The prophecy contained in Jer. 11–12 seems to belong to an early period of Jeremiah’s life. The covenant Jeremiah 11:2 was that renewed by Josiah in his 18th year, after the discovery of the Book of the Law in the temple 2 Kings 23:3; while Jeremiah 11:13 apparently refers to the public establishmen... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORDS OF THIS COVENANT - The phrase used 2 Kings 23:3 to describe the contents of the Book of the Law.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE IRON FURNACE - Rather, out of “the iron furnace,” Egypt (see Deuteronomy 4:20). The constant reference to Deuteronomy shows how great had been the effect upon Jeremiah’s mind of the public recitation of the “Book of the covenant” found in the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS IT IS THIS DAY - God had kept the terms of the covenant. Whether the promised land would permanently remain the property of the Jews would depend upon their observance of their part of the covenant. SO BE IT, O LORD - Or, “Amen, Yahweh.” The prophet was literally obeying the command given in Deu... [ Continue Reading ]
PROCLAIM ... - Probably Jeremiah accompanied Josiah in his progress 2 Kings 23:15, and everywhere read to the people the words of the newly-found book.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BRING - Rather, I have brought. The breach of the covenant upon their part had always brought temporal calamity. The last examples were the deportation of the ten tribes by Salmanezer, and the leading of Manasseh prisoner to Babylon in chains (2 Chronicles 33:11).... [ Continue Reading ]
A CONSPIRACY - The defection from the covenant was as general as if it had been the result of preconcerted arrangement. The decided course taken by Josiah may, however, have led the opposite party to secret combinations against him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR FOREFATHERS - literally, “their fathers, the first ones:” in allusion to the idolatries committed in the wilderness, and by the generations whose history is given in the Book of Judges. AND THEY WENT AFTER - Rather, yea! they have walked “after other gods to serve them.” The “they” refers to... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BRING - Or, am bringing.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT SHAMEFUL THING - i. e., Baal; public establishment of idolatry, such as actually took place in the reign of Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:3. Contrast 2 Kings 18:4).... [ Continue Reading ]
A parenthesis. As in Jeremiah 7:16, all intercession is forbidden, and for this reason. Prayer for others for the forgiveness of their sins avails only when they also pray. The cry of the people now was that of the guilty smarting under punishment, not of the penitent mourning over sin. Jeremiah 11... [ Continue Reading ]
Rather, “gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it.” Jeremiah shows Jeremiah 11:18, that the general conspiracy of the people against Yahweh and the special plot against himself was revealed to him by God.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE A LAMB OR AN OX - Rather, “like a tame lamb.” Jeremiah had lived at Anathoth as one of the family, never suspecting that, like a tame lamb, the time would come for him to be killed. THE TREE WITH THE FRUIT THEREOF - The words are those of a proverb or dark saying. All the Churches agree in und... [ Continue Reading ]
THE YOUNG MEN - i. e., those of the legal age for military service.... [ Continue Reading ]
NO REMNANT - 128 men of Anathoth returned from exile Ezra 2:23; Nehemiah 7:27. Jeremiah’s denunciation was limited to those who had sought his life. The year of their visitation would be the year of the siege of Jerusalem, when Anathoth being in its immediate vicinity would have its share of the hor... [ Continue Reading ]