_THE PROPHET, UNDER THE TYPES OF ABSTAINING FROM MARRIAGE, AND FROM HOUSES OF MOURNING AND FEASTING, FORESHEWETH THE UTTER RUIN OF THE JEWS, BECAUSE THEY WERE WORSE THAN THEIR FATHERS. THEIR RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY SHALL BE MORE STRANGE THAN THEIR DELIVERANCE OUT OF EGYPT. GOD WILL DOUBLY RECOMPENSE T... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME, &C.— We have here a new discourse, wherein God forbids Jeremiah to marry, principally to mark out the miseries of parents, in the confused and ruinous state of things in Judaea. Fruitfulness was promised as a blessing under the law, but ceased to be so in such difficult ti... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR CUT THEMSELVES— The cutting of their own flesh, as a mark of grief for their deceased friends and relations, though expressly forbidden to the Jews by the law, Leviticus 19:28. Deuteronomy 14:1 appears from hence to have been still in use among them as well as among their neighbours, on this and... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL MEN TEAR THEMSELVES FOR THEM, &C.— _Neither shall men break bread in mourning to comfort them,_ &c. Houbigant, &c. See John 11:19. Proverbs 31:6. Tobit orders his son to give bread on the burial of the just. See Tob 4:17. God tells Jeremiah, that nothing of this sort shall be done for... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE I WILL NOT SHEW YOU FAVOUR— _Neither will I give you any favour with them there._ Houbigant.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, &C.— _Besides, lo! the days come, saith the Lord,_ &c. Houbigant. It may hence seem, that God's intent was, not only that they should consider their last deliverance by Cyrus to have been as much the effect of his providence, as was the rescuing of their fathers fro... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I WILL SEND FOR MANY FISHERS— It is common with the sacred writers to represent enemies and oppressors under the metaphor of _fishers_ and _hunters,_ because they use all the methods of open force and secret stratagem, to make men their prey. These two similitudes imply, that the Chaldeans s... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL RECOMPENSE—DOUBLE— This phrase signifies, to punish with severity. See ch. Jeremiah 17:18 and Isaiah 40:2. _The carcases of their detestable things,_ means their idols, which are called carcases, not only because they are without life, but also because of their being so detestable in the sigh... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD, MY STRENGTH, AND MY FORTRESS— To demonstrate more emphatically the absurdity of idolatry, the prophet here foretels, that the time will come when the Gentiles themselves shall be ashamed of their idols, and address themselves to the true God in all their wants, as their only rock, their refu... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL THIS ONCE CAUSE THEM TO KNOW— Instead of _this once,_ Houbigant reads _by this turn,_ or _change;_ "that _is," s_ays he, "after the Jews are rendered unworthy to be called the people of God:" for the Gentiles were then to be called to the faith of the Gospel, when the Jews were rejected. To _... [ Continue Reading ]