Jeremiah 35:1-19. The incident of the Rechabites and its application The settlement of Israel in Canaan, involving as it did the adoption of agricultural pursuits, led to a certain amount of recognition of local deities (Baals) supposed by the Canaanites to bestow the produce in return for appropri... [ Continue Reading ]
_The word which came … in the days of Jehoiakim_ This and the following chapter form a remarkable break in the narrative of chs. 32 44. They at once bring us back from the tenth year of the reign of Zedekiah to the later part of Jehoiakim's reign, when the Babylonian army had entered Palestine and c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go unto the house_ The family (so in 3, 5, 18; Genesis 7:1, etc.) are meant, not the dwelling-houses. See Jeremiah 35:7. It was some years after the burning of the Roll (in Jehoiakim's fourth year), and it appears that the prophet could again appear in public without risk (see Jeremiah 36:19; Jerem... [ Continue Reading ]
The particularity in description points to the narrative being contemporary with the events it describes. _and I brought them into the house of the Lord_ that so what was to follow might be made most prominent and be most widely known. _Maaseiah_ probably father of the Zephaniah (Jeremiah 21:1; Je... [ Continue Reading ]
_bowls_ large vessels, from which drinking cups were filled.... [ Continue Reading ]
_neither shall ye build house, etc_.] Cp. the description of the Nabataeans by Diodorus Siculus who says (19:94) that they neither sow seed, nor plant fruit-tree, nor use wine, nor build a house. In their case, however, it was not from religious motives, but to avoid risk at the hands of powerful ne... [ Continue Reading ]
_Syrians_ allies of the Chaldaeans at this period. See 2 Kings 24:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto Jeremiah_ LXX, better, _unto me_. It is more natural to retain the 1st person in accordance with the previous context, thus taking the proper name as a gloss.... [ Continue Reading ]
See introd. summary to the section. This portion, which forms the application of the preceding narrative, seems to have received considerable later additions. The LXX seem to present it in practically its original form.... [ Continue Reading ]
_instruction_ or, _correction_. See on Jeremiah 17:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Lord … Israel_ This accumulation of Divine names (abs. from LXX), though it can scarcely be called strange, is without parallel elsewhere.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jeremiah said … Rechabites_ The LXX, doubtless rightly, omit these words (see on Jeremiah 35:12), and seem to have preserved the original form, "Therefore thus saith the Lord, Inasmuch as the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have obeyed the commandment of their father to do as their father com... [ Continue Reading ]
_to stand before me_ It is by no means necessary to understand the expression here as implying priestly functions (cp. Jeremiah 15:19), although the hint that the Rechabites were employed in some capacity in connexion with the Temple is supported by (i) the LXX heading of Psalms 71; (ii) the account... [ Continue Reading ]