Книга пророка Иеремии, Глава 26, стих 3. Толкования стиха

GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE. AMBROSE: The Novatians bring up a question from the words of the apostle Peter. Because he said, “if perhaps,” they think that he did not imply that forgiveness would be granted on repentance. But let them consider concerning to whom the words were spoken—of Simon, who did not believe through faith but was contemplating trickery. So, too, the Lord, to him who said, “Lord, I will follow you wherever you go,” replied, “Foxes have holes.” For he knew that the man was not being fully sincere. If, then, the Lord refused to him who was not baptized permission to follow him, because he saw that he was not sincere, do you wonder that the apostle did not absolve him who after baptism was guilty of deceit and whom he declared to be still in the bond of iniquity? But let this be my answer to them. As to myself, I say that Peter did not doubt, and I do not think that so great a question can be so easily disposed of by the questionable interpretation of a single word. For if they think that Peter doubted, did God doubt, who said to the prophet Jeremiah, “Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and you shall give an answer to all Judah, to those who have come to worship in the Lord’s house, even all the words that I have appointed for you to answer to them. Do not omit a word, perhaps they will listen and be converted.” Let them say, then, that God also did not know what would happen. But ignorance is not implied in that word, but the common custom of Holy Scripture is observed to be taken in its simplest sense. Inasmuch as the Lord says also to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I will send you to the house of Israel, to those who have angered me, both themselves and their ancestors, this very day, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, if perhaps they will hear and be afraid.” Did God not know that they could or could not be converted? So, then, that expression is not always a proof of doubt. CONCERNING REPENTANCE 2.5.29-31.

FOREKNOWLEDGE AND FREE WILL. JEROME: Jeremiah is also instructed to speak to all the cities of Judah, although the Septuagint does not translate the word cities, lest it seem indecorous to speak to cities from the court of the house of the Lord, to which they are not present. Yet, when he addresses the people and the citizens, he speaks to the cities themselves. And he stands beautifully in the court and the vestibule of the temple of the Lord, that the people may be brought together to hear the words of the prophet through the occasion of praying to the Lord and adoring him. “Do not remove a word,” he is told, even though it may be sorrowful, even though your audience may be incited to rage against you, nevertheless speak what you have been commanded to say, not yielding to the fear that they will persecute you but only to the rule of the Lord! “Perhaps,” he thinks, “they will listen and be converted.” However, an ambiguous word like “perhaps” cannot be reconciled with the majesty of the Lord but speaks instead of our desire that human free will be served and that it not be compelled from the Lord’s foreknowledge, as though of necessity, either to act or to refrain from acting. For it is not because God knows the future that the future comes about, but it is because of what will happen that God knows it before it occurs. Nevertheless, Jeremiah knew that if the Lord warned of bad consequences and the people did penance, they would be repenting for the sake of what the Lord threatened to do to them. Likewise, if the Lord had promised prosperity and the people then acted with negligence, God would exchange the favorable outcome for a bad one. Such is what is also found in the Gospel: “I will send my son; perhaps they will respect him,” spoken indeed from the person of the omnipotent God. Furthermore, in the present passage, he says, “If, perhaps, they listen and are converted each one from his wicked way, then after they repent, I will change my punishment and not do to them what I had planned to do because of their evil, but only if they change first.” We should also read the story of Jonah and Nineveh. SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 5.36.3-7.

Если бы кто стал утверждать, что Бог, как наперед знавший обращение их, угрожал им разрушением города для того, чтобы побудить их к спасительному покаянию, то следует, что и настоятели братьев без упрека во лжи могут угрожать нуждающимся в исправлении чем-нибудь строже, нежели как намерены сделать, если это нужно будет. Если же кто скажет, что Бог то грозное определение Свое изменил ради их покаяния, согласно с тем, как говорит Он через пророка Иезекииля: «а когда скажу беззаконнику: ты смертью умрешь, и он обратится от грехов своих и будет творить суд и правду,... – то он будет жив, не умрет» (Иез. 33:14–15), то из этих примеров видим, что мы не должны упрямо оставаться в своих определениях, но угрозу, высказанную по необходимости, смягчать благосклонной милостью. А чтобы кто не подумал, будто Господь только одним ниневитянам это сказал, Он через пророка Иеремию свидетельствует, что и для всех сделает то же, и обещает, когда будет необходимо, немедленно изменить Свое определение, смотря по нашим заслугам: «иногда Я скажу о каком-либо народе и царстве, что искореню, сокрушу и погублю его; но если народ этот, на который Я это изрек, обратится от своих злых дел, Я отлагаю то зло, которое помыслил сделать ему. А иногда скажу о каком-либо народе и царстве, что устрою и утвержу его; но если он будет делать злое пред очами Моими и не слушаться гласа Моего, Я отменю то добро, которым хотел облагодетельствовать его» (Иер. 18:7–10).  И пророку Иезекиилю говорит: «скажи... не убавь ни слова. Может быть, они послушают и обратятся каждый от злого пути своего, и тогда Я отменю то бедствие, которое думаю сделать им за злые деяния их» (Иер. 26:2–3).  Из этих свидетельств видно, что нельзя нам упрямо оставаться в своих определениях, но располагать их по разуму и суждению, всегда следует избирать и предпочитать лучшее и без всякой медлительности решаться на то дело, какое будет признано более полезным. 

GOD CHANGES HIS PLAN WHEN SINNERS REPENT. JOHN CASSIAN: But if one says that God revoked that severe sentence in consideration of their penitence, according to what he says by Ezekiel, “If I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die’ and he becomes penitent for his sin and does judgment and justice . . . he shall surely live; he shall not die,” we are similarly taught that we should not be obstinate in our resolve, but that we should with gentle pity soften down the threats that necessity called forth. That we may not conclude that the Lord granted this specially to the Ninevites, he continually affirms by Jeremiah that he will do the same in general toward all and promises that without delay he will change his sentence in accordance with what we deserve, saying, “I will suddenly speak against a nation and against a kingdom to root out and to pull down and to destroy it. If that nation repents of the evil which I have spoken against it, I also will repent of the evil which I thought to do to them. And I will suddenly speak of a nation and a kingdom, to build up and to plant it. If it shall do evil in My sight, that it obey not my voice: I will repent of the good that I thought to do to it.” To Ezekiel also: “Leave out not a word, if so they will hearken and be converted every one from his evil way that I may repent of the evil that I thought to do to them for the wickedness of their doings.” And by these passages it is declared that we ought not obstinately to stick to our decisions but to modify them with reason and judgment, and that better courses should always be adopted and preferred and that we should turn without any delay to that course that is considered the more profitable. For this above all that invaluable sentence teaches us, because though each person’s end is known beforehand to God before his birth, yet somehow God so orders all things by a plan and method for all, and with regard to human disposition, that he decides on everything not by the mere exercise of his power or according to the indescribable knowledge that his foreknowledge possesses but according to the people’s present actions, and he rejects or draws to himself each one, and daily he either grants or withholds his grace. CONFERENCE 2.17.25.

THE POSSIBILITY OF REPENTANCE. THEODORET OF CYR: He did not use the word perhaps out of ignorance, aware as he was of their disobedience. Instead, he expressed such uncertainty to avoid their taking note of the divine sentence and despairing of salvation. It resembles also what was said by Ezekiel, “If then they hear, if then they see.” In other words, it was not a result of ignorance. It was, rather, to prevent their saying, He foretold our disobedience, and he is trustworthy, so how is it possible for us to be changed? Thus, in the present words he emphasizes that it is possible to undergo a change in behavior, if they are willing. ON JEREMIAH 6.26.3.