O that my head were (a) waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that
I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
(a) The prophet shows the great compassion that he had toward this
people, seeing that he could never sufficiently lament the destruction
that he saw to hang... [ Continue Reading ]
O that I had in the wilderness a (b) lodging place of wayfaring men;
that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they [are] all (c)
adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
(b) He shows that there was more peace and greater safety for him to
dwell among the wild beasts than among this wi... [ Continue Reading ]
And they bend their tongues [like] their bow [for] (d) lies: but they
are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from
evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
(d) To belie and slander their neighbours.... [ Continue Reading ]
Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any (e)
brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour
will walk with slanders.
(e) Meaning, that all were corrupt, and none could find an honest man.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the
truth: they (f) have taught their tongue to speak lies, [and] weary
themselves to commit iniquity.
(f) They have so practised deceit, that they cannot forsake it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy habitation [is] in the midst of deceit; (g) through deceit they
refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
(g) They would rather have forsaken God than left their wicked trade.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will (h) melt them,
and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?
(h) With the fire of affliction.... [ Continue Reading ]
For the (i) mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for
the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are
burned up, so that none can pass through [them]; neither can [men]
hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the
beast have fled; they are gone.... [ Continue Reading ]
Who [is] the (k) wise man, that may understand this? and [who is he]
to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for
what the land perisheth [and] is burned up like a wilderness, that
none passeth through?
(k) Meaning that they are all without sense and understanding and that... [ Continue Reading ]
But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after
Baalim, which (l) their fathers taught them:
(l) He shows that the children cannot excuse themselves by their
fathers: for both father and child if they are wicked will perish.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I
will feed them, [even] this people, with wormwood, and give them water
of gall (m) to drink.
(m) Read (Jeremiah 8:14).... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for (n) the
skilful women, that they may come; and send for skilful [women], that
they may come:
(n) Seeing you cannot lament your own sins, call for those foolish
women, whom of a superstition you have to lament for the dead, that
they by their f... [ Continue Reading ]
For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we laid waste! we
are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our
dwellings (o) have cast [us] out.
(o) As though they were weary of us, because of our iniquities,
(Leviticus 18:28; Leviticus 20:22).... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive
the word of his mouth, and (p) teach your daughters wailing, and every
one her neighbour lamentation.
(p) He derides the superstition of the women who made an art of
mourning, and taught to weep with feigned tears.... [ Continue Reading ]
For death hath come up into our (q) windows, [and] hath entered into
our palaces, to cut off the children from outside, [and] the young men
from the streets.
(q) Signifying that there is no means to deliver the wicked from God's
judgments: but when they think to be most sure, and most far off, then... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, Let not the (r) wise [man] glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich
[man] glory in his riches:
(r) As none can save himself by his own labour, or any worldly means,
he shows that it is vain to put our trust in it, but that we trust... [ Continue Reading ]
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and
knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD who (s) exercise lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I
delight, saith the LORD.
(s) These three points are necessary to know correctly his mercy, in
which... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all [them
who are] (t) circumcised with the uncircumcised;
(t) Meaning, both Jews and Gentiles, as in this next verse he shows
the cause, (Jeremiah 4:4).... [ Continue Reading ]