Chapter XXX
9. 8.) The punishment of reprobates is final and fatal
Ver. l-2t. Restouation of the Jkws from Babylon AFTKR ITS Capture, AND Raising up of Messiah. 3. Write ... in a booU—After llie destruction of Jerusalem he is not ordered as heretofore to speak, but to im-ite the Bucceediiig prophecy (i). 4, &c.), so as thereby it might be read by liis countrymen wheresoever they might be in
that of God's people temporary and corrective. Babylon was utterly destroj^ed : Israel after cliaslisement was de-
livered, in measure lit., withjudgment, i. e., moderation, not in the full rigour of justice (cli. 10. 24; 40. 28; P.salm 6.
1 ; Isaiah 27. 8). not . . . altogether unpunlslie«l—(Exodus
34. 7.) 12. The desperate circumstances of the Jews are here represented as an incurable wound. Their sin is so grievoiw that their hope of the punishment (their exile) soon coming to an end is vain (ch. 8. 22; 15. 18; 2 Chroni-
tlieir ilis])c'ision. 3. bring again . . . captivity of . . . Isratl and Judah—The restoration not merely of the Jews (treated of in tliis ch. 30.), but also of the ten tribes (" Israel ;" treated of in ch.31.), together forming the whole nation (i'. IS; ch. 32. U; Ezekiel 39. 2'>; Amos 9.14,15). "Israel" is mentioned first, because its exile was longer tlian tliat of Judah. <So»ie captives of the Israelite ten tribes returned witli tliose of Judah (Luke 2.30; " Aser" is mentioned). But these are only a pledge of tlie full restoration Iiereulter (Romans 11. 20, ".^IH Israel"). Cf. ch. 10.
cles 30. 10). 13. none to plead—a new image from a court
of justice, bound up viz., with the bandages applied to
tie up a wound, no healing medicines—/i7., mrdicines of healing, or else applications {lit., ascensions) of medicaments, 14. lovers—the peoples formerly allied to thee, Assyria and Egypt (cf. Lamentations 1. 2). seek tlice not—have cast away all concern for thee in thy distress, wound of an enemy—a wound such as an enemy would inflict. God condescends to employ language adapted to liumaD conceptions. He is Incapable of "enmity" or "cruelty;'^
15. Tliis M verse is a lirief statement of the subject before the proiiliecy itself is given. 5. We have heard . . . trei>i)>llng — God introduces tlie Jews speaking that
It w:»s their grievous sin which righteously demanded a grievous punishment, a.i though He wore an "enemy" (ch.
wliicli tlicy will bo reduced to at last in spite of their Btul)l)orniiess. Threat and promise are combined: the former liriefly, viz., the misery of the Jews in the Babylonian capl ivity down to tlieir "treml>ling" and "fear" arising from tlie approac^li of llie iMedo-l'ersian army of ('yrus against Baljylon; tlie promise is more fully dwelt M\,viz., Iliiir " trembling" will issue in a deliverance as speedy as is llie transition from i\ woman's laiiour-pnngs to lier joy at giving birth to a child (i;. fi). 0. Aak—Consult all the authorities, men or l)Ooks, you can, you will
5. 0; Job 13. 21; ,30. 21). 15. Why crlesi thon—as if God'.s severity w.is excessive. Thou liast no reason to complain, for thine aflliction is just. Thy cry Is too late, foi the time of repentance and mercy is past. [(-AI.vin.J 16. Tliereforc—Connected with i). 43, because "There is none to plead tliy cause," &c., "//irn/oiv,-" / will plead thy cause, and heal tliy wound, by overwhelming thy foes. 'Verse
15 is inserted to amplify what was said at the close of
not lind an instance. Yet in tlial (coining day men will be seen willi thc^ir hands pressed on llieir loins, as women (io to repress their pangs. God will drive men through pain to gestures more lilting a woman than a luan (ch. -1. 31 ; 6. 21). The metaplior is often used to ex-
t'. 14. When the false ways of peace, suggested by the so-called proi)liets, had only ended in the (H"opl<>'s Irremediable ruin, the true prophet comes forward to announce the grace of God as bestowing repentance and healing, devour thee . . . be devoured . . . spoil ... be a spoil . . . prey upon . . . give for a i)rey—relribullou
jnresF the previous pain followed by tlie sudden deliver-
The Restoration of Israd, JEEEMIAH XXXI. and the PMication tftereof.
14) for the people, both a temporary one at each halt in the wilderness, and a permanent one inCanaan (Exodns
In kind (cf. Note, ch. 2. 3; Exodus 23. 22; Isaiah 33. 1). H. (.C'li. 8. 22; 33. outcast—as a wiie put away by her
33. 14; Deuteronomy 3. 20; Joshua 21. 44 ; Psalm 95. 11; Hebrews 3. 11). 3. Israel gratefully acknowledges in reply God's past grace ; but at the same time tacitly implies by the expression "of old," that God does not appear to her now. "God appeared to me of old, but now I am forsaken !" God replies. Nay, I love thee with the same love now as of old. My love was not a momentary impulse, but from "everlasting" in my counsels, and to "everlasting" in its continuance; hence originated the covenant whereby I gratuitously adopted tiiee (Malachi 1. 2; Romans 11. 28, 29). Margin translates, " from afar," which does not answer so well as "of old," to "in the wilderness" (ti.
hu.sbiiiid (Isaiah 02. 4, contrasted witli v. 12). Zioii—allud-
ing to its Jlcbi-cw meauiug, dij/ness ; "sought after" by none, as would be the case with au arid region (Isaiah 62.
12). The extremity of the people, so far from being an
obstacle to, will be tlie chosen opportunity of, God's grace.
J8. bring again . . . captivity—(Ch. 33. J, 11.) tentsused to iuujuate that their present dwellings in Chaldea were but temporary as if /ifc'. Jiave mercy on . . . dwelling-places—(I'salni 1(J2. 13.) own lieap—on the same hill,
i. e., site, a hill being the usual site chosen for a city (cf. Joshua 11. 13, Margin). This better answers the parallel
clause, "after the manner thereof" {i.e., in the same 6e-
2), which refers to the olden times of Israel's history, with loving-ltindness . . . drawn—(Hosea 11. 4.) Rather, "I have drawn out continually my loving-kindness toward thee." So Psalm 36. 10, "Continue (Margin, Draw out at length) thy loving-kindness." By virtue of my everlasting love I will still extend my loving-kindness to lliee. So Isaiah 44. 21, "O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me." 4. I will build . . . tlLou sltalt be built^—The combination of the active and passive to express the same fact implies the infallible certainty of its accomplishment. "Build,"
eomiiig way as formerly), than the rendering, " its own heap
of ruin.1," as in ch. 49. 2. palace—the king's, on Mount Ziou. reinain—rather, s!iall be inhabited (JS'ote, ch. 17. 6,
25). This coiitirms English Version, "palace," not as otheva translate, "tlie temple" (see l Kings 1«. 18; 2 Kings
15. 25). 19. tUanlisgivlng-The Hebrew word includes
cmi/ession as well as praise; for, in the case of God, the
higliest praises we can bestow are only confessing what God really is [Bengel] (ch. 17. 26 ; 31. 12, 13 ; 33. 11 ; Isaiah
35.10; 51.11). multiply them—(Zecliariah lU. 8.) ao. as aforetime—as flourishing as in tlie lime of David. ^1. tbeir nobles—rather, "their Glorious One," or "Leader"
i. e., establish in prosperity (ch. 33. 7). adorned with . . . tabrets—(1 .Samuel 18. 0.) Or, " adorn thyself with thy timbrels;" used by damsels on occasions of public rejoicings (Exodus 15. 20; Judges 11. 34). Israel had cast away all instruments of joy in her exile (Psalm 137. 4). dances holy joy, not carnal mirth. 5. Samaria—the metropolis of the ten tribes; here equivalent to Israel. The mountainous nature of their country suited the growth of the
(cf. Acts 3. 15; Hebrews 2. 10), answering to "their Governor" in *lie parallel clause, of themselves—of their own nation, a Jew, not a foreigner; applicable to Zerubbabel, or J. Hyrcanus (hereditary higli priest and gov-
ernor), only as types of Christ (Genesis 19. 10; Micah 5. 2; Romans H. 5), the antitypical "Bavid" (v. 9). cause lilm to draw near—as the great Priest (Exodus 19. 22; Leviticus 21. 17), through wiiom believers also have access to God (Hebrews 10. 19-22). His priestly and kingly charac-
vine, eat ... as common lit., shall profane, i. e., shall put to common use. For the first three years after planting, the vine was "not to be eaten of;" on tlie fourth year the fruit was to be "holy to praise the Lord withal ;" on the
ters are similarly combined (Psalm llu. 1; Zechariah 6. 13). wlio . . . engaged . . . heart to approach lit., pledged
fifth year the fruit was to be eaten of as common, no longer restricted to holy use (Leviticus 19. 2i-25; cf. Deuteronomy 20.6; 28.30, Margin). Tlius tlie idea here is, "The samo persons who plant shall reap the fruits;" it shall no longer be that one shall plant and another reap the fruit. 6. The watchmen, stationed on eminences (types of the preachers of the gospel), shall summon the ten tribes to go up to the annual feasts at Jerusalem (" Zion"), as they used to do before the revolt and the setting up of the idol calves at Dan and Beer-sheba (Ezekiel 37. 21, 22). Mount Kpliraim—not one single mountain, but the whole mountainous region of the ten tribes, our God—from whom we formerlj' revolted, but who is now our God. Au earnest of that good time to come is given in the partial success of the gospel in its first preaching in Samaria (John 4; Acts 8.5-^). 7. The people are urged with praises and praj'ers to supplicate for their universal restoration. Jehovah is represented in the context (v. 1, 8), as i)i'omislng Immediately to restore Israel. They therefore praise God for the restoration, being as certain of it as if it were actually accomplished ; and at the same time pray for it, as prayer was a means to the desired end. Prayer does not move God to grant our wishes, but when God has determined to grant our wishes. He puts it into our hearts to pray for the thing desired. Cf. Psalm 102. 13-17, as to the connection of Israel's restoration with the prayers of His people (Isaiah 02. 1-6). for Jacob— on account of Jacob; on account of his approaching deliverance by Jehovah, among—/or, i. e., on account of, would more exactly suit the parallelism to "for .laoob." chief of the nations Israel: as the parallelism to "Jacob" proves (cf. Exodus 19. 5; Psalm 135. 4; Amos 6. 1). God estimates the greatness of nations not by man's standard of material resources, but by His electing favour. 8. nortit—Assyria, Media, &c. (Note, ch. 3. 12, 18; '£\. 8). gather from . . , coasts of . . . eartii—(Ezekiel 20. 34, 41 ; 34. 13.) blind . . . lame, &c.—not even the most infirm and unfit persons for a journey shall be left beliind, so universal shall be the restoration, a great company—or, they shall return "tn a great company." [JiAUiiEit.] 9. weeping—for their past sins which caused tlieir exile (Psalm 126.5,6). Althongh they come with weeping, ihey shall return with Joy (clu
his heart, i. e., his life; a thing unique; Messiah alone hath made His life responsible as the surety (Hebrews 7. 22; 9.
11-15), in order to gain access not only for Himself, but for us to God. Heart is here used for life, to express the courage which it needed to undertake such a tremendous suretyship. The question implies admiration at one being found competent by His twofold nature, as God and man, for the task. Cf. the interrogation (Isaiah 63. 1-3).
fta. ye shall be my people, &.C.—The covenant shall be renewed between God and His people through Messiah's mediation (t;. 21; ch. 31. 1, ;ii; 32. 38; Ezekiel 11. 20; 36. 28).
fi3, 21. (Ch. 23. 19.) Vengeance upon God's foes always accompanies manifestations of His grace to His people, continuing lit., sojourning, abiding constantly; appi'Oprlately here in the case of Babylon, which was to be permanently destroyed, substituted for "whirling Itself about" ("grievous" in Englisfi Version) (ch. 23. 19, 20, see Notes tliere), where the temporary downfall of Judea is spoken of.