JEREMIAH CHAPTER 4 An invitation to true repentance, by promises, JEREMIAH 4:1; and judgments coming on them by the Babylonians, contrary to the predictions of their false prophets, for their sins, JEREMIAH 4:5. A grievous lamentation for the miseries of Judah, JEREMIAH 4:19. RETURN UNTO ME: this se... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT SWEAR: this is to be understood, partly by way of command, as DEUTERONOMY 10:20; and partly by way of direction, if thou swear, or when thou swearest: it is put here synecdochically for the whole worship of God, hereby acknowledging and owning God as the only God. THE LORD LIVETH, IN... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE MEN, Heb. _man_, i.e. to each man; I speak to every individual among you, EZEKIEL 20:7,8. OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM: the Lord having spoke what he had to say at present to Israel, turns now his speech from Israel to Judah, and so continues it; which consists of several subjects, and first begins... [ Continue Reading ]
CIRCUMCISE YOURSELVES; put away your natural corruptions; which was signified by the sacrament of circumcision, COLOSSIANS 2:11; see 1 PETER 3:21; the same thing with the other, but expressed in other words. TO THE LORD; or, to me, viz. so as I will approve. Take away the fore-skins of your heart; l... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord being now about to bring enemies upon them, he bespeaks them in martial language, by stirring them to a speedy provision, and warning of them of the nature of their approaching judgment; not famine or plague within them, but a foreign enemy from without, JER 6 1, viz. the coming of Nebuchad... [ Continue Reading ]
SET UP THE STANDARD, i.e. for them to resort to, as is usual in war; and it is therefore said to he towards Zion or Jerusalem, as being a signal to show them whither they should repair; see JEREMIAH 1:5; Jerusalem being their principal place of strength, and Zion the strongest part of it, 2 SAMUEL 5... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LION IS COME UP FROM HIS THICKET, i.e. Nebuchadnezzar, called here a lion from his fierceness and strength, PROVERBS 30:30; a metaphor; especially in this expedition; see ISAIAH 5:27 shall come up from Babylon, where his chief seat is, DANIEL 4:30; as lions are principally among the thickets of... [ Continue Reading ]
GIRD YOU WITH SACKCLOTH; the usual habit of mourners, especially in those days, ISAIAH 22:12 JEREMIAH 6:26: it is a calling upon them to repent. LAMENT AND HOWL: probably these expressions do import the several ways that men have to set forth their bitter complaints and sorrows of the mind, both by... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEART OF THE KING SHALL PERISH; the king, viz. of Judah, and the great men, that should have encouraged the people in such a calamitous day, and been their great support, shall not only be afraid, but their own hearts shall melt within them, they shall be even at their wits end; see JOSHUA 5:1;... [ Continue Reading ]
AH, LORD GOD: the Hebrew _aha_ is a word both of admiration and lamentation together; they are Jeremiah's words and complaint breathed out in the great sorrow and. sighing of soul, which he expresseth more emphatically JEREMIAH 23:9. SURELY THOU HAST GREATLY DECEIVED THIS PEOPLE; either hast suffere... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT TIME, viz. when Nebuchadnezzar is upon this expedition, JEREMIAH 4:7, shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem; there shall be tidings brought both to the country and city, JEREMIAH 4:5. A DRY WIND: the meaning is, a drying wind, such as shall blast and scorch where it comes, without... [ Continue Reading ]
A FULL WIND FROM THOSE PLACES, Heb. _fuller than they_. A wind too strong for them. This is a further description of the former wind; it shall be full, even a fuller wind, that shall do its work thoroughly. SHALL COME UNTO ME: these are either God's words: q. d. It shall presently come to me, to rec... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL COME UP AS CLOUDS; either noting the vast number of them, ISAIAH 60:8 HEBREWS 12:1; or the suddenness of them, when not expected, clouds often rising on a sudden, and overspreading the whole face of the heavens; or rather, the great speed and swiftness with which Nebuchadnezzar shall march... [ Continue Reading ]
O JERUSALEM, WASH THINE HEART; cleanse your inward parts, O ye men of Jerusalem; not your hands only, as hypocrites do, but your hearts, JAMES 4:8. The same exhortation with JEREMIAH 4:3,4, only in another metaphor of washing, which seems to be taken from such potions first physicians give to clear... [ Continue Reading ]
A VOICE, i.e. either the voice of the prophets, that is still sounding it in your ears, and declaring it unto you; or rather, the rumour and noise of this army is already come through your land; you have the heavy tidings of this great affliction, JEREMIAH 8:16, to note the near approach of it. DECL... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE YE MENTION TO THE NATIONS: these are either the nations in Judea; or these words are a proclamation, summoning in the nations by the Chaldeans, as it were, in pursuance of a commission from God, to bring great armies together against Jerusalem; or they are the prophets turning away from Judah,... [ Continue Reading ]
They will strictly besiege her, as keepers of a field will be careful who go in and who go out, MALACHI 12:2; they will watch that none go in to relieve them, and also that none get out to escape: see 2 CHRONICLES 16:1. BECAUSE SHE HATH BEEN REBELLIOUS: God doth not threaten his judgments only, but... [ Continue Reading ]
THY WAY; thy manner of life, and particularly thy idolatries. HAVE PROCURED THESE THINGS UNTO THEE: q.d. Thou canst not lay any blame upon me. THIS IS THY WICKEDNESS, BECAUSE IT IS BITTER; thy wickedness hath been the cause of this thy grievous affliction, ISAIAH 1:1 JEREMIAH 2:17,19, of this thy bi... [ Continue Reading ]
MY BOWELS, MY BOWELS! here begins the woeful complaint of, and the great trouble the prophet was in, upon the consideration of these things, crying out as one even under great pain and torment, doubling his words for want of vent, thereby expressing the excess of his sorrow, which in words was inexp... [ Continue Reading ]
DESTRUCTION UPON DESTRUCTION; a further expression of his bitter lamentation, redoubling his complaint; the end of one, but the beginning of another; q.d. worse and worse, DEUTERONOMY 32:23 EZEKIEL 7:26; good Josiah slain, and four of his successors carried away or slain, or both, 2CH 36. THE WHOLE-... [ Continue Reading ]
He seems to have these concomitants of war, both of Judea preparing for defence, and especially these of the enemy preparing for ruin and destruction. always in his eye and ear, JEREMIAH 4:19, and bewailing the continuance of it in taking city after city, with the several sackings of Jerusalem under... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MY PEOPLE IS FOOLISH: though God show them here that the cause of all these calamities is their folly, JEREMIAH 2:17,19 PSA 38:3,5, yet he owns them for his people, JEREMIAH 2:11,31,32. THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN ME; which is indeed the only true wisdom; they have not studied my disposition or mildness... [ Continue Reading ]
I BEHELD; either I Jeremiah saw all this in a vision, or I fancied and framed such an IDEA of it in my mind; it seems to be impressed upon my thoughts _graphically, _ as in a map, in such a rueful manner; for in this and the three following verses he doth, as one transported with sorrow, elegantly a... [ Continue Reading ]
He proceeds in his figurative elegancies: q.d. Behold how the mountains of Judea tremble! a like expression PSALMS 18:7,8 ISA 5:25; as if the very senseless creatures were astonished at the greatness of God's anger; and he mentions these as being the most stable part of the earth, yet shake before h... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS NO MAN; quite depopulated and laid waste, all either slain, or carried captive, or fled; for after the flight of men, women, and children into Egypt, upon the death of Gedaliah, scarce a Jew was left in Judea. ALL THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS WERE FLED; such birds as are used to inhabited plac... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FRUITFUL PLACE, Heb. _Carmel_, either properly, for that part of the land so called for its fruitfulness; or rather appellatively, for not only their most pleasant, but most fruitful lands, that were kept dressed and occupied for food, both for necessity and delight, JEREMIAH 4:27 ISAIAH 29:17,... [ Continue Reading ]
Some expound it, Neither shall this punishment suffice, nor my fury stop here; I will not thus have done with them; and so look to what they were further to endure in their long captivity. See LEVITICUS 26:36,39. But it seems rather to be a word of comfort, that they shall not be utterly extinct, he... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS SHALL THE EARTH MOURN, AND THE HEAVENS ABOVE BE BLACK; expressions to set forth the dreadfulness of the judgment; he makes the elements to personate mourners, a sad face of things above and below, a metaphor, and therein to shame the stupidity of his people. BECAUSE I HAVE SPOKEN IT: q.d. Y... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHOLE CITY SHALL FLEE; the inhabitants of all ranks and qualities shall seek to escape the fury of this Chaldean army, JEREMIAH 39:4. FOR THE NOISE; either upon the report of their coming, hereby as it were deriding their confidence; or rather at the approach of their vast armies, for they were... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOU ART SPOILED; which will certainly come upon thee; or when this destruction shall come upon thee, which is very near thee. WHAT WILT THOU DO? viz. when thou, O daughter of Zion, as JEREMIAH 4:31, art besieged by the Babylonians, what course wilt thou take? It is not to be avoided. A kind of... [ Continue Reading ]
A VOICE AS OF A WOMAN IN TRAVAIL: when the Scripture would express any exquisite sorrow, exceeding all other pains, it doth it by a woman in travail, ISAIAH 13:8,9 JER 6:24 30:6,7. _The anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child_, which of all seems to be the most painful, both from natur... [ Continue Reading ]