Jeremiah 13:23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Can the Ethiopian, &c.— Jeremiah does not mean hereby to express the absolute impossibility of a moral change; such as that in nature, whereof he speaks. To suppose this, would be to contradict the whole tenor of his writings, and to render insignificant and absurd all his invitations to repentance. Nay, it appears from the last verse of this very chapter, that he did not suppose the reformation of this people an absolute impossibility. We are, therefore, to understand this as a proverbial expression, which, like many others in Scripture, is not to be taken in the strictness of the letter; the prophet designing only to express the extreme difficulty of a moral change in habitual sinners, and particularly in these presumptuous and obstinate sinners of Israel, to whom his discourse is directed. Archbishop Tillotson remarks, "That this expression, Can the Ethiopian, &c. is much to be mitigated, will appear, by considering some other like passages of Scripture; as where our Saviour compares the difficulty of a rich man's salvation, to that which is naturally impossible,—to a camel's passing through the eye of a needle: nay, he pitches his expression higher, and doth not only make it a thing of equal, but of greater difficulty: I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And yet, when he comes to explain this to his disciples, he tells them, that he only meant that the thing was very difficult; How hard is it for those that have riches to be saved! And in another place,—For those that trust in riches, and that it was not impossible: but, speaking according to human probability, with men this is impossible, but not with God. In like manner we are to understand this high expression, which is very hyperbolical,—Can the Ethiopian, &. that is to say, This moral change of men, settled and fixed in bad habits, is very difficult, though, as the Archbishop goes on to shew, there is still ground to hope that it may be done. And when we consider the Christian religion, and the power of divine grace, there is all the reason in the world to believe that it will be done, when we heartily set about it, and use every necessary and proper endeavour. See his Sermons, vol. 2: p. 166.