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The false prophets

B. C. 598.

CHAPTER XXIX.

B. C. 598.

are to be destroyed. A. M. 3406. Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, * officers in the house of the LORD, A. M. 3406. and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, for every man that is mad, and which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

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22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

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23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

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27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you ?

28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long : a build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah

Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath the 5 Nehelamite, saying,

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prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie :

32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

y 2 Kings ix. 11; Acts xxvi. 24.2 Chap. xx. 2. Verse 5. Chap. xxviii. 15.- Chap. xxviii. 16.- 6 Heb. revolt.

"he was one that had been superseded in his office of second priest, for being remiss in his duty; and therefore Zephaniah may have been here reminded of him, by way of intimation that, as they had been both appointed for the same purposes, so Zephaniah might expect the same fate as his predecessor, if he copied the example of his negligence. The secona priest officiated as substitute of the high-priest, in case of absence or indisposition, and perhaps was always invested with subordinate authority." That ye should be officers, &c., for every man that is mad, &c.-The prophets and inspired persons were often accused of madness, or of being possessed with an evil spirit, by their enemies. See the margin. For therefore, rather, because, he sent unto us in Babylon See verse 5.

Verses 24-28. Thus shalt thou speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite-Or, the dreamer, as the word n is rendered in the margin: see verse 8. The termination, however, rather shows it to be a word expressing Shemaiah's family or country, and we find such a place as Helam mentioned, 2 Sam. x. 16, || 17. The prophet, it seems, was commanded to send this message to Shemaiah after the messengers who delivered the forementioned writing to the captives at Babylon were returned home, who brought along with them Shemaiah's letter, mentioned in the fol- Verse 32. He shall not have a man to dwell lowing verse. Because thou hast sent letters to among his people, &c.—None of his posterity shall Zephaniah, (see chap. xxi. 1,) saying, The Lord remain to see my people restored to their own land hath made thee priest-Shemaiah directs his letter again. See verse 11. Because he hath taught reto Zephaniah in the first place, as being next in or- bellion-Or, prevarication, as Blaney translates, der to the high-priest, and therefore called the se- observing, "It properly signifies a declining, or cond priest, chap. lii. 24, and tells him that God has turning aside from the straight path, the path of appointed him to supply the place of the high-priest,|| truth and right. Here, and chap. xxviii. 16, it means being probably absent at that time, who was either the presumption of uttering, as a revelation from Azariah, or Seraiah his son. But who then, it may God, what the man who uttered it knew to be not be asked, was Jehoiada? "Perhaps," says Blaney,

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so."

The deliverance of Israel

JEREMIAH.

CHAPTER XXX.

from the Babylonish yoke.

This and the following chapter contain general promises of God's mercy to the Jews, and assurances that he would never forget the covenant which he had made with their fathers. These promises were partly fulfilled in their restoration under Cyrus, but were more fully to be accomplished in the times of the Messiah, and by the gracious terms of that new covenant which he would establish with the spiritual Israel. In this chapter, (1,) After a short preface, in which the prophet is commanded to commit to writing the matters revealed to him, it is promised that Israel and Judah should be delivered from captivity, and restored to their own land, though they were now in great distress and terror, 1–7; and though their enemies were very strong, 8, 9. (2,) They are encouraged to confide in the divine assurances of restoration and protection; though other nations should be utterly destroyed, 10, 11; though all means of relief should long appear as cut off; though God had justly punished them; and though their case seemed utterly desperate, 12-17. (3,) It is promised that after their restoration they should have a happy settlement; their cities and temples should be rebuilt, 18; their numbers increased, and their religious ordinances observed, 19, 20; their government established, especially in the hands of Christ, and God's covenant with them renewed, 21, 22; and their enemies destroyed, 23, 24.

B. C. 594.

A. M. 3410. THE word that came to Jeremiah || spake concerning Israel, and con- A. M. 3410. from the LORD, saying, cerning Judah.

B. C. 594.

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ple of Judah, who had been carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar; but here it is foretold, that not the captivity of Judah only should be restored, but that of Israel also, or of those ten tribes that were carried away before by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria; and who still remain in their several dispersions, having never returned, at least in a national capacity; but the terms of this prophecy entitle us to expect, not an obscure and partial, but a complete and universal, restoration, when God will manifest himself, as for

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXX. Verse 1. The word that came to Jeremiah, &c.— "There is no particular date annexed to this pro- || phecy, whereby to ascertain the precise time of its delivery, but it may not unreasonably be presumed to have followed immediately after the preceding one, in which the restoration of the people from their Babylonish captivity is in direct terms foretold. From hence the transition was natural and easy to the more glorious and general restoration that was to take place in a more distant period, and was de-merly, the God and patron of all the families of Issigned for the ultimate object of the national hopes and expectations. Both events are frequently thus connected together in the prophetic writings, and perhaps with this design, that when that which was nearest at hand should be accomplished, it might afford the strongest and most satisfactory evidence that the latter, how remote soever its period, would, in like manner, be brought about by the interposition of Providence, in its due season.”—Blaney.

rael, not of a few only. The reunion also of Judah and Israel, after their restoration, seems to be here clearly foretold.

Verses 4-7. And these are the words that the Lord spake-And which God ordered to be written: and those promises, which were written by his order, are as truly his word as the ten commandments, which were written with his finger. We have heard a voice of trembling-Such a one as discovers great fears and apprehensions of impending evils. Ask ye

Verses 2, 3. Thus speaketh the Lord, Write thee all the words that I have spoken, &c.-The follow-now and see, &c.-Make diligent inquiry, and ask ing words contain a promise of the restoration of God's people. These God commands to be committed to writing for the use of posterity, to be a support to the Jews, an encouragement to them to trust in God, and a proof of his prescience and overruling providence when the event foretold should be brought|| about. I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah-The people that returned from Babylon were only, or at least chiefly, the peo

every one, whether they ever knew or heard of any such thing as a man's travailing with child? Wherefore then do I see every man with his hands on his loins-As if he were going to bring forth, and felt all the pains of a woman in travail? Alas! for that day is great-The word day in Scripture often comprehends a succession of time, in which a whole series of events is transacted: so it here contains the whole time of the siege and taking of Jerusalem, the

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destruction of the city and temple, and the carrying away of the people captive. This is described as a time of great tribulation, in which it was an earnest of the day of judgment, the great and terrible day of the Lord.

to trust in the Lord.

B. C. 594.

10 Therefore fear thou not, O A. M. 3410. my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, 1yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will cor

Isa. xli. 13; xliii. 5; xliv. 2; Chap. xlvi. 27, 28.- Chap. iii. 18. Amos ix. 8.-- Chap. iv. 27.

ed concerning it will, no doubt, be verified by a distinct and unequivocal accomplishment."-Blaney. Whom I will raise up unto them-An expression elsewhere used by the holy writers when they speak of the coming of Christ. See the margin. Hence Verses 8, 9. It shall come to pass in that day-In this prophecy must be considered as implying the the day when Jacob shall be saved out of all his conversion of the Jews to the Christian faith, God, troubles, verse 7. The phrase that day often denotes according to his promises, having constituted Christ an extraordinary or remarkable time for some signal the Prince and the Saviour to whom every knee events of Providence: see Isa. iv. 2. That I will must bow, and whom every tongue must confess. break his yoke from off thy neck-This promise was Verses 10, 11. Fear thou not, O my servant Jain part fulfilled when Cyrus set the Jews free from cob-As if God had utterly forsaken thee or cast thee the Babylonish yoke, and gave them liberty to return off. See the margin. For, lo, I will save thee from to their own country. And strangers shall no more afar-I will restore you from your captivity, though serve themselves of him-In this latter part of the you should be dispersed into the most distant counsentence the Jewish state, or rather that of Israel tries. And though this be not accomplished in the and Judah, is spoken of in the third person, him; in Jews of the present age, it shall be made good to the foregoing part in the second person, thy neck. their posterity, who are beloved for their fathers' But they shall serve the Lord their God-They sake, as St. Paul speaks, Rom. xi. 28. And Jacob shall live in subjection and obedience to the one liv- || shall be in rest and quiet, &c.-Shall enjoy peace ing and true God, and to David their king-That is, || and safety. Though I make a full end of all nathe Messiah, who is often called by the name of tions whither Ihave scattered thee-Such as the AssyDavid in the prophets, as the person in whom all the rians, Chaldeans, Egyptians; yet will I not make a promises made to David were to be fulfilled. See full end of thee--The Jews to this day continue a the margin. Here it is promised that, after this re- remarkable nonument of the truth and immutability storation, the Jews and Israelites "should no more of God's promises. Where now are all the nations fall under the dominion of foreigners, but be govern- which carried them into captivity, and trod them ed by princes and magistrates of their own nation, under foot? All, all are perished; their kingdoms independent of any but God and David their king. overturned, their laws and languages abolished, their But this was not the case with the Jews that returned very names, as nations, extinct; not the least footfrom Babylon. They then indeed had a leader, Ze- steps remaining of their having ever been a people: rubbabel, one of their own nation, and also of the for God had determined to make a full end of them. family of David. But both the nation and their leader But the people of the Jews, though carried into capcontinued still in a state of vassalage and the most tivity, slain by the sword, destroyed by pestilence servile dependance upon the Persian monarchy. and famine, and every other method of destruction, And when the Grecian monarchy succeeded, they do yet remain a people: under all the revolutions changed their masters only, but not their condition; and changes of kingdoms, languages, and people, till, at length, under the Asmonæan princes, they they still exist unmixed; and, though for their heinhad, for a while, an independent government of their ous sins they are scattered abroad among all nations, own, but without any title to the name of David. At they still preserve their name, language, and most of last they fell under the Roman yoke, since which their ancient ceremonies and customs, for God has time their situation has been such as not to afford promised not to make a full end of them. But I will the least ground to pretend that the promised resto-correct thee in measure-Or, according to judgment, ration has yet taken place. It remains, therefore, to signifies, that is, with discretion, not more be brought about, in future, under the reign of the than thou deservest, nay, not more than thou canst Messiah, emphatically distinguished by the name of well bear. God's afflicting his people is in a way of David; when every particular circumstance predict-correction, and that correction is always moderated, VOL. III.

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to be spored.

B. C. 594.

16 Therefore all they that devour A. M. 3410. thee "shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a

13 There is none to plead thy cause, that spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no heal- || for a prey.

ing medicines.

17 For I will restore health unto thee, and 1

14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with || because they call thee an Outcast, saying, This the wound of an enemy, with the chastise-is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

ment of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.

15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

m Psalm vi. 1; Isaiah xxvii. 8; Chapter x. 24; xlvi. 28. n 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16; Chap. xv. 18.— 3 Heb. for binding up, or, pressing.- Chap. viii. 22.- -p Lam. i. 2.-4 Job xiii. 24; xvi. 9; xix. 11.

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have still been increased with new aggravations of guilt.

and always proceeds from love. And will not leave thee altogether unpunished-As thou art ready to think I should do because of thy relation to me. Ob- Verses 16, 17. Therefore-Or rather, yet surely, serve, reader, a profession of religion, though never as should be rendered; (see note on chap. xvi. so plausible, will be far from securing to us im- || 14;) all they that devour thee shall be devoured— punity in sin. God is no respecter of persons, but || The Egyptians, Philistines, Midianites, Ammonites, will show his hatred of sin wherever he finds it, || Edomites, Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and others, and he always hates it most in those that are nearest who have afflicted and oppressed you, shall be extirto him. pated, while you shall be restored and re-established. Verses 12-15. Thy bruise is incurable-In all hu- See note on verse 11. Though God chastises his man appearance. The state that the Jews should be own people with severity, according to the nature in would be so miserable that it would be incurable and quality of their faults, yet he does it so as never from any hand except that of God. There is none utterly to destroy them. The Assyrians, who afflictto plead thy cause-There is none that, by the re- ed Israel and Judah, were so destroyed by the Babyformation of their lives, or their intercessions with lonians, Medes, and Persians, that mention is no God, endeavour to avert his displeasure. Or, as the more made of their empire. The monarchy of the words may be rendered, There is none to judge thy Chaldeans, who destroyed Jerusalem, and carried cause, none that knows the true nature of thy mala- the Jews into captivity, was overthrown by the Perdy, or what medicines are proper to be applied to it. sians, and never recovered itself. The empires of Their calamitous state is compared to a distempered the Persians and Egyptians were destroyed by Alexbody; (see verse 17, and chap. viii. 22; Isa. i. 5, 6;) ander. The Grecian, or Syro-Macedonian kingdom, and the false prophets, instead of applying proper which, especially under Antiochus Epiphanes, cruremedies, have healed thy wound slightly. Or the elly persecuted them, was destroyed by the Romans. words may mean, There is none to intercede for thee And the Roman empire, powerful as it was, after with thy victors and oppressors. All thy lovers have being made the instrument of bringing greater caforgotten thee-All the nations whose alliance they lamities on the Jewish nation than they had ever sufhad solicited, and whose idolatries they had imitated, fered from any other power, was broken to pieces by and who had professed much friendship for them, the incursions of the northern nations on the one had neglected and forgotten them, and desired no|| hand, and by the Saracens and Turks on the other. farther connection with them. They seek thee not But the Jewish people, who have repeatedly appear-Seek not thy welfare, but abandon thee to ruin.ed to be almost destroyed and annihilated in their For I have wounded thee with the wound of an ene-dispersions, have reappeared, and sprung up again, my, &c.-Thy iniquities have provoked me to punish as it were, from their ashes, and become as numerous thee with that severity which appears like cruelty, and powerful as before. and as if I had declared myself an utter enemy to thee. Why criest thou for thine affliction ?--Why shouldest thou expostulate with me, as if I had dealt unjustly with thee, whereas, if thy condition seem desperate, it is owing to thine own iniquities, which 450

Verses 18-22. Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents-The expression alludes the ancient custom of dwelling in tents. This promise was, in some degree, fulfilled under Zerubbabel. And the city shall be builded upon her own heap ( 29*)

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Prosperity of the Jews

A. M. 3410.
B. C. 594.

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19 And out of them shall proceed || is this that engaged his heart to ap- A. M. 3410. thanksgiving and the voice of them proach unto me? saith the LORD.

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B. C. 594.

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who is this, &c., have the emphasis which cannot be expressed in another language, and are spoken by way of admiration. See Lowth. Blaney translates the verse, " And his prince shall be of his own race,

Upon her ruins, which were cleared away, that new houses might be built. And the palace shall remain-Rather, the palace shall be inhabited; after the manner thereof-By , here rendered palace, || Dr. Waterland and some others understand the tem- and his governor shall go forth out of the midst of ple, and render the clause, The temple shall stand,|| him; and I will draw him that he may come near or, abide after the manner thereof. Their children unto me; for who is he that hath set his heart to also, and their congregation, &c.—Their church and draw near unto me? saith Jehovah." Ye shall be commonwealth shall be restored to their former state. || my people, &c.-You shall continually adhere to my Or rather, His children and his congregation, as religion and worship, and I will take you into my Blaney translates it; that is, Jacob's children and favour, and under my protection. congregation, the pronouns both in this and the fol- Verses 23, 24. Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord lowing verse being in the singular number. And goeth forth with fury-Rather, with anger, the word their nobles shall be of themselves-Hebrew, DD, fury being manifestly improper when applied to 1 literally, his prince, or, his mighty one, shall be God. These two verses occur with some slight vaof him. And his governor shall proceed from the || riations, chap. xxiii. 19, 20, where see the note. In midst of him-Some understand this of Zerubbabel,|| the latter days ye shall consider it—The latter days who, by the permission of Cyrus, had the govern- here may signify the time to come; but they comment over the Jews whom he led into Judea to monly imply the times of the gospel, that being the rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Others interpret last dispensation, and what should continue till the it of the Messiah, who, they think, is plainly marked end of the world. Thus understood, the words imout by the two names of Prince, or Mighty One, port, "When all these evils are come upon you, and Governor, in this verse. Thus the Targum un-which God has threatened for your disobedience, derstands it. I will cause him to draw near, &c.- and particularly for your heinous crime of rejectSays the Lord; that is, "he shall have a near at-ing the Messiah, and you have found the denunciatendance upon me; for I will make him a priest as well as a king," according to the prophecy in Psa. cx. 4. For who is this that engaged his heart, &c. -Who is there so entirely devoted to my service as the Messiah? The words in the original, 7 7 "D 'D, || Lowth.

tions verified in the several captivities you have undergone, then you will understand the import of this and several other prophecies, and the event will perfectly instruct you in their meaning."

CHAPTER XXXI.

This chapter contains the second and third parts of the prophecy begun in the preceding chapter, embellished with a variety of beautiful scenes and images. (1,) God here announces the renewal of his ancient love for Israel, and promises them a speedy restoration of their privileges and happiness, 1-5. (2,) Watchmen, or heralds, are represented as proclaiming on mount Ephraim the arrival of the joyful day; summoning the people to reassemble once more in Zion; and promulging, by special command, the glad tidings of salvation which God had accomplished for them, 6, 7. (3,) God himself declares his readiness to conduct home the remnant of Israel, to compassionate and relieve their infirmities, and to provide them with all necessary accommodations by the way, 8, 9. (4,) The news is carried into distant lands; and the nations are summoned to attend to the display of God's power and

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