Jeremiah
Chapter 12
The Problem of Retribution
The Lord, you are always right when I complain to you; nevertheless, where is your justice? Why do the wicked prosper? And why do traitors live in peace?
You plant them, and they take root; they grow and become fruitful; they honor you with words but their heart is far from you.
But you, Lord, know me and see me; you search my heart—it’s close to you. Send them away like sheep to be slaughtered; set them aside for the day of slaughter.
How long will the land mourn, and the grass of the fields remain withered? The birds and the beasts have perished because of the wickedness of the inhabitants, for they say: ‘God does not see what we do.’
“If you grow tired when running on foot, how can you compete with horses? If you do not feel secure in a peaceful land, what will you do among the thickets of the Jordan?”
I Have Rejected My Inheritance
I have forsaken my home, I have turned my back on my people; I have handed over those I hold most dear to their enemies.
My own has been like a lion in the forest to me; they have roared against me —now I hate them.
Mine have become like a bird of prey to me. Let all the birds of prey attack them. Come here, all you wild beasts, and devour them!
Many shepherds have devastated my vineyard; they have trampled my cherished field and turned it into a barren wasteland,
parched and mournful in my view, but no one cares!
To every height in the desert, destroyers have arrived, for the Lord has a devouring sword. It extends from one end of the land to the other; no one is safe!
They have planted grain and gathered thorns; they have worked in vain. Your harvests shame you because of the Lord’s anger.
Each to His Inheritance
The Lord declares: “Because all my wicked neighbors have seized the land I gave my people Israel, I will remove them from their land, and I will also remove the people of Judah from among them.
But after doing this, I will show compassion to them and bring them back to their own land, each one to his land.
If they then learn the ways I taught my people and call upon my name when taking an oath, they, who once taught my people to swear by Baal, may settle among my people.
But if any nation refuses to obey me, I will uproot and destroy it—declares the Lord.”
Commentaries
The Problem of Retribution.
Why do the wicked and treacherous prosper while the righteous suffer? Wisdom literature also addresses this issue (see especially Job 21, Psalms 37, 49, 73). The Lord speaks in verse 5 but does not answer Jeremiah’s question. He also disapproves of his request for vengeance. Instead, he predicts more persecution and betrayal by his brothers. This is the way of the prophet—not because God takes pleasure in it, but because of human stubbornness, which prevents people from recognizing God’s word in others. To reject the prophet is to reject God, who sends him. Therefore, Jeremiah’s persecution foreshadows the Messiah (Mt 23:30-32). God does not answer the “why” of our suffering, neither to Job nor to Jeremiah; both are called to trust and obey because, as Isaiah reveals, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways” (Is 55:8). We have no right to question God’s plans or wisdom. Just as with the prophets, God gives us His word so we can walk and act according to it in our everyday lives. All war, injustice, oppression, and suffering stem from human sin, not from God (see Gn 3:14-19).
I Have Rejected My Inheritance.
The suffering foretold by the Lord (5) is fulfilled in Jeremiah, who endures betrayal by his own “house” (family) and his people, whom he considers his “inheritance” and his “vineyard.” He poured out the love of his soul for them, yet they ironically turn against him like wild animals, becoming his most cruel enemies. What happens to the prophet reflects God’s relationship with His people. Without the Lord, the land becomes barren and only produces thorns (13). The greatest responsibility falls on the shepherds, especially the kings (10), who, driven by greed and apathy, left “their inheritance” vulnerable to the invader’s sword (11-12).
Each to His Inheritance.
The Lord answers the prophet’s question in verse 4: “How long will the land mourn?” God will temporarily take them from their land, but he will show mercy and bring them back. It is God’s way of using invading nations to punish and purify his people so they will learn to obey their one God.