Johanan and his companions

B. C. 588.

B. C. 588.

A. M. 3416. the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, || whither they had been driven, to A. M. 3416.
Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our dwell in the land of Judah;
God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into
Egypt to sojourn there:

3 But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.

d

с

6 Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

8

e

Then came the word of the LORT unto

5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all || Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
the captains of the forces, took ball the remnant
of Judah, that were returned from all nations,

Chap. xl. 11, 12.- - Chap. xli. 10. Ch. xxxix. 10; xl. 7.

who refused to obey Almighty God when his com-
mands crossed their own inclinations. Saying unto
Jeremiah, The Lord hath not spoken by thee-The
constant method of hypocrites and infidels, who pre-
tend they are not satisfied of the truth of divine re-
velation, when the true cause of their unbelief is,
that God's commands contradict their own lusts and
appetites. But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth
thee on against us-They would not directly accuse
Jeremiah of partiality toward, or confederacy with,||
the Chaldeans, as his enemies had done formerly,
(chap. xxxvii. 13,) but they lay the blame upon Ba-
ruch, whom they knew to be an intimate companion
of Jeremiah's, and to have been kindly used by the
Chaldeans upon Jeremiah's account.-Lowth.

Verses 4-7. So Johanan and all the captains, &c., obeyed not, &c.-That is, they resolved not to obey the message God had sent them by Jeremiah; but took all the remnant of Judah that were return- || ed, &c.-The resolution which they had formed they presently put in practice. Though Jeremiah and Baruch, and probably many of the people, were not willing to go along with them, yet these rebellious captains forced them to go; so that the prophet and his pious friends were now a kind of prisoners to their own countrymen. So they came into the land of Egypt-Their great inclination to go into Egypt arose, as has been intimated, from a supposition that they should be safer there from the Babylonians, who, they thought, might injure them at any time while they stayed in Judea; but would not venture to attack Egypt, on account of its strongly fortified cities, which commanded the passes into the country, and the various channels of the Nile, which were great obstructions to the march of an army. Thus they came even to Tahpanhes-One of the principal cities of Egypt, and a place of residence for their kings. The word is contracted to Hanes, Isa. xxx. 4, and joined with Zoan, the chief city of the kingdom. Tahpanhes gave a name to a queen of Egypt, (1 Kings xi. 19,) and is supposed by many to be the same city which was afterward called

9 Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is at

Chap. ii. 16; xliv. 1; called Hanes, Isa. xxx. 4.

Daphna Pelusiacæ. In this behaviour of the Jews we have an instance of great impiety joined to hypocrisy. They had promised with an oath to follow the advice of the prophet; but, because his counsel was not agreeable to their inclinations, they went down into Egypt, and even charged the prophet with speaking falsely in the name of the Lord. In these Jews we see a picture of those persons who, upon some occasions, express their zeal and good intentions, but reject the most wholesome counsels when those counsels thwart their passions, and are in opposition to what they have secretly purposed. With respect to Jeremiah, it may be observed, God suffer|| ed him to be carried to Egypt, that he might there denounce the ruin of the Egyptians as well as of the Jews, who had put their trust in them. Wherever the wicked are, the hand of God finds them out; and those who think, by disobeying him, to avoid the evils which they dread, and to that end make use of unlawful means, fall by those very means into the evils they expect to shun, and are confounded in their hope.

Verses 8, 9. Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes-Jeremiah was now among idolatrous Egyptians and treacherous Israelites, yet here the word of the Lord came to him, and he prophesied. God can visit his people with his grace, and the revelations of his mind and will, wherever they are; and when his ministers are bound, his word is not bound. When Jeremiah went into the land of Egypt, not out of choice, but by constraint, God withdrew not his wonted favour from him. And what he received of the Lord he delivered to the people. Wherever we are, we must endeavour to do good; for that is our business in this world. Saying, Take great stones in thy hand-Such as are used as foundation-stones; and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln-Or furnace. The Vulgate reads, in crypta, quæ est sub muro lateritio, in the hollow place, or vaull, which is under the brick wall; and the LXX., ev пpovvрois, in the place before the gate which is at the entry of Pharach's house

The prophet predicts

CHAPTER XLIII.

the spoiling of Egypt.

A. M. 316. the entry of Pharaoh's house in || to captivity; and such as are for the A. M. 3416. Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men sword to the sword.

B. C. 588.

of Judah;

10 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, f my servant, and will set his throne upon these || stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

i

B. C. 588.

12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

13 He shall break also the 1images of 2 Beth11 And when he cometh, he shall smite the shemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall death to death; and such as are for captivity || he burn with fire.

Chap. xxv. 9; xxvii. 6; Ezek. xxix. 18, 20.
13; xlvi. 13.- Chap. xv. 2; Zech. xi. 9.

Chap. xliv.

i Chap. xlvi. 25.1 Heb. statues, or standing images.—2 Or the house of the sun.

liver such as are for death to death-See note on chap. xv. 2. Death here signifies the pestilence which the prophet foretels would overspread the country of Egypt by reason of the famine occasioned by sieges and other ravages of war.

Which, however, might be a great way from the palace itself; the courts of great kings being almost equal to a city, for extent, in ancient times: particularly the palace of Babylon was four miles in compass, according to Diodorus Siculus: in the sight of the men of Judah-Hebrew, 'n' O's, liter- Verses 12, 13. And I will kindle a fire in the ally, of men Jews; which signifies indefinitely some|| houses of the gods of Egypt-I will cause the temof that nation; not as in our present translation, ples of the gods of Egypt to be set on fire, and their which seems to imply, that the presence of all the images to be consumed, or carried away, as being Jewish emigrants was required; for in that case the neither able to save their worshippers nor themreading would at least have been, with the definite selves. God here speaks of himself as the prime article prefixed, D'nin'n D', the men the mover, or principal agent in this business, no doubt Jews: see Blaney. Jeremiah was not ordered to with a design to inculcate this necessary and implace these stones thus in the presence of the Egyp- portant lesson, that in the punishing of idolatrous tians, who were unacquainted with his prophetic or ungodly nations both the plan is his, and the character, but in the sight of the Jews to whom he power of carrying it into execution, whatever inwas sent; at least some of them, who might attest struments he may choose to employ as the suborwhat they had seen to others; in order that, since he dinate ministers of his providence. And he shall could not prevent their going into Egypt, he might || array himself with the land of Egypt-That is, he bring them to repent of their going. shall clothe, or enrich himself and his army with the spoils and plunder of the country: or he shall add Egypt to his dominions, and possess himself of the riches of it, with as much ease as the shepherd puts on his garment. So calamities, when they sur

ment, Psa. cix. 19. "The expression shows," says Rollin, "the prodigious ease with which all the power and riches of a kingdom are carried away, when God appoints the revolution." And he shall go forth from thence in peace-None daring or attempting to resist him, or give him any molestation. He shall also break the images of Beth-shemesh -Or, the house of the sun, as the word signifies. The LXX. render the clause, kai ovvтpiḥei 5v285 H21

Verses 10, 11. And say, Thus saith the Lord, I will send Nebuchadrezzar, &c.-God now commands his prophet to expound to the Jews the design of the order given him in the preceding verse. The stones hid in the clay, at the entry of Phara-round men on every side, are compared to a garoh's house, were intended to be a sign that the king of Babylon should make himself master of that royal city, and set his throne in that very place. This minute circumstance is particularly foretold, that, when it was accomplished, they might be put in mind of the prophecy, and confirmed in their belief of the extent and certainty of the divine prescience; to which the smallest and most contingent events are evident. God calls Nebuchadnezzar his servant,|| because in this instance he should execute God's will, accomplish his purposes, and be instrumental in carrying on his designs. And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt-Though Egypt has always been a warlike nation, it shall not be able to withstand the king of Babylon; but whom he will he shall slay, and in what way he pleases; and de3

оhews, He shall break in pieces the pillars of Ileliopolis, that is, the city of the sun, where, as we learn from Herodotus, lib. ii. c. 59, the Egyptians celebrated a grand festival annually, in honour of the sun, that had a temple there. But, the house of the sun, seems rather to mean the temple itself, in which the images of their deity were erected.

503

JEREMIAH.

CHAPTER XLIV.

We have in this chapter, (1,) A most awakening sermon delivered by Jeremiah to the Jews in Egypt, to reprove them for their obstinate continuance in idolatry, notwithstanding the warnings given them, both by the word and rod of God, and to threaten the judgments of God against them for it, 1-14. (2,) The impudent and impious contempt which the people put upon this admonition, and their declared resolution to persist in their idolatries, in despite both of God and his prophet, 15-19. (3,) The sentence passed upon them for their obstinacy; that they should all be cut off, and perish in Egypt, except a very small number: as a token and earnest of which, the king of Egypt should shortly fall into the hands of the king of Babylon, and be unable any longer to protect them, 20–30.

'HE word that came to Jeremiah || have committed to provoke me to A. M. 3417. concerning all the Jews which anger, in that they went to burn dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at incense, and to serve other gods, whom they a Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. and in the country of Pathros, saying, 4 Howbeit, I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, O, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

God's judgments

A. M. 3417.
B. C. 587.

CHAPTER XLIV.

against the Jews. 6 Wherefore my fury and mine || ness of your wives, which they have A. M. 3417 anger was poured forth, and was committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.

7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, 1out of Judah, to leave you none to remain ;

B. C. 587.

10 They are not 3 humbled even unto this day, neither have they m feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.

8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with 12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, the works of your hands, burning incense that have set their faces to go into the land unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whi-|| of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all ther ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse they shall even be consumed by the sword and and a reproach among all the nations of the by the famine: they shall die, from the least earth? even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

9 Have ye forgotten the 2 wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wicked

Chap. xlii. 18.-i Num. xvi. 38; Chap. vii. 19.1 Heb. out of the midst of Judah.—k Chap. xxv. 6, 7.- Chap. xlii. 18; Verse 12.- Heb. wickednesses, or, punishments, &c.

13 For I will punish them that dwell in the

3 Heb. contrite, Psa. li. 17, Prov. xxviii. 14.- Lev. xvii. 10; xx. 5, 6; Chap. xxi. 10; Amos ix. 4.o Chap. xlii. 15, 17, 22.—P Chap. xlii. 18.-9 Chap. xliii. 11.

great wickedness your fathers committed, and what great punishments were in consequence thereof inflicted upon them? We may be truly said to have

on, makes no such impression upon us as produces a suitable practice. Which they have committed in the land of Judah, &c.-To have practised these things in any place would have been to contract great guilt; but to have done them in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, in the valley of vision, and in the holy city, where there were such means of information and such helps to piety, was still more aggravated and inexcusable wickedness. They are not humbled even unto this day— Neither they nor you are yet properly humbled, and prepared for receiving mercy. Neither have they feared, nor walked in my law-Hence we learn, that reformation and obedience are the proper fruit of true contrition and humiliation; God does not account those to be humbled, but hardened, who are not reformed and made obedient, let their pretended contrition or humiliation be, in outward appearance, what it may.

minationis hujuscemodi. Be unwilling, I beseech || you, to practise a thing so abominable. The language is as pathetic as it is emphatical. Verses 6, 7. Wherefore my fury, &c., was pour-forgotten that the sight of which, or reflection thereed forth, &c.-As if he had said, For these very reasons, their idolatry and contempt of my word by my prophets, the very sins you are now committing, I gave Judah and Jerusalem into the hand of the king of Babylon, and they are, as you see this day, waste and desolate. Wherefore commit ye this great evil? &c.-What sort of prudence is it that influences you to do such actions as these, by which you cannot injure God, but yourselves only? You are now but a few of many; what love can you have for your country while you take courses which will certainly tend to the utter extirpation of those few,|| so that there shall be none remaining of all the Jews? God designed that this remnant should have remained in Judea, and kept possession of it, when the rest of their brethren were carried away captive, chap. xlii. 10. But by their going into Egypt and defiling themselves with the idolatries of that nation, they provoked God to make an utter destruction of them. || Verses 8-10. Ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands-By making and setting up idols to worship. That ye might cut yourselves off, &c.-This is not to be so taken as if they did these things with a design to cut off themselves and their posterity: but only as signifying that their utter ruin would be the certain consequence of their continuing so to act. Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers? &c.-Have you forgotten what

Verses 11-14. I will set my face against you for evil-See note on chap. xxi. 10. And I will take -Or, I will take away, namely, by destruction; the remnant of Judah, &c.-The direful punishments denounced against those who went to Egypt were not denounced because it was a sin in itself for the Jews to leave their country, and seek a securer habitation in Egypt, but because, in so doing, they showed their distrust of God's power or goodness, as if he

16 As for the word that thou hast spoken queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings