DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus

\Home\

Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture
plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum

2013 August 24



Landscape with St Jerome (1515-1519)
Joachim Patenier (c. 1480 - 1524)
Northern Renaissance Style
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art


     Explanation: Jeremiah 9 opens with a word from Jeremiah (following from the previous chapter) expressing his desire to go to a solitary place (as in the painting above) where he might weep constantly for the slain among his people and escape their adultery, their treachery, their lies, and their ignorance of the LORD (1-3). Then comes a warning that everyone will deceive his neighbor; and they should not trust one another; for this, the LORD will melt them (to refine them) and will test them because of their lies and the harm they do to one another (4-9). Weeping and wailing will be on the mountains and lamentation in the wilderness; they will be burned up so that none can pass through; and cattle, birds, and beasts will flee; Jerusalem will be heaps of ruins where "dragons" (probably meaning "jackals" in this context) dwell; and the cities of Judah will be desolate (10-11). No one is wise enough to understand these things; rather, they forsake the law and disobey the LORD's voice; they walk after their own imaginations and worship the Baal idols; so the LORD will feed them with wormwood and give them water of gall to drink; and he will scatter them into strange lands and send a sword after them (12-16). So the LORD calls for mourning women who are skilled in music to come and make a wailing that will bring tears to the eyes because spoiling and exile are coming to their land along with death and unburied carcasses in the open fields (17-22). Therefore the LORD tells the wise, the mighty, and the rich not to glory in those things but to glory in knowing the LORD who brings "lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says the LORD" (23-24). The days are coming, warns the LORD, when Israel, which is uncircumcised in their heart, will be punished with the surrounding nations, which are uncircumcised in their flesh (25-26).


Jeremiah 9

     1 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! 2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
     4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. 6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. 7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9 Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
     10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. 11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
     12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? 13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; 14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: 15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.
     17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: 18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. 20 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation. 21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. 22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
     23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
     25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; 26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.




Home | DAWN Forum Archive | Site Index

Tomorrow's Picture: TBA

     PARTICIPATION: We have 7 areas available (via email) for your participation. We are accepting contributions for Prose, Poetry, Writers, Visual Artists, Music, DAWN, and ILLUMINATION. DAWN, the page you are presently visiting, features a new image daily and invites discussion of the artist, style, or Biblical subjects depicted. ILLUMINATION features a compact, Illuminated Bible for which we are accepting visual, auditory, musical, and written contributions on any Biblical passage or theme. Our goal is to have a community-made, online, Illuminated Bible.

Please Email Comments, Questions, and Contributions for All Areas To

AD LIB ARTS EMAIL