Jeremiah 49 - Introduction
_THE JUDGMENT OF THE AMMONITES: THEIR RESTORATION. THE JUDGMENT OF EDOM, OF DAMASCUS, OF KEDAR, OF HAZOR, AND OF ELAM. THE RESTORATION OF ELAM._ _Before Christ 599._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE JUDGMENT OF THE AMMONITES: THEIR RESTORATION. THE JUDGMENT OF EDOM, OF DAMASCUS, OF KEDAR, OF HAZOR, AND OF ELAM. THE RESTORATION OF ELAM._ _Before Christ 599._... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING THE AMMONITES— The evils here foretold happened about the same time with those spoken of in the preceding chapter; that is to say, about five years after the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Ammon and Moab are generally joined together, as they were united by blood, by interest, and... [ Continue Reading ]
RABBAH OF THE AMMONITES— A capital city of that country. Her _daughters_ mean the smaller cities or villages. _THEN SHALL ISRAEL BE HEIR,_ &C.— This is understood to have been fulfilled, when Judas Maccabeus defeated the Ammonites, and took their towns, Genesis 5:6, &c. Zephaniah speaks in like man... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWL, O HESHBON— That is, "When Ai, a city of Ammon, is destroyed, it is time for Heshbon, the chief city of Moab, to lament her danger." The author of the _Observations_ remarks, that the phrase, _Run to and fro by the hedges,_ should rather be understood and rendered, _Run—by the garden-walls._ Th... [ Continue Reading ]
THY FLOWING VALLEY— _Valley of Anakim._ Houbigant renders the verse, _Wherefore dost thou glory in thy valleys? Thy valley is spoiled, O backsliding daughter, who didst trust,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING EDOM— This prophesy respecting Edom refers to the same time with those preceding. See Obad. Jeremiah 49:8, &c. Teman was a city in Edom, the inhabitants whereof were famous for their wisdom. See Job 2:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELL DEEP, O INHABITANTS OF DEDAN— See the note on Jeremiah 49:30. The Dedanites were descended from _Dedan,_ a grandson of Abraham, and settled in Arabia. Houbigant renders the last clause of this verse, _For I am about to bring ruin upon Esau,_ or _Edom: I will bring upon him the time of vengeanc... [ Continue Reading ]
IF GRAPE-GATHERERS COME, &C.— _When the grape-gatherers shall come to thee, they will have no grapes; when nightly thieves, they will plunder as much as seems good to them;_ Jeremiah 49:10. _So will I exhaust Esau; I will open his treasures; nothing shall be hid: His seed shall be spoiled, and his b... [ Continue Reading ]
LEAVE THY FATHERLESS CHILDREN— This is understood by many to be an irony. See Isaiah 16:4. But there is nothing in the context, says Houbigant, which can lead to this interpretation. I rather understand it as a prophesy; nor was it any thing wonderful that the conquerors should spare the little chil... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THEY WHOSE JUDGMENT, &C.— That is, the Jews; who, in all human appearance, might have expected favour at God's hand, in regard to the gracious promises made to them and to their fathers. See chap. Jeremiah 25:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE HEARD A RUMOUR, &C.— The prophets frequently represent God as a mighty monarch, summoning nations, and sending them where he will, to execute his orders. See Isaiah 13:2; Isaiah 18:3. The Chaldeans are here referred to.... [ Continue Reading ]
SMALL, &C.— _Behold, I have made thee of small account among the nations, contemptible among the men of whom thou art horribly afraid._... [ Continue Reading ]
THY TERRIBLENESS, &C.— "Thou hast been formerly terrible to all about thee; the confidence thou hast in thy strength, hath rendered thee careless and secure, and given thine enemies an advantage over thee." We learn from St. Jerome, who lived in the neighbourhood, that Idumaea was a rocky mountainou... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, &C.— Maundrell, speaking of the Jordan, says, that the bank of the river is so beset with bushes and trees, such as tamarisks, willows, oleanders, that you can see no water till you have made your way through them. In this thicket anciently (and the same is reported of it at this very day) s... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY THE LEAST OF THE FLOCK SHALL DRAW THEM— _Surely the tender lambs of the flock shall be carried away; their pastures shall be laid waste even in their presence._ Houbigant. Others, by _the least of the flock,_ understand the common soldiers in the Chaldean army; "any one of whom (says the prop... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING DAMASCUS— Damascus was the capital of the kingdom of Syria, and had seemingly at this time swallowed up all the other petty sovereignties of that country. Isaiah had before uttered a prophesy concerning it of a calamitous import, ch. 17 which had been fulfilled by Tiglath-pileser's taking... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW IS THE CITY OF PRAISE NOT LEFT— _A city of praise,_ is a city of fame and renown: compare chap. Jeremiah 33:9 Jeremiah 51:41 and Isaiah 62:7. This is spoken in the person of the king, or some inhabitant of Damascus, bewailing the lot of so famous and pleasant a city. Houbigant renders the verse,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PALACES OF BEN-HADAD— The name of several kings of Syria. See 1 Kings 15:18; 1 Kings 15:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING KEDAR, &C.— The kingdoms whose metropolis is _Hazor_ or _Petra;_ so called, according to Strabo, because it is guarded by a πετρα, or _rock,_ on all sides. See Vitringa on Isaiah 21:13 and Genesis 25:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR CURTAINS— _Their skins_ or _tents._... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELL DEEP, O YE INHABITANTS OF HAZOR— When the Arabs have drawn upon themselves so general a resentment of the more fixed inhabitants of those countries, that they think themselves unable to stand against them, they withdraw into the depths of the great wilderness, where none can follow them with h... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, &C.— The prophet gives the Chaldeans a commission from God to undertake this expedition, and seize upon the wealth of the inhabitants of Kedar; who are described from their peculiarity of living in tents in the wilderness.... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST ELAM— _Concerning Elam._ Elam we find to have been an independent kingdom in the days of Abraham. Genesis 14:1. But I am not of opinion with those writers, who hold that by _Elam_ in Scripture _Persia_ is always meant. There is no doubt but that, when the monarchy of Persia was established u... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON ELAM WILL I BRING THE FOUR WINDS— That is, enemies from every quarter. The Elamites before their deliverance by Cyrus were in very hard servitude, and dispersed into different countries, to avoid the evils under which they groaned in their own country.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SET MY THRONE IN ELAM— "Nebuchadrezzar shall place his throne in Elam in token of his intire conquest of that country." See chap. Jeremiah 1:15 Jeremiah 43:10. This is called _God's throne,_ as Nebuchadrezzar is called _his servant._ See chap. Jeremiah 27:6 and Lowth.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BRING AGAIN, &C.— When the Lord had resolved to destroy the monarchy of the Chaldeans, he inspired Cyrus with those great designs which he afterwards so successfully executed: who began with setting free his own country; then the Persians and Elamites; subdued all the people who inhabited the... [ Continue Reading ]