Ver. 1. If thou wilt return, O Israel.] As thou seemest willing to do, and for very good reason. (Jeremiah 2:22-24) Thou art but a beaten rebel, and to stand it out with me is to no purpose; thou must either turn or burn. Neither will it help thee to return fainly, for I love truth in the inward parts, and hate hypocrisy, halting, and tepidity. If therefore thou wilt return, Return unto me.] Return as far as to me; not from one evil course to another, (Jeremiah 2:36) for that is but to be tossed as a ball from one of the devil’s hands to the other, but “to me with thy whole heart,” seriously, sincerely, and zealously; for Non amat, qui non zelat. To a tyrant thou shalt not turn, but to one that will both assist thee, (Proverbs 1:23) and accept thee. (Zechariah 1:2) And if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight,] i.e., Thine idols out of thine house and out of thine heart. (Ezekiel 14:3,4) Then shalt thou not remove.] But still dwell in the land and do good; feeding on faith, as Tremellius rendereth that Psalms 37:3.
Ver. 2. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth.] Not by Baal shalt thou swear, or other idols, but by the living God, or by the life of God. The Egyptians once sware by the life of Pharaoh, as the proud Spaniards now do by the life of their king. But, to speak properly, none liveth but the Lord, and none should be sworn by but he alone, an oath being a pro of of the divine power, which one worshippeth. The Pythagoreans used to swear by πεπρακτην, Quaternity, which they called παγαν αενναου φυσεως, the fountain of eternal being; and this doubtless was the same with τετραγραμματον, Jehovah. In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.] Vere, rite, et iuste: (1.) In truth, (Romans 9:1) that is, to that which is true, lest we fall into perjury. (Leviticus 19:12) And (2.) Truly, agreeable both to the intentions of our mind, not deceitfully, (Psalms 24:2) and agreeable also to the intentions of him that ministereth the oath, and not with mental reservations, as Romish priests oft swear. In judgment.] Or, Considerately, duly weighing the conditions and circumstances, not rashly and unadvisedly, (Leviticus 5:4 1 Samuel 14:39) as those that swear in heat and choler, swear when they should fear. (Deuteronomy 10:20 28:58) The Romans used that most considerate word arbitror, when the jurors said those things which they knew most certainly. The Grecians, when they would swear by their Jupiter, out of the mere dread and reverence of his name, forbore to mention him. And the Egyptians bore such respect to Mercurius Trismegistus, that they held it not lawful to pronounce his name lightly and rashly. This is check to many swearing pseudo-Christians. Such also as swear in jest, will, without repentance, go to hell in earnest. The ancient form of taking and imposing an oath was, Give glory to God. (Joshua 7:19 John 9:24) And in righteousness.] (1.) Promising by oath lawful and possible things only, not making an oath a bond of iniquity. (1 Samuel 25:21,22 28:10) (2.) Careful to perform what we have sworn, though to our own hindrance. (Psalms 15:4) And the nations shall bless themselves in him.] Or, Shall be blessed in him—that is, in that God to whom thou returnest, and by whom thou thus swearest. They shall turn to God by thine example, and hold themselves happy in such a good turn. Tremel. Suidas.
Ver. 3. Break up your fallow ground.] Novellate vobis novale. Tertullian rendereth it, Renovate vobis novamen novuum, put off the old man, and put on the new. See Hosea 10:11. [See Trapp on “Ho 10:11”] By the practice of repentance, runcate, extirpate, root up and rid your hearts and lives of all vile lusts and vicious practices. The breaking up of sinful hearts may prevent the breaking down of a sinful nation. Sow not among thorns,] i.e., Cares and lusts of life, fitly called thorns, because (1.) They prick and gore the soul; (2.) Harbour the old serpent; (3.) Choke the word. There is no looking for a harvest in a hedge: stock them, and stub them up therefore; (1 Peter 2:1 James 1:21) do not plough here, and make a trench there, &c.
Ver. 4. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord.] There is a twofold circumcision, corporis et cordis, outward and inward: that without this availeth nothing. (Galatians 6:15) See the inward described Colossians 2:11. It is the putting off the old Adam with his actions. It is purgatio animae et aliectio vitiorum, saith Origen; the cleansing of the soul, and the casting away of sin, that filthy foreskin, that “superfluity of naughtiness.” (James 1:21) It is a wonderful work of the Holy Spirit wrought by the Word upon the saints at their first conversion, whereby corruption of nature is wounded, beloved sins cast away with sorrow, and the sinner received into an everlasting communion with God and his saints. Those that are not thus circumcised are not Israelites, but Ishmaelites; whereas Jether, though by nature an Ishmaelite, (1 Chronicles 2:17) yet, being thus inwardly circumcised, he was, for his faith and religion, called and counted an Israelite. (2 Samuel 17:25) See Philippians 3:3-5. And take away the foreskin of your heart.] Not of the flesh only, [see 1 Peter 3:21] as the carnal Israelite, who rests in the work done, glorious in outward privileges, neglects the practice of religion and power of godliness, pursueth him that is born after the Spirit, the Israelite indeed, &c., and is therefore disprivileged, hated, and defied by God, as Goliath, that uncircumcised Philistine, was by David, “dead in sins and the uncircumeision of the flesh,” (Colossians 2:13) subject to utter excision, (Genesis 17:14) as having no portion in Christ nor in Canaan. Take away therefore the foreskin of the heart; stick not in the bark, pare not off the foreskin of the flesh only, off with the whole “body of sin”; (Colossians 2:11) begin at Adam’s sin, bewail that; then set upon the beloved sin, out with that eye, off with that hand, “cast away all your transgressions” with as great indignation as angry Zipporah did her child’s foreskin. Take unto you for this end the sword of the Spirit, the Word, sharper than those stones that she made use of; (Exodus 4:25) consider the threats—these will work faith, and that will work fear—apply the promises, (Deuteronomy 30:6 Ezekiel 36:26,28) doubt not God’s power, but pray him to thrust his holy hand into your bosoms, and to fetch off the filthy foreskin that is there. Lo, this is the way, walk in it. And burn that none can quench it.] When once it hath caught your thorns. (Jeremiah 4:3)