CHRIST things; and Israel is the rod of his about 600. inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name. + Heb. inhabitress. 17 ¶ Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. 18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. 19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD therefore they shall not pros-1 per, and all their flocks shall be scattered. 22 Behold, the noise of the bruit work of deluded men; whereas He was the Creator of the universe, of all that exists; and, that there might be no room to mistake the being intended, He is further characterized as He who made choice of Israel for the special object of his concern, had marked him out for his own possession, as with a measuring rod; and to whom the name of Jehovah belonged. Dr. Blayney. the rod of his inheritance:] This expression is taken from the first division of the land of Canaan, when the inheritance of each tribe and family was meted out with a line or a rod. W. Lowth. 17. Gather up thy wares out of the land, &c.] The Prophet here returns to his former denunciations against Jerusalem, and warns her to move her effects, and prepare for her going into captivity; compare Ezek. xii. 3; for though she thought herself secure, as dwelling in a place of great strength and well fortified, yet her enemies should prevail and take it. W. Lowth. 18.-Behold, I will sling out &c.] Behold, I will suddenly and violently cast out the inhabitants of the land, as a stone out of a sling. Bp. Hall. at this once,] Or, "at this time." This implies, that though they had been often saved by God's providence from hostile attacks, they would however on this occasion find it otherwise. Dr. Blayney. 19. Woe is me &c.] In this and the following verses, the Prophet seems by anticipation to suggest motives of patience and consolation to his country, in regard to the evils that were coming upon her. These he puts into her own mouth, and makes her observe, first, that her affliction, though great, was such as by experience she had found to be tolerable: secondly, that she had less reason to complain of what she suffered, as it was no other than might have been expected from the misconduct of those who had the direction of her affairs: and lastly, that she was not without hope in the mercy of God, who, upon the humble supplication of his people, might be moved to mitigate their chastisement, and turn his hand against the heathen that oppressed them. Dr. Blayney. 20. My tabernacle is spoiled, &c.] My cities and the spoil of the tabernacle. Before CHRIST is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities about 600. of Judah desolate, and a den of, dragons. k Chap. 1. 15. & 5. 15. & 6. 22. 1. & 20. 24. 23 O LORD, I know that the iChap. 9. 11. mway of man is not in himself: it is m Prov. 16. not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, "correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou + bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate. CHAP. XI. Jeremiah proclaimeth God's covenant, 8 rebuketh the Jews' disobeying thereof, 11 prophesieth evils to come upon them, 18 and upon the men of Anathoth, for conspiring to kill Jeremiah. 38. 1. n Ps. 6. 1. & ch. 30. 11. + Heb. diminish me. o Ps. 79. 6. houses are rifled and destroyed, as if they were so many shepherds' tents. See the note on chap. iv. 20. W. Lowth. By the breaking of the cords, the use of which is to fasten the tent on every side to stakes in the ground, and on the breaking of which the tent falls, it is implied that all the supports of city and country were gone. Poole. 23. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: &c.] Success does not depend upon human endeavours, but upon God's good pleasure: compare Ps. xxxvii. 23; Prov. xx. 24; and therefore Thou canst easily disappoint all the designs of our enemies. W. Lowth. 24. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; &c.] O Lord, correct me, but in a gracious moderation; not in the extreme rigour of thy justice; not, as we have deserved, in thy wrath and displeasure. Bp. Hall. The speaker here humbly entreats Almighty God to deal out his corrections in such a moderate degree, as to shew that He aimed at the amendment, and not the destruction of the offender. The Hebrew word here translated "judgment," properly signifies "calm and dispassionate judgment," which stands opposed to the hasty sallies of anger and furious revenge. And though the latter cannot actually exist in God, it is sometimes however nominally attributed to Him, whenever the effects of his displeasure are so violent, as to stop nothing short of utter ruin; although such a proceeding may be justifiable upon the most solid principles of reason and equity. As therefore to "punish with anger," implies an unrelenting rigour and severity; so to "correct with judgment," admits the use of such moderation, as is consistent with the sinner's personal safety, whilst it promotes his reformation. Dr. Blayney. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen &c.] Let thy justice be made known, by bringing an exemplary punishment upon the Chaldeans and their allies, sec chap. i. 15; who do not acknowledge thy providence, but ascribe all their successes to their own idols. Lowth. IV God's covenant proclaimed. Before CHRIST about 608. Gal. 3. 10. TH Before CHRIST HE word that came to Jeremiah | clined their ear, but walked every one from the LORD, saying, in the imagination of their evil heart: about 608. therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I stubbornnese. commanded them to do; but they did them not. 2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; a 3 And say thou unto them, Thus a Deut. 27. 26. saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, 4 Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the b Lev. 26. 3, iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God: 12. c Deut. 7. 12. 5 That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then + Heb. Amen. answered I, and said, † So be it, O LORD. 6 Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. 7 For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. 8 Yet they obeyed not, nor inChap. XI. ver. 1. The word that came to Jeremiah &c.] The prophecy contained in this and the following chapter may not improperly be assigned to the reign of Josiah; only to the latter end of it, when the people, who in the eighteenth year of that prince had solemnly engaged to perform the obligations of the Divine covenant, may in course of time be supposed to have relapsed into their former disregard and neglect. The Prophet is therefore sent to recall them to their duty, by proclaiming anew the terms of the covenant, and rebuking them sharply for their hereditary disobedience, He denounceth evil against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem for their idolatrous apostasy, ver. 9-17; and being informed of the conspiracy of the men of Anathoth against his life by Divine revelation, he prayeth against them, and is authorized to foretel their utter destruction. Dr. Blayney. ver. 1-8. 3. Cursed be the man &c.] It is a way of speaking usual in Scripture, to denounce God's judgments in the form of imprecation: so the Apostle pronounces an excommunication, by saying, "Let him be accursed," or "Anathema," Gal. i. 8; 1 Cor. xvi. 22. To the same sense St. Paul saith of Alexander the coppersmith, "The Lord reward him according to his works," 2 Tim. iv. 14. Thus the imprecations we meet with in several of the Psalms are to be understood as so many predictions, or denunciations of God's judgments. Accordingly St. Peter, speaking of the 109th Psalm, saith, that in it the Holy Ghost "spake before (or prophesied) by I Or, forth of. cry d Heb. to ga Prov. 1. 28. ch. 14. 12. 12 Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. e Isa. 1. 15. Ezek. 8. 18. Mic. 3. 4. + Heb. evil. 13 For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; Chap. 2. 28. and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even ↑ Heb. shame. altars to burn incense unto Baal. the mouth of David concerning Judas," Acts i. 16. W. Lowth. A wholesome instruction is to be derived from the curse, which God denounces against those who keep not his covenant. Let us reflect on this, and remember that God hath made a more excellent covenant with us than with the Jews; and that this covenant engages us still more strictly to hear his voice, and to do all that He hath commanded us; so that, if we break it, we shall incur a much heavier punishment. We ought farther to consider, that it is not only by worshipping idols that the Divine covenant is broken; but that may be done likewise by breaking the vows which we have made to God, and by withdrawing our hearts from Him and giving them to the world. Ostervald, 5. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O Lord.] The Prophet confirms the words of this curse, according to the form prescribed in Deut. xxvii. 26; and thereby approves the justice of it. W. Lowth. 9. - A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, &c.] The men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have banded together and conspired wilfully in evil, and have resolved to encourage each other in wickedness. Bp. Hall. 11.-though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.] Their destruction was irreversible upon supposition of their continuance in their evil ways, which God foresaw they would do. W. Lowth. 13.-shameful thing,] See notes at chap. iii. 24, 14 Therefore pray not thou for about 608. this people, neither lift up a cry or f Chap. 7.16. prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their + trouble. & 14. 11. + Heb. evil. g Isa. 1. 11, &c. Heb. What loved in my is to my be house? Or, when thy evil is. + Heb. the stalk with his bread. 15+ What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? | when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. 16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken, 17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal. 18 And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings. 19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us de for conspiring to kill Jeremiah. and let us cut him off from the land h Before CHRIST about 608. 1 Chron. 28. 20 But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the h1 Sam. 16.7. reins and the heart, let me see thy s. vengeance on them: for unto thee P5: 77.9; have I revealed my cause. 21 Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand: ch. 10. & 1 Jeremiah, complaining of the wicked's pros- stroy the tree with the fruit thereof, RIGHTEOUS art thou, O 15. What hath my beloved to do in mine house, &c.] What have the Jews, once my beloved people, to do in my house, saith God, seeing they have committed spiritual fornication with many idols; and those sacrifices, which now they pretend to offer, are not holy oblations, but profane and common flesh ? Yea, O my people, thou art come to that height of impiety, as that thou rejoicest in evil. Bp. Hall. the holy flesh is passed from thee?] The flesh of thy sacrifices, which thou offerest up unto me, as an atonement for thy sins, doth not at all profit thee, being polluted and rendered unacceptable to me, through those many and great sins, in which thou continuest without remorse, and even takest a pride in committing them: see chap. vi; and compare Hag. ii. 12-14. W. Lowth. 16. The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, &c.] St. Paul plainly alludes to this verse, Rom. xi. 17. The Jewish nation, in its flourishing state, is sometimes compared to a vine, sometimes to an olive tree, chiefly because of the fruits of good works, which God might justly expect from them, after all the care and pains He had beupon them, to make them thrive and fructify. See Ps. lii. 8. W. Lowth. stowed with the noise of a great tumult] These words signify the confused murmur of the Chaldean army, coming tumultuously to desolate Jerusalem and its dependencies with fire and sword. Dr. Blayney. 18. And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, &c.] This relates to the evil designs of the men of Anathoth against the Prophet, which, he saith, God had revealed to him. See the following verses. W. Lowth. 19. Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, &c.] Let us not only burn his prophecies, but kill the man: let us despatch him from off the earth. Bp. Hall. LORD, when I plead with thee: 20. - let me see thy vengeance on them: &c.] O God, I do not desire it in any malice to them, or thirst of revenge, but in a holy zeal for thy glory: being by Thee so directed, and committing my cause to Thee, I pray for a sight of thy just retribution to them. Bp. Hall. 23. the year of their visitation.] When I will visit their sins upon them: see chap. xxiii. 12; xlvi. 21; xlviii. 44 ; l. 27. The words "year" and "day" often signify a set or determined time. See Isa. lxi. 2, W, Lowth. Chap. XII. The Prophet here ventures freely, though with professions of confidence in the Divine justice, to expostulate with God concerning the prosperity of wicked men in general; whose punishment he solicits, attesting the mischiefs that were continually brought on the land by their unrestrained wickedness, ver. 1-4. In reply he is forewarned to expect, that, in proportion to the power of his enemies, his own personal grievances would naturally increase; whilst the distractions of the state and the unkindness of his kinsfolks, precluded him all hopes of either publick or private redress, ver. 5, 6. But God expressly challenges the national calamities as the result of his own special determination and judgment. He had discarded his people for their malicious behaviour towards Him, and they were therefore given up to the outrage and devastation of fierce and merciless invaders, ver. 7-13. At last He promises them a restoration in future, and threatens punishment upon their heathen neighbours who had oppressed them; but with this reservation, that such of these, as would come over to his established worship, He would receive and incorporate into his Church; but the unbelieving part should be utterly extirpated. Dr. Blayney. Though I Ver. 1. Righteous art thou, O Lord, &c.] a Job 21. 7. cherously? Ps. 37. 1. & 73.3. Hab. 1. 4. + Heb. they go on. b Ps. 17. 3. thee. 2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. 3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried + Heb. with mine heart + toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, c Ps. 107. 34. c for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end. d Chap. 9. 4. I Or, they cried after thee fully. 5¶If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? 6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, ||they have called a multitude after doubt not of thy justice and holiness, yet suffer me to argue with Thee concerning the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous: a dispensation, which hath in all ages been made an objection against Providence, and upon that account been a stumblingblock even to good men: see Job xii. 6; xxi. 7, &c.; Ps. xxxvii. and lxxiii. W. Lowth. 2. thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.] The true character of hypocrites, who, according to Isaiah's description of them, "honour God with their lips, but their heart is far from Him," Isa. xxix. 13; Mark vii. 6. "The reins" in Scripture signify the thoughts and inward dispositions. W. Lowth. - because they said, He shall not see our last end.] That is, He will not concern Himself about rewarding or punishing us hereafter. The inference, which bad men are apt to draw from God's past forbearance, is, that He is totally regardless of the moral conduct of mankind. Hence, promising themselves the same impunity in future, which they have hitherto experienced, they are led to a free indulgence of all their vicious inclinations. Accordingly the Psalmist, complaining, as the Prophet does here, of the prosperity of the wicked, represents their behaviour and their principles in terms exactly similar. See Ps. xciv. 5-7. Dr. Blayney. 5. If thou hast run with the footmen, &c.] Here God answers the complaint of the Prophet, and applies a proverbial expression to his case. W. Lowth. The sense of the proverb seems to be, If thou art not able to encounter less dangers, how wilt thou be able to overcome greater? Poole. in the swelling of Jordan?] The ravages of war of his heritage. thee: believe them not, though they speak + fair words unto thee. Before CHRIST about 668. + Heb. good 7 I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given things. + the dearly beloved of my soul into † Heb. the the hand of her enemies. love. ↑ Heb. giveth 8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out Or, yelleth. against me: therefore have I hated it. out his ice. 9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about! Or, are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, I come to devour. taloned. Or, cause them to come. 10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my + pleasant portion a desolate wil- + Heb. derness. 11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. 12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness : for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. 9. Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, &c.] My people are become wild and savage, (see ver. 8,) and not to be tamed; and like "a speckled" or "taloned bird," are only fit for prey and deeds of violence. And as all the rest of the birds flock round such an one, and are ready to pull it to pieces; so I have stirred up the enemies of my people to annoy them on every side; compared here to so many beasts of prey: see chap. ii. 15; Isa. lvi. 9; Hab. ii. 17. The word here rendered speckled" is of an uncertain signification, being found but in this one place of the Bible, unless, perhaps, 1 Sam. xiii. 18, where some look upon it as a proper name. The Septuagint understand it of the hyena, which sense is followed by Bochart. But if we take it in either signification, the sense is much the same. W. Lowth. 10. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard,] By many pastors" are meant the generals of the Chaldean army; so the Chaldee paraphrase rightly explains it; see ver. 12, and compare chap. vi. 3. God calls Judea "his vineyard and pleasant portion," because of the care He took to cultivate and improve it, and the fruit He might justly have expected from it: see the note on chap. xi. 16. W. Lowth. 12. upon all high places through the wilderness:] Rather, upon all the plains in the wilderness;" that is, the smooth plots of greensward in the waste or uncultivated country, which afford pasturage to the cattle. Dr. Blayney. See note on chap. ix. 10. He promiseth the penitent Before CHRIST about 608. and they shall be ashamed of your will utterly pluck up and destroy that 14 Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, f Deut. 30. 3. I will 'pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. ch. 32. 37. g Isa. GO. 12. 15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. 17 But if they will not obey, I 13.—they shall be ashamed of your revenues] Or, "Be ye ashamed of your increase." God's displeasure shall make all your designs abortive, they shall not bring forth their expected fruit, and you shall be seized with shame and confusion to see yourselves disappointed: compare chap. ii. 36, 37. The word "revenues," or "increase," alludes to the "reaping of thorns," mentioned in the foregoing part of the verse. W. Lowth. 1 CHAP. XIII. In the type of a linen girdle, hidden at HUS saith the LORD unto me, 2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. Before CHRIST about 608. about 602. 17. But if they will not obey, &c.] Those that will not have God and Christ to reign over them, shall in the end be punished with everlasting destruction. See Isa. lx. 12; Luke xix. 27; compared with Rev. xix. 21. W. Lowth. It is never to be believed, that the wicked and the hypocrites shall escape unpunished, or that they are truly happy, because God spares them for a while. The 14. Thus saith the Lord against all mine evil neigh-threatenings of the Lord have sooner or later their effect: bours, &c.] This prophecy threatens chiefly Idumeans, nor are they less sure, because He defers the execution Moabites, Ammonites, and Philistines, against whom of them. Ostervald. Jeremiah prophesies, chap. xlvii, xlviii, and xlix; and Ezekiel, chap. xxv. These are called "evil neighbours," because of the spite and ill-will which they shewed toward the Jews on all occasions, at this time especially, when most of them joined with the Chaldeans and Syrians in opposing them: see 2 Kings xxiv. 2. This sin is particularly laid to their charge by the Prophets, and they are threatened with captivity chiefly on that account: see chap. xlix. 1, 2; Ezek. xxv. 3. 6. 8. 12. 15; Amos i. 11; Obad. ver. 10; Zeph. ii. 8. W. Lowth. 15. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out &c.] The captivity threatened to the Jews and their neighbours seems to be confined to seventy years: see chap. xxv. 11; xxvii. 7; Isa. xxiii. 15. We may observe likewise that after Jeremiah had threatened severe judgments upon several countries, he concludes with a general purpose of returning from their captivity in the latter days: see chap. xlviii. 47; xlix. 6. 39. Which promise relates probably to their conversion under the Gospel, called in Scripture "the latter days." W. Lowth. 16. then shall they be built in the midst of my people.] I will make one Church of Jews and Gentiles; and if those nations shall frame themselves to the true worship of my name, and to the profession of the religion of my people, then will I establish them in my Church, as true and lively members thereof. Bp. Hall. The acceptance of the believing Gentiles is here clearly intimated; and their union with the Church of God, the middle wall of partition being broken down. See concerning the actual accomplishment of this prophecy, Eph. ii. 13-22. Dr. Blayney. Chap. XIII. This chapter contains a single and distinct prophecy, which, under two symbols, a linen girdle left to rot, and all vessels being filled with wine, foretels the utter destruction that was destined to fall upon the whole Jewish nation, including individuals of every rank and denomination, ver. 15-21; and the cause of all the evils is assigned in the general corruption and profligacy of manners that prevailed, without a prospect of amendment, ver. 22 to the end. The particular mention of the joint downfall of the king and queen (ver. 18,) seems to justify the opinion which ascribes this prophecy to the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, whose fate with that of his queen is in like manner noticed together. Dr. Blayney. Ver. 1.- and put it not in water.] God explains at ver. 11 what was meant by the symbol of the girdle or sash worn about the loins, namely, his people Israel, whom He purchased and redeemed of old, and attached to Himself by a special covenant; that as a girdle serveth for an ornament to the wearer, so they should be subservient to the honour and glory of his name. But, it is added, "they would not hear" or conform to his intentions; therefore, being polluted with the guilt of their disobedience, they were in that state, and on that very account, to be carried into captivity; conformably to which the Prophet was directed, "not to put the girdle in water;" that is, not to wash it, but to leave it in that filthiness which it had contracted in wearing. Dr. Blayney. 4. arise, go to Euphrates,] God commanded the Prophet to hide the girdle by the bank of the Euphrates, |