Expositor's Bible: The Book of Jeremiah, Chapters XXI.-LII.

93

Ezek. xix. 5-7.

94

2 Kings xxiv. 8-17.

95

2 Kings xxv. 27-30; Jer. lii. 31-34.

96

The Hebrew verbs are in 2 s. fem.; the person addressed is not named, but from analogy she can only be the "Daughter of Zion," i. e. Jerusalem personified.

97

Identified with the mountains of Moab.

98

R.V. margin, with LXX., Vulg., and Syr.

99

Milman's Latin Christianity, vi. 392.

100

1 Chron. iii. 17 mentions the "sons" of Jeconiah, and in Matt. i. 12 Shealtiel is called his "son," but in Luke iii. 27 Shealtiel is called the son of Neri.

101

xxxvii. 2.

102

2 Kings xxiv. 18-20.

103

2 Chron. xxxvi. 10 makes Zedekiah the brother of Jehoiachin, possibly using the word in the general sense of "relation." Zedekiah's age shows that he cannot have been the son of Jehoiakim.

104

Ezek. xvii. 13, 14.

105

xxiv.

106

vii. – xi.

107

viii.

108

Gen. xlix. 24, J. from older source. Micah v. 5.

109

ix. – xi., xiii. 7-9.

110

Ezek. xxxiv. 2-5.

111

Zech. x. 3, xi. 5.

112

xxv. 34-38.

113

Froude, i. 205.

114

LXX. See R.V. margin.

115

Possibly, however, the insertion of this passage in one of the books may have been the work of an editor, and we cannot be sure that, in Jeremiah's time, collections entitled Isaiah and Micah both included this section.

116

xxvi. 20.

117

So LXX. and modern editors: see Giesebrecht, in loco. R.V. "What burden!"

118

vii. 14; but cf. R.V.; "I was," etc.

119

Zech. xiii. 2-5. Post-exilic, according to most critics (Driver's Introduction, in loco).

120

Froude, ii. 474.

121

The close connection between xxvii. and xxviii. shows that the date in xxviii. 1, "the fourth year of Zedekiah," covers both chapters. "Jehoiakim" in xxvii. 1 is a misreading for "Zedekiah": see R.V. margin.

122

1 Kings xxii. 11.

123

The rest of this verse has apparently been inserted from xxvii. 6 by a scribe. It is omitted by the LXX.

124

xxii. 15-25.

125

Doubts have been expressed as to whether this verse originally formed part of Jeremiah's letter, or was ever written by him; but in view of his numerous references to a coming restoration those doubts are unnecessary.

126

The Hebrew Text inserts a paragraph (vv. 16-20) substantially identical with other portions of the book, especially xxiv. 8-10, announcing the approaching ruin and captivity of Zedekiah and the Jews still remaining in Judah. This section is omitted by the LXX., and breaks the obvious connection between verses 15 and 21.

127

Smith's Assurbanipal, p. 163.

128

2 Macc. vii. 5.

129

lii. 24; 2 Kings xxv. 18.

130

Ecce Homo, xxi.

131

li. 59, Hebrew Text. According to the LXX., Zedekiah sent another embassy and did not go himself to Babylon. The section is apparently a late addition.

132

xvii. 15.

133

xxvi. 2.

134

Ezek. xxi. 21.

135

xxv. 1-7.

136

xxi. 1-10. The exact date of this section is not given, but it is closely parallel to xxxiv. 1-7, and seems to belong to the same period.

137

xxi. 1-10.

138

Deut. xv. 12. Cf. Exod. xxi. 2, xxiii. 10.

139

xxxiv. 14.

140

xxxiv. 13.

141

2 Kings xxiii. 3.

142

xxxiv. 15.

143

xxxiv. 9.

144

Gen. xv.

145

xxxiv. 19.

146

Ezek. xvii. 17.

147

Hosea vi. 4.

148

Milman's Latin Christianity, viii. 255.

149

Cf. xxxii. 6-8.

150

xxxvii. 12; so R.V., Streane (Camb. Bible), Kautzsch, etc.

151

xxvi. 10.

152

xxxviii. 1.

153

Cf. Renan, iii. 333.

154

Gen. xxxvii. 22-24.

155

xxxix. 15-18.

156

So Giesebrecht, in loco; A.V., R.V., "third entry." In any case it will naturally be a passage from the palace to the Temple.

157

Chapter lii. = 2 Kings xxiv. 18-xxv. 30, and xxxix. 1-10 = lii. 4-16, in each case with minor variations which do not specially bear upon our subject. Cf. Driver, Introduction, in loco. The detailed treatment of this section belongs to the exposition of the Book of Kings.

158

Literally "the house" – either Jeremiah's or Gedaliah's, or possibly the royal palace.

159

lii. 6, 12.

160

Pulpit Commentary, in loco. Cf. the previous volume on Jeremiah in this series.

161

The sequence of verses 4 and 5 has been spoilt by some corruption of the text. The versions diverge variously from the Hebrew. Possibly the original text told how Jeremiah found himself unable to give an immediate answer, and Nebuzaradan, observing his hesitation, bade him return to Gedaliah and decide at his leisure.

162

2 Macc. ii. 1-8.

163

Cf. Professor Adeney's Canticles and Lamentations in this series.

164

Cf. lii. 12, "fifth month," and xli. 1, "seventh month." Cheyne however points out that no year is specified in xli. 1, and holds that Gedaliah's governorship lasted for over four years, and that the deportation four years (lii. 30) after the destruction of the city was the prompt punishment of his murder.

165

The reading is doubtful; possibly the word (geruth) translated "caravanserai," or some similar word to be read instead of it, merely forms a compound proper name with Chimham.

166

2 Sam. xix. 31-40.

167

Cf. chapter on "Baruch."

168

1 Sam. xiii.

169

1 Kings xxii.

170

lii. 30.

171

So Orelli, in loco.

172

For the prophecy against Egypt and its fulfilment see further chapter XVII.

173

Combined from verses 16, 17, and 25.

174

xv. 4.

175

As to the fulfilment of this prophecy see Chap. XVII.

176

MELEKHETH HASHSHAMAYIM. The Masoretic pointing seems to indicate a rendering "service" or work of heaven, probably in the sense of "host of heaven," i. e. the stars, מְלֶכֶת being written defectively for מְלֶאכֶת, but this translation is now pretty generally abandoned. Cf. C. J. Ball, Giesebrecht, Orelli, Cheyne, etc., on vii. 18, and especially Kuenen's treatise on the Queen of Heaven – in the Gesammelte Abhandlungen, translated by Budde – to which this section is largely indebted.

177

Ezek. viii.

178

The worship of Tammuz and of "creeping things and abominable beasts" etc.

179

Kuenen, 208.

180

Schrader (Whitehouse's translation), ii. 207.

181

Kuenen, 206.

182

Sayce, Higher Criticism, etc., 80.

183

So Giesebrecht on vii. 18. Kuenen argues for the identification of the Queen of Heaven with the planet Venus.

184

Kuenen, 211.

185

Doubts however have been raised as to whether any of the sections about Babylon are by Isaiah himself.

186

Doubts have been expressed as to the genuineness of the Damascus prophecy.

187

The Isaianic authorship of this prophecy (Isa. xxiii.) is rejected by very many critics.

188

Amos iii. 2.

189

So Giesebrecht, Orelli, etc.

190

Psammetichus had recently taken Ashdod, after a continuous siege of twenty-nine years.

191

The plural may refer to dependent chiefs or may be used for the sake of symmetry.

192

Lit. "the coasts" (i. e. islands and coastland) where the Phœnicians had planted their colonies.

193

See on xlix. 28-32.

194

xxv. 9.

195

xxvii. 8.

196

Sheshach (Sheshakh) for Babel also occurs in li. 41. This explanatory note is omitted by LXX.

197

As to Damascus cf. note on p. 213.

198

This line is somewhat paraphrased. Lit. "I will shatter you, and ye shall fall like an ornamental vessel" (KELI HEMDA).

199

Tacitus, History, v. 5.

200

Second edition, ii. 291, 292.

201

Meyer, Geschichte des alten Ägypten, 371, 373.

202

ii. 293.

203

Giesebrecht, with LXX.

204

Giesebrecht, Orelli, Kautzsch, with LXX., Syr., and Vulg., by an alteration of the pointing.

205

LXX. omits verse 26. Verses 27, 28 = xxx. 10, 11, and probably are an insertion here.

206

Ezek. xxix. 13-15.

207

Isa. xix. 25.

208

Herodotus, II. clxix.

209

xliv. 30.

210

xlvi. 25.

211

Referring to their ancient immigration from Caphtor, probably Crete.

212

Kautzsch, Giesebrecht, with LXX., reading 'Nqm for the Masoretic 'Mqm; Eng. Vers., "their valley."

213

Hosea vi. 1.

214

E.g. xlviii. 5, "For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for in going down of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction," is almost identical with Isa. xv. 5. Cf. also xlviii. 29-34 with Isa. xv. 4, xvi. 6-11.

215

Verse 47 with the subscription, "Thus far is the judgment of Moab," is wanting in the LXX.

216

The exact date of the prophecy is uncertain, but it must have been written during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

217

Ezek. xxv. 9.

218

Some of the names, however, may be variants.

219

Josh. xiii. 15-28 (possibly on JE. basis).

220

xlix. 13, possibly this is not the Edomite Bozrah.

221

Deut. xxxii. 15.

222

Isa. xvi. 6.

223

ii. 10.

224

Kautzsch, Giesebrecht, with LXX.; A.V., R.V., with Hebrew Text, "their bottles."

225

Isa. xlviii. 10.

226

xlix. 3: A.V., "their king"; R.V., "Malcam," which here and in verse 1 is a form of Moloch.

227

Cf. the designation of Caleb "ben Jephunneh the Kenizzite," Num. xxxii. 12, etc., with the genealogies which trace the descent of Kenaz to Esau, Gen. xxxvi. 11, etc. Cf. also Expositor's Bible, Chronicles.

228

Cf. 1 Kings xxii. 47 with 2 Kings viii. 20.

229

Obadiah 11-15. The difference between A.V. and R.V. is more apparent than real. The prohibition which R.V. gives must have been based on experience. The short prophecy of Obadiah has very much in common with this section of Jeremiah: Obad. 1-6, 8, are almost identical with Jer. xlix. 14-16, 9, 10a, 7. The relation of the two passages is a matter of controversy, but probably both use a common original. Cf. Driver's Introduction on Obadiah.

230

Lit. "thy terror," i. e. the terror inspired by thy fate. A.V., R.V., "thy terribleness," suggests that Edom trusted in the terror felt for him by his enemies, but we can scarcely suppose that even the fiercest highlanders expected Nebuchadnezzar to be terrified at them.

231

Obad. 4: "Though thou set thy nest among the stars."

232

Hist. Nat., vi. 28. Orelli.

233

xxxiv. 1.

234

Verse 20.

235

Obadiah 21.

236

2 Kings xvi. 9.

237

Ezek. xxvii. 18.

238

Joel iii. 4.

239

So Giesebrecht, with most of the ancient versions. A.V., R.V., with Masoretic Text, "not forsaken … my joy," possibly meaning, "Why did not the inhabitants forsake the doomed city?"

240

Magor-missabib: cf. xlvi. 5.

241

I.e. cut off.

242

1 Peter i. 10, 11.

243

See against the authenticity Driver's Introduction, in loco; and in support of it Speaker's Commentary, Streane (C.B.S.). Cf. also Sayce, Higher Criticism, etc., pp. 484-486.

244

In xxvii. 1 we must read, "In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah," not Jehoiakim.

245

xxix. 4-14.

246

"Hitherward" seems to indicate that the writers local standpoint is that of Palestine.

247

l. 28, li. 11.

248

Cf. l. 8, li. 6, with Isa. xlviii. 20; l. 13 with xlix. 17; l. 41-43 with vi. 22-24; l. 44-46 with xlix. 19-21; li. 15-19 with x. 12-16.

249

Budde ap. Giesebrecht, in loco.

250

l. 3, 9, li. 41, 48.

251

l. 12, 13: cf. l. 39, 40, li. 26, 29, 37, 41-43.

252

li. 17, 18.

253

l. 28.

254

xxx., xxxi., and, in part, xxxiii.

255

Brief, in order not to trespass more than is absolutely necessary upon the ground covered by the previous Expositor's Bible volume on Jeremiah.

256

Characteristic Expressions (1), p. 269.

257

מצלל.

258

xx. 2, xxxvii. 15.

259

xxxvii., xxxviii.

260

xxvi. 20-24.

261

ii. 34, xix. 4, xxii. 17.

262

v. 25, vi. 6, vii. 5.

263

vi. 13.

264

ii. 34.

265

vii. 5-9.

266

xxiii. 14.

267

Characteristic Expressions (2), p. 269.

268

xxiii. 10, 14.

269

xxix. 23.

270

v. 21, quoted by Ezekiel, xii. 2. The verse is also the foundation of the description of Israel as "the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears," in Isa. xlii. 18 ff., xliii. 8. Cf. Giesebrecht on Jer. v. 21.

271

vii., xxvi.

272

xvi. 10.

273

xxxiv.

274

xxxii. 26-35: cf. p. 269, Characteristic Expressions (3).

275

Literally "copper and iron."

276

vi. 28.

277

xxxii. 26-35.

278

Hosea iv. 1, 2; also Hosea's general picture of the kingdom of Samaria.

279

The A.V. translation of xi. 12 ("Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints") must be set aside. The sense is obscure and the text doubtful.

280

Amos ii. 4-8.

281

Micah iii. 10, 11.

282

Zeph. iii. 3, 4.

283

Ezek. vii. 23: cf. vii. 9, xxii. 1-12.

284

Exod. xix. 6.

285

Hosea ix. 7-9: cf. Judges xix. 22.

286

Hosea vi. 9.

287

Isaiah xl. – lxvi. is excluded from this statement.

288

xxxii. 34, 35, repeating vii. 30, 31, with slight variations. A similar statement occurs in xix. 4, 5. Cf. 2 Kings xvi. 3, xxi. 6, xxiii. 10; also Giesebrecht and Orelli in loco.

289

Exod. xxii. 29 (JE.). Exod. xxxiv. 20 is probably a later interpretation intended to guard against misunderstandings.

290

Baal is not mentioned in the other prophetical books.

291

vii. 2.

292

Here and elsewhere, "prophet," unless specially qualified by the context, is used of the true prophet, the messenger of Divine Revelation, and does not include the mere professional prophets. Cf. Chap. VIII.

293

ii. 19, etc.

294

xxxii. 33, etc.

295

xxii. 9: cf. xi. 10, xxxi. 32, and Hosea vi. 7, viii. 1.

296

x. 16: cf. Amos iv. 13.

297

xxiii. 25-27: cf. Giesebrecht, in loco.

298

Cheyne, Jeremiah: Life and Times, p. 150.

299

Jeremiah hardly mentions idols.

300

Cf. on this whole subject, Cheyne, Jeremiah: Life and Times, p. 319.

301

The strongest expressions are in chap. ii., for which see previous volume on Jeremiah.

302

ii. 27.

303

xvii. 23: cf. Exod. xxxii. 9, etc. (JE.); Deut. ix. 6; 2 Chron. xxx. 8.

304

Characteristic Expressions, p. 269.

305

Ibid., p. 269.

306

Characteristic Expressions, p. 269.

307

i. 10.

308

i. 15.

309

i. 7. The word for "child" (na'ar) is an elastic term, equalling "boy" or "young man," with all the range of meaning possible in English to the latter phrase.

310

Cf. the Book of Jonah.

311

xv. 1.

312

Driver, Introduction, p. 242.

313

"Church" is used, in the true Catholic sense, to embrace all Christians.

314

xxvii. 18.

315

xxv. 5, xxxv. 15.

316

xxvi. 3, xxxvi. 2.

317

Chap. XI.

318

Hosea ix. 7.

319

xxiii. 12.

320

Isa. xiv. 31.

321

xxv. 1-14: "first," i. e., in time, not in the order of chapters in our Book of Jeremiah.

322

xxii. 25. Jehoiachin (Kings, Chronicles, and Jer. lii. 31) is also called Coniah (Jer. xxii. 24, 28, xxxvii. 1) and Jeconiah (Chronicles, Esther, Jer. xxiv. 1, xxvii. 20, xxviii. 4, xxix. 2). They are virtually forms of the same name, the "Yah" of the Divine Name being prefixed in the first and affixed in the last two.

323

xxi. 7, xxviii. 14.

324

Habakkuk i. 6, 7.

325

xix. 9.

326

R.V. margin.

327

iv. 21.

328

xxiii. 12.

329

xxiii. 15.

330

xxi. 3-6.

331

xxxvii. 10.

332

Matt. xxiii. 35.

333

xxxv. 17: cf. xix. 15, xxxvi. 31.

334

xxxiv. 21.

335

xxiii. 33, 34.

336

xxxiv. 2, 22, xxxvii. 8.

337

vii. and xxvi.

338

vi. 5.

339

xx. 5.

340

Tobit xii. 13: cf. ii.

341

xxv. 10.

342

ix. 11, x. 22.

343

xxv. 9, 10.

344

xxvi. 6.

345

xxiii. 40.

346

i. 10.

347

xiv. 8, xvii. 13.

348

Amos v. 18, 20.

349

xxxvii. 12 (R.V.).

350

1 Kings xxi. 3.

351

Lev. xxv. 25, Law of Holiness; Ruth iv.

352

2 Sam. xxiv. 24: cf. 1 Chron. xxi. 25, where the price is six hundred shekels of gold. It is scarcely necessary to point out that "threshing-floor" (Sam.) and "place of the threshing-floor" (Chron.) are synonymous.

353

By value here is meant purchasing power, to which the weight denoted by the term shekel is now no clue.

354

Gen. xxiii. (P.).

355

ἀνεγνωσμένον probably a corruption of ἀνεωγμένον.

356

The text varies in different MSS. of the LXX.

357

Cf. Cheyne, etc., in loco.

358

Verse 15 anticipates by way of summary verses 42-44, and is apparently ignored in verse 25. It probably represents Jeremiah's interpretation of God's command at the time when he wrote the chapter. In the actual development of the incident, the conviction of the Divine promise of restoration came to him somewhat later.

359

What was said of verse 15 partly applies to verses 17-23 (with the exception of the introductory words: "Ah, Lord Jehovah!"). These verses are not dealt with in the text, because they largely anticipate the ideas and language of the following Divine utterance. Kautzsch and Cornill, following Stade, mark these verses as a later addition; Giesebrecht is doubtful. Cf. v. 20 ff. and xxvii. 5 f.

360

xxv. 12, xxix. 10.

361

Vatke and Stade reject chapters xxx., xxxi., xxxiii., but they are accepted by Driver, Cornill, Kautzsch (for the most part). Giesebrecht assigns them partly to Baruch and partly to a later editor. It is on this account that the full exposition of certain points in xxxii. and elsewhere has been reserved for the present chapter. Moreover, if the cardinal ideas come from Jeremiah, we need not be over-anxious to decide whether the expansion, illustration, and enforcing of them is due to the prophet himself, or to his disciple Baruch, or to some other editor. The question is somewhat parallel to that relating to the discourses of our Lord in the Fourth Gospel.