Jeremiah 18:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Will the stones of the mountain become rare or the snow of Lebanon disappear? Can the winds that carry moisture be turned back? Masti refers to a prominent peak. Just as it is impossible for the water or Lebanon's snow to stop flowing, or for the powerful current to be obstructed, so too have the people sinned repeatedly and profoundly.

Is the snow drawn from the stone of the suckers? In other words, is it water that flows from the rocky mountains? Jeremiah mentions Hermon, the tallest peak of Anteliban, as the rock of the suckers. Will the foreign, cool waters cease to flow? He describes the waters that have just begun to emerge from the earth as cold, untouched by the sun at their source, referring to them as foreign and flowing waters. The prophet’s intention is clear; through this example and others, he seeks to reveal to the Jews their wickedness, which has led them to forsake the service of God. They ought not to have abandoned that which was truly beneficial for them, as nothing can escape its inherent nature. Just as the snow atop a mountain remains and the flowing waters that rush swiftly do not cease.

Will the snow on the heights of Lebanon diminish upon the rocky ground? Can the cool, flowing waters of the rushing streams be separated? Similarly, as expressed in the poetry of Virgil: In the air, the deer will graze, and before the depths of the sea, the fish will be left stranded on the shore, rather than let His image be erased from our hearts. And elsewhere, it is stated: As long as rivers continue to flow into the seas, and as the mountains descend, shadows will cover the earth, while the stars will light the heavens, until Your glory, majesty, and praise accompany me always.

Consider also the unique honor of virginity: Christ serves as the bridegroom of the virgin, and in a sense, He embodies the purity of virginity; for virginity originates from Christ rather than the other way around. Thus, the virgin is one who was united in a sacred bond, who carried us in her womb, who brought us into the world, and who nourished us with her milk. The Scriptures speak of her: ‘Sicevaya ... create... virgin of Jerusalem.’ In the Russian text, this passage conveys a different meaning than in the Slavonic version. The support of the stone and the snow of Lebanon shall not fade, nor shall the waters of the winnowing of the wind be swept away by the breeze (Jer. 18:13-14).

The Lord declares that the springs flow with water continuously, Lebanon remains covered in snow, and the rushing streams traverse their established routes. Yet, the children of Israel have abandoned the path of the law and do not remember My commandments. This is illustrated by the following declaration: Because My people have forgotten Me and turned away from Me, they will tire in their everlasting journeys, attempting to ascend a way that offers no true guidance. They have created paths that were never intended, establishing them as perpetual routes; in other words, they persistently walk in these misguided trails. Consequently, their land will become a wasteland. For the Lord has added these truths: