Now these [are] the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon; Ver. 1. _Now... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah 29:2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) Ver. 2. _After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs._] _Angusta et eunuchi._ These eunuchs were chamb... [ Continue Reading ]
By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, Ver. 3. _By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, &c._] Zedekiah, having heard by Hananiah the prophet, that within two full years Je... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Ver. 4. _Thus saith the Lord of hosts._] It was God, then, that dictated this letter to the prophet; neither is it of private, that is, of hum... [ Continue Reading ]
Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Ver. 5. _Build ye houses, and dwell in them._] Mitigate the extremity of your captivity, which is likely to be long, by all honest means. _Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas; _ patience, as a paring k... [ Continue Reading ]
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. Ver. 6. _Take ye wives, and beget sons._] First get ye houses and gardens, and then take wives.... [ Continue Reading ]
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. Ver. 7. _And seek the peace of the city._] Do not tumultuate or seek to break prison, as those seedsmen of sedition, your false prophets... [ Continue Reading ]
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that [be] in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. Ver. 8. _Let not your prophets and your diviners._] Your deceivers, indeed, which were also in Babyl... [ Continue Reading ]
For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. Ver. 9. _For they prophesy falsely._] As Jeremiah 27:15; Jeremiah 28:15 .... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 10. _For thus saith the Lord._] Or, But this hath the Lord said, whatever these impostors say to the contrary. Set truth a... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _For I know the thoughts that I think._] God's thoughts run upon his children, the children of affliction especially, as a father's do upon his dear children. _... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Ver. 12. _Then shall ye call upon me._] With mind and mouth, with spirit and speech, as Daniel did, Dan 9:3 and as but few others did, during the captivity, as is confessed. Dan 9:13 _ And go and pray unto m... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Ver. 13. _When ye shall search for me with all your heart._] Not with a piece of your heart only, as do partialists and double minded men, _qui in parabola ovis capras quaerunt._ who search for a nanny goat instae... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 14. _And I w... [ Continue Reading ]
Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; Ver. 15. _Because ye have said._] From the heirs of the promises he turneth his speech to others, _qui praesumendo sperant, et sperando pereunt._... [ Continue Reading ]
__ Jeremiah 29:16 _[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;_ Ver. 16. _Know that thus saith the Lord._] Or, Therefore thus saith the L... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _Behold, I will send upon them._] Jeremiah 24:10; Jeremiah 27:8 . _ And will make them like vile figs._] See Je... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 18. _And will deliver... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 19. _Because they have not hearkened._] See Jeremiah 7:23; Jeremiah 7:26; Jeremiah 11:7,8; Jeremiah 13:11;... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: Ver. 20. _Hear ye, therefore._] Or, Hear ye also; ye who have lost the fruit of your afflictions, and are little the better for your being so long in the iron furnace.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, 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; Ver. 21. Thus saith the L... [ Continue Reading ]
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; Ver. 22. _And of them shall be taken up a curse._] They had blessed themselves, though the Lord abhorred... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 23. Because they have committed adultery with their neighbours' wiv... [ Continue Reading ]
__ Jeremiah 29:24 _[Thus] shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,_ Ver. 24. _Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite._] Or, Dreamer, dream wright, enthusiast; such as were the Messalanian heretics of old, and some of the same stamp, loaves of the same leaven, today.... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Ver. 25. _Because thou hast sent letters in thy name._] Such as Sadole... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 26. _The Lord hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you? Ver. 27. _Now, therefore, why hast thou not reproved?_] Or, Restrained Jeremiah? Alas! what had the righteous prophet done? He taxed their sin, he foretold their captivity; he desired it not, he in... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 28. _For therefore he sent to us in Babylon._] And is this all the thank he hath for his friendly counsel? _Haec est merces mundi._... [ Continue Reading ]
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. Ver. 29. _And Zephaniah the priest read this letter._] For ill will, likely, and with exprobation. _Ubi insignis elucit Dei tutela,_ saith an interpreter, where we may see a sweet providence of God in preserving his prop... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Ver. 30. _Then came the word of the Lord._] Or, Therefore came, &c. In the five former verses we had _narrationem causae,_ an account of the reasons Shemaiah's crime; in these three last, we have _dictionem sententiae,_ the prediction of the sen... [ Continue Reading ]
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: Ver. 31. _Send to all them of the captivity._] Send the second time; let not so good a cause be... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 32. _Behold, I will... [ Continue Reading ]