Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Ver. 1. _Then Shephatiah._] Here was _aliud ex alio malum,_ one affliction on the neck of another.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Ver. 2. _Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in the city._] This is the se... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it. Ver. 3. _Thus saith the Lord._] And as long as the Lord saith so, I must say so too, whatever come of it. Jer 1:9-10... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he [is] in your hand: for the king [is] not [he that] can do [any] thing against you. Ver. 5. _Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand._] _O nihil regem, qui ne verbulo quidem cruentis viris obluctatur!_ O king of clouts, saith one, who, knowing... [ Continue Reading ]
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. Ver. 6. _Then took they Jeremiah._] Whom the king h... [ Continue Reading ]
Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ver. 7. _Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian._] But a proselyte, and a religious prince; a stranger, but (as that good S... [ Continue Reading ]
Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, Ver. 8. _Ebedmelech._] Not more the king's servant (so his name signifieth) than God's. Joseph of Arimathea was such another, who went boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Faith quelleth and killeth distrustful... [ Continue Reading ]
My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the city. Ver. 9. _My lord the king, these men have done evil._] What a bra... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. Ver. 10. _Then the king commanded Ebedmelech._] A sweet providence of God thus to incline the heart of this effeminate, cruel, inconsta... [ Continue Reading ]
So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. Ver. 11. _So Ebedmelech took the men with him and went._] The labour of love that this Ethiopian... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. Ver. 12. _Put now these cast clouts._] Hence some gather that the prophet was put into this loathsome hole naked, or very ill clad at least. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison. Ver. 13. _So they drew up Jeremiah with cords._] And God was not unrighteous to forget this their work and labour of love. Heb 6:10 Jer 39:17-18 _ And Jeremiah remained in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me. Ver. 14. Then Zedekiah … took Jeremiah into the third entry.] Which was right over against the... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare [it] unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me? Ver. 15. _If I declare it unto thee._] It is for the sins of a people that a hypocrite reigneth over them. Job 34:30 Such a one was Zedekia... [ Continue Reading ]
So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life. Ver. 16. _So the king Zedekiah sware secretly unto Jeremiah._] But what credit was to be giv... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: Ver. 17. _If thou wilt assured... [ Continue Reading ]
But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. Ver. 18. _But if thou wilt not go forth._] See Jeremiah 32:39. Thus Zedekiah hath it both ways... [ Continue Reading ]
And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. Ver. 19. _Then Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews._] Thus hypocrites will at one time or other detect themselves, as Zedekiah... [ Continue Reading ]
But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver [thee]. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. Ver. 20. _They shall not deliver thee._] This the good prophet speaketh from the mouth of the Lord, to cure him of that cau... [ Continue Reading ]
But if thou refuse to go forth, this [is] the word that the LORD hath shewed me: Ver. 21. _Bat if thou refuse to go forth._] Promises and threatenings make an excellent mixture; the tartness of the one giveth us better to taste the sweetness of the other.... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house [shall be] brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those [women] shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away back. Ver. 22. _And,... [ Continue Reading ]
So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire. Ver. 23. _So shall they bring out all thy wives and thy children._] Or,... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die. Ver. 24. _Let no man know of these words,_] _Muliebriter deprecatur rex incredulus fidelem._ Thus he who feareth not God, feareth his own servants and counsellors. _ And thou shalt not die._] The crafty king... [ Continue Reading ]
But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee: Ver. 25. _But if the princes hear._] In such fear stood... [ Continue Reading ]
Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there. Ver. 26. _Then shalt thou say unto them, I presented my supplication._] This was to tell part of the truth only (which might lawfully be done), and not... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived. Ver. 27. _So they left off speaking with him._] _Indigni utique qui ultra monerentur._ The princes... [ Continue Reading ]
So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was [there] when Jerusalem was taken. Ver. 28. _So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison._] Which now God had made to him a sanctuary of safety, and a very Bethlehem, or house of bread. God can easily tu... [ Continue Reading ]