The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 450

ruining Jeremiah, wished also to do it in a safe and plausible way. It was to be dont by a plan. They were going t,o smite him with the t.ongue. Very likely they hoped to get him put t,o death under judicial forms. .dga,in, one asks-How came the prophet to hear of these plans~ The wise men must have shown a very imperfect kind of wisdom in nClt being able to keep their designs secret. Indeed, they may have thought that they were secret. 'l'he Jews who swore not to eat or drink till they had killed Paul did not reckon that Paul's own nephew had discovered their designs. II. 'l'HE SUPPLICATION ITSELF. In reading this supplication, we vainly try to escape from feeling what a ferocious, savage tone the words have. The dreadful meaning of the words, taken in their natural signification, is only too plain. We 111ust by no means try to defend the prayer; we can only do something to extenuate the language by remembering the provocation the prophet had received, and the spirit of the age in which he lived. It is at least important to remember that he is distinctly conscious of having had good motives towards these enemies. He knew that God meant their good, and he, in speaking, had meant the same. It must be noticed also that, whatever his feelings, he expresses them as a prayer to God. He does not take retaliation in~o his own hands. His rights and interests, whatever they are, he leaves in the hands of Jehovah. He has, indeed, his own estimate as to what his enemies deserve, but he seeks that they may get their deserts in the way of manifestly Divine judgments. 'l'hen he evidently spoke in great excitement. The wrath even of a. good man may boil over into language which he would not wish to be held by in cooler moments. We may be perfectly sure that if, in after years, Jeremiah had been reminded of this prayer, and asked if he really, seriously meant that the innocent connections of his enemies should be ruthlessly slaughtered, he would have been quick to plead that his words were those of excitement. Shall it be thought wonderful that he should utter such a. wish when the disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus had drunk in so little of the spirit of their Master as to wish fire from heaven to come down upon the_ inhospitable Samaritans? The passage under consideration is just one of those which strongly shows the difference which has been ma.de by the sermon on the mount. If Jeremiah had been a. Christian apostle instead of a Jewish prophet, his prayer would have been a. very lamentable utterance indeed.-Y.