Jeremiah 31:18-22
Verse 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself] The exiled Israelites are in a state of deep repentance. Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised] I was at first like an unbroken and untoward steer, the more I was chastised the more I rebelled; but now I have benefited by thy correction. Turn thou me] I am now willing to take thy yoke upon me, but I have no power. I can only will and pray. Take the matter into thy own hand, and fully convert my soul. Verse 19. After that I was turned] Converted from my sin, folly, and idolatry. I repented] To conviction of sin, I now added contrition for sin. Conviction, in this sense of the word, must precede contrition or repentance. As soon as a man sees himself lost and undone, he is convicted of sin; when convicted, he begins to mourn. Thus contrition follows conviction. I smote upon my thigh] My sorrow grew deeper and deeper; I smote upon my thigh through the extremity of my distress. This was a usual sign of deep affliction. See Eze 21:12. It was the same among the ancient Greeks. So Homer:- ωςεφαταυταραρηςθαλερωπεπληγετομηρω χερσικαταπρηνεσσολοφυρομενοςδεπροσηυδα IL. lib. xv. 113. "She spake: and with expanded arms, his thighs Smiting, thus sorrowful, the god exclaimed." COWPER. ____________________αυταραχιλλευς μηρωπληξαμενοςπατροκληαπροσεειπεν IL. lib. xvi. 124. "Achilles saw it, smote his thigh, and said -----." COWPER. I have often seen persons in deep grief act thus. Verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear son?] It is impossible to conceive any thing more tenderly affectionate than this. Let us consider the whole account. The ten tribes, called here Ephraim, for the reason before alleged, are represented as acknowledging their sins. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself; and in his lamentation he says, 1. Thou hast chastised me. 2. Though he at first rebelled against the chastisement, yet at last he submitted and acknowledged his offences. 3. He turned from all his offenses; he was converted. 4. After his conversion, ( shubi,) he repented; after conviction came contrition, as before stated. 5. Being in a state of godly sorrow, he was instructed, hivvadei, he got a thorough knowledge of the desperate wickedness of his heart and life. 6. Having received this instruction, he was filled with excessive grief; which is signified here by smiting on his thigh. See above. 7. He finds that from his youth up he had been sinning against God; and although his youthful sins had long passed from his memory, yet the light of God brought them back, and he was ashamed and confounded at the sight of them. 8. In this state of confusion and distress God sees him; and, commiserating his state, thus speaks:- 1. Is Ephraim my dear son? Bad as he is in his own sight, and in the sight of my justice, he is now a penitent, and to me is precious. 2. However loathsome and disfigured he may be with sin and sorrow, he is to me a pleasant child-a child of delights; one in whose conversion I delight, and my angels rejoice. 3. I did speak against him: ki middey dabberi bo, for "from the abundance of my speaking in him;" accusing, threatening, promising, exhorting, encouraging; "I do still earnestly remember him." God has taken much pains with him, and is unwilling to give him up; but now that he repents, he has not received the grace of God utterly in vain. 4. God feels a yearning desire towards him; hamu meai lo, "my bowels are agitated for him." I feel nothing towards him but pity and love. When a sinner turns to God, God ceases to be angry with him. 5. God expresses his determination to save him; rachem arachamennu, "I will be affectionately merciful to him, with tender mercy, saith the Lord." He shall find that I treat him as a father does a returning prodigal son. So every penitent is sure to find mercy at the hand of God. Verse 21. Set thee up waymarks] Alluding to stones, or heaps of stones, which travellers in the desert set up to ascertain the way, that they may know how to return. Mark the way to Babylon: thither ye shall certainly go; but from it ye shall as certainly return. Verse 22. A woman shall compass a man] nekebah tesobeb gaber, "A weak woman shall compass or circumvent a strong man." This place has given much trouble to Biblical critics. By many Christian writers it is considered a prophecy of the miraculous conception of the holy virgin; but as I am sure no such meaning is in the words, nor in the context, so I am satisfied no such meaning can be fairly brought out of them. Houbigant thinks there is a small error in the text, i.e., teshobeb, shall return, and not tesobeb, shall compass. This reading is found in two of Kennicott's MSS., and he contends that the passage should be read, "The wife shall return to her husband;" alluding to the conversion of the Jewish people, called above a backsliding daughter. This makes a good sense; but I do not see why this should be called a new thing in the earth. After all, I think it likely that the Jews in their present distressed circumstances are represented under the similitude of a weak defenseless female nekebah; and the Chaldeans under that of a fierce strong man, gaber, who had prevailed over and oppressed this weak woman. But, notwithstanding the disparity between them, God would cause the woman-the weak defenseless Jews, to compass-to overcome, the strong man-the powerful Babylonians. And this the prophet says would be a new thing in the land; for in such a case the lame would take the prey. The context favours both these meanings. Dr. Blayney gives a sense very near to this: "A weak woman shall repulse a strong or mighty man." It is most likely a proverbial expression.
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