Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 21:5
"I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. Jump to: Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleAnd myself will fight against you,.... So far from being entreated to do for them according to his wondrous works in times past, as their friend; that he will set himself against them as their enemy; and sad it is to have God for an enemy: if God be for a people, none can be against them to do them any hurt; but if he is against them, it signifies nothing who is for them: this must be much more terrible to them than the whole Chaldean army, and the king of Babylon at the head of them: with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm; such as he had used formerly in delivering Israel out of Egypt, but now in delivering them into the hands of their enemies; and out of the reach of such a hand there is no getting; and under the weight of such an arm there is no supporting; see Exodus 6:6; even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath; because of their sins and iniquities. This heap of words is used to show the greatness of his indignation: this was not the chastisement of a father, but the rebuke of an enemy; not a correction in love, but in hot displeasure; a punishment inflicted in vindictive wrath by a righteous Judge, appearing in a warlike manner. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bibleoutstretched hand … strong arm (no longer as in Exodus 6:6, and in the case of Sennacherib, in your behalf, but) in anger … fury … great wrath.”Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the BibleHe proceeds with the subject; and though he afterwards is more diffuse, he yet confirms here what we have just seen, — even that God was the leader of the war, and that the Chaldeans were, as it were, his hired soldiers, whom he guided by his own hand, and to whom he would give the signal to fight. I, myself he says, will fight against you He put this in opposition to the wonderful works which Zedekiah had mentioned. God, indeed, had formerly been in a wonderful way present with his Church, not only once, but a thousand times; but he says now, “whatever power I have, it shall be exercised now against you; expect, therefore, no aid from me, but know that I am armed, and shall wholly destroy you.” He adds, with an extended hand and a strong arm; as though he had said, “your fathers found wonderful works done for their safety; but you shall by experience learn how great is my power to destroy you.” In short, he means that all God’s power would be a cause of terror to the Jews, and that therefore they could not escape, as there is nothing more dreadful than to have God’s hand opposed to us. To the same purpose is what follows, in wrath, and in fury, and in great indignation (22) God intimates in these words that he would be implacable, and that hence Zedekiah was mistaken when he thought that the end of their evils was nigh at hand. He might indeed have said briefly, “I will fight with an extended hand and with wrath;” but he mentioned wrath three times in various words. Hence what I have said appears evident, that Zedekiah was deprived of every hope, lest he should deceive himself, as though he would somehow propitiate God, who had already given up the city to final destruction. But we shall see that the Prophet had not ceased from the discharge of his office, and that he had allowed some room for repentance. But he made expressly this answer, for the king could not have been otherwise awakened. We shall see how he explained himself; but this beginning was as it were a thunderclap to lay prostrate the pride of the king and of the people. They had become first torpid in their evils, and then such was their contumacy that they sought to subject God to themselves. As then their stupidity and their obstinacy were so great, the Prophet could not, with any hope of success, have exhorted them to repent and offered them the mercy of God; it was therefore necessary for them to be so smitten as to perceive that they were wholly lost, and that God was so angry with them that they could not be saved by any human means. But we must defer the rest till to-morrow. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryJeremiah 21:5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. Ver. 5. And I myself will fight against you.] This was heavy tidings to Zedekiah and his courtiers. Optassent sibi prophetas qui dixissent laeta, saith Oecolampadius; they could have wished for more pleasing prophecies; but those that do what they should not must look to hear what they would not. Such bitter answers as this they must look for who seek to God only in a time of necessity. Silence, or else sad answers, they shall be sure of. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleI will fight against you, ( as a prince is said to fight against a nation whose captains fight against it, though himself stirreth not from his royal palace; yea, more than so,) animating and influencing the Babylonians and Chaldeans, whom I have sent to fight against you, and discouraging and dispiriting your armies. With an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath; with such a hand and power as I manifested for my ancient Israel, Exodus 6:6. God is here spoken of in a dialect which maketh him more intelligible to us. He hath no hands, no arms, neither are anger and fury in him considered as turbulent passions, as they are in us; but as men stretch out their hands and arms when they intend to give smart and terrible strokes, and are egged to such blows from their passions and excessive wrath, so God is set out to us by expressions proper to men, and in him significative only of his just will to be revenged severely upon a sinful people. The sense is no more, than that an end was now come, and God was resolved no longer to bear with such a provoking people, but to bring his utmost wrath upon them, and to deal with them no longer according to his wondrous works of mercy, but in wondrous works of justice, which in men would look like the effects of wrath and fury. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. With an outstretched… arm — The same “arm” which of old was outstretched for their deliverance from Egyptian bondage will be stretched to sweep them into captivity. Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notesoutstretched hand. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 6:6) strong = strong (for holding fast). Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedAnd I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. I myself will fight against you - the Jews shall have not merely the Chaldees, but Yahweh Himself, in wrath at their provocations, fighting against them. Every word enhances the formidable character of God's opposition: "I myself, with outstretched hand, and with strong arm (no longer "stretched out" to "redeem you," as in Exodus 6:6. and in the case of Sennacherib but) in anger ... fury, and great wrath." Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeAnd I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
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