| Barnes' Notes on the Bible Desolate - The force of the protest lies in this word. Thrice the prophet uses it. Layeth it to heart - Rather, laid it "to heart." The desolate land must put up its silent cry to God, because the people had refused to see the signs of the coming retribution. Clarke's Commentary on the BibleNo man layeth it to heart - Notwithstanding all these desolations, from which the land every where mourns, and which are so plainly the consequences of the people's crimes, no man layeth it to heart, or considereth that these are God's judgments; and that the only way to have them removed is to repent of their sins, and turn to God with all their hearts. Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey have made it desolate,.... Which is repeated to denote the certainty of it; astonishment at it, and that it might be observed: and being desolate it mourneth unto me; not the inhabitants of it for their sins, the cause of this desolation; but the land itself, because of the calamities upon it; it crying to God, in its way, for a restoration to its former beauty and glory. The whole land is made desolate; it was not only the case of Jerusalem, and the parts adjacent, but even of the whole land of Judea: because no man layeth it to heart, took any notice of the judgment threatened, foretold by the prophets; nor repented of their sins, for which they were threatened with such a desolation; nor even were properly affected with the destruction itself; the earth seemed more sensible of it than they were; this expresses the great stupidity of this people. Geneva Study BibleThey have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth to me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth {l} it to heart. (l) Because no man regards my word, or the plagues that I have sent on the land. Wesley's Notes 12:11 They - Heb. He hath made it desolate: but it cannot be meant of God, for it is God that speaketh, and God is he mentioned in the next words; it must therefore either be understood of Nebuchadnezzar, the instrumental cause; or (one number being put for another) of the people or the rulers as the meritorious cause, and in that rueful state into which their sins had brought it, it cried onto God. Because - And one great cause of this sore judgment was, the peoples not seriously considering what God had done or was doing against it. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary11. mourneth unto me-that is, before Me. Eichorn translates, "by reason of Me," because I have given it to desolation (Jer 12:7). because no man layeth it to heart-because none by repentance and prayer seek to deprecate God's wrath. Or, "yet none lays it to heart"; as in Jer 5:3 [Calvin]. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary12:7-13 God's people had been the dearly-beloved of his soul, precious in his sight, but they acted so, that he gave them up to their enemies. Many professing churches become like speckled birds, presenting a mixture of religion and the world, with its vain fashions, pursuits, and pollutions. God's people are as men wondered at, as a speckled bird; but this people had by their own folly made themselves so; and the beasts and birds are called to prey upon them. The whole land would be made desolate. But until the judgments were actually inflicted, none of the people would lay the warning to heart. When God's hand is lifted up, and men will not see, they shall be made to feel. Silver and gold shall not profit in the day of the Lord's anger. And the efforts of sinners to escape misery, without repentance and works answerable thereto, will end in confusion. |