Jeremiah 12:5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

In the swelling of Jordan— Houbigant thinks that these are the words of Jeremiah to his fellow-citizens, and to the king and the leaders of the army, whom he addresses in the next verse. He compares the footmen to the horse, says St. Jerome, because all Persia, Chaldea, and those countries, excel in cavalry. Calmet observes, that the manner of expression is proverbial. "The Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, &c. have been too strong for you; what then will you do with the Chaldeans, who are more numerous and powerful? The first had only infantry; the others abound in cavalry and chariots." The prophet goes on, "You are secure when the land is quiet; but what will you do when Jordan shall overflow? You think to be in security in your own country; but what will you do, when the Chaldean army, composed of multitudes of people around you, shall come and overflow Judaea?" The Scripture frequently expresses the coming of an army into a country by inundation. See ch. Jeremiah 46:7. Daniel 11:10. Calmet thinks, that under the figure of the overflowing Jordan, the prophet principally means the Ammonites, Midianites, Moabites, and Arabs, who were separated from Judaea by the Jordan, and who joined the army of the Chaldeans against the Jews.