Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 31:22

22 ¶ How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter ? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man .

That the Iews are here meant by the backsliding daughter is out of question; but what going about is here intended, is not so plain. Some interpret it of their running after Idols; some, of their seeking help from forreign Nations, instead of applying themselves unto God. Others of their wandring up and down in Captivity.

But the greater difficulty is about this new thing, which the Lord saith he will create in the new Earth, a Woman compassing a man. Some by Women understanding feeble Persons that should prevail against strong men. But the two Interpretations of this difficult passage which seem most reasonably to contend for preference are, 1. The interpretation of those who think it contains a Promise both of the Iewish Church in its time, and of the Gospel Church, after the Iewish Churches period, prevailing over all its Enemies, whether Temporal or Spiritual, though considering the paucity of the Churches Members with the multitude of its Enemies and their power: it seemed as strange a thing, as for a Woman to prevail against a strong and mighty man. This the learned Author of the English Annotations, judgeth the true and genuine sense of these words. Others interpret this Woman to be the Virgin Mary, who was to inclose in her Womb the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the converted Iews were to adhere; which sense neither Mr. Calvin, nor our learned English Annotator approve of. But it being the receiv'd sense of very many Interpreters, it is fit we should hear their Reasons, which are 1. They urge the particle [non-Latin text not transcribed], for God, they say, here gives the Reason why the Iews should desire to return into the country of Iudea, because the Messias was to be born there. 2. They urge the term created, the body of Christ being not begotten by man, but created by God, though of the Flesh of the Virgin. 3. They say this indeed was a new thing. It was a new thing for a Virgin to become a Mother, still remaining a Virgin, and to be the Mother of him who was God blessed for ever, though not the Mother of the Divine Nature, for so Christ answered the Type of M[illegible: 1 letter]lchisedeck, without Father as Man, without Mother as God. 4. All other incompassings of a man they say were as well out of Iudea as in it, this was in Iudea only. 5. The word translated Woman in Scripture, they say alwayes signifies a particular individual Woman, which could be no other than the Virgin. 6. They say the whole context refers to benefits coming by Christ, therefore he must certainly be the man here intended. 7. They urge that this Prophecy follows ver. 15. which Matt. 2.8. is applyed by the Evangelist to Herods Murder of the Infants upon the Birth of Christ. But on the other side it is objected that the Verb [non-Latin text not transcribed] is never used in Scripture to signifie such an incompassing. 2. That the word translated a man, signifying a strong man, doth not properly agree to an Infant in the Mothers Belly. But it is again replied, that this is not the onely word in Scripture, that is but once read in the same sense. 2. That the word signifieth any incompa[illegible: 1 letter]sing▪ and may properly be applied to the Virgins Womb incompassing an Infant. And for the word translated Man, they say it is applied to a new born [illegible: 1 letter]nfant, Iob 3.3. Isa. 9.6. That it is applied to God Deut. 10.17. and to Christ, Zech. 13.7. compared with Math. 26.31. In a matter wherein so many Learned men are divided, it is enough for me to give their Opinions and Reasons, leaving my Reader to his own [illegible: 1 letter]udgment, in a matter wherein neither his Faith nor Holiness are much concerned, for the Question is not concerning the thing, whether Christ was incompassed in the Womb of a Woman, which is plain enough from other Scriptures, but onely whether that be the sense of the phrase here.