Jeremiah 44:2

Translation
King James Version
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
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KJV (with Strong's)
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635, the God H430 of Israel H3478; Ye have seen H7200 all the evil H7451 that I have brought H935 upon Jerusalem H3389, and upon all the cities H5892 of Judah H3063; and, behold, this day H3117 they are a desolation H2723, and no man dwelleth H3427 therein,
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Complete Jewish Bible
"Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: 'You have seen all the disaster I inflicted on Yerushalayim and all the cities of Y'hudah; there they are today, ruined, with no one living in them.
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Berean Standard Bible
“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disaster that I brought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, they lie today in ruins and desolation
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American Standard Version
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
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World English Bible Messianic
Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwells therein,
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Yee haue seene all the euill that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem, and vpon all the cities of Iudah: and beholde, this day they are desolate, and no man dwelleth therein,
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Young's Literal Translation
`Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Ye--ye have seen all the evil that I have brought in on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah, and lo, they are a waste this day, and there is none dwelling in them,
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See also
Isaiah 6:11Jeremiah 9:11Jeremiah 34:22Jeremiah 4:7Micah 3:12Lamentations 1:1Lamentations 5:18
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SUMMARY

Jeremiah 44:2 delivers a profound and somber message from the LORD to the Jewish remnant who had defiantly fled to Egypt. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God directly confronts them with the undeniable reality of the recent, catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah. He asserts His sovereign hand in bringing about this desolation, emphasizing that their homeland stands as a stark, uninhabited testament to the severe consequences of their persistent disobedience and idolatry.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 44 is strategically positioned at the culmination of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry concerning Judah and Jerusalem, specifically addressing the Jewish remnant who, against God's explicit command, sought refuge in Egypt following the devastating fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. This particular verse immediately follows the chapter's introductory statement, which sets the geographical and demographic scene by identifying the audience in various Egyptian cities. Jeremiah 44:2 serves as God's direct and forceful confrontation, leveraging the fresh, visible judgment upon Judah as irrefutable evidence of His divine power, justice, and faithfulness to His covenant warnings. It lays the foundational premise for the subsequent indictment of the people's stubborn refusal to repent and their continued idolatry even in exile, leading to a final, severe pronouncement of judgment that would pursue them even into Egypt. This verse is not merely a statement of fact but a rhetorical pivot, intended to shock the listeners into acknowledging God's hand in their recent suffering before He further exposes their ongoing rebellion.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop is the immediate and traumatic aftermath of Jerusalem's complete destruction by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. The sacred Temple, the heart of Israelite worship, lay in ruins; the city walls were razed; and the majority of the population, including the Davidic king, had been forcibly exiled to Babylon. A small, vulnerable remnant, among whom was the prophet Jeremiah, remained in the devastated land. Despite God's unequivocal instruction through Jeremiah to remain in Judah and trust in His protective care (Jeremiah 42:19), this fearful remnant, driven by a desire for security and perhaps a lingering distrust of God's prophet, chose to flee to Egypt. Culturally, Egypt held a complex and often negative significance for Israel, frequently symbolizing a place of bondage, idolatry, and a rejection of reliance on Yahweh. For Israel to return to Egypt was to revert to the very place from which God had miraculously delivered their ancestors, representing a profound act of covenant unfaithfulness. The desolation of Judah, therefore, was not a distant historical event but a fresh, tangible wound, a stark and undeniable testament to God's righteous judgment that was visible for all to see.
  • Key Themes:
    • Divine Sovereignty in Judgment: The emphatic declaration, "I have brought upon Jerusalem," powerfully asserts God's direct agency and ultimate responsibility for the calamity that befell Judah. This was not merely an act of war by the Babylonians, but a deliberate and precise execution of divine justice for Israel's prolonged rebellion, idolatry, and covenant breaking. It underscores God's absolute control over nations and history, demonstrating that nothing occurs outside of His sovereign will, even the most devastating events concerning His covenant people. This theme is pervasive throughout the book of Jeremiah, where God consistently identifies Himself as the one who brings both blessing and calamity, uproots and plants (Jeremiah 1:10).
    • Consequences of Persistent Disobedience: The utter desolation of Judah serves as a vivid and undeniable object lesson regarding the severe repercussions of rejecting God's commands and pursuing false gods. The phrase "Ye have seen" highlights the people's personal, eyewitness experience of the catastrophe, making the evidence irrefutable. Yet, the subsequent narrative in Jeremiah 44:15-19 reveals their astonishing stubbornness and refusal to learn from this devastating experience, highlighting the profound spiritual blindness that often accompanies prolonged rebellion and idolatry. This verse emphasizes the direct, cause-and-effect relationship between sin and divine judgment.
    • The Reality of Desolation and Fulfillment of Prophecy: The stark description, "a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein," vividly portrays the physical state of the land and its once-vibrant cities. This graphic imagery confirms the precise fulfillment of earlier prophetic warnings regarding the land's ruin due to Israel's unfaithfulness, such as those found in Jeremiah 25:11 and the extensive curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28. The visible emptiness served as irrefutable proof of God's faithfulness to His word, even when that word brought severe judgment, thereby validating Jeremiah's prophetic ministry.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • LORD of hosts (Hebrew, Yᵉhôvâh tsâbâʼ, H3068): This powerful divine title, combining "the self-Existent or Eternal" (H3068 Yᵉhôvâh) with "a mass of persons... organized for war (an army)" (H6635 tsâbâʼ), emphasizes God's omnipotence and His absolute sovereignty over all creation, including celestial and earthly armies. In this context, it underscores His authority and power to execute judgment, not merely as a passive observer but as the active orchestrator of the devastation that Judah experienced. It reinforces that the calamity was a deliberate act of the all-powerful God, whose command brings forth armies and desolation alike.
  • evil (Hebrew, raʻ, H7451): While often denoting moral wickedness, the term "evil" (H7451 raʻ) in this context refers to calamity, disaster, or affliction. It is the consequence of the people's moral evil (sin and idolatry), not moral wickedness itself. God brought the "evil" of destruction as a direct, righteous judgment for the "evil" (sin) committed by His people, demonstrating His justice and the severe repercussions for covenant unfaithfulness. This highlights that God uses "evil" (calamity) to address human "evil" (sin).
  • desolation (Hebrew, chorbâh, H2723): Derived from a root meaning "drought," this term (H2723 chorbâh) properly signifies a decayed or waste place, a state of utter ruin and emptiness. It vividly describes the physical devastation of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, emphasizing their uninhabited and abandoned state. This word powerfully conveys the completeness and severity of God's judgment, a visible and tangible sign of the fulfillment of His warnings and a stark reminder of the consequences of forsaking Him.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel;": This opening prophetic formula establishes the divine authority and unquestionable origin of the message. It is not Jeremiah's personal opinion or a human assessment, but the direct, authoritative word of Yahweh, the sovereign God who commands all creation ("LORD of hosts") and is uniquely in covenant with Israel ("the God of Israel"). This dual emphasis reinforces the gravity and certainty of the pronouncement that follows, underscoring that the judgment is from the highest, most legitimate authority.
  • "Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah;": God directly confronts the remnant with the undeniable reality of the recent, catastrophic past. The phrase "Ye have seen" highlights their personal, eyewitness experience of the catastrophe, making the evidence irrefutable and leaving no room for denial. Crucially, God explicitly takes responsibility, stating "I have brought" (H935 bôwʼ), emphasizing His active and intentional role as the executor of judgment upon His covenant people for their persistent sin, particularly idolatry and rebellion. This "evil" (H7451 raʻ) refers to the disaster, ruin, and calamity that befell them, not moral wickedness itself.
  • "and, behold, this day they [are] a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,": This clause describes the present, observable, and tragic condition of the land and its former inhabitants. The interjection "behold" (H3117 yôwm) draws immediate and urgent attention to the stark reality that confronts them. The once-vibrant cities, including the capital Jerusalem (H3389 Yᵉrûwshâlaim) and all the cities of Judah (H3063 Yᵉhûwdâh), are now utterly desolate (H2723 chorbâh) and uninhabited (H3427 yâshab). This vivid description serves as irrefutable evidence of the severity and completeness of God's judgment, a visible and tangible testament to the consequences of their rebellion and a dire warning against continuing in their rebellious ways even in Egypt.

Literary Devices

The verse powerfully employs several literary techniques to underscore its message. Divine Assertion is prominent as God explicitly states, "I have brought upon Jerusalem," directly claiming responsibility for the calamity. This highlights His absolute sovereignty and active agency in history, rather than attributing the destruction solely to human armies or random chance. Furthermore, the phrase "Ye have seen" functions as an appeal to Empirical Evidence, making God's judgment undeniable by referencing the people's direct, personal observation of the devastation. The vivid description "a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein" utilizes Hyperbole to emphasize the extreme and widespread nature of the destruction, conveying a sense of utter abandonment and ruin that serves to underscore the gravity of their sin and the severity of God's righteous wrath. The cumulative effect of these devices is to present God's judgment as an undeniable, divinely orchestrated reality.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

This verse profoundly articulates God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, which includes both promised blessings for obedience and severe curses for disobedience. It underscores the timeless theological principle that divine judgment is a just and inevitable response to persistent rebellion, idolatry, and unfaithfulness, thereby demonstrating God's inherent holiness, righteousness, and justice. The visible desolation of Judah serves as a powerful, tangible sermon, illustrating that God's warnings are not idle threats but certain realities for those who refuse to repent and turn from their wicked ways. Moreover, the declaration "I have brought" highlights God's sovereign control over nations and history, asserting that even the rise and fall of powerful empires serve His ultimate purposes in dealing with His covenant people, revealing His character as both merciful in His patience and just in His retribution. This passage reminds us that God is actively involved in human affairs, bringing about His will.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 44:2 serves as a stark and sobering reminder that God's character is unchanging: He is holy, just, and righteous, and He takes sin seriously. The visible, devastating consequences of Judah's persistent disobedience should prompt us, as modern believers, to soberly examine our own lives for areas of rebellion or idolatry, whether overt or subtle. While believers today live under the new covenant of grace, the enduring principles of sowing and reaping, and the seriousness of God's warnings against sin, remain profoundly relevant. This verse calls us to a posture of deep humility and genuine repentance, recognizing that authentic faith involves not only believing in God's gracious promises but also diligently obeying His commands. It challenges us to learn from history, both biblical and personal, trusting in God's wisdom and goodness even when His ways seem severe or difficult to comprehend. Ultimately, it compels us to actively turn away from anything that displaces Him as the supreme object of our affection, allegiance, and worship. Our comfort in God's abounding grace should never lead to complacency regarding sin, but rather to a deeper appreciation for the immeasurable cost of our redemption and a greater desire for holiness.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "evil" (calamity or consequence) in history, or in my personal experience, have I "seen" that serves as a powerful warning against disobedience to God?
  • In what subtle or overt ways might I be tempted to ignore God's clear commands or warnings, similar to the remnant who defiantly fled to Egypt?
  • How does understanding God's ultimate sovereignty in judgment, as highlighted in this verse, deepen my awe and reverence for Him, and how should this motivate my obedience and trust?

FAQ

Why did God say "I have brought" the evil, rather than blaming the Babylonians?

Answer: God's declaration "I have brought" (H935 bôwʼ) emphasizes His ultimate sovereignty and active agency in the events. While the Babylonian Empire was the physical instrument of destruction, God asserts that they were merely His tools, fulfilling His righteous judgment against Judah's persistent idolatry and disobedience. This perspective is crucial for understanding biblical theology, where God is not merely a passive observer but the orchestrator of history, using nations and events to achieve His divine purposes, as seen in passages like Isaiah 10:5-7. This highlights that the calamity was not random misfortune but a deliberate act of divine justice, demonstrating God's absolute control over all earthly powers and His faithfulness to His covenant warnings.

What was the "evil" mentioned in this verse?

Answer: The "evil" (H7451 raʻ) in this context refers to the devastating calamity, disaster, and affliction that God brought upon Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. It specifically points to the destruction of the city, the burning of the Temple, the widespread death, famine, exile, and the utter desolation of the land. It is the consequence of the moral evil (sin, idolatry, covenant breaking) committed by the people, not moral evil itself. This distinction is vital for understanding God's righteous judgment, where He punishes sin with tangible, often severe, consequences, as prophesied throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). The "evil" was the judgment itself, a direct result of their own moral "evil."

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 44:2, though a somber declaration of divine judgment, powerfully points to the ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment through both stark contrast and the revelation of an unchanging divine principle. The "desolation" experienced by Judah was a direct and devastating consequence of their inability to perfectly uphold the Mosaic Covenant, revealing humanity's deep and universal need for a new and better covenant. Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, perfectly fulfilled the law and bore the full weight of God's righteous judgment for sin on behalf of all humanity. He became the ultimate "desolation" on the cross, experiencing profound separation from the Father for a time (Matthew 27:46), so that all who believe in Him might never experience eternal separation or the desolation of divine wrath. His sacrificial death established the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah himself (Jeremiah 31:31-34), where sins are forgiven, and God's law is written on hearts, not merely on stone tablets. Through Christ, believers are redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), and instead of facing desolation, they are offered an eternal dwelling place in the presence of God (John 14:2-3) and the promise of a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). The judgment seen in Jeremiah 44:2 thus magnifies the immeasurable grace and redemptive power found in Christ, who absorbed the "evil" of God's wrath so that we might inherit life, peace, and an eternal dwelling with Him.

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Commentary on Jeremiah 44 verses 1–14

The Jews in Egypt were now dispersed into various parts of the country, into Migdol, and Noph, and other places, and Jeremiah was sent on an errand from God to them, which he delivered either when he had the most of them together in Pathros (Jer 44:15) or going about from place to place preaching to this purport. He delivered this message in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, and in it,

I. God puts them in mind of the desolations of Judah and Jerusalem, which, though the captives by the rivers of Babylon were daily mindful of (Psa 137:1), the fugitives in the cities of Egypt seem to have forgotten and needed to be put in mind of, though, one would have thought, they had not been so long out of sight as to become out of mind (Jer 44:2): You have seen what a deplorable condition Judah and Jerusalem are brought into; now will you consider whence those desolations came? From the wrath of God; it was his fury and his anger that kindled the fire which made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah waste and desolate (Jer 44:6); whoever were the instruments of the destruction, they were but instruments: it was a destruction from the Almighty.

II. He puts them in mind of the sins that brought those desolations upon Judah and Jerusalem. It was for their wickedness. It was this that provoked God to anger, and especially their idolatry, their serving other gods (Jer 44:3) and giving that honour to counterfeit deities, the creatures of their own fancy and the work of their own hands, which should have been given to the true God only. They forsook the God who was known among them, and whose name was great, for gods that they knew not, upstart deities, whose original was obscure and not worth taking notice of: "Neither they nor you, nor your fathers, could give any rational account why the God of Israel was exchanged for such impostors." They knew not that they were gods; nay, they could not but know that they were no gods.

III. He puts them in mind of the frequent and fair warnings he had given them by his word not to serve other gods, the contempt of which warnings was a great aggravation of their idolatry, Jer 44:4. The prophets were sent with a great deal of care to call to them, saying, Oh! do not this abominable thing that I hate. It becomes us to speak of sin with the utmost dread and detestation as an abominable thing; it is certainly so, for it is that which God hates, and we are sure that hid judgment is according to truth. Call it grievous, call it odious, that we may by all means possible put ourselves and others out of love with it. It becomes us to give warning of the danger of sin, and the fatal consequences of it, with all seriousness and earnestness: "Oh! do not do it. If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you love your own souls do not, for it is destructive to them." Let conscience do this for us in an hour of temptation, when we are ready to yield. O take heed! do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates; for, if God hates it, though shouldst hate it. But did they regard what God said to them? No: "They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear (Jer 44:5); they still persisted in their idolatries; and you see what came of it, therefore God's anger was poured out upon them, as at this day. Now this was intended for warning to you, who have not only heard the judgments of God's mouth, as they did, but have likewise seen the judgments of his hand, by which you should be startled and awakened, for they were inflicted in terrorem, that others might hear and fear and do no more as they did, lest they should fare as they fared."

IV. He reproves them for, and upbraids them with, their continued idolatries, now that they had come into Egypt (Jer 44:8): You burn incense to other gods in the land of Egypt. Therefore God forbade them to go into Egypt, because he knew it would be a snare to them. Those whom God sent into the land of the Chaldeans, though that was an idolatrous country, were there, by the power of God's grace, weaned from idolatry; but those who went against God's mind into the land of the Egyptians were there, by the power of their own corruptions, more wedded than ever to their idolatries; for, when we thrust ourselves without cause or call into places of temptation, it is just with God to leave us to ourselves. In doing this, 1. They did a great deal of injury to themselves and their families: "You commit this great evil against your souls (Jer 44:7), you wrong them, you deceive them with that which is false, you destroy them, for it will be fatal to them." Note, In sinning against God we sin against our own souls. "It is the ready way to cut yourselves off from all comfort and hope (Jer 44:8), to cut off your name and honour; so that you will, both by your sin and by your misery, become a curse and a reproach among all nations. It will become a proverb, As wretched as a Jew. It is the ready way to cut off from you all your relations, all that you shave have joy of and have your families built up in, man and woman, child and suckling, so that Judah shall be a land lost for want of heirs." 2. They filled up the measure of the iniquity of their fathers, and, as if that had been too little for them, added to it (Jer 44:9): "Have you forgotten the wickedness of those who are gone before you, that you are not humbled for it as you ought to be, and afraid of the consequences of it?" Have you forgotten the punishments of your fathers? so some read it. "Do you not know how dear their idolatry cost them? And yet dare you continue in that vain conversation received by tradition from you fathers, though you received the curse with it?" He reminds them of the sins and punishments of the kings of Judah, who, great as they were, escaped not the judgments of God for their idolatry; yea, and they should have taken warning by the wickedness of their wives, who had seduced them to idolatry. In the original it is, And of his wives, which, Dr. Lightfoot thinks, tacitly reflects upon Solomon's wives, particularly his Egyptian wives, to whom the idolatry of the kings of Judah owed its original. "Have you forgotten this, and what came of it, that you dare venture upon the same wicked courses?" See Neh 13:18, Neh 13:26. "Nay, to come to your own times, Have you forgotten your own wickedness and the wickedness of your wives, when you lived in prosperity in Jerusalem, and what ruin it brought upon you? But, alas! to what purpose do I speak to them?" (says God to the prophet, Jer 44:10) "they are not humbled unto this day, by all the humbling providences that they have been under. They have not feared, nor walked in my law." Note, Those that walk not in the law of God do thereby show that they are destitute of the fear of God.

V. He threatens their utter ruin for their persisting in their idolatry now that they were in Egypt. Judgment is given against them, as before (Jer 42:22), that they shall perish in Egypt; the decree has gone forth, and shall not be called back. They set their faces to go into the land of Egypt (Jer 44:12), were resolute in their purpose against God, and now God is resolute in his purpose against them: I will set my face to cut off all Judah, Jer 44:11. Those that think not only to affront, but to confront, God Almighty, will find themselves outfaced; for the face of the Lord is against those that do evil, Psa 34:16. It is here threatened concerning these idolatrous Jews in Egypt, 1. That they shall all be consumed, without exception; no degree nor order among them shall escape: They shall fall, from the least to the greatest (Jer 44:12), high and low, rich and poor. 2. That they shall be consumed by the very same judgments which God made use of for the punishment of Jerusalem, the sword, famine, and pestilence, Jer 44:12, Jer 44:13. They shall not be wasted by natural deaths, as Israel in the wilderness, but by these sore judgments, which, by flying into Egypt, they thought to get out of the reach of. 3. That none (except a very few that will narrowly escape) shall ever return to the land of Judah again, Jer 44:14. They thought, being nearer, that they stood fairer for a return to their own land than those that were carried to Babylon; yet those shall return, and these shall not; for the way in which God has promised us any comfort is much surer than that in which we have projected it for ourselves. Observe, Those that are fretful and discontented will be uneasy and fond of change wherever they are. The Israelites, when they were in the land of Judah, desired to go into Egypt (Jer 42:22), but when they were in Egypt they desired to return to the land of Judah again; they lifted up their soul to it (so it is in the margin), which denotes an earnest desire. But, because they would not dwell there when God commanded it, they shall not dwell they were they desire it. If we walk contrary to God, he will walk contrary to us. How can those expect to be well off who would not know when they were so, though God himself told them?

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–14. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
DISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 5:4.4
What was the reason for this? It was because the Jews were so arrogant and obstinate. They immediately forgot what God had done for them; they ascribed his kindness to demons and reckoned that his blessings had come from them. Even when the sea was divided for them, as they went forth from Egypt, and while other wonderful things were happening to them, they forgot the God who was performing these miracles and attributed them to others who were not gods. For they said to Aaron, “Make for us gods who will be our leaders.” And they said to Jeremiah, “We will not listen to what you say in the name of the Lord. Rather, we will continue doing what we had proposed: we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we and our ancestors, our kings and princes have done. Then we had enough food to eat and we were well off; we suffered no misfortune. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we are in need of everything and are being destroyed by the sword and by hunger.” The inspired prophets, then, foretold what would happen to the Jews so that they would ascribe none of the events to idols but would believe that both punishments and blessings always come from God: the punishment came for their sins and the blessings because of God’s love and kindness.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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