_And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah._ Ver. 1. _And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah._] This also and the next chapter are, as the former, historical, and so easily understood, that to... [ Continue Reading ]
But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah. Ver. 2. _But neither he nor his servants did hearken._] And this was their undoing - _scil., _ that they humbled not themselves before this holy prophet, spe... [ Continue Reading ]
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us. Ver. 3. _Pray now unto the Lord our God for us._] This king would seem to have some more goodness in him than his brother and... [ Continue Reading ]
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison. Ver. 4. _Jeremiah came in and went out._] He was yet at liberty; as the saints have some halcyons times, yet are never unexercised, as we see in the apostles, but especially in Paul. Act 5:13 _ For they had n... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. Ver. 5. Then Pharaoh's army was come out of Egypt.] This, then, seemeth to be the occasion that moved Zedekiah to send to the prophet for his prayers... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Ver. 6. _Then came the word of the Lord._] In answer to the messengers that came to request prayers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. Ver. 7. _To inquire of me._] Or, To seek to me, to set me to work for you at th... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. Ver. 8. _And the Chaldean shall return._] See Jeremiah 32:12; Jeremiah 32:29 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. Ver. 9. _Deceive not yourselves._] As far too many do, _qui praesumendo sperant, et sperando pereunt._ hope beforehand and will die hoping. _ For they shall not depart,_] _sci... [ Continue Reading ]
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained [but] wounded men among them, [yet] should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire. Ver. 10. _For though ye had smitten._] _Pro auxesi adiecit hyperbolen; _ he useth a hyper... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, Ver. 11. For fear of Pharaoh's army.] Or rather, Because of Pharaoh's army, whom now they drew off to encounter.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people. Ver. 12. _Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem._] Where he saw there was so little good to be done by his ministry. This, some think, was an infirmity in him. Mr Gr... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward [was] there, whose name [was] Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans. Ver. 13. _Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah._] Of that Hanani... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Jeremiah, [It is] false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. Ver. 14. _Then said Jeremiah, It is false._] _Satanae pectus mendaciis faecundissimum est._ _a_ It is no news for innocence to be slandered, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison. Ver. 15. _Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah._] Upon the captain's false suggestion, which they should better have sifted into fir... [ Continue Reading ]
_When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;_ Ver. 16. _When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon._] _a_ Heb., Into a place or house of the pit or hole, where the prophet could neither walk nor handsomely lie down, when worse men a gr... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there [any] word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. Ver. 17. _Then Zedekiah the king._] Being now in distres... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison? Ver. 18. _What have I offended against thee?_] As I know mine own innocence, so I would thou shouldst know that I am no stoic, or stock, indo... [ Continue Reading ]
Where [are] now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land? Ver. 19. _Where are now your prophets?_] Let them appear now if you please, and upon trial made let truth take place. To this most equal motion when the king said... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there. Ver. 20. _Therefore hear now I pray thee, O my lord the king._] As stout as he was and impartial in... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison. Ver. 21. _Then Zedekiah the... [ Continue Reading ]