O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction. BENJAMIN. Jerusalem was situated in the tribe of Benjamin, which was here sep... [ Continue Reading ]
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. LIKENED - rather, 'I lay waste,' [ daamaah (H1819)] - literally, "O comely and delicate one, I lay waste the LIKENED - rather, 'I lay waste,' [ daamaah (H1819)] - literally, "O comely and delicate one, I lay waste the daughter o... [ Continue Reading ]
The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. SHEPHERDS - hostile leaders with their armies (; ; ; ; Jeremiah 39:1; ). FEED. They shall consume each one all that is near him; literally, "his han... [ Continue Reading ]
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. The invading soldiers encourage one another to the attack on Jerusalem. PREPARE - literally, Sanctify war - i:e., Proclaim it formally with solemn... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. CAST - Hebrew, pour out; referring to the emptying of the baskets of earth to make the mound formed of "trees" and earthwork, to... [ Continue Reading ]
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. FOUNTAIN - rather, a well dug, from which water springs; distinct from a natural spring or fountain. CASTETH OUT - causeth to flow; literally,... [ Continue Reading ]
Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. Tender appeal in the midst of threats. LEST MY SOUL DEPART - Hebrew, 'be torn away from thee.' Yahweh's affection making Him unwilling to depart; His attachment to Jerusalem was such... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. The Jews are the grapes, their enemies the unsparing gleaners. TURN BACK ... HAND - again and again, bring freshly-gathered handfuls "to the basket... [ Continue Reading ]
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. EAR IS UNCIRCUMCISED - closed against the precepts of God by the foreskin of carnality (, "u... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. FURY OF THE LORD - His denunciations commu... [ Continue Reading ]
And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. THEIR HOUSES SHALL BE TURNED UNTO OTHERS, WITH THEIR FIELDS AND WIVES. The very punishments threatened by Moses in the event of dis... [ Continue Reading ]
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. (; , "Greedy dogs which can never have enough, all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter;" ).... [ Continue Reading ]
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. HURT - the spiritual wound. SLIGHTLY - as if it were but a slight wound; or, in a slight manner, pronouncing all sound where there is no soundness. SAYING - namely, the prophet... [ Continue Reading ]
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Rosenmuller translates, 'They ought to have been ashamed, beca... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. STAND YE IN THE WAYS, SEE, ASK FOR THE OLD PATHS - Image from travelers who have lost their road... [ Continue Reading ]
Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. WATCHMEN - prophets, whose duty it was to announce impending calamities, so as to lead the people to repentance (; ; ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. CONGREGATION - parallel to "nations;" it therefore means the gathered peoples who invited to be witnesses how great is the perversity of the Israelites (Jeremiah 6:16), and that they deserve the severe punishment about to... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. THE FRUIT OF THEIR THOUGHTS - (, "Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devic... [ Continue Reading ]
To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. TO WHAT PURPOSE COMETH THERE TO ME INCENSE FROM SHEBA - literally, 'To what purpose is this to me, that incense cometh to me?... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. STUMBLINGBLOCKS - instruments of the Jews' ruin (cf. , "Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken;... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. A PEOPLE COMETH FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, AND A GREAT NATION SHALL BE RAISED FROM THE SIDES OF THE EARTH. The ancients were little acquainted with the north; theref... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. LIKE THE SEA - (). AS MEN FOR WAR - not that they were like warriors, for they were warriors; but... [ Continue Reading ]
We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. FAME THEREOF - the report of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. He addresses "the daughter of Zion" (Jeremiah 6:23); caution to the citizens of Jerusalem not to expose themselves to the enemy by going outside of the city walls. SWORD OF THE ENEMY - litera... [ Continue Reading ]
I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. I HAVE SET THEE FOR A TOWER AND A FORTRESS AMONG MY PEOPLE - (Jeremiah 1:18); rather, an assayer (and) explorer. By a metaphor from metallurgy in Jeremiah 6:27-24, Yahweh, in conclusion, confirms... [ Continue Reading ]
They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. GRIEVOUS REVOLTERS - literally, contumacious of the contumacious - i:e., most contumacious, the Hebrew mode of expressing a superlative. So "the strong among the mighty" - i:e., the stronges... [ Continue Reading ]
The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. THE BELLOWS ARE BURNED - so intense a heat is made that the very bellows are almost set on fire. Rosenmuller translates, not so well, from a Hebrew root, 'pant' or 'snort'... [ Continue Reading ]
Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. REPROBATE SILVER - silver so full of alloy as to be utterly worthless (, "Thy silver is become dross"). The Jews were fit only for rejection. Remarks: (1) It is suicidal folly to remain without preparation, and in self-... [ Continue Reading ]