Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 2:31
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
O generation, see ye the word of the Lord, etc.] Take notice of it, consider it; or, hear it, as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions. Jarchi and Kimchi thinkf57 the pot of manna was brought out, and shown them, to be looked at by them, for the conviction of them, and confirmation of what follows: have I been a wilderness unto Israel? no: the Israelites were plentifully supplied by him when in the wilderness, and since they were brought into a land flowing with milk and honey; so that they stood in need of nothing; they had a constant supply of all good things: or a land of darkness? of misery, distress, and poverty; where no light of joy, comfort, and prosperity, is; a land that never sees the light, or enjoys the benefit of the sun, and so is barren and unfruitful; “a land of thorns”, as the Septuagint version; or, “a desert and uncultivated land”, as the Targum, and Syriac and Arabic versions. It may be rendered, “a land of the darkness of God”f58; that is, of the greatest darkness, of thick and gross darkness, alluding to that in Egypt; as the flame of God, and mountains of God, (<220806>Song of Solomon 8:6 <193606>Psalm 36:6), as Ben Melech and Kimchi observe: wherefore say my people, we are lords; and can reign without thee; or we have kings and princes, and have no need of thee, so Kimchi; but the word used seems to have another meaning, and to require another sense. The Targum is, “we are removed”; and the Vulgate Latin version, “we have gone back”; to which agrees the Jewish Midrashf59, mentioned by Jarchi, and confirmed with a passage out of the Misnaf60, “we are separated from thee”; we have departed from thee, turned our backs on thee, have forsaken thee, and left thy ways and worship; and to do so was very ungrateful, when the Lord had so richly supplied them, that they had not lacked any good thing; and this sense agrees with what follows: we will come no more unto thee? some render it, “we have determined”f61; as having the same sense with the Arabic word, which signifies to “will” or determine anything; and then the meaning is, we are determined, we are resolved to come no more to thee, to attend thy worship and service any more; and so the Targum, “we will not return any more to thy worship.”
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