Jeremiah 12:5

“If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, etc.] The Targum introduces the words thus, “this is the answer which was made to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning his question; a prophet thou art, like to a man that runs with footmen, and is weary.” Then how canst thou contend with horses? or with men on horses: the sense is, either as Kimchi gives it, thou art among men like thyself, and thou art not able to find out their secrets and their designs against thee ((see <241118>Jeremiah 11:18,19)); how shouldest thou know my secrets in the government of the world, as to the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous? be silent, and do not trouble thyself…”

“Jehovah's reply to Jeremiah's complaint. horses--that is, horsemen: the argument a fortiori. A proverbial phrase. The injuries done thee by the men of Anathoth ("the footmen") are small compared with those which the men of Jerusalem ("the horsemen") are about to inflict on thee. If the former weary thee out, how wilt thou contend with the king, the court, and the priests at Jerusalem? wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee--English Version thus fills up the sentence with the italicized words, to answer to the parallel clause in the first sentence of the verse. The parallelism is, however, sufficiently retained with a less ellipsis: "If (it is only) in a land of peace thou art confident"…”

“Yahweh rebukes Jeremiah’s impatience, showing him by two proverbial sayings, that there were still greater trials of faith in store for him. Prosperous wickedness is after all a mere ordinary trial, a mere “running with the footmen;” he will have to exert far greater powers of endurance. And if in the land ... - Rather, “and in a land of peace thou art secure; but how wilt thou do amid the pride of Jordan?” if thou canst feel safe only where things are tranquil, what wilt thou do in the hour of danger? The “pride of Jordan” is taken to, mean the luxuriant thickets along its banks, famous as the haunt of lions (compare Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44; Zechariah 11:3). What will the prophet do…”

“If - If thou art not able to encounter lesser dangers, how wilt thou be able to overcome greater? I have greater dangers for thee to encounter than those at Anathoth; if thou art so disturbed with them, how wilt thou be able to grapple with those at Jerusalem. Jordan - Anathoth seems to be understood by the land of thy peace, that is, the land of thy friends wherein thou hadst a confidence: if thy enemies there tire thee, what wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan? In a place in which thou art like to meet with greater troubles, like the swelling of Jordan (which in harvest used to overflow its banks). Jeremiah 12:6”

“12:5-13 The Lord rebuked his messenger and responded to his question with questions of his own. 12:5 Jeremiah’s racing against mere men was the conflict he experienced with his family and friends. It could not be compared to the race against horses that would take place when the foreign army arrived. The coming war would be as severe as finding one’s way through the thickets near the Jordan.”

“thou hast: Pro 3:11, Pro 24:10; Heb 12:3, Heb 12:4; Pe1 4:12 canst: Jer 26:8, Jer 36:26, Jer 38:4-6 swelling: Jer 49:19, Jer 50:44; Jos 3:15; Ch1 12:15; Psa 42:7, Psa 69:1, Psa 69:2 Jeremiah 12:6”