15 'For thus said Jehovah God of Israel unto me, Take the wine cup of this fury out of My hand, and thou hast caused all the nations to drink it unto whom I am sending thee; 16 And they have drunk, and shaken themselves and shewn themselves foolish, because of the sword that I am sending among them. 17 'And I take the cup out of the hand of Jehovah, and cause all the nations to drink unto whom Jehovah sent me: 18 Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, And its kings, its heads, To give them to waste, to astonishment, To hissing, and to reviling, as 'at' this day. 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, And his heads, and all his people, 20 And all the mixed people, And all the kings of the land of Uz, And all the kings of the land of the Philistines, And Ashkelon, and Gazzah, and Ekron, And the remnant of Ashdod, 21 Edom, and Moab, and the sons of Ammon, 22 And all the kings of Tyre, And all the kings of Zidon, And the kings of the isle that 'is' beyond the sea, 23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, And all cutting the corners 'of the beard', 24 And all the kings of Arabia, And all the kings of the mixed people, Who are dwelling in the wilderness, 25 And all the kings of Zimri, And all the kings of Elam, And all the kings of Media, 26 And all the kings of the north, The near and the far off, one unto another, And all the kingdoms of the earth, That 'are' on the face of the ground, And king Sheshach drinketh after them. 27 And thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts God of Israel, Drink ye, yea drink abundantly, And vomit, and fall, and rise not, Because of the sword that I am sending among you. 28 And it hath come to pass, When they refuse to receive the cup out of thy hand to drink, That thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Ye do certainly drink. 29 For lo, in the city over which My name is called, I am beginning to do evil, And ye—ye are entirely acquitted! Ye are not acquitted, for a sword I am proclaiming, For all inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 25:15-29
Commentary on Jeremiah 25:15-29
(Read Jeremiah 25:15-29)
The evil and the good events of life are often represented in Scripture as cups. Under this figure is represented the desolation then coming upon that part of the world, of which Nebuchadnezzar, who had just began to reign and act, was to be the instrument; but this destroying sword would come from the hand of God. The desolations the sword should make in all these kingdoms, are represented by the consequences of excessive drinking. This may make us loathe the sin of drunkenness, that the consequences of it are used to set forth such a woful condition. Drunkenness deprives men of the use of their reason, makes men as mad. It takes from them the valuable blessing, health; and is a sin which is its own punishment. This may also make us dread the judgments of war. It soon fills a nation with confusion. They will refuse to take the cup at thy hand. They will not believe Jeremiah; but he must tell them it is the word of the Lord of hosts, and it is in vain for them to struggle against Almighty power. And if God's judgments begin with backsliding professors, let not the wicked expect to escape.