Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

Jeremiah 2:13

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Iniquity lies to itself either by corrupting the nature you have made and ordained or by perverting it. It lies to itself when it practices an immoderate use of things permitted or when it burns for things forbidden to that use which is against nature. It lies to itself when convicted, raging with heart and voice against you as it kicks against the goads, or when—breaking through the pale of human society—they audaciously rejoice in private cliques or divisions on the basis of whether they have been pleased or offended. These things happen whenever you are abandoned and whenever, from a self-willed pride, they choose to align themselves instead with something false that they cherish instead of you, O Fountain of life, the one, true Creator and Ruler of the universe.

Jeremiah 2:18

And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?

If we are not false servants of God, if there is in us a spark of that fire whereby “charity seeks not its own,” we certainly should make our good works appear, not only before God but even before people, for fear that, while drinking of quiet waters in our own conscience, we should be constrained by careless feet to drive the sheep of the Lord to drink the troubled waters.

Jeremiah 2:21 · 2 passages

Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

For it is by similitude, and not by any personal propriety, that he is thus called a vine. For when he says, "I am the true vine," it is to distinguish himself, doubtless, from that vine to which the words are addressed: "How are you turned into sourness, as a strange vine?" For how could that be a true vine that was expected to bring forth grapes and brought forth thorns?

All those who refuse Christ for another become strangers. And how are they made strangers? Because even that vine, though planted by him, when it had become sour, what did it hear? "Wherefore you have been turned into sourness, O alien vine?"

Jeremiah 2:30

In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

“Some of those measures do not succeed,” you say. Is a remedy, then, to be discontinued because the illness of some patients is incurable? You are looking at those who are so hardened that they are not affected by such correction. Concerning these it has been written: “In vain have I struck your children. They have not received correction.”

Jeremiah 3:3

Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

To move away from that one simple and single good toward this multitude of pleasures, and to draw near to the love of the world and earthly corruptions, is what going whoring away from the Lord consists in. It is to such a one that he cries out, "You have acquired the face of a whore and become totally shameless."

Jeremiah 3:15

And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

And what are we saying, brothers? Aren't there any good shepherds? Doesn't it say in another passage of the Scriptures, "I will set up for them shepherds after my own heart, and they shall feed them with instruction." So how can he fail to give the sheep he takes from the bad shepherds to good ones, and say, as though there were absolutely no good ones left anywhere at all, "I will feed them"? He said to Peter, "Feed my sheep." So what are we to make of it? When the sheep are entrusted to Peter, the Lord does not say on that occasion, "I will feed my sheep, don't you do it," but, "Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep."

Jeremiah 3:22

Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

Through the prophet the Lord speaks and declares with his own gracious words how much mercy and goodness he wishes to bestow on humankind. He says, "But if the wicked do penance for all his sins, which he has committed, and keeps all my commandments and does justice and mercy, living he shall live, and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he has done. In his justice, which he has done, he shall live." And, "Is it my will that a sinner should die," says the Lord God, "and not that he should be converted from his evil ways, and I shall cause him to live?" In another passage we find, "The wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him on the day that he turns from his wickedness." And again: "Return, you returning children, and I will heal your sorrow."

Jeremiah 8:11

For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Such, then, should Christ’s apostles be preachers of the gospel and not ones who greet on the road. That is, not ones who look for something else, but those who proclaim the gospel out of genuine brotherly love. Let them come to the house and say, “Peace be to this house.” They do not only say it with their lips, but they pour out what they are full of. They preach peace, and they have peace. They are not like those of whom it is said, “Peace, peace, and there is no peace.” What’s the meaning of “Peace, peace, and there is no peace”? They preach it and do not have it. They praise and do not love it. They say, and they do not do. As for you, though, be sure you accept peace, whether Christ is being proclaimed casually or with sincerity.

Jeremiah 9:1

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

You exclaim, "How fitting it was for Jeremiah, with the chorus of the prophets and all the saints, to cry out, 'Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes,' that he might bewail the sins of the foolish people, because the church of Christ expelled the teachers of the Pelagian error." If you wish to weep wholesomely, weep for this, that you are involved in that error, and let your tears wash you clean of the new plague. Are you ignorant, or have you forgotten or do you wish not to know that the holy, the one, the Catholic church was also signified by the word Paradise?

Jeremiah 9:5

And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

What do we do with such a useful member? With it we pray to God. With it we make amends. With it we utter praises. With it we sing with one voice in harmony to God. With it every day we show ourselves kind and considerate when we talk to others or give them advice. What are we doing at this very moment? This very tongue of mine is performing you a service. What are we to do, in order not to transgress with the tongue? Especially as it is written, "Death and life are in the hands of the tongue," and again it is written, "I saw many fall by the edge of the sword, but not like those who fell by the tongue." Again it is written, "And the tongue is established among our members, as something that defiles our whole body." And yet again the same Lord says, "They have taught their tongues to speak lies."

Jeremiah 9:24 · 3 passages

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Let us celebrate joyfully the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the feast day, on which the great and eternal Day came from the great and eternal Day into this so brief and temporal day of ours. He it is who was made for us justice and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Whoever boasts should boast in the Lord."

Thanks must be given because many in absolute number are delivered freely by grace, although few compared with those who perish, so that no one may be lifted up as if he deserved it, but that every mouth may be stopped, and one who glories may glory in the Lord.

Our turning away from God is our own act, and this is evil will. But our turning to God is not possible, except he rouses and helps us, and this is good will. What do we have that we have not received? But if we received, why do we glory as if we had not received? Therefore, "he that glories must glory in the Lord."

Jeremiah 10:11

Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

In reading what is said in this psalm of Christ and of the church, one would find that what is there foretold is fulfilled in the present state of the world. He would see the idols of the nations perishing from off the earth, and he would find that this is predicted by the prophets, as in Jeremiah: "Then shall you say to them, 'The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth, and from under heaven,' " and again, "O Lord, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to you from the ends of the earth and shall say, 'Surely our ancestors have inherited lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit. Shall a person make gods for himself, and they are not gods?' Therefore, behold, I will at that time cause them to know, I will cause them to know my hand and my might, and they shall know that I am the Lord." Hearing these prophecies and seeing their fulfillment, I need not say that he would be affected. We know from experience how the hearts of believers are confirmed by seeing ancient predictions now be…

In reading what is said in this psalm of Christ and of the church, one would find that what is there foretold is fulfilled in the present state of the world. He would see the idols of the nations perishing from off the earth, and he would find that this is predicted by the prophets, as in Jeremiah: "Then shall you say to them, 'The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth, and from under heaven,' " and again, "O Lord, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to you from the ends of the earth and shall say, 'Surely our ancestors have inherited lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit. Shall a person make gods for himself, and they are not gods?' Therefore, behold, I will at that time cause them to know, I will cause them to know my hand and my might, and they shall know that I am the Lord." Hearing these prophecies and seeing their fulfillment, I need not say that he would be affected. We know from experience how the hearts of believers are confirmed by seeing ancient predictions now being fulfilled.

Jeremiah 10:14 · 2 passages

Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

He said, “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, let them perish from the earth and from under the heaven.” He did not say, “The gods that have not made the heaven and from the earth,” because they never were in heaven. What did he say? He said, “Let them perish from the earth and from under the heaven,” as if, while the word earth was repeated, “heaven” did not need to be (because they never were in heaven). He repeats “earth” twice, since it is under heaven. “Let them perish from the earth and from under the heaven,” from their temples. Consider whether this is not now taking place, whether in a great measure it has not already happened. For what, or how much, has remained? The idols remained rather in the hearts of the pagans than in the niches of the temples. - "Expositions of the Psalms 99.2"

Because they can be called gods, though they cannot be so, for a time they are even called so. What does the prophet say, or what warning does he give them? The prophet is told to say this to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from those that are under the heavens.” He is not such a god, for our God is above all gods. Above all what gods? “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” - "Expositions of the Psalms 48.14"

Jeremiah 16:16

Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

The apostles were fishermen, and the Lord said to them, “I will make you fishers of people.” Moreover, it is said by the prophet that God intended to send fishers at first, and afterwards hunters. At first, he did send fishers, and now, afterwards, he is sending hunters. Why fishers? Why hunters? Because, from the abyss and from the depth of the sea of idolatrous superstition, the believers fished with the nets of faith. But why have the hunters been sent? Because those people were wandering through the mountains and the hills, that is, through the pride of humankind, through the worldly obstacles. One mountain was Donatus, another Arius, a third was Plotinus and the last was Novatus. Through such mountains they were straying, and their wanderings called for hunters. Therefore, the duties of fishers and of hunters have been assigned, lest, by chance, they should say to us, “Why did the apostles force no one, urge no one?” Because one who is a fisher throws nets, calling out in this fashion: “Let it not go in that direction. Let it not go in this direction. Head it off there, strike i…

The apostles were fishermen, and the Lord said to them, “I will make you fishers of people.” Moreover, it is said by the prophet that God intended to send fishers at first, and afterwards hunters. At first, he did send fishers, and now, afterwards, he is sending hunters. Why fishers? Why hunters? Because, from the abyss and from the depth of the sea of idolatrous superstition, the believers fished with the nets of faith. But why have the hunters been sent? Because those people were wandering through the mountains and the hills, that is, through the pride of humankind, through the worldly obstacles. One mountain was Donatus, another Arius, a third was Plotinus and the last was Novatus. Through such mountains they were straying, and their wanderings called for hunters. Therefore, the duties of fishers and of hunters have been assigned, lest, by chance, they should say to us, “Why did the apostles force no one, urge no one?” Because one who is a fisher throws nets, calling out in this fashion: “Let it not go in that direction. Let it not go in this direction. Head it off there, strike it, terrify it. Do not let it get out, do not let it escape.” But our net is our life. Let love alone be preserved. Do not worry about how annoying you may be to him, but about how dear he is to you. What kind of devotion is it if you spare him and he perishes?

Jeremiah 16:19 · 2 passages

O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

So the shepherds came from nearby to see, and the Magi came from far away to worship. This is the humility for which the wild olive deserved to be grafted into the olive tree and against nature to produce olives, because it deserved to change nature through grace. They come, you see, from the uttermost bounds of the earth, saying, according to Jeremiah, “Truly our fathers worshipped lies.” And they come, not just from one part of the world, but as the gospel according to Luke says, from East and West, from North and South, to sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

As in the provocation and in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your ancestors put me to the test, let such no more be your ancestors: do not imi-tate them. They were your ancestors, but if you do not imitate them, they shall not be your ancestors. Yet as you were born of them, they were your ancestors. And if the heathen who came from the ends of the earth, in the words of Jeremiah, “To thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: ‘Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit,’ ” if the heathen forsook their idols to come to the God of Israel, ought Israel, whom their own God led from Egypt through the Red Sea, in which he overwhelmed their pursuing foes, whom he led out into the wilderness, fed with manna, never took his rod from correcting them, never deprived them of the blessings of his mercy, ought they to desert their own God, when the heathen have come to him? - "Expositions of the Psalms 95.11"