Comentario citado sobre Jeremías 10:25

a prophet to the nations To Israel, who behave like the nations. In this manner it is expounded in Sifrei on the verse: “A prophet from your midst, etc.” (Deut. 18:15), will set up for you and not for those who deny the Torah. How then do I fulfill “A prophet to the nations I made you”? To the children of Israel who deport themselves with the customs of the nations. It can further be interpreted: “A prophet for the nations,” like “About the nations,” to give them to drink the cup of poison, to prophesy retribution upon them, as it is said: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand, you shall give all the nations to drink of it” (infra 25:15). Another explanation of “When you had not yet emerged from the womb I appointed you” is: Concerning you I said to Moses: “I will set up a prophet...like you” (Deut. 18:18). This one reproved them, and this one reproved them. This one prophesied for forty years and this one prophesied for forty years.

AND THE ETERNAL WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THEE ALL SICKNESS — ordinary ailments which occur in the world. He further mentioned all the evil diseases of Egypt to assure the people that He will inflict them on all who hate thee. Or it may be that he is intimating that by observing the ordinances, they will be saved from them [these evil diseases], but if they do not observe them, they [the diseases] will come upon them just as they did come upon the Egyptians, as is stated in the chastisement: And He will bring back upon thee all the diseases of Egypt etc.³⁴Ibid., 28:60. I have already explained this in the section And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go.³⁵Exodus 15:26 (Vol. II, pp. 212-213). Now he mentioned as the first among the ordinances, the duty to demolish and destroy the idol-worshippers.³⁶Verse 16. Therefore he said, ‘v’achalta’ [literally: “and thou shalt eat”] all the peoples,³⁶Verse 16. meaning that you should destroy them, similar to what is said, for they are bread for us;³⁷Numbers 14:9. for ‘achal’ (he hath devoured) Jacob;³⁸Psalms 79:7. ‘va’achaluhu’ (yea, they have devoured him) and consumed him,³⁹Jeremiah 10:25. and so also many similar expressions. He states thine eye shall not pity them³⁶Verse 16. as I have mentioned,⁴⁰Above in Verse 12. for, through [undue] pity of the judges all law will be destroyed.

V. 16. ואכלת כל העמים. Vergl. Wajikra 26, 28; Jirmija 10, 25; 30, 16; 50, 17 u.f. wo אכל als Vernichtung einer Bevölkerung, insbesondere durch das Kriegsschwert, vorkommt. Ist ja auch אכל geradezu Prädikat von חרב, wie Dewarim Kap. 3, 42 u.f. Ohnehin hängt ja auch der Begriff Krieg, לחם, mit dem Begriffe Speise eng zusammen, und אכל wäre in diesem Zusammenhange vielleicht nicht sowohl ein objektiver Vernichtungskrieg, sondern die Vernichtung der Bevölkerung zum Selbsterhaltungszweck. —

תבל הוא THIS IS CONFUSION — תבל is an expression used for unchastity, incest and adultery. Similar is (Jeremiah 10:25) “Mine anger because of their depravity (תבליתם)". Another explanation of תבל הוא: it is an expression denoting the mingling (root בלל) and fusion of the human seed and the animal seed.