This prophecy refers to the same subject; nor was it to be wondered at, that God spoke so much of the same thing, for it was necessary to render the Jews inexcusable, as they always pretended ignorance, except God made frequent repetitions. And this was also the reason why Paul said, that by the mou... [ Continue Reading ]
But before God promised anything respecting the return of the people, he strengthened the mind of the Prophet by a preface, and also encouraged and animated the godly to entertain good hope. The preface is, that God created and _formed Jerusalem _There was, then, no doubt but he would at length resc... [ Continue Reading ]
He afterwards adds, _Cry to me, and I will answer thee, and I will announce to thee things magnificent and recondite, which thou hast not known _It was not so much for the sake of the Prophet as of others that this was said. For the Prophet, no doubt, had earnestly prayed, and his prison must have i... [ Continue Reading ]
He now expresses what these hidden things were, _As to the houses, he says, (so it is literally) thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, as to the houses of this city, and as to the houses of the kings of Judah _The proposition; על, upon, often means with regard to, concerning. He names the _houses _... [ Continue Reading ]
There are two parts to this prophecy, — that the Jews were about to perish through their own fault, — and that they were to be restored through the favor and goodness of God alone. Here, then, in the first place, the Prophet condemns the false confidence of the people, who stoutly resisted the Chald... [ Continue Reading ]
He afterwards says, _Behold, I will bring a renewal and a healing, and I will heal them _This is the main point, as they say, in the passage. He had been hitherto shewing, that the Jews had deserved so heavy a punishment, because by their obstinacy they had not ceased to provoke God against themselv... [ Continue Reading ]
By the word _building, _God means that they would return to their own country for this end — that they might remain secure in it. And this promise was very needful, since the Jews were on every side surrounded by enemies; for all their neighbors had united together against them, and were most hostil... [ Continue Reading ]
He says first, that he would _cleanse themfrom all iniquity, _and then, that he would be propitious to _all their iniquities _He no doubt repeats the same thing; but the words are not superfluous, for it was necessary seriously to remind the Jews of their many vices, of which indeed they were consci... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God testifies that his favor would be such as to deserve praise in all the world, or, which is the same thing, that his bounty would be worthy of being remembered. Hence he says, that it would be to him for _a name among all nations; _but as he designed to extol the greatness of his glory, he a... [ Continue Reading ]
These two verses are connected together, and have been improperly divided, for the sentence is not complete. In the first place we have, _Yet shall be heard, _but what? _the voice of joy, etc., _as we find in the following verse. Jeremiah confirms at large what he had taught respecting the return of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heard _then _shall be the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness; the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride; _that is, marriages shall again be celebrated. And this way of speaking often occurs in the Prophets when they refer to the joyful condition of the city and of the people; for... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah still pursues the same subject; but he speaks here of the settled happiness of the people, as though he had said, that there was no reason for the Israelites to fear, that God would not open for them a way of return to their own country, and preserve and protect them after their return. But... [ Continue Reading ]
And in the next verse Jeremiah confirms the same thing, where he mentions, as before, the cities of the mountains, and the cities of the plains, and then the cities of the south, and adds also the _land of Benjamin, _which was a different part of the country, and he mentions generally the _circuits... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah now shews why God had promised that there would be a quiet _habitation for shepherds, _so that no one would by force take away their flocks. For God declares, that his promise would not be void, as its effects would shortly be evident, even when his mercy was known by the ten tribes and by... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet shews what Paul afterwards has spoken of, that all the promises of God are in Christ yea and amen, (2 Corinthians 1:20) that is, that they do not stand nor can be valid as to us, except Christ interposes to sanction or confirm them. Then the efficacy of God’s promises depends on Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet extends the benefits of the kingdom to all the Jews, and shews how much was to be expected fromthat kingdom which he had promised; for in it would be found perfect happiness and safety. Had not this been added, what we have heard of the righteous king would have appeared cold and un... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet had spoken of the restoration of the Church; he now confirms the same truth, for he promises that the kingdom and the priesthood would be perpetual. The safety of the people, as it is well known, was secured by these two things; for without a king they were like an imperfect or a maimed... [ Continue Reading ]
As to the priesthood, the same difficulty might be raised, for we know that the priesthood became corrupted; nay, that for the most part the priests not only became degenerate, but altogether sacrilegious. Hence the sacerdotal name itself became nothing else but a base and wicked profanation of all... [ Continue Reading ]
He confirms the same thing, but by introducing a similitude; for he shews that God’s covenant with the people of Israel would not be less firm than the settled order of nature. Unceasing are the progresses of the sun, moon, and stars; continual is the succession of day and night. This settled state... [ Continue Reading ]
We now perceive the purpose of the Prophet in saying, _If void ye can make my covenant respecting the day and the night, then abolished shall be my covenant with David and the Levites _Now he indirectly touches on the wickedness of the people; for the Jews did, as far as they could, overthrow, by th... [ Continue Reading ]
Hence he says, _There shall be abolished my covenant with David my servant, that he should not be my son, _etc. He repeats what he had said, even that it could not be but that the posterity of David should obtain the kingdom, which we know has been fulfilled in Christ. _The throne _of David he now c... [ Continue Reading ]
There is an omission at the beginning; the particle of comparison is left out, for אשר _asher, _cannot be taken for כאשר _caasher: As the hosts of the heavens cannot be numbered, _nor _the sand of the sea, _so God promises that he would _multiply the seed of David, _and also the _Levites. _This prom... [ Continue Reading ]
He now assigns a reason why he had so largely spoken of the deliverance of the people and of their perpetual preservation, even because the blessing promised by God was regarded as uncertain by the unbelieving. Farther, God not only reminds his Prophet why he bade him to repeat so often the same thi... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God opposes the constancy of his faithfulness to their perverse murmurings, of which he had complained; and he again adduces the similitude previously brought forward: _“lf, _then, I _have not fixed my covenant, _or if there is no covenant _as to the day and the night, _—_if there are no laws a... [ Continue Reading ]
He mentions the _seed of Jacob _first, because it had been said to Abraham, _For thy seed, _and the same promise was repeated to Jacob. (Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14) He afterwards adds the _seed of David, _because an especial promise was afterwards given to David, (2 Samuel 7:12 :) _Then also the se... [ Continue Reading ]