Jeremiah 21:1-14. Jeremiah's warning as to the issue of the siege We here commence a new division of the whole Book. The substance of the roll of ch. 36 has been given in the preceding Chapter s, while fragments of the same are doubtless included in this portion. We here pass suddenly from the time... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pashhur the son of Malchijah_ See on Jeremiah 20:1. _Zephaniah_ (see also on Jeremiah 20:1) mentioned again Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 37:3; Jeremiah 52:24. Both he and Pashhur doubtless belonged to the party who were for refusing to recognise and submit to Nebuchadnezzar's overwhelming power, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nebuchadrezzar_ This is a nearer approach than Nebuchadnezzar to the correct spelling of the word and is always found in the MT. of this Book except in chs. 27 29 (where see introd. note). Nabukudurri-uzur ("O Nebo, defend the landmark") presents perhaps the nearest sound in English writing. _his... [ Continue Reading ]
There is here a suspicious harshness of expression, and Co. on that account omits the _v_. The harshness is diminished, though not quite removed, if we omit (with LXX) "and I will gather them." The Jews shall no longer be able, as at present, to make sallies on the besiegers.... [ Continue Reading ]
_with an outstretched … arm_ a phrase of Deut. (Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 26:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
The Hebrew form of the _v_. is evidently an expansion. The LXX read "from the famine into the hand of those that seek, etc.," omitting the intermediate words. _the pestilence_ This would be a natural consequence of the overcrowding of the city on account of the siege. _with the edge of the sword_... [ Continue Reading ]
_the way of life and the way of death_ Somewhat similar expressions in Deut. (Deuteronomy 30:15; Deuteronomy 30:19, or, more probably, the words of Deuteronomy 11:26, though the language there is a less close parallel) may have suggested these words to Jeremiah. "Life," however, here does not mean p... [ Continue Reading ]
See introd. note to section. Owing to such advice Jeremiah was later charged with lack of patriotism, and in fact with treachery (Jeremiah 37:13 ff., Jeremiah 38:2 ff.).... [ Continue Reading ]
_for a prey_ something snatched up hurriedly and borne away with him rather than his secure possession. For the phrase cp. Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:18; Jeremiah 45:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have set my face upon this city_ Cp. Jeremiah 44:11; Amos 9:4. The phrase occurs in a good sense in Jeremiah 26:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And touching_ rather, _And to … Judah_, adding _thou shalt say_, apparently fallen out in the Hebrew. Otherwise we should omit _And_and make "Touching …" a title to what follows. Cp. Jeremiah 23:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
See note introductory to section. These _vv_. are quite out of connexion with either the preceding or following. They are made up of Jeremiah 22:3 and Jeremiah 4:4, and seem to be a fragment of Jeremiah, but here misplaced. They refer to an earlier time, when reformation might still be looked for.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Execute judgement in the morning_ An important part of the king's duties was personally to hear and adjudicate upon cases in the open space at the city gate. Cp. 2 Samuel 15:2-4. _in the morning_ probably, _every morning_; so Amos 4:4, and cp. Psalms 101:8. It was the ordinary time for business, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_inhabitant_ lit. as mg. _inhabitress_, i.e. the feminine used collectively for the body of the inhabitants. See Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 6:2; Jeremiah 7:29; Jeremiah 14:17. _habitations lairs_. The word suggests the haunts of wild beasts, in which they are secure. Cp. Psalms 104:22; Nahum 2:12 ("de... [ Continue Reading ]
See introd. note to section. The fragment is a very obscure one. It may be connected with Jeremiah 22:8 f. It was evidently held by the compiler who placed it here to refer to Jerusalem. But that city is not in a "valley", nor is it upon a "rock" rising out of a tableland "plain." Neither can a foe... [ Continue Reading ]
_and I will kindle, etc_.] Cp. on Jeremiah 17:27. _in her forest_ i.e. Jerusalem, which is likened to a forest about to be wholly consumed by fire. For the same figure, representing in that case the people of Israel, cp. Isaiah 9:18. The expression does not mean literal trees, of which there was not... [ Continue Reading ]