THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Once more, I extended my hand against them in the wilderness, aiming to disperse them among the nations and scatter them widely, as they disregarded my statutes, rejected my commands, desecrated my sabbaths, and turned their gaze toward the idols of their forebears. Consequently, I provided them with commandments that were not beneficial, along with ordinances that they were unable to uphold. I rendered them impure through their offerings, as they sacrificed the firstborn for their transgressions. It is written, “they shall know that I am the Lord.” In the Old Testament, when the Lord raised His hand against their children who perished in the wilderness to scatter them, it is not explicitly stated, but we are compelled to believe in its validity based on this text.
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This may also suggest that after they entered the Promised Land, due to their numerous transgressions, they were handed over to various nations and rulers. At those times, the Lord’s commandments, which were intrinsically good, and the ordinances meant to give life to believers, became ineffective for them, as they could not adhere to God's word during their captivity. God did not say He had given them evil commandments, but rather commandments that were not good. Something that is not good does not equate to being bad; as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to engage with women, yet for the sake of self-discipline, each should possess his vessel in sanctity and honor. If one fails to do this, it is not inherently good or bad. Thus, following their dispersion among the peoples, God allowed their thoughts and desires to pursue paths unworthy of them, handing them commandments that were unhelpful. He defiled them through their offerings, similar to how a priest would isolate those infected with leprosy from the congregation, making it clear that they were impure for sacrificing to idols what was meant for God. They offered their firstborn to Baal through fire, indicating their abandonment by God, as they surrendered to idolatry, thereby realizing that He is the Lord whom they had provoked.
The translation by Symmachus provides clarity, using future tense instead of past: "Therefore I will also give them commandments that are not good, and ordinances by which they cannot live, and I will defile them by their gifts; for they dedicate and consume with fire all that opens the womb, that I may destroy them, and they shall know that I am the Lord." This signifies that the children mirrored their fathers in their wickedness, committing the same acts that angered God. My intention was to scatter them among the nations and bestow upon them commandments lacking goodness and ordinances unlivable, to defile them through their offerings, as they dedicated all their firstborn children to idols, thus facing eternal destruction while acknowledging that I am the Lord. He indicates that this was not intended for those in the wilderness, but for those He meant to subject to dispersion, wishing to provide what He had not given—so that the righteous commandments of God would become ineffective through their actions of offering to idols what was rightfully His. Additionally, it could be observed that prior to their provocation, they received only the fundamental commandments, and following their idolatry and blasphemy, they received varied ceremonial laws, enabling them to offer to God sacrifices they directed to demons, which, in contrast to sacrilege, rendered those offerings less significant. Although these were not good in essence, they were not evil, as they were meant for God, but, due to their actions, they angered the Source of all goodness.