INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 25 This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Judea by the king of Babylon; and also of Babylon itself, after the Jews' captivity of seventy years; and likewise of all the nations round about. The date of this prophecy is in Jeremiah 25:1; when the prophet puts... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAH CONCERNING ALL THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH,.... Not only in the city of Jerusalem, but in the whole land of Judea. This prophecy concerns them all; their repentance and reformation, to which they are exhorted; or their invasion, desolation, and captivity, with which they are t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHICH JEREMIAH THE PROPHET SPAKE UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH,.... Perhaps at one of the three feasts, at which all the males appeared in Jerusalem; for it cannot be thought that he went up and down throughout all parts of the land to deliver this prophecy, but to as many of them as he found in... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE THIRTEENTH YEAR OF JOSIAH THE SON OF AMON KING OF JUDAH, EVEN UNTO THIS DAY,.... The year in which Jeremiah began to prophesy, Jeremiah 1:2; (THAT [IS], THE THREE AND TWENTIETH YEAR); for Josiah reigned one and thirty years; so that Jeremiah prophesied nineteen years in his reign; and now... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD HATH SENT UNTO YOU ALL HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS,.... Not only him, but many others, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and others: RISING EARLY AND SENDING [THEM]; not only the prophet, but the Lord himself is said to rise early, and send his prophets to them; which denotes his great care and c... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAID,.... The prophets: this was the substance of their discourses and prophecies, what follows: TURN YE AGAIN NOW EVERYONE FROM HIS EVIL WAY, AND FROM THE EVIL OF YOUR DOINGS; repent of sins, and reform from them; particularly their idolatries, to which they were prone, and are after mentione... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GO NOT AFTER OTHER GODS TO SERVE THEM, AND TO WORSHIP THEM,.... So long as they served the Lord God, they continued in their own land, in the comfortable enjoyment of all the blessings of it; for their government was a theocracy; God was their King; and as long as they served and worshipped him... [ Continue Reading ]
YET YE HAVE NOT HEARKENED UNTO ME, SAITH THE LORD,.... Though it was he that spake unto them by his prophets; and though it was so much to their own good and advantage; and the neglect of him and his word were so much to their disadvantage, and even ruin: THAT YE MIGHT PROVOKE ME TO ANGER WITH THE... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS,.... Of armies above and below; and so can do what he pleases in heaven and in earth: BECAUSE YE HAVE NOT HEARD MY WORDS; by the prophets, so as to obey them; they had heard them externally, but did not observe to do them.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I WILL SEND AND TAKE ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE NORTH, SAITH THE LORD,.... The Targum is, the kingdoms of the north, the same with those in Jeremiah 1:15; even all those kingdoms which were subject to the king of Babylon, and lay north of Judea: AND NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING OF BABYLON MY SERVA... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, I WILL TAKE FROM THEM THE VOICE OF MIRTH, AND THE VOICE OF GLADNESS,.... At their festivals, and nuptial solemnities: THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM, AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDE; expressing their mutual love unto, and delight in, each other; so agreeable to one another and their friends: or i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS WHOLE LAND SHALL BE A DESOLATION,.... Not only the city of Jerusalem, but all Judea, without inhabitants, or very few, and shall be uncultivated, and become barren and unfruitful: [AND] AN ASTONISHMENT; to all other nations, and to all persons that pass through, beholding the desolations o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, WHEN SEVENTY YEARS ARE ACCOMPLISHED,.... Which were accomplished in the first year of Cyrus: they began with the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned two years and two months with his father Nabopolassar; after that forty three years by himself; Evilmerodach two years... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BRING UPON THAT LAND ALL MY WORDS WHICH I HAVE PRONOUNCED AGAINST IT,.... By his prophets, and particularly by Jeremiah, as follows; for not one word that is spoken by the Lord, either in a way of promise or threatening, shall fail; his truth, power, and faithfulness, are engaged to accom... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MANY NATIONS AND GREAT KINGS SHALL SERVE THEMSELVES OF THEM ALSO,.... Take their cities, seize upon the kingdoms, spoil them of their wealth and riches, and bring them into servitude to them: these "many nations", which should and did do all this, were the Medes and Persians, and those that were... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL UNTO ME,.... The prophet: TAKE THE WINE CUP OF THIS FURY AT MY HAND; in a vision the Lord appeared to Jeremiah with a cup of wine in his hand, which he bid him take of him. It is usual in Scripture for the judgments of God on men to be signified by a cup of hot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL DRINK, AND BE MOVED, AND BE MAD,.... The judgments foretold shall come upon them, whether they will or not; which will have such effects upon them, as intoxicating liquor has on drunken persons; make them shake and tremble, and reel to and fro, and toss and tumble about, and behave li... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN TOOK I THE CUP AT THE LORD'S HAND,.... In a visionary way, and did as he commanded, and prophesied as he directed him. The prophet was obedient to the heavenly vision, as became him: AND MADE ALL THE NATIONS TO DRINK, UNTO WHOM, THE LORD HAD SENT ME; not that he travelled through each of the n... [ Continue Reading ]
[TO WIT], JERUSALEM, AND THE CITIES OF JUDAH,.... Which are mentioned first, because God's judgments began with them, as they usually do with the house of God, 1 Peter 4:17; and even now began; for this very year, in which this prophecy was delivered, Nebuchadnezzar came up and besieged Jerusalem, a... [ Continue Reading ]
PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT,.... Who is mentioned first after the kings of Judah; not only because the Jews were in alliance with Egypt, and trusted to them; and therefore this is observed, to show the vanity of their confidence and dependence; but because the judgments of God first took place on the king... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE MINGLED PEOPLE,.... Not the Arabians, who are mentioned afterwards, Jeremiah 25:24; but rather a mixed people in the land of Egypt, such as came out of it along with the Israelites; or were near it, and bordered upon it, as the Targum; which renders it, all the bordering kings; or rather... [ Continue Reading ]
EDOM, AND MOAB, AND THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. All well known and implacable enemies of Israel. The Edomites descended from Esau; and the Moabites and Ammonites from Moab and Ammon, the two sons of Lot by his daughters. Their destruction is prophesied of in the forty eighth and forty ninth Chapter s.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE KINGS OF TYRUS, AND ALL THE KINGS OF ZIDON,.... Two very ancient cities in Phoenicia, frequently mentioned together in Scripture, being near each other. Their ruin is foretold in Jeremiah 47:4; AND THE KINGS OF THE ISLES WHICH [ARE] BEYOND THE SEA; which some understand of Greece and It... [ Continue Reading ]
DEDAN, AND TEMA, AND BUZ,.... These seem to be places in Edom or Idumea, of whose destruction Jeremiah prophesies in Jeremiah 49:7; or rather in Arabia and Mesopotamia. Jerom reckons them among the Ishmaelites and Saracens, The persons from whom they descended are mentioned in Genesis 22:21; AND AL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE KINGS OF ARABIA,.... Of Arabia Petraea; AND ALL THE KINGS OF THE MINGLED PEOPLE THAT DWELL IN THE DESERT; the other Arabians or mixed people, that dwell in Arabia Deserta, as the Scenites, Nomades, Kedarenes, and others; and so the Targum, "and all the kings of the Arabians, that dwell... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE KINGS OF ZIMRI,.... Of Arabia Felix, so called from Zimran, a son of Abraham by Keturah, Genesis 25:2; the same whom Pliny n calls Zamerenes; AND ALL THE KINGS OF ELAM; or Persia; who are prophesied against in Jeremiah 49:34; AND ALL THE KINGS OF THE MEDES; who commonly go together wi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE KINGS OF THE NORTH, FAR AND NEAR, ONE WITH ANOTHER,.... That were on the north of Judea, the kings of Syria, and those that were near to the kingdom of Babylon, whether more remote from Judea, or nearer it and which joined one another in that part of the world; AND ALL THE KINGDOMS OF T... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THOU SHALT SAY UNTO THEM,.... To the several nations before mentioned, prophesied against: THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL; the Lord of armies, above and below, the Sovereign of the whole universe; but in a special and peculiar manner the God of Israel: DRINK YE, AND BE D... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE, IF THEY REFUSE TO TAKE THE CUP AT THINE HAND TO DRINK,.... To give credit to the prophecies of ruin and destruction delivered by the prophet, but say, these things shall not be: THEN SHALT THOU SAY UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, YE SHALL CERTAINLY DRINK; or those judgment... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR, LO, I BEGIN TO BRING EVIL UPON THE CITY WHICH IS CALLED BY MY NAME,.... Jerusalem, the city of God, the holy city, where his name was called upon, and he was worshipped; on this he would first bring down his judgments; and indeed he had already begun to bring evil on it; for this very year Nebu... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE PROPHESY THOU AGAINST THEM ALL THESE WORDS, AND SAY UNTO THEM,.... What follows, as well as declare all that is before spoken concerning the cup of fury all nations must drink of: THE LORD SHALL ROAR FROM ON HIGH: from, heaven, like a lion, in violent claps of thunder; or in such dreadful... [ Continue Reading ]
A NOISE SHALL COME UP [EVEN] TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH,.... Wars, and rumours of wars, everywhere, till the cup has gone round, and all nations have drank of it, and have felt the power of divine wrath for their sins: FOR THE LORD HATH A CONTROVERSY WITH THE NATIONS; will enter into a judicial proce... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, BEHOLD, EVIL SHALL GO FORTH FROM NATION TO NATION,.... Begin in one nation, and then go on to another; first in Judea, and then in Egypt; and so on, like a catching distemper, or like fire that first consumes one house, and then another; and thus shall the cup go round... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SLAIN OF THE LORD,.... Slain by his permission, yea, by his orders, according to his will, in his wrath and sore displeasure, and to glorify his vindictive justice: SHALL BE AT THAT DAY FROM [ONE] END OF THE EARTH EVEN UNTO THE [OTHER] END OF THE EARTH; not that this should be at one and th... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWL, YE SHEPHERDS, AND CRY,.... The Targum is, "howl, ye kings, and cry;'' and the rulers and governors of the nations before threatened with destruction are meant; who are here called upon to lamentation and mourning for the ruin and loss of their kingdoms; though Calvin thinks that this is an a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SHEPHERDS SHALL HAVE NO WAY TO FLEE,.... Or, "and flight shall perish from the shepherds" u; though they may attempt it, they shall not be able to accomplish it; neither the dignity of their persons, the greatness of their power, or the abundance of their riches, would make a way for them; t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A VOICE OF THE CRY OF THE SHEPHERDS,.... Or of the kings, as the Targum: AND AN HOWLING OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE FLOCK, [SHALL BE HEARD]; of the mighty of the people, as the same; what is before called for is here represented as in fact, because of the certainty of it: FOR THE LORD HATH SPOILED... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEACEABLE HABITATIONS ARE CUT DOWN,.... Or, "their peaceable ones", as the Targum; the palaces and stately dwellings, in which they lived in great pomp and prosperity, in great peace, plenty, and safety, are destroyed by the enemy, and laid waste, and become desolate; yea, even those that li... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH FORSAKEN HIS COVERT AS A LION,.... Which some understand of God leaving Jerusalem, or the temple, where he dwelt; who, while he made it his residence, protected it; but when he forsook it, it became exposed to the enemy. Kimchi says it may be understood of the destruction of the first temple... [ Continue Reading ]