Jeremiah 41 - Introduction
_ISHMAEL, TREACHEROUSLY KILLING GEDALIAH AND OTHERS, PURPOSETH WITH THE RESIDUE TO FLEE UNTO THE AMMONITES. JOHANAN RECOVERETH THE CAPTIVES, AND MINDETH TO FLEE INTO EGYPT._ _Before Christ 588._... [ Continue Reading ]
_ISHMAEL, TREACHEROUSLY KILLING GEDALIAH AND OTHERS, PURPOSETH WITH THE RESIDUE TO FLEE UNTO THE AMMONITES. JOHANAN RECOVERETH THE CAPTIVES, AND MINDETH TO FLEE INTO EGYPT._ _Before Christ 588._... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE SEVENTH MONTH— Answering partly to our September, and partly to October, two months after the taking of Jerusalem. The murder of Gedaliah gave occasion to the fast of the seventh month, which the Jews observed after their return from the captivity. See Zechariah 7:5; Zechariah 8:19. Ishmael w... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING THEIR BEARDS SHAVEN, &C.— These were tokens of great mourning, by which they expressed their grief for the destruction of their city and temple: such expressions of sorrow were forbidden to be used at funeral obsequies (see Leviticus 19:27.), but might be lawfully used upon other mournful occ... [ Continue Reading ]
SLEW THEM, AND CAST THEM INTO THE MIDST OF THE PIT— This _pit_ was the cavern or ditch which Asa cast up against the walls of Mizpah, when he rebuilt and fortified it against the attempts of Baasha; see Jeremiah 41:9. Houbigant renders it, _Slew them at the midst of the pit._... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE TREASURES IN THE FIELD— Dr. Shaw tells us that in Barbary, when the grain is winnowed, they lodge it in _mattamores_ or _subterraneous repositories;_ two or three hundred of which are sometimes close to each other, the smallest holding four hundred bushels. These are very common in other par... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE PIT, &C.— בור _bor,_ signifies a basin, cistern, or reservoir; a large pit for receiving rain water, which Asa, who built and fortified Mizpah at the time he was at war with Baasha king of Israel (1 Kings 15:22.) caused to be made in the midst of the city, in order that the people might not... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE HABITATION OF CHIMHAM— The parcel of ground, in the general opinion of interpreters, which David had settled upon Chimham, the son of Barzillai. The passage may be rendered, _And they went and dwelt in Geruth Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, in order to proceed to go into Egypt, out of the r... [ Continue Reading ]