CHAP. XXIX. you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. 15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon: 16 Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: CHAP. XXIX. Ver. 2. The eunuchs — "Chamberlains." [of lying prophets. 19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD. 20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseial, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes. 22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; 23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD. 24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. NOTES. Ver. 15. Because ye have said, &c.--This verse certainly appears to be misplaced. Blayney, Boothroyd, and others, following the LXX, place it immediately after ver. 20, which seems to render the connexion of the whole much clearer, thus: "Whereas (Ki) ye have said, the LORD hath raised up for us prophets in Babylon: Thus saith the Lord of hosts," &c, and then follows an awful denunciation agains the false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah, whom Nabachadnezzar burnt for adultery, ver. 23. Ver. 24. The Nehelamite-Marg. " Dreamer: Ver. 26. For every man, &c. - Blayney," In the case of any one," &c. Every man-Gataker, "Every madman that maketh," &c. Ver. 29. Read this letter-Gataker, “Had read,” &c. 27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you? 28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. [Israel's return 3 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. 4 And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. 5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of 30 Then came the word of the fear, and not of peace. LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehela mite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie; 32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD (G) CHAP. XXX. THE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. CHAP XXIX. 6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? 7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. 8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. 10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and EXPOSITION. (G) Jeremiah writes to warn and comfort the captives already sent to Babylon. This chapter contains the substance of a letter sent by the Prophet to the captives already in Babylon, in which he recommends to them patience and composure under their present circumstances, which were to endure for 70 years, during which, however, he assured them they should fare better than their brethren who remained behind; and warns them against the suggestions of false Prophets, who flattered them with the hopes of a speedy end to their captivity. He likewise, in a second letter (ver. 24) denounces heavy judgments against those false Prophets that deceived them, and particularly against Shemaiah, (the dreamer) who had sent a letter of complaint against Jeremiah to the Jews at Jerusalem. NOTES. 8. His yoke-that is, the king of Babylon's. .... But in this passage. Blayney and others have recourse F And reconciliation] CHAP. XXX. Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest; and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. 11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct 5 thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. 12 For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. 13 There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. 14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. 15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. 16 Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. 17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, CHAP. XXX. [to the God of Jacob. This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. 18 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. 19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. 20 Their children also shall be as. aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. 21 And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. 22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 23 Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it. (H) EXPOSITION. (H) Promises of all Israel's return and reconciliation to the God of Jacob. This and the following chapter must relate, in part at least, to a still future restoration of the Jews from their several dispersious; as no deliverance hitherto afforded them comes up to the terms of it: for the return from Babylon, included little more than the tribe of Judah, and they were again euslaved by the Greeks and Romans (contrary to ver. 8,) and in no place in the world are they at present independent of the Gentiles; so that the prophecy remains NOTES. binding up," or "pressing." By this it should seem, that the care of wounds by fight binding up, is a very ancient practice. Ver. 16. Therefore Blayney, "Afterwards;" Boothroyd, "Yet." See chap. xvi. 14. Ver. Is. Its own heap- namely, of rains. Marg. Its little hill--Mount Sion: either phrase implies the city being rebuilt on its ancient site. Ver. 21. Their nobles shall be of themselves-that is, not foreigners.For who is this? &c.-that is, For who will draw near to me, except 1 first draw him? Ver. 23, 24, Behold, &c.-Comp, ch, xxiii, 19, 20. IN CHAP. XXVI. JEREMIAH. N the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, came this word from the LORD, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: 3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. 4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, 5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; 6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. 7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. 8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. 9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. 10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up [and deliverance. from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house. 11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. 12 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house, and against this city, all the words that ye have heard. 13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. 14 As for me, Behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. 15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inbabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you, to speak all these words in your ears. 16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die; for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God. 17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the laud, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts ; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become, heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him Typical bonds] CHAP. XXVII. [and yokes. of the evil which he had pronounced the hand of the people to put him to against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls. 20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah : 21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; 22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt. 23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. 24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into CHAP. XXVI. death. (D) IN CHAP. XXVII. N the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, 3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; 4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; thus shall ye say unto your masters; 5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. EXPOSITION. (D) Jeremiah delivering a prophetic oracle is tried for his life, and escapes with difficulty.In the beginning of the reign of king Jehoiakim, Jeremiah foretels the destruction of the temple and city, if not prevented by the speedy repentance of the people, By this unwelcome prophecy his life was in great danger: the priests and false Prophets with some of the people drag him before the princes of Judah, and demand sentence of death against him. He justifies himself, on the ground of acting by a divine commission, and some of the elders of the nation take his part, particularly Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, by whose means he is acquitted. Alas, for us, that it should be considered as a crime in any man to warn sinners to repent-especially in one, who, like Jeremiah, was accredited as a Prophet of the Most High! By ver. 2. it should seem that this event (like the mock trial of Messiah himself) took place at one of the great Jewish festivals, when "all the cities"—that is, inhabitants from all the cities of Judah, were assembled to worship at the temple, where a prophet ought to have been heard with attention; but "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! (it is thou) which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee!" (Luke xiii. 33.) NOTES. Ver. 20. Urijah. The history of this prophet seems totally unknown, and as the date of this chapter is the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, it is difficult to account for the mention of this event. It was evidently not stated by Ahikam, but by some other "elder," a bitter enemy of Jeremiah and of the truth, who would not have dared to mention it, but that he considered it as a meritorious action in Jehoiakim, and wished to see it repeated toward Jeremiah. The other elders, however, might be shocked at the recital, and therefore the more inclined to follow the council of Abikam, who had been one of good king Josiah's counsellors, 2 Kings xxii. 12. Ver. 23. Of the common people-Heb. "Of the sons of the people." CHAP. XXVII. Ve:. 1. Jehoiakim.—Though we are extremely cantions of introducing corrections into the sacred text, yet it cannot be denied, but that the Hebrew scribes have committed many literal and verbal errors, of which this is certainly one of the most glaring; so much so, that even Mr. Gataker and Prebendary Lowth admit the name here should be Zedekiah, as in ver. 3 and 12, though it has but little support from either MSS or Versions: the con text, however, is of higher authority. See also the first verse of the next chapter. Ver. 2. Bonds and yokes.-See what is said of prophetic action in our Introducti n to the prophets, vol. ii. p. 260. |