Jeremiah prefaces this prediction by saying, that it was delivered to
him at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign. But this beginning, as we
have said, extended to the whole of his reign while it was prosperous
and entire. While, then, Jehoiakim enjoyed a quiet possession of the
kingdom, Jeremiah was... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet seems to have addressed the ambassadors who were sent by
neighboring kings to King Zedekiah; and he was bidden to command them
to declare each to his master, that they were all to come under the
yoke of the king of Babylon. There is, moreover, no doubt but that God
designed especially an... [ Continue Reading ]
Though the Prophet was bidden to command the ambassadors to say to the
kings by whom they had been sent, _Thus saith Jehovah, of hosts,
_(178) they yet might have refused to do so, and that with
indignation: “What! Are we come here to be ambassadors to thee? and
who indeed art thou who commandest us... [ Continue Reading ]
Then follow these words, _I have made the earth, the man and the
beast, which are on the face of the earth, by my great power, and by
mine extended arm. _(179) The spectacle would have been unmeaning and
to no purpose, had Jeremiah only put the yoke on his neck, and added
no instruction; for we know... [ Continue Reading ]
God, after having claimed to himself the government of the whole
earth, and shewn that it is in his power to transfer kingdoms to whom
he pleases, now declares his decree — that he would subject to the
king of Babylon all the neighboring lands, even Tyrus and Sidon, the
country of Moab, the country... [ Continue Reading ]
_Serve him shall all nations, and his son, and the son of his son _The
greater part think that Nebuchadnezzar had only two successors of his
own posterity, Evil-merodach and Belshazar; others name five, and two
of them between Evil-merodach and Belshazar. Those who think that
there were no more than... [ Continue Reading ]
After having promulgated his decree by the mouth of Jeremiah, God now
adds a threatening, in order that the Jews as well as others might
willingly, and with resigned and humble minds, undertake the yoke laid
on them. The Prophet, indeed, as we have said, had the Jews more
especially in view; but he... [ Continue Reading ]
As Jeremiah had declared to the king, as well as to the citizens, that
they could not escape the punishment that was at hand, he now shakes
off from them that vain confidence, which was as an obstacle in the
way, so that they were not touched by threatenings, nor received
wholesome warnings. For the... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse also confirms what I have said, — that this discourse was
designed for the Jews, and that it was peculiarly for them; for what
is said here could not be applied to heathen nations. What then had
been lately said of augurs, magicians, and diviners, ought no doubt to
be understood of those... [ Continue Reading ]
He seems indeed to speak here indiscriminately of all nations; but the
admonition belongs to the Jews alone, as we have said, and as it
appears from the context. He seems however to mention the nations,
that he might more sharply touch the Jews, as though he had said,
“Though God’s promises are not... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse proves with sufficient clearness that what we have hitherto
explained was spoken especially to the chosen people; for Jeremiah
tells us here, that he spoke to the King Zedekiah, and in the
sixteenth verse he adds that he spoke to the priests and to the
people. He was not then sent as a te... [ Continue Reading ]
Here is a threatening added; for all means were used not only to
invite the Jews, but also to stimulate them to repent. The Prophet
offered them pardon, if they quietly submitted to be chastised by God.
It was to be their life, he said, when the Lord punished them
according to his will. As they coul... [ Continue Reading ]
He repeats the same words which we have met with before; there is
therefore no need of dwelling long on them here. Yet the repetition
was not superfluous; for he had a hard contest with the false
prophets, who had attained great authority. As Jeremiah alone made an
onset on the whole multitude, the... [ Continue Reading ]
He confirms what he had said, that they had not been sent by God. The
object is to shew the Jews, that they were not to receive
thoughtlessly everything presented to them under God’s name, but
that they were to exercise discrimination and judgment. This is a
passage worthy of special notice, for the... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah, as we have seen, did not deal privately with the king alone,
for he did not separate him from the people; but as he had directed
his words chiefly to him, he therefore expresses now what might have
seemed obscure, that though he had begun with the king, he yet
included all the Jews. It was... [ Continue Reading ]
It is not to be wondered at that Jeremiah said the same things so
often, for, as we have seen, he had to contend with false prophets.
When any one speaks, and there be no dispute and no adversary opposing
him, he may calmly deal with the teachable and confine himself to a
few words; but when content... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet laughs to scorn the foolish confidence with which the
false prophets were swollen, when they promised all happiness in time
to come. He hence says, that they were not to be believed as to the
prosperity of which they prophesied, but that on the contrary they
ought to have dreaded a... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah said, in the passage we considered yesterday, that it was
more to be desired that God should keep what remained at Jerusalem,
than that what had been taken away should be restored, for the time of
punishment had not yet passed away; and thus he condemned the false
teachers, because they had... [ Continue Reading ]
And he also adds, _The residue of the vessels which remains, in this
city _By adding, _which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not away,
_he indirectly condemned the Jews, because they did not acknowledge
that the cruelty of their enemy had been moderated by divine power.
For we know how cruel wer... [ Continue Reading ]
He repeats again the same words, _Yea, thus saith Jehovah, _etc.; for
so ought the particle כי, _ki, to _be rendered in this place. (191)
And he emphatically expresses what was of itself sufficiently clear,
that he might deeply imprint on their minds this declaration of God,
and that thus some terro... [ Continue Reading ]