The following two chapters are in themselves quite clear and easy, now that the difficulties of the visions are over. With the exposition of what is contained in the first six chapters, the prophet has spent almost two years, what the inscription in the beginning and in this seventh chapter indicates. He had begun in the second year of King Darin, and here it is said that he began in the fourth year. Thus he preached to the people for two years before he began this sermon. The sum of the two chapters is this: After instructing the people and again
When the people were brought back to the right and good way, so that they walked in the law and the word of the Lord, Satan or the godless human reason began to invent the way of the statutes of men and the little human fiefdoms, which are without and beyond the word of God. For this is how Satan tends to intrude everywhere into that which belongs to God and the service of God, as the Germans finely say in a proverb: "Our Lord God has nowhere a church, Tenfel also wants to have a chapel next to it. Thus, among this people, it was inevitable that
The whole of the fifth chapter above has described this in a terrifying way [in the vision of the flying book]. For this reason the Lord allows this to happen while the prophet is still alive, so that they, reminded by this example, will not fall away from the word, but will stick to the pure and clear word. But in the whole Old Testament there is hardly such a clear and distinct passage against the statutes of men and the spirituality of angels [Col. 2, 18.], which, because of the hypocrisy, even seems exceedingly holy according to the judgment of reason, as it is in this chapter, as we shall see. And yet the blindness of the papists, the blind and deprived of all common sense, is such that they bring [this passage] 1) forward for their statutes. For this passage of the fasts is famous in the church of the pope; moved by the same, they also instituted the quarterly fasts. So great is the blindness of human reason, which so brazenly misuses the word of God according to its will. It seizes only a few words, but sets aside the whole order and the context of the speech. Thus, because of the mention of fasting, they immediately seized this word stubbornly, thinking that what they dream could be established from it, while these fasts have no price in the Scriptures. They were self-chosen works of this people and self-chosen spirituality, as the apostle Paul speaks [Col. 2, 23], and as it is completely condemned here by the Lord.
But the reason for these fasts is not given in the text, and there was nothing in it to add the reason for this void thing. For who could give tenable reasons for all the exceedingly foolish statutes? Satan devises a thousand arts by which to deceive the unwary into believing that what they do at his instigation is worship. If, therefore, reasons are to be added at all, we shall be content with those which the Jews put forward, which Jerome has abundantly noted. Whether they are true or not, we will not endure.
1) Added by us.
For "the fast of the fourth month" [Cap. 8, 19.] they indicate this reason, that in this month Jerusalem was first besieged by the king of the Babylonians, and that he, after the walls had been thrown down, broke into the city. He took it only after the king fled, and so the city fell into the hands of the enemy. In memory of this, so that they might testify that they mourned the disaster of the holy city, it seemed good to them that a fast should be sanctified and a mourning observed, which they did not observe otherwise than when they had received a commandment from God. Quite similar to these are some superstitious people in our times, who, in a foolish spirituality (religione), abstain from all food on the day of mourning, after the wooden Christ is buried, until this wooden Christ is brought out again, and they do this in honor of the suffering of Christ, neglecting in the meantime the proper custom of suffering. Such was also the superstition of the Jews, since they fasted annually in the fourth month because of the capture of Jerusalem. The fourth month, however, is with them, that I also note this, the June. Because they begin the counting of the months with March etc.
"The fasting of the fifth month" is that they also fasted in the fifth month. For these fasts they give this reason: that afterwards, when the city was taken, the temple of the Lord and the palaces were set on fire, for this is reported in the sacred histories. Therefore, moved by such great misfortune, namely that the king of the Babylonians was not satisfied with having plundered and laid waste the city, but also destroyed the temple of the Lord and raged with fire against all the best houses of the rulers, they also set a fast.
"The Fast of the Seventh Moon." This month is September. 2) For the establishment of these fasts they have given this, that in this month Gedaliah was killed, whom the king of the Babylonians 3) had set over the land of Canaan, that he should rule there.
2) In our original wrong: Rovernder. This is also noted by the Weimarsche.
"3) In the original: ^ss^riorura instead of: Lad^Iovioruna. Likewise equal folgmd.
was to lead them to the kingdom of Babylon. One reads about this in Jeremiah [Cap. 39-44], where he scolds that they fled to Egypt out of fear of the king of Babylon. Because this murder of Gedaliah became afterwards the cause of great misfortune.
"The fasts of the tenth month," that is, in December. They say that they were induced to start these fasts by the fact that in this month the rumor of the burning of the temple and the flight to Egypt first reached those who had been carried away captive to Babylon etc.
And in these things stands the summa of these two chapters, the seventh and the eighth. For the Lord condemns these self-chosen righteousnesses, saying that they are displeasing to him because they were not instituted and commanded by him. This passage, as I reminded you in the beginning, is certainly exceedingly clear against the statutes of men and the self-chosen works, however good they may seem to be. For who can deny that fasting is a good work? And yet the Lord rejects it here. But he demands that they be godly and devout in heart, and that they practice the word of God, that they do the works commanded by God. There is no need for self-chosen works and self-chosen spirituality (έ&ελο^ρησχείας), as Paul calls them,
invent for it.
V. 1. And it came to pass in the fourth year of Darius the king.
That is, I have been given the word to preach and spread. This happened in the month of November, for they call it Chisleu. 2) But the Jews reckon their months according to the course of the moon, as the new moon appeared, which we do not do, since we have certain months and certain days of the months; therefore we have leap days of necessity, but they do not.
1) In the text wrong: Lsaiain with the likewise wrong marginal gloss in the original: üsa. 30 - In a note, the Weimarsche expresses its surprise that Luther should have departed from Jer. 39 ff, but did not dare to change it.
2) In our original: Oisliu; in the Vulgate: Oasleu; in Hebrew:
V. 2. When Sarezer and Regemmelech and their people sent to the house of God.
Jerome was very much mistaken here, since he translated the word that is in Hebrew, BethEl: to the house of God. It is the proper name of the place, therefore it should not have been translated appellatively. For where the Scripture calls the temple of the Lord, it makes use of other words, namely XXX XXXX, and I know nowhere in the
Scripture a place where BethEl should be translated appellatively. Therefore read like this: And they sent to BethEl, as if he wanted to say: They should be ashamed of their ungodliness, who still hang in that damned place, because of which they were miserably afflicted. But Sarezer and RegemMelech 3) were sent to plead before the Lord, with gifts and freewill offerings, such as are often sent in recompense. Finally, after the sacrifice is performed and the gift is offered in BethEl, which is the greatest impiety, for the Lord had rejected and forbidden that place, they also send to the priests of the Lord's house in Jerusalem and to the prophet to inquire.
V. 3. 4) Must I also weep?
Thus one must read according to the Hebrew: Will I still weep in the fifth month to sanctify myself, as I have done for many years? About the vow (de religione) of the Nazarites, see the fourth book of Moses [Cap. 6, 2. ff.], how they abstained, did not shave their heads, and I do not know what other things they observed, as also the apostle Paul did because of the weakness of the Jews, as can be seen in the Acts of the Apostles [Cap. 21, 24.]. This custom is alluded to here in this question put to the priests and prophets of the Lord, as if to say, "Must I then mourn and abstain from wine, and be superstitious, as it were, according to the customs of the Nazarites, in remembrance, namely, of the calamity that followed the destruction of the city and the burning of the temple etc."? It asks
3) The original: rsx; the Erlanger: ttex, Hleleat".
4) This verse number is missing in Weimar's.
So about the already rebuilt temple, whether he should continue in this self-chosen clergy, as also some weak still raise questions at distant times, because of their ridiculous vows etc.
V. 5: When you fasted and suffered.
The Lord rebukes that foolish superstition, as if to say: I do not care about your not eating or eating. What is it to me, since I did not command you? It was none of my business that you should go mourning, suffering and starving because of the burning of the temple and the taking of the city, while in the meantime you change your lives to nothing, not ceasing to be idolaters, despisers of the word of God and suspicious of me, not exercising love either, as will be added here of the unjust judgment, of the injustice to widows and orphans. Quite similar is the passage in Malachi [Cap. 3, 1-4.], "It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it to us to live hard lives?" etc. In sum, the Lord says here that it is not fasted to him, that everything is in vain, since he has not commanded it. But he calls good the works that come from a good root, from a believing heart. For if the heart is sanctified and pure, then every work is also pure and holy, whether one fasts or eats, wakes or sleeps etc.
V. 6. or when you ate and watered etc.
A similar passage is in Jeremiah [Cap. 7:21], "Thou shalt offer your burnt offerings and other sacrifices unto heaps, and eat flesh. "etc. "Let me have peace with your eating and drinking" and with your fasting. [Ps. 50, 13.:] "Do you mean that I will eat the flesh of oxen, or drink the blood of goats?" [Ps. 50:12:] "If I hungered, I would not tell thee of it. "etc. That is, I care neither for your fasting nor for your eating, as Paul also says [1 Cor. 8:8:] "If we eat, we shall not be better for it; if we eat not, we shall not be less for it." 1) The food makes
sli^niä nobis Nkkst 6tc.
We are not pleased with God, but when the heart is cleansed, God is pleased with everything, and he does not care what is done, everything is pleasing to him, it is only external things. If you eat or fast, if you drink or sleep, what does God care? He wants the heart to be godly and pure. Therefore, Paul did well when he circumcised himself at the same time as the rest of the Jews, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles [Cap. 21, 24].
V. 7. Is this not what the Lord preached? etc.
I read thus: Are not these the words which the Lord preached by the former prophets, when Jerusalem stood? etc. Namely these words: You have fasted, you have walked sadly, you have caused self-chosen spirituality etc. All this I do not want, I do not approve. By all these things you have only provoked me to anger, and yet you still do not desist, since you have been taught before even by experience and your great misfortune how much I hate and detest your presumption and your self-chosen works. How long then do you abuse my long-suffering, how long do you continue to be ungodly? For the hypocrites sin in two ways, namely, that they forsake God and invent something completely different from God's word; then, that they blaspheme the name of God by attaching to their deeds and their actions the delusion that they thereby attain righteousness, and think that it is a service of God and is approved by God, and thus call evil good and good evil, as it is said in Isaiah [Cap.5, 20], which public sinners and those who live in public shame do not do.
V. 9. 2) Thus says the Lord of hosts.
"For thus had the Lord of hosts said." This is how I would like it to be translated, so that it fits in with what has gone before. For he interprets himself, what words they had heard before from the prophets, since he adds:
Judges right.
As if to say: My prophets did not speak like this: Fast, lament, mourn;
2) The Weimar one has this verse number only in the following section.
absolutely nothing of these things, but rather so: "Judge rightly" etc. Hasn't enough nonsensical action been done yet? Do you still want to continue? Hear what the Lord says, what he demands of you, namely, that you should have righteous rulers, princes and judges, who govern the community rightly, who are concerned about justice, who give justice in a right way without regard to the person, so that they do not, bribed by gifts, pervert justice and oppress the poor. Namely, this is the first sin, that they have kings who are hungry for gifts (βασιλέας δωροφάγους.) 1)
Then the Lord also requires this of each one, that he have mercy and compassion on his neighbor. This is the duty of love, which concerns all equally, as Christ also says [Matth. 9, 13.]: "I am pleased with mercy and not with sacrifice." Now mercy is a kindness by which we do good to others, as if to say, "Do good to one another," and stand by one another through love; then also show mercy to one another, that is, each one should be kind to his brother, have mercy on his neighbor in every need, forgive one another's offenses, and receive one another if you have fallen etc. Then do not do injustice to the stranger, the widow, the orphan and the poor, who are otherwise deprived of all help. They are already miserable in themselves, so do not add one evil to another, for otherwise the poor will be in misery everywhere 2) etc.
V. 11. 12. But they would not pay attention.
That is to say, intent on their own self-interest, on their own lusts, they turned their ears away from the truth "and set their hearts like a demant". I do not know if the Hebrew word means a demant, because I have often remembered that the Hebrew grammarians are uncertain in the words that mean things. In the second book of Moses [Cap. 28, 18.] we have translated by the word demant,
1) The Erlanger has in the margin: He alludes to the words of Hesiod. Cf. k/"/" E V. 38 8(4.
2) The Erlanger has in the margin: He alludes to Oviä. last. 1, 218: kauxsr sackt.
but there is another word. But it means the godless Pharisaic stubbornness that reigned in their hearts that they did not give ear to the word of God.
Which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the former prophets.
As if he wanted to say: "I court them through the prophets", as it says in Hosea 3) [Cap. 6, 5.], I have spared no effort and labor to bring them back from their ungodliness to the word of God, but they have continued obstinately and turned their backs on me. But from this passage is taken what we read in our [Nicene] Creed: "Who spoke through the prophets," and what Peter says in his [second] epistle [Cap. 1, 21.]: "The holy men of God have spoken, driven by the Holy Spirit."
V. 13. 4) Just as they preached and did not hear.
Just as the prophets preached and they did not hear, so I did not hear them when they called. Thus should have been translated in the conjunctive [: cum clamarent instead of: sic clamabunt in the Vulgate], for the Hebrews have no conjunctive. The Lord himself testifies that they called upon the name of the Lord, which was certainly a very good thing to do. And if ever anything is attributed to the powers of so-called free will, much is attributed to them here, namely, the invocation of the name of God. But still, because they would not hear the word of God, it was therefore impossible that they should be heard when they called. Therefore, we should learn from this: if we want our petitions to be heard, we should first hear the word of the Lord, otherwise He will not hear, however you may mourn and cry out, even if you burst.
V. 14. So I scattered them among all the nations.
This is a well-chosen and emphatic word in Hebrew, which our [latei-
3) In our template: Lsnin.
4) This verse number is missing in Weimar's.
nischer] Interpreter translated by the word dispergere. But it is in the Hebrew: And by a whirlwind I have scattered them among all the Gentiles, as if to say, With the impetuosity of a tempest I have scattered them and brought them to different places. No one could resist, so the terrifying storm took them away; I did not care about their mourning.
And is the land behind them remained desolate.
For there remained none to till it and inhabit it, but all became desolate.
And is the noble (desiderabilis) land made desolate.
Here is the word that is also found in Haggai 1) [Cap. 2, 8.]: "Then shall come the consolation of all the Gentiles" (desideratus). They had an exceedingly great pleasure in the city of Jerusalem and in their land; they did not like to be torn away from it. But no matter how much they enjoyed it, they were still pushed out and driven out by the storm.
1) In our presentation: in Genesi.