Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 9:25
"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised-- Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Coffman Commentaries • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Constable's Expository Notes • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryI will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised - Do not imagine that you, because of your crimes, are the only objects of my displeasure; the circumcised and the uncircumcised, the Jew and the Gentile, shall equally feel the stroke of my justice, their transgressions being alike, after their advantages and disadvantages are duly compared. In like manner, other nations also were delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, these he immediately enumerates: Egypt and Edom, and the Moabites and the Ammonites, and the Arabians of the desert. All these nations were uncircumcised in that way which God required that rite to be practiced as a sign of his covenant; and the Israelites, that did practice it as a sign of that covenant, did not attend to its spiritual meaning, for they were all uncircumcised in heart. And it may be remarked, that these people were in general confederated against the Chaldeans. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleAll them which are circumcised … - Rather, “all circumcised in uncircumcision,” i. e., all who though outwardly circumcised have no corresponding inward purity. Copyright Statement Bibliography Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible"Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision: Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart." Due to certain ambiguities in the Hebrew text, some have challenged the implication here that all of the nations mentioned actually practiced circumcision. "The KJV asserts that circumcision was not practiced by any of these nations; whereas, all we can affirm is, that, except for a small class (of priests) in Egypt, there is no proof of the general acceptance of circumcision by the list of nations mentioned here."[21] We prefer the KJV rendition, because, generally, the translators who gave us that version of the scriptures believed they were translating the "Word of God," whereas, it is evident that some more recent translators prefer to give us what they believe the prophet meant, or what they think he should have said, instead of what is written. With this view of the text, we agree with Robinson that, "Israel is here degraded to the level of other uncircumcised nations."[22] "The passage also teaches the glory of Israel's religion, and the futility of physical without spiritual circumcision."[23] "Uncircumcised in heart ..." (Jeremiah 9:26). This meant that physical circumcision alone, without the devoted and obedient heart that was supposed to accompany such a sign of the covenant, was worthless. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleBehold, the days come, saith the Lord,.... Or, "are coming" that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Jews and Gentiles together. The circumcised. Jews trusting in their circumcision, and being, as is said in the next verse, uncircumcised in heart, were no better than the uncircumcised Gentiles; wherefore both being transgressors of the law, and despisers of the Gospel of Christ, are threatened with destruction; see Romans 2:12. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleBehold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all [them who are] t circumcised with the uncircumcised;(t) Meaning, both Jews and Gentiles, as in this next verse he shows the cause, (Jeremiah 4:4). Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Biblewith the uncircumcised — rather, “all that are circumcised in uncircumcision” [Henderson]. The Hebrew is an abstract term, not a concrete, as English Version translates, and as the pious “circumcised” is. The nations specified, Egypt, Judah, etc., were outwardly “circumcised,” but in heart were “uncircumcised.” The heathen nations were defiled, in spite of their literal circumcision, by idolatry. The Jews, with all their glorying in their spiritual privileges, were no better (Jeremiah 4:4; Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29; Colossians 2:11). However, Ezekiel 31:18; Ezekiel 32:19, may imply that the Egyptians were uncircumcised; and it is uncertain as to the other nations specified whether they were at that early time circumcised. Herodotus says the Egyptians were so; but others think this applies only to the priests and others having a sacred character, not to the mass of the nation; so English Version may be right (Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29). Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the BibleThe Prophet, after having removed the obstacle which he saw hindered the Jews from reverently receiving the truth of God, now speaks more sharply, and performs the office of a herald in denouncing the vengeance which was at hand: Behold, he says, come shall the days, in which I will visit all the uncircumcised in uncircumcision This passage admits of two meanings. Some interpreters take as distinct these two words, מול mul, the circumcised, בערלה, beorle, in uncircumcision; as though Jeremiah had said, “I will visit the Jews, who are circumcised, as well as the heathen nations, who are uncircumcised,” Others read them jointly, — that God threatens vengeance on the Jews and Gentiles, because they were circumcised, and still retained uncircumcision. The passage may however be thus suitably explained, — that there was a mixture, which corrupted the sacredness of circumcision, and made it like the uncircumcision of the Gentiles; as though it were thus expressed, “I will visit the circumcised with the uncircumcision,” that is, promiscuously and without any difference, as we say in our language, Pele mele. For it follows afterwards, that all were uncircumcised in heart; that is, all the Jews. We hence see that the Prophet makes circumcision and uncireumcision the same, and that he intended to render profane the sacred symbol of adoption;but he had reference to the Jews, who, being degenerated, thus adulterated God’s covenant, and at the same time violated circumcision, so that in differed nothing from uncircumcision. I therefore think, that the Jews are classed with the Gentiles, so that he ascribes even to them uncircumcision: I will then visit all the circumcised with the uncircumcision; that is, the circumcision of each is vain, and is like uncircumcision. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryJeremiah 9:25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all [them which are] circumcised with the uncircumcised; Ver. 25. That I will punish all them, &c.] Promiscuously and impartially.
That are circumcised.] Some read it, The circumcised in uncircumcision. Unregenerate Israel, notwithstanding their circumcision, are to God as Ethiopians. [Amos 9:7] Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleI will punish, viz. by the Babylonians, all them which are circumcised: q.d. Do not think to insist upon your external privilege of circumcision, that you are Abraham’s natural seed, and thereby distinguished from other nations, as you sometimes were wont to do of the temple, that you had God in the midst of you. Do not think that shall privilege you: for you shall see it shall not be long ere I bring the Chaldeans upon those other nations, which either are circumcised in the flesh as well as you, and upon you also, who are uncircumcised in heart as well as they: or whether circumcision was lost, as being cast off by them, and so they were indeed uncircumcised; God tells them they shall fare alike: hence in the next verse he ranks Judah next to Egypt among the other uncircumcised nations; for he looks to the circumcision of the heart, not of the body; to inward worship, not outward only; therefore some read it the circumcised in uncirumcision. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3. The Means of Escape from Impending Punishment. — Jeremiah 9:25 to Jeremiah 10:25. 25. Circumcised with the uncircumcised — Rather, circumcised in uncircumcision; literally, with the foreskin. The meaning is, God will cut off all who are really uncircumcised, and among these are included those who have received merely the outward rite. Copyright Statement Bibliography Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
The Lord promised to punish those "circumcised" in one way but not in another in the future. Jeremiah used an oxymoron to describe the Jews: the "uncircumcised (in heart) circumcised (in body)." Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notescircumcised, &c. : in the flesh, but not in "ears" (Jeremiah 6:10), nor in "heart" (Jeremiah 4:4). Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:41, Leviticus 26:42. Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6). Elsewhere only in Ezekiel 44:7, Ezekiel 44:9, with the uncircumcised = circumcised in uncircumcision: i.e. "circumcised [externally]who [are yet really] uncircumcised", as explained at the end of the next verse. Hence the contrast with the nations mentioned, which all practiced (external) circumcision (Romans 2:25-29). Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedBehold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised - rather, 'all that are circumcised in uncircumcision' (Henderson). The Hebrew is an abstract term, not a concrete, as the English version translates, and as the previous "circumcised" is. The nations specified, Egypt, Judah, etc., were outwardly "circumcised," but in heart were "uncircumcised." The pagan nations were defiled, in spite of their literal circumcision, by idolatry. The Jews, with all their glorying in their spiritual privileges, were no better (Jeremiah 4:4, "Take away the foreskins of your heart;" Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Colossians 2:11, "circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh"). However, Ezekiel 31:18, "Thou (Egypt) shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised," may imply that the Egyptians were uncircumcised; and it is uncertain, as to the other nations specified, whether they were at that early time circumcised. Herodotus says the Egyptians were so; but others think this applies only to the priests and others having a sacred character, not to the mass of the nation; so the English version may be right (Romans 2:28-29. But the Hebrew [b Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(25) I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised.—The passage is difficult, but the English verse is misleading. Better, I will punish all those that are circumcised in uncircumcision—all, i.e., who have the outward sign, but not the inward purity of which it was the symbol. In the day of God’s judgments (this being the connecting link with the preceding verse) there would be no difference between the Jew and other races who like him practised circumcision on the one hand, and the outlying heathen world on the other. Here, again, Jeremiah anticipated St. Paul, “To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:9). The true circumcision is that which is “in the spirit, not in the letter” (Romans 2:29). Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeBehold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;
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