Jeremiah 12:5

Hast run. God asks Jeremiah to compare his small sorrows with the larger troubles of others, or with the larger troubles that would yet come to him.

With the footmen. A figure representing the ordinary vicissitudes of life, as compared with “horses,” or “horsemen,” representing the more difficult experiences. The ordinary man could be expected to “keep up” with his fellow men. If he should become weary when running with the footmen, how could he face the harder task of keeping up with the horses? The lesson given to the prophet of old may well come home to each one today. If we neglect the minor tasks of life, how can we undertake the greater responsibilities that may come to us? If we succumb to the smaller temptations of everyday life, how can we overcome in the greater crises of life? If we cannot endure the lesser troubles of life, how can we withstand the terrible tribulations that will yet come upon us? And finally, if we fail to meet the situations of the present day with faith and trust, how will we be able to stand the almost unendurable hardships and almost overmastering delusions that will come upon us during the “time of trouble” (see GC 621, 622)?

Swelling. Heb. ga’on, “height,” “eminence,” or “pride.” The usual translation of ga’on in the OT is “pride.” There is some question as to just what is meant by the expression here, “the pride of the Jordan,” or “the height of the Jordan.” Some consider that the reference is to “the high waters of the Jordan,” denoting the overflowing of the river in harvesttime (see Joshua 3:15; 1 Chron. 12:15). Others are of the opinion that the reference is to “the high trees of the Jordan,” which, with the underlying shrubs and cane, formed a jungle inhabited by lions and other wild beasts (see Jer. 49:19; Zech. 11:3). It matters not whether the “swelling” of the Jordan is the “flood,” or the “jungle,” the contrast is clear between it and the “land of peace.”