XXXIII.
(1-3) THE SECOND TIME, WHILE HE WAS YET SHUT UP. — The discourse
that follows belongs to the same period as the preceding chapter, and
presents the same general characteristics. Its connexion with the
operations of the siege to which Jerusalem was exposed will be traced
in Jeremiah 33:4. As... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING THE HOUSES OF THIS CITY... — The words point to the
incident which was the occasion of the prophecy. The houses referred
to had either been destroyed by the invaders, or, more probably, by
the besieged, in order to erect a counter-work against the
“mounts” which the Chaldæans had set agai... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY COME TO FIGHT WITH THE CHALDEANS... — The Hebrew construction
is participial, and has the force expressed in English by “they”
used indefinitely. The prophet sees, as it were, a _sortie_ of the
besieged, but it is doomed to failure, and the houses of the city are
filled with those who were slai... [ Continue Reading ]
HEALTH AND CURE... — The first word is, as in Jeremiah 8:22;
Jeremiah 30:17, the bandage, or “plaister,” which was prominent in
the therapeutics of the East. It is possible that both words may have
been spoken in direct contrast with the pestilence which was ravaging
the city (Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremia... [ Continue Reading ]
I... WILL BUILD... I WILL CLEANSE... I WILL PARDON... — The vision
of the return of the exiles and of a restored city, prominent in
Jeremiah 31:38, is not allowed to overshadow the yet more glorious
vision of spiritual blessings of purity and pardon.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL BE TO ME A NAME OF JOY... — The thought presents two
aspects in its bearing on the outlying nations. On the one hand, they
shall sing the praises of the restored city; on the other, they shall
fear and tremble before its greatness, as showing that it was under
the protection of the Lord of... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN THERE SHALL BE HEARD IN THIS PLACE. — The promise of
restoration is repeated with a more local distinctness. “This
place” is probably, as in Jeremiah 42:18, Jerusalem. The
“streets” are, more strictly, the “open places,” the
“bazaars,” or even the “outskirts” of the city, which were
deserted d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VOICE OF JOY, AND THE VOICE OF GLADNESS... — The words gain
greater emphasis as being those which the prophet had himself used
(Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9; Jeremiah 25:10) in foretelling the
desolation of the city. He points, as it were, by implication to the
fulfilment of the one prediction,... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN IN THIS PLACE. — The “place” includes, as in Jeremiah
33:10, “the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem.” The
“habitation” for shepherds is translated sometimes by
“sheepcote” (1 Chronicles 17:7; 2 Samuel 7:8), sometimes by
“fold” (Isaiah 65:10; Ezekiel 34:14), sometimes by “dwelling”
o... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD... — The words are manifestly
a conscious reproduction of Jeremiah 23:5. In “I have promised” we
may indeed trace a distinct reference to that passage. Once more
“the Branch of righteousness” (Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1) — the
coming heir of the throne of David, th... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE NAME WHEREWITH SHE SHALL BE CALLED, THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS. — It will be noticed that, while this reproduces the
language of Jeremiah 23:6, it does so with a remarkable difference.
There the title, “The Lord our Righteousness,” is given to the
future King, and the passage has accordi... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID SHALL NEVER WANT A MAN... — The words are hardly more than a
repetition of promises like those of 2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Kings 2:4;
Psalms 89:29; Psalms 89:36, but it is here repeated under very
different circumstances. Then it had been given when the line of David
was in all the freshness of its st... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES WANT A MAN... — Here again we
have a promise which received a fulfilment other than that which the
words appeared to imply, and which doubtless was in the prophet’s
thoughts. The Levitical priesthood passed away (Hebrews 7:11), but
Christ was made a Priest after... [ Continue Reading ]
(19-22) AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO JEREMIAH, SAYING... — The
new introduction here and in Jeremiah 33:23 indicates a fresh message
borne in on the prophet’s mind after an interval of time. In
substance it repeats the promise of Jeremiah 33:17, but it reproduces
them with yet greater solemnit... [ Continue Reading ]
(24-26) CONSIDEREST THOU NOT WHAT THIS PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN... — The
words that follow have been regarded by many commentators as the taunt
of the heathen nations — Chaldæans, Egyptians, Edomites, and others
— as they beheld what seemed to them the entire downfall of the
kingly and the priestly orders... [ Continue Reading ]