Jeremiah’s last prophecy Jeremiah 44, in which he boldly rebukes the tendency of the Jews to idolatry, which seems to have grown only the stronger in their tribulation. The address was evidently made to them at some festival, and though the Jews lived in the hope of being able soon to return to Juda... [ Continue Reading ]
MIGDOL - Magdolum, a strong fortress on the northern boundary of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT THEY WENT TO BURN INCENSE, AND TO SERVE - Or, by going to burn incense to serve thereby other gods.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT I SENT - And I sent.... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR SOULS - i. e., your own selves.... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT YOURSELVES OFF - Rather, cut (them, Jeremiah 44:7) off from you.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WICKEDNESS OF THEIR WIVES - Many accept the reading of the Septuagint: the “wickedness of your princes.” “The kings, the princes, the people,” and finally “their wives,” is a summary enumeration of all classes, by whose united persistence in sin the ruin of their country had been consummated.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL JUDAH - i. e., all Judah in Egypt, yet even there with exceptions (see Jeremiah 44:14, Jeremiah 44:28), while Judah in Babylon was entirely exempt from this denunciation.... [ Continue Reading ]
Literally, “And there shall not be to the remnant of Judah, which are going to sojourn there in the land of Egypt, one that escapes or remains etc.” The word rendered “escapes” means one who slips away, saves himself by a stealthy flight Genesis 14:13; the word “remains,” one who survives when all t... [ Continue Reading ]
HAD BURNED INCENCE - Omit “had;” burned incense. This appeal of the prophet was made at a public festival held somewhere in Pathros, i. e., Upper Egypt: for the women are assembled in a great congregation (compare Jeremiah 26:9), here formed for religious purposes. As they advance in regular process... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER THING ... - Or, the whole word (or thing) which hath gone forth out of our mouth; i. e., the vows we have made. They would not let Jeremiah’s expostulations prevent the carrying out of the special object which had brought them together: otherwise the Queen of heaven would be offended, and... [ Continue Reading ]
The suppression of this popular idolatry had apparently been regarded with much ill-will in Josiah’s time, and many may even have ascribed to it his defeat at Megiddo. Probably Jehoiakim had again permitted it, but Zedekiah, during the miseries of his reign, had forbidden it, and the people ascribed... [ Continue Reading ]
BURNED ... POURED ... DID - Or, burn ... pour ... do. TO WORSHIP HER - Rather, to represent her image. The cakes Jeremiah 7:18 were made in the shape of a crescent to represent the moon. OUR MEN - i. e., our husbands (margin). They had the authority of their husbands for what they were doing. Jere... [ Continue Reading ]
THEM - The various acts of idolatry involved in burning incense to an image.... [ Continue Reading ]
COULD NO LONGER BEAR - The prophet corrects in these words the error of their argument in Jeremiah 44:17. God is long-suffering, and therefore punishment follows slowly upon sin.... [ Continue Reading ]
Earnest as was the preceding expostulation, Jeremiah sees that it has produced no effect. He therefore utters his last warning, and with this last resistance to the sins of a debased and godless people, his earthly ministry closed. Jeremiah 44:25 AND FULFILLED WITH YOUR HAND - Your hands. Jeremiah... [ Continue Reading ]