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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 9:12–22. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Two things the prophet designs, in these verses, with reference to the approaching destruction of Judah and Jerusalem: - 1. To convince people of the justice of God in it, that they had by sin brought it upon themselves and that therefore they had no reason to quarrel with God, who did them no wrong at all, but a great deal of reason to fall out with their sins, which did them all this mischief. 2. To affect people with the greatness of the desolation that was coming, and the miserable effects of it, that by a terrible prospect of it they might be awakened to repentance and reformation, which was the only way to prevent it, or, at least, mitigate their own share in it. This being designed,
I.He calls for the thinking men, by them to show people the equity of God's proceedings, though they seemed harsh and severe (Jer 9:12):
"Who, where, is the wise man, or the prophet, to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken? You boast of your wisdom, and of the prophets you have among you; produce me any one that has but the free use of human reason or any acquaintance with divine revelation, and he will soon understand this himself, and it will be so clear to him that he will be ready to declare it to others, that there is a just ground of God's controversy with this people." Do these wise men enquire, For what does the land perish? What is the matter, that such a change is made with this land? It used to be a land that God cared for, and he had his eyes upon it for good (Deu 11:12), but it is now a land that he has forsaken and that his face is against. It used to flourish as the garden of the Lord and to be replenished with inhabitants; but now it is burnt up like a wilderness, that none passeth through it, much less cares to settle in it. It was supposed, long ago, that it would be asked, when it came to this, Wherefore has the Lord done thus unto this land? What means the heat of this great anger? (Deu 29:24), to which question God here gives a full answer, before which all flesh must be silent. He produces out of the record,
1.The indictment preferred and proved against them, upon which they had been found guilty, Jer 9:13, Jer 9:14. It is charged upon them, and it cannot be denied,
(1.)That they have revolted from their allegiance to their rightful Sovereign. Therefore. God has forsaken their land, and justly, because they have forsaken his law, which he had so plainly, so fully, so frequently set before them, and had not observed his orders, not obeyed his voice, nor walked in the ways that he had appointed. Here their wickedness began, in the omission of their duty to their God and a contempt of his authority. But it did not end here. It is further charged upon them,
(2.)That they have entered themselves into the service of pretenders and usurpers, have not only withdrawn themselves from their obedience to their prince, but have taken up arms against him. For,
[1.]They have acted according to the dictates of their own lusts, have set up their own will, the wills of the flesh, and the carnal mind, in competition with, and contradiction to the will of God: They have walked after the imagination of their own hearts; they would do as they pleased, whatever God and conscience said to the contrary.
[2.]They have worshipped the creatures of their own fancy, the work of their own hands, according to the tradition received from their fathers: They have walked after Baalim: the word is plural; they had many Baals, Baal-peor and Baal-berith, the Baal of this place and the Baal of the other place; for they had lords many, which their fathers taught them to worship, but which the God of their fathers had again and again forbidden. This was it for which the land perished. The King of kings never makes war thus upon his own subjects but when they treacherously depart from him and rebel against him, and it has become necessary by this means to chastise their rebellion and reduce them to their allegiance; and they themselves shall at length acknowledge that he is just in all that is brought upon them.
2.The judgment given upon this indictment, the sentence upon the convicted rebels, which must now be executed, for it was righteous and nothing could be moved in arrest of it: The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hath said it (Jer 9:15, Jer 9:16), and who can reverse it?
(1.)That all their comforts at home shall be poisoned and embittered to them: I will feed this people with wormwood (or rather with wolf's-bane, for it signifies a herb that is not wholesome, as wormwood is though it be bitter, but some herb that is both nauseous and noxious), and I will give them water of gall (or juice of hemlock or some other herb that is poisonous) to drink. Every thing about them, till it comes to their very meat and drink, shall be a terror and torment to them. God will curse their blessings, Mal 2:2.
(2.)That their dispersion abroad shall be their destruction (Jer 9:16): I will scatter them among the heathen. They were corrupted and debauched by their intimacy with the heathen, with whom they mingled and learned their works; and now they shall lose themselves, where they lost their virtue, among the heathen. They set up gods which neither they nor their fathers had known, strange gods, new gods (Deu 32:17); and now God will put them among neighbours whom neither they nor their fathers have known, whom they can claim no acquaintance with, and therefore can expect no favour from. And yet, though they are scattered so as that they will not know where to find one another. God will know where to find them all out (Psa 21:8) with that evil which still pursues impenitent sinners: I will send a sword after them, some killing judgment or other, till I have consumed them; for when God judges he will overcome, when he pursues he will overtake. And now we see for what the land perishes; all this desolation is the desert of their deeds and the performance of God's words.
II.He calls for the mourning women, and engages them, with the arts they practise to affect people and move their passions, to lament these sad calamities that had come or were coming upon them, that the nation might be alarmed to prepare for them: The Lord of hosts himself says, Call for the mourning women, that they may come, Jer 9:17. the scope of this is to show how very woeful and lamentable the condition of this people was likely to be.
1.Here is work for the counterfeit mourners: Send for cunning women, that know how to compose mournful ditties, or at least to sing them in mournful tunes and accents, and therefore are made use of at funerals to supply the want of true mourners. Let these take up a wailing for us, Jer 9:18. The deaths and funerals were so many that people wept for them till they had no power to weep, as those, Sa1 30:4. Let those therefore do it now whose trade it is. Or, rather, it intimates the extreme sottishness and stupidity of the people, that laid not to heart the judgments they were under, nor, even when there was so much blood shed, could find in their hearts to shed a tear. They cry not when God binds them, Job 36:13. God sent his mourning prophets to them, to call them to weeping and mourning, but his word in their mouths did not work upon their faith; rather therefore than they shall go laughing to their ruin, let the mourning women come, and try to work upon their fancy, that their eyes may at length run down with tears, and their eyelids gush out with waters. First or last, sinners must be weepers.
2.Here is work for the real mourners.
(1.)There is that which is a lamentation. The present scene is very tragical (Jer 9:19): A voice of wailing is heard out of Zion. Some make this to be the song of the mourning women: it is rather an echo to it, returned by those whose affections were moved by their wailings. In Zion the voice of joy and praise used to be heard, while the people kept closely to God. But sin has altered the note; it is now the voice of lamentation. It should seem to be the voice of those who fled from all parts of the country to the castle of Zion for protection. Instead of rejoicing that they had got safely thither, they lamented that they were forced to seek for shelter there: "How are we spoiled! How are we stripped of all our possessions! We are greatly confounded, ashamed of ourselves and our poverty;" for that is it that they complain of, that is it that they blush at the thoughts of, rather than of their sin: We are confounded because we have forsaken the land (forced so to do by the enemy), not because we have forsaken the Lord, being drawn aside of our own lust and enticed - because our dwellings have cast us out, not because our God has cast us off. Thus unhumbled hearts lament their calamity, but not their iniquity, the procuring cause of it.
(2.)There is more still to come which shall be for a lamentation. Things are bad, but they are likely to be worse. Those whose land has spued them out (as it did their predecessors the Canaanites, and justly, because they trod in their steps, Lev 18:28) complain that they are driven into the city, but, after a while, those of the city, and they with them, shall be forced thence too: Yet hear the word of the Lord; he has something more to say to you (Jer 9:20); let the women hear it, whose tender spirits are apt to receive the impressions of grief and fear, for the men will not heed it, will not give it a patient hearing. The prophets will be glad to preach to a congregation of women that tremble at God's word. Let your ear receive the word of God's mouth, and bid it welcome, though it be a word of terror. Let the women teach their daughters wailing; this intimates that the trouble shall last long, grief shall be entailed upon the generation to come. Young people are apt to love mirth, and expect mirth, and are disposed to be gay and airy; but let the elder women teach the younger to be serious, tell them what a vale of tears they must expect to find this world, and train them up among the mourners in Zion, Tit 2:4, Tit 2:5. Let every one teach her neighbour lamentation; this intimates that the trouble shall spread far, shall go from house to house. People shall not need to sympathize with their friends; they shall all have cause enough to mourn for themselves. Note, Those that are themselves affected with the terrors of the Lord should endeavour to affect others with them. The judgment here threatened is made to look terrible.
[1.]Multitudes shall be slain, Jer 9:21. Death shall ride in triumph, and there shall be no escaping his arrests when he comes with commission, neither within doors nor without. Not within doors, for let the doors be shut ever so fast, let them be ever so firmly locked and bolted, death comes up into our windows, like a thief in the night; it steals upon us ere we are aware. Nor does it thus boldly attack the cottages only, but it has entered into our palaces, the palaces of our princes and great men, though ever so stately, ever so strongly built and guarded. Note, No palaces can keep out death. Nor are those more safe that are abroad; death cuts off even the children from without and the young men from the streets. The children who might have been spared by the enemy in pity, because they had never been hurtful to them, and the young men who might have been spared in policy, because capable of being serviceable to them, shall fall together by the sword. It is usual now, even in the severest military executions, to put none to the sword. It is usual now, even in the severest military executions, to put none to the sword but those that are found in arms; but then even the boys and girls playing in the streets were sacrificed to the fury of the conqueror.
[2.]Those that are slain shall be left unburied (Jer 9:22): Speak, Thus saith the Lord (for the confirmation and aggravation of what was before said), Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung, neglected, and left to be offensive to the smell, as dung is. Common humanity obliges the survivors to bury the dead, even for their own sake; but here such numbers shall be slain, and those so dispersed all the country over, that it shall be an endless thing to bury them all, nor shall there be hands enough to do it, nor shall the conquerors permit it, and those that should do it shall be overwhelmed with grief, so that they shall have no heart to do it. The dead bodies even of the fairest and strongest, when they have lain awhile, become dung, such vile bodies have we. And here such multitudes shall fall that their bodies shall lie as thick as heaps of dung in the furrows of the field, and no more notice shall be taken of them than of the handfuls which the harvestman drops for the gleaners, for none shall gather them, but they shall remain in sight, monuments of divine vengeance, that the eye of the impenitent survivors may affect their heart. Slay them not, bury them not, lest my people forget, Psa 59:11.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
(Verse 12 onwards) Who is the wise man who understands this, and to whom is the word of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it: why has the land perished and become scorched like a desert, because there is no one to pass through it? And the Lord said: Because they have forsaken my law that I gave to them, and have not listened to my voice, and have not walked in it, but have followed the stubbornness of their own hearts and after the Baals, which they learned from their fathers. He interrogates the Prophet, if anyone among the wise in Jerusalem is able to find, and those to whom the word of God is spoken, and who are able to announce the will of the Lord, and to provide reasons why Judah has been reduced to a desolation, and with everyone killed, there is no one remaining who can pass through it. And the Lord responds and provides reasons: because they have forsaken His Law that He gave to them, and have not listened to His voice, nor have they done what they should have done; but they have gone after the wickedness of their own hearts. Therefore, it is necessary to confess not according to our will, but in the Lord. For the heart is corrupt in all things. And from our heart come evil thoughts. And after the Baals, they went, as it is said, whom they learned from their fathers. Baal is the idol of the Sidonians, and Baalim is the plural number. Therefore, neither the error of our parents nor of our ancestors should be followed, but rather the authority of the Scriptures and the command of God, who teaches us.
I was then about sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God. I was taken as a captive to Ireland with many thousands of people, and deservedly so, because we had turned away from God and did not keep his commandments and did not obey our priests, who used to remind us of our salvation. The Lord brought over us the wrath of his anger and scattered us among many nations, even unto the utmost part of the earth, where now my insignificance is placed among strangers.
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Summary
Jeremiah 9:12 poses a profound rhetorical question, challenging any human claim to wisdom or insight sufficient to grasp the catastrophic desolation about to befall the land of Judah. It powerfully asserts that only those to whom the Lord Himself has directly spoken possess the divine understanding necessary to declare the deep spiritual reasons—the pervasive sin and covenant unfaithfulness—that are causing the land to utterly perish and be consumed like a barren wilderness, rendered uninhabitable and devoid of life.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 9:12 is situated within a weighty section of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry, specifically chapters 7-10, which are characterized by intense lamentation over Judah's spiritual apostasy and pronouncements of impending divine judgment. The verses immediately preceding this passage (Jeremiah 9:1-11) vividly portray Jeremiah's profound personal sorrow and anguish over the pervasive deceit, idolatry, and moral decay among his people. His desire to escape their wickedness by dwelling in a desert underscores the depth of their depravity. This verse functions as a climactic rhetorical query, following the detailed description of the people's rebellion and God's consequent decision to bring desolation. It anticipates the crucial "why" behind the judgment, unequivocally stating that only divine revelation can truly explain the magnitude of the catastrophe, thereby setting the stage for God's explicit answer in the subsequent verses (Jeremiah 9:13-16), which directly attribute the desolation to their abandonment of God's law and worship of Baal.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop for Jeremiah's prophetic ministry is the tumultuous late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, a period marked by the decline of Assyrian power and the ascendance of the Babylonian empire. Despite the religious reforms initiated by King Josiah, the Kingdom of Judah had largely reverted to widespread idolatry, social injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness, ignoring repeated warnings from prophets like Jeremiah. The imagery of the "perishing" and "burning up" of the land would have resonated deeply with the agrarian society of Judah, where the land's fruitfulness and habitability were directly tied to covenant blessings and curses, as meticulously outlined in passages like Deuteronomy 28. The transformation of the land into a "wilderness" (Hebrew: midbar) was not merely a natural phenomenon but a potent symbol of divine curse, signifying a reversal of creation's order and a return to chaos and desolation, directly resulting from human sin and rebellion against God.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 9:12 contributes significantly to several overarching themes prevalent in the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic tradition. Firstly, it powerfully highlights Divine Judgment and Desolation, portraying God's righteous and inevitable response to persistent covenant unfaithfulness. The land itself becomes a tangible manifestation of the people's sin, transforming into a desolate wasteland. Secondly, the rhetorical question "Who is the wise man, that may understand this?" underscores the nation's profound Spiritual Blindness and the Nature of True Wisdom. Their worldly wisdom and intellectual prowess were utterly insufficient to grasp the divine rationale behind their suffering. True wisdom, in this context, is not a product of human intellect but a divinely granted understanding of God's ways and purposes, echoing the truth found in Proverbs 1:7 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Thirdly, the verse points to Prophetic Revelation as the sole source of such understanding. The phrase "to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it" affirms that only those divinely commissioned and inspired, like Jeremiah, can truly articulate God's perspective on the unfolding tragedy, a truth powerfully reiterated in Amos 3:7.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from a root meaning to be intelligent, skillful, or artful, this term in a biblical context often transcends mere intellectual capacity to denote spiritual discernment and prudence, which are ultimately rooted in the fear of the Lord. Here, Jeremiah's rhetorical challenge implies that conventional human sagacity is utterly incapable of grasping the profound spiritual reasons for God's impending judgment. True wisdom, in this context, is not discovered by human intellect alone but is divinely revealed.
While literally referring to the physical mouth, this term is used figuratively in this verse to denote the authoritative source of speech, command, and divine utterance. "The mouth of the LORD" powerfully emphasizes the direct, personal, and absolute authority of God's revelation. It signifies that the message concerning the land's desolation is not human conjecture or philosophical insight, but a direct, undeniable communication from the sovereign God Himself.
This primitive root means to wander away, to lose oneself, and by implication, to perish or be destroyed. It conveys a sense of complete ruin, utter loss, and cessation of existence. In the context of the land, it signifies its absolute destruction, rendering it unproductive, uninhabitable, and devoid of life—a stark and tragic reversal of the life and abundance God originally intended for it.
Verse Breakdown
"Who [is] the wise man, that may understand this?"
This opening rhetorical question immediately establishes the profound mystery and spiritual depth of the impending judgment. It serves as a challenge to any human claim of wisdom or intellectual capacity, asserting that the reasons for the coming desolation lie beyond ordinary human comprehension and cannot be discerned through worldly sagacity.
"and [who is he] to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it"
This clause provides the crucial answer to the preceding question, unequivocally stating that only those who have received direct, authoritative revelation from God Himself are truly capable of understanding and articulating the divine rationale behind the catastrophe. It highlights the exclusive and divinely bestowed nature of prophetic insight, which is not earned but gifted.
"for what the land perisheth [and] is burned up like a wilderness"
This section vividly describes the devastating physical consequences of the spiritual cause, which remains unknown to the "wise man." The land is not merely declining but is actively "perishing" (being utterly destroyed or lost) and "burned up," implying a complete and fiery desolation. The comparison to a "wilderness" underscores its transformation into an uninhabitable, barren wasteland, a stark and tragic reversal of its former fertility and vibrancy.
"that none passeth through?"
This final phrase emphasizes the extreme and absolute nature of the desolation. The land will be so utterly ruined, dangerous, and devoid of life that no one will even dare to traverse it. It signifies a complete abandonment and a profound judgment that leaves no trace of its former life or habitation, demonstrating the totality of God's punitive action.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 9:12 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful and somber message. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, "Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it...?" This is not a genuine inquiry seeking information, but rather a forceful assertion that true understanding of God's impending judgment is utterly beyond human intellect alone and absolutely requires divine revelation. The verse also utilizes potent Imagery and Simile by describing the land as "burned up like a wilderness." This vivid comparison evokes a powerful sense of utter desolation, barrenness, and the destructive power of fire, transforming a once fertile and inhabited land into an uninhabitable desert. Furthermore, there is an element of Hyperbole in the phrase "that none passeth through," emphasizing the extreme and absolute nature of the destruction, suggesting a level of desolation so profound that it utterly deters all human presence and movement. Finally, the phrase "the mouth of the LORD hath spoken" can be seen as a form of Anthropomorphism, attributing a human physical characteristic (a mouth) to God to convey the direct, personal, and authoritative nature of His communication and revelation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 9:12 serves as a stark and sobering reminder of God's unwavering justice and the severe, far-reaching consequences of persistent covenant unfaithfulness. It profoundly underscores that true wisdom is not found in human intellect, worldly sagacity, or political maneuvering, but solely in a humble and receptive posture towards divine revelation. Only God's revealed truth can explain the intricate spiritual dynamics behind national catastrophe and the perishing of the land, which is presented as a tangible manifestation of a broken covenant. This passage demonstrates that God holds His people accountable for their actions, and that sin has devastating, systemic consequences, impacting not only individuals but the very environment and fabric of society. Moreover, it highlights the indispensable role of the prophet as a crucial interpreter of God's will, entrusted with the solemn duty of declaring the reasons for His judgment, thereby calling the people to repentance and a sincere return to faithfulness.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 9:12 challenges us to look beyond superficial or purely secular explanations for suffering, brokenness, and calamity, both in our personal lives and in the broader world. It compels us to seek a deeper, divinely informed understanding of the spiritual roots of such desolation. In an age that often prides itself on human wisdom, scientific advancement, and technological solutions, this verse humbly reminds us that true discernment, particularly regarding the profound consequences of sin and the unfolding of divine judgment, comes only through attentive listening to the voice of God as revealed in His authoritative Word. We are called to heed His warnings, to critically examine our own hearts and societies for areas of unfaithfulness, and to embrace the wisdom that originates with the fear of the Lord. This passage encourages us to value prophetic truth, whether delivered through the ancient Scriptures or through faithful contemporary teaching, as the essential guide for navigating life and understanding God's sovereign purposes. It prompts us to consider how our choices, individually and collectively, impact the spiritual health and flourishing of our communities and even the physical world, urging us towards genuine repentance and a renewed, wholehearted commitment to God's righteous ways.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean for the "land" to perish and be burned up?
In the Old Testament, particularly within prophetic books like Jeremiah, the "land" (Hebrew: ʼerets) is far more than mere geography; it is often personified and inextricably linked to the covenant relationship between God and His people, Israel. When the land "perishes" (H6, ʼâbad, meaning to be utterly destroyed or lost) and is "burned up" (H3341, yâtsath, meaning to be set on fire or desolated), it signifies a severe and direct divine judgment. This is not merely a natural disaster but a profound theological statement—a direct consequence of the people's persistent idolatry, social injustice, and abandonment of God's law. The land's desolation reflects the spiritual desolation of its inhabitants. It implies a reversal of the blessings of fertility, abundance, and security promised in the covenant for obedience (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and the fulfillment of the curses for disobedience (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Historically, this pointed to the devastating Babylonian invasion and the subsequent exile, which literally left the land of Judah desolate and largely uninhabited for a significant period.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 9:12, with its lament over spiritual blindness and the desperate need for divine revelation to comprehend God's judgment, finds its ultimate answer and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "wise man" who can truly understand the depths of God's purposes, including His righteous judgment against sin, is ultimately Christ Himself, who is revealed as the very Wisdom of God incarnate (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is the unique One "to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken," for He is the Word of God Incarnate (John 1:1), the perfect revealer of the Father's will and truth (John 14:6). Humanity, in its fallen and rebellious state, is spiritually blind and utterly incapable of comprehending the full extent of its sin or the necessity of divine judgment; it is only through Christ that God's truth is fully declared, understood, and made accessible. Furthermore, while the land of Judah perished and was burned up due to the pervasive sin of its inhabitants, Christ Himself bore the full weight of that judgment on the cross, becoming a curse for us in our place (Galatians 3:13). Through His atoning sacrifice, He offers redemption from the spiritual desolation of sin, transforming hearts that were once like a barren "wilderness" into fertile ground, bringing new life and spiritual flourishing where there was only death and despair (Isaiah 53:5-6). Thus, the profound question of understanding God's judgment and the path to true restoration is answered definitively and redemptively in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ.