trembles not only with scarcity, but also with abundance, and is afraid of the future. In curing this disease, God sends us abundant rain, so that the fear of future consumption of the collected (fruits) will drive away hopes for new ones. He pointed out this (saying): during the fulfillment of the command of the harvest: when the fruits of the harvest are put aside and have not yet been collected, he will command her 58 to do the same. Jer. 5:24. and who preserves us (ἐφύλαξεν ἡμῖν 59? Just as a father who loves his children always preserves a portion (of property) for his children, so He preserves rain for us, and the first and second winters do not deplete the rains, but always (they) remain in reserve. Jer. 5:25. Your iniquities (ὑμῶν) 60 have deviated from this. Refers to (previous) great prosperity. And when he said this, there was famine and infection, so as not to contradict. And yet we do not notice this. Not because, he says, God has changed, but because with your sins you have pushed away prosperity, I point out this; Good things were taken away from you for your sins. The greater concern (sometimes) is not to give anything than to give; so the one who gives to someone suffering from fever is an enemy, and the one who refrains from it shows care. Jer. 5:26. As if found in my people. They used their fellow tribesmen as if they were dumb. Do you see how he punishes sins not only against Him, but also against his neighbors? They waged war with each other, they became one against the other due to prosperity. Do you see how he defends himself against them? Talks about serving idols. And children are like a birdcatcher's net. Accuses those who, under (any) pretext, take someone else's property. Therefore he adds: I set the hedgehog to destroy, men, and caught it. Just like the cage is full of birds, their houses are full of flattery. That is, they took someone else’s property with malice. Therefore he adds: “the court did not judge” (κρίσιν οὐκ ἔκρίναν) 61, the court of the sire and widow did not judge (κρίσιν ὀρφανοῦ καὶ κρίσιν χήρας ) 62 (judgment) correct and merciful. Jer. 5:28. The sire cannot manage the court. In many cases it is especially necessary to be concerned about justice; and if the offended person has a special circumstance that predisposes him to mercy, I mean orphanhood, widowhood, then who would be so cruel and insensitive as not to show justice to such a person? If they do not give justice to the one who should have been pardoned, is this bearable? Jer. 5:30. It was a terrible and terrible thing to happen. Look at the sin that spreads through everything. Some did bad things, others praised what they did. Therefore, Paul condemns not only those who dare and do evil, but also those who deign to do so (Rom. 1:32). Jer. 5:31. And my people are so beloved. See the evil prevalent in everything that the subordinates were supposed to do. Shouldn't you have obeyed your bosses and listened to your teachers? No, but (it was necessary) to resist. And now this was not done out of necessity, but they loved it. They were not deceived, they obeyed not out of fear of their superiors, but they themselves liked it. And what will you do at the last time? When the time of repentance passes, when all correction is destroyed, when all change for the better disappears. In Slavs. B., according to the usual division of the Greek translation into chapters, these words refer to the 31st art. 4th chapter. In ancient sp. Greek translation reads: οὐκ ηθέλησαν not wanting, as in Slav. B. Read here in Slav. B. (and buii) there is no corresponding one in the text of Patrology, as in the ancient. sp. translation 70; it is taken from a Latin translation or a Hebrew text. Πρὸς τόν μέλλοντα ἀνθυποφέρειν ἡμῖν, ο ὔ τε ἀφ ᾽ ἑσυτοῦ φυγῶν, προσῖπε τ ή ν πεν ί αν. If instead of ο ὔ τε ἀφ ᾽ ἑσυτοῦ we read: ὡ ς οὐκ αφ ᾽ ἑσυτοῦ, as the publisher of Patrology suggests, the meaning remains unclear. Or – in meaning – an obstacle; instead of ἐφ ό διον you should probably read here ἐμπόδιον. Instead of εὐφρα ί νεται shouldn’t we read ἐχρήσατο used? In most ancient sp. translation of the 70 is not read here έλκόμενοι as in Slav. B. there is no corresponding one; it is found in some, e.g. in Marshaliansky village Of course, of course, land. Literally: “and preserved it for us.” This is how this word is read in ancient times. Vatican, Alexander. and other sp.; read in Slav. B. ours corresponds to the reading of the Sinai book, which was later changed into yours, as it is read in Hebrew. text. Instead, to the Vatican. and other sp. reads: και παρέβησαν κρ ί σιν and transgressed the court. Corresponding to them in Slav. B. words: and I have transgressed my evil words and represent the transmission or reading of the Marshallian book. or a Latin translation that agrees with the Hebrew. text. See prof. I. S. Yakimova. Interpretation of the book of St. Prophet Jeremiah. 1879 These words are read in this order in ancient times. Vatican. sp.