Chapter XXIX
of tvords ; Genesis 3. 16, " sorrow and conception," i. e., sorrow in conception. Cf. Proverbs 23. IS, where, as here, end means a happy issue. 13. Fulfilled (Daniel 9. 3, &c.). When God designs mercy, he puts it into the hearts of His people to pray for the rn^rcy designed. When such a spirit of prayer is poured out, it is a sure sign of coming mercy, go— to the temple and other places of prayer: contrasted witli their previous sloth as to going to seek God. 13. (Leviticus 26. 40-42, 41, 45.) 14. to be found— (Psalm 32. 6; Isaiah 55. C.) turn . . . captivity—play upon sounds, s/iafi^t . . . shebith. 15. Because—referring not to the preceding words, but to v. 10, 11, "Jehovah saith this to you" (i. e., the prophecy of the continuance of the captivity seventy years), " because ye liave said. The Lord hathraised us up prophets in Babylon," tuz.^ foretelling our speedy deliverance (this their prophecy is supposed, not expressed ; accordingly, v. 16-19 contradicts this false hope again, v. 8,
Ver. 1-32. Letter of Jeremiah to the Captives in Babylon, to Counteract the Assurances Given by THE False Prophets of a Speedy Restoration. 1. residae of the elders—Those still surviving from the time when they were carried to Babylon with Jeconiah
the other elders of the captives had died by either a natural or a violent death. 2. queen—Nehushta, the queenmother, daughter of EInathan (2 Kings 2t. 8, 15). (Elnatban, her father, perhaps is the same as the one ch. 26.
22.) She reigned jointly with her son. princes—All the men of authority were taken away, lest they should organize a rebellion. Jeremiah wrote his letter whilst the calamity was still recent, to console the captives under it. 3. ZedekiaU . . . sent unto Babylon—In ch. 51. 59, Zedekiah himself goes to Babylon; here he sends ambassadors. Whatever was the obje<'tof the embassy, it shows that Zedekiah only reigned at the pleasure of the king of Babylon, who might have restored Jeconiah, had he pleased. Hence, Zedekiah permitted Jeremiah's letter to be sent, not only as being led by Hananiah's death to attach greater credit to the prophet's words, but also as the letter accorded with his own wish that the Jews should remain in Chaldea till Jeconiah's death. Hilkiah —the high priest who found the book of the law in the house of the Lord, and showed it to "Shaphan" the scribe (the same Shaphan probably as here), who showed it to King .losiah (2 Kings 22. 8, &c.). The sons of Hilkiah and Shaphan inherited from their fathers some respect for sacred things. Soin ch. Sfi. 2.5, "Gemariah" interceded witli King Jehoiakiin that the prophet's roll should not be burned. 3. Build . . . houses—In opposition to the false prophets' suggestions, who told the captives that their captivity would soon cease, Jeremiah tells them that it will be of long duration, and that therefore they should build houses, as Babylon is to be for long their homo. 6. that ye . . . be . . . not diminished—It was God's will that the seed of Abraham should not fail ; thus consolation Is given them, and the hope, though not of an Immediate, yet of an ultimate return. 7. (Ezra 6. 10; Romans l.S. I; 1 Timothy 2. 2.) Not only bear the Babylonian yoke patiently, but pray for your masters, i. e., whilst the captivity lasts. God's good time was to come when they were to pray for Babylon's downfall (ch. 51. 8.5; Psalm 137. 8). They were not to forestall that time. True religion teaches patient submission, not sedition, even though the prince be an unbeliever. In all states of life let us not throw away the comfort we may have, because we have not all we would have. There is here a foretaste of gospel love towards enemies (Matthew 5. 44). 8. your dreams wliicli yc caiued to be dreamed—The Latin
9,21). He, in this 15th verse, turns his address from the godly (v. 12-14) to the ungodly listeners to false prophets. 16. people . . i«i this city . . . not gone forth—So far from your returning to Jeru.salem soon, evenyoar brethren
still left dwelling there shall themselves also be cast into exile. He mentions "the throne of David," lest they should think that, because David's kingdom was to be perpetual, no severe, though temporary, chastisements could interpose (Psalm 89. 29-36). 17. vile ligs Hebrew, "horrible," or nauseoius, from a root, to regard with loathing (see ch. 24. 8, 10). 18. removed to all . . . kingdoniis—(Ch. 15.4; Deuteronomy 28.25.) curse, <fec. — (Ch. 29. 6; 18.16;
19. 8.) ai. Zedekiah—brother of Zephaniali (v. 25), both being sons of Maaseiah. Probably of the same family as the false prophet under Aliab in Israel (1 Kings 22. 11, 24). 33. shall be taken ... a curse i. e., a formula of imprecation. Lord make tliee like Zedekluh—(Cf. Genesis 48.
20; Isaiah 65. 15.) roasted in the fire—a Chaldean punishment (Daniel 3. 6). 23. villainy lit., sinful folly (Isaiah
32. 6). 34r-33. A second communication which Jeremiah sent to Babylon, after the messenger who carried his
first letter had brought a letter from the false prophet Shemaiah to Zephaniah, &c., condemning Jeremiah and reproving the authorities for not having apprehended him. Nehclamlte — a name derived either from his father or from a place: alluding at the same time to the Hebrew meaning, "a dreamer" (cf. i;. 8). 35. in thy name—without sanction of "the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel," which words stand in antithesis to thy name (John 5. 43;. Zephaniah—the second priest, or substitute (Sagan) of the high priest. He was one of those sent to consult Jeremiah by Zedekiah (ch. 21. 1). Slain by Nebuchadnezzar at the capture of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25. 18,
21). Zephaniah was in particular add' "used, as beinc 535
RtUoration of the Jews from Babylon, JEREMIAH XXX. God Comforteth the People.
ance of Israel, as in the case of a woman in childbirtii (Isaiah 60. 7-9). paleness—properly the colour of lierbs blasted and fading : tlie green paleness of one in jaundice :
likely to take np against Jeremiah the prophet's prediction against his brotlier Zedekiah at Babylon (v. 21). Zepluuiiiiii was to lead it to the priest.i, and in the presence of <iU Hie people, in the temple. ^6. tliee ... in tlie
tlie sickli/ paleness of terror. 7. great—marked by great calamities (Joel 2.11,31; Amos 5. 18; Zephar-iah 1. U). none lllte it . . . Bwt he shall be saved—(Daniel 12. I.) The partial deliverance at Babylon's downfall prefigures the final, complete deliverance of Israel, literal and spir-
steuil of Jvltoinda—Zephaniah's promotion as second
priest, owing to Jehoiada's Ijeing then in exile, was unexpected. 8heniaiah thus accuses him of ingratitude towards God, who liud SI) liiglily exalted him before his regular time, j e sliould l>e oiRcers . . . for every man—ye Bhould, as bearing rule in tlie temple (ch. 20. 1, iVote), apprehend every false prophet like Jeremiah, mad—inspired propliets were often so called by the ungodly (2 Kings 9.
itual, at the downfall of the mystical Babylon (Revelation 18., 19). 8. his yoke . . . thy neck his, i. e., Jacob's
{v. 7), the yoke imposed on him. The transition to the second person is frequent, God speaking of Jacob or Israel, at the same time addressing himdirectly. So "hlin" rightly follows; "foreigners sliall no more make him their servant" (ch. 25. 14). After the deliverance by Cyrus, Persia, Alexander, Autiochus, and Rome, made Judea their servant. The full of deliverance meant must, there-
11 ; Acts 20. 21 ; 2. 13, 15, 17, 18). Jeremiah is in this a type of Christ, against whom the same charge was brought (John
10. 20). prison—rather, the stocks (ch. 20. 2, iVo(e). stocks from a root, to confine; lience rather, a narrow dungeon. According to Deuteronomy 17. 8, 9, the priest was judge in such cases, but had no right to put into the stocks; this right he had assumed to liimself in the troubled slate of the times. ^7. of Anathotli—said contemptuously, as " Jesus of Nazareth.''^ maUetli Ixlmself—as if God had not made him one, but liimself. SJS. Referring to Jeremiah's
fore, be still future. 9. Instead of serving strangers
(v. 8), they shall serve the Lord, their rightful King in the theocracy (Ezekiel 21. 27). David their king—No king of David's seed has held the sceptre since the captivity; for Zerubbabel, though of David's line, never claimed the
first letter to Babylon (v. 5). ^9. Zejilianlah . . . read ... in the ears of Jcreiulali—He seems to have been
title of "king." The Son of David, Messiah, must therefore be meant; so the Targum (cf. Isaiah 55. 3, 4; Ezekiel
34. 23, 24 ; 37. 24; Hosea 3. 5; Romans 11. 25-32). He was appointed to the tlirone of David (Isaiah 9.7; Luke 1.32). He is here joined with Jehovah as claiming equal allegiance. God is our " King," only when we are subject to Christ; God rules us not immediately, but through His Son (John 5. 22, 2;i, 27). raise up—applied to the judges whom God raised up as deliverers of Israel out of the hand of its oppressors (Judges 2.10; 3.9). So Christ was raised up as the antitypical Deliverer (Psalm 2. 6; Luke 1. §9* Acts 2. 30 ; 13. 23). 10. from afar—Be not afraid as if the distance of the places whither ye are to be dispersed precludes the possibility of return, seed—Though through the many years of captivity intervening yourselves niay not see the restoration, the promise shall be fulfilled to your seed, primarily at the return from Babylon, fully at the final restoration, quiet . . . none . . . make . . . afraid—(Ch. '23.0; Zechariah 14. 11.) 11. though . . . full end of all nations . . . yet . . . not ... of thee—(Amos
less prejudiced against Jeremiali tlian the others; hence he reads the charge to the prophet, that he should not be condouneil without a hearing. This accords with Shemaiah's imputation against Zephauiah for want of zeal against Jeremiah (v. 20, 27.) Hence tlie latter was chosen by King Zedekiah as one of the deputation to Jeremiah
(ch. 2i. 1 ; 37. 'i). 30. This rejumes the thread of the sentence which began at v. 25, but was left there not completed. Here, in ti. 30, It is completed, not however in continuity, but by a new perio<l. The same construction occurs, Romans 5. 12-15. 'S'i. not ... a man to dwell (Deuteronomy 2S. IS.) not . . . behold the good—as he despised the lawful time, and wished to return before the lime God had expressly announced, in just retribution he gliould not sliare iir tlie restoration from Babylon at all. rebiiUon—going against God's revealed will as to the time ich. ::8. Hi;.