Chapter XXXIV
Ver. 1-22. Captivity of Zedekiah anb the People Foretold for their Disobedience and Perfidy. The propliecy {v. 1-7) as to Zedekiah is an amplification of that In cli. 32. 1-5, iu consequence of which Jeremiah was then shut up in the court of the prison. The prophecy (v. 8-22)
CHAPTER XXXV.
refers to the Jews, who, afraid of the capture of the city, had, in obedience to the law, granted freedom to their servants at the end of seven years, but on the intermissiou of the siege forced them back into bondage. 1. Jerusalem and . . . all tlie cities tliereof—(iVoZe, ch. 19. 15.)
Ver. 1-lfl. Prophecy in the reign of Jehoiakiji, WHEN the Chaldeans, in conjunction with the Syrians and Moabites, invaded Judea. By the obedience of the Rechabites to tlieir father, Jeremiah condemns the disobedience of the Jews to God their Father. The Holy Spirit has arranged Jeremiah's prophecies by the moral rather than the chronological connection. From the history of an event fifteen years before, the Jews, who had brought back their manumitted servants into bondage, are taught how mucli God loves and rewards obedience, and hates and punishes disobedience. 2. Rechabites—
It was amazing blindness in the king, that, in sucli a desperate position, he should reject admonition. 3. (Ch. 32.
4.) 4, 5. Mitigation of Zedekiah's punishment, tlie burnings of thy fathers—thy funeral shall be honoured with tlie same burning of aromatic spices as there was at the funerals of thy fathers (2 Chronicles 16. 14 ; 21. 19). The honours here mentioned were denied to Jehoiakini (ch.
22. 18). Ah, lord !—The Hebrews in their chronology (Seder olam) mention the wailing used over him, "Alas! King Zedekiah is dead, drinking the dregs (t. e., paying the penalty for the sins) of former ages." 7. these . . . remained—alone (ef. 2 Chronicles 11. 5, 9). 8. By the law a Hebrew, after having been a bond-servant for six years, on the seventh was to be let go free (Exodus 21. 22; Deuteronomy 15. 1!!). Zedekiah made a covenant—with solemn ceremonial in the temple (v. 15, 18, 19). them—bondKervants (v. 9). 9. none . . . serve himself of a Jew
nomadic tribe belonging to the Kenites of Hemath (1 Chronicles 2. 55), of the family of Jethro, or Hobab, Moses' father-in-law (Exodus 18. 9, &c. ; Numbers 10. 29-32; Judges
1. 16). Tliey came Into Canaan with the Israelites, but. In order to preserve their independence, chose a life in tents without a fi.xed habitation (1 Samuel 15. C). Besides the branch of them associated with Judah and extending to Amalek, there was another section at Kadesh, in Naph-
tali (Judges 4. 11, 17). Thej' seem to have been proselyte* of the gate. Jonadab, son of Rechab, whose charge not to drink wine they so strictly obeyed, was zealous for God (2 Kings 10. 15-23). The Nabatheans of Arabia observed tlia s.ame rules (Diodorus Siculus, 19. 94). bring . . . into . houtie of . . . Lord—because there were suitable witnfesse« at hand there from among the priests and chief men, as also because he had the power immediately to address the people assembled there iv. 13). It may have been also as a reproof of the priests, who drank wine freely, though commatided to refrain from it when In the discharge of their duties. [Calvin.] cliambcrs — which were round about the temple, applied to various uses, c. r/., to contain the vestments, sacred vessels, &c. 3. Jaazaniab — the elder and chief of the clan. 4. man of God—a prophet (Deuteronomy 33. 1 ; 1 Samuel 2. 27; 1 Kings 12. 22; 2 Kings
(Ijeviticus 2x 39-46.) 11. During the interruption of the siege by Pharaoh-hophra (cf. v. 21, 22, with ch. 37. 5-10), the Jews reduced tlieir servants to bondage again. 13. The
last year of Zedekiah was the sabbatical year. How just the retribution, that they who, against God's law and their own covenant, enslaved their brethren, should be doomed to bondage themselves: and that the bond-servants .slumld enjoy the sabbatical freedom at the hands of the foe (ch. 52. 16) which their own countrymen denied them! 14. At tlie end of seven years i. e., not on the
eighth yeai , but within the limit of the seventh year, not
later than the end of the seventh year (Exodus 21. 2; 23.
10; Deuteronomy 15. 12). So " at the end of three years" (Deuteronomy 14. 28; 2 Kings 18. 10), and " after three days,
I will rise again" (Matthew 27.63), i.e., on the third day (cf. Matthew 27. 64). 15. in the house . . . called by my name—the usual place of making such covenants (2 Kings
4. 7;, aLso "a servant of God" in general (1 Timothy 6. U), one not his own, but God's; one who has parted with all right In hitnself to give himself wholly to God (2 Timothy
23. 3; cf. 1 Kings 8. 31 ; Nehemiah 10. 29). 16. polluted my name—by violating your oath (Exodus 20. 7). 17. not . . . proelaliiiin^ liberty—Though the Jews had ostensibly emancipated their bond-servants, they virtually (XuX not do so by revoking the liberty which they h.ad granted. God looks not to outward appearances, but to the sincere Intention. I proclaim a liberty—retribution answering
3. 17). He was so reverenced that none would call In question what was transacted In his chamber, keeper of tlie door—//(*»-piti, of the vessel. Probably the t)fHce meant Is that of the priest who kept in charge the capitation money paid for the use of the temple and the votive offerings, such as silver vessels, iSc. There were seven such keepers. [Ghotius.) Cf. 2 Kings 12. <1; 25. 18; 1 Chronicles 9. 18, 19, which support Enijli-th Version. I said . . . Driiilt—Jeremiah does not say, 77ie iortZ salth. Drink: lor then they would have been bound to obey. Contrast the case (1 Kings 13. 7-26). 6. Jonadal> . . . our father— i.e., forefather atid director, 300 years before (2 Kings 10. 15). They were called Uech.abltcs, not Jonadabltes, having received their name from Rechab the father, previously to their adopting the injunctions of Jonadab his son. This ca.se
to the offence (Matthew 7.2; 18.32,33; Galatlans 6. 7
James 2. 13). The Jews who would not give liberty to their brethren shall themselves receive "a liberty" calamitous to them. God will manumit them from His happy and safe service (Psalm 121.3), which is real "liberty" (Psalm 110. 45; John 8. 36 ; 2 Corinthians 3. 17), only to pass under the terrible bondage of other task-masters, the "sword," &c. to be removed—the Hebrew expresses ar/i-
talion. [Note, ch. 15. 4). Cf. Deuteronomy 28. 25, 48, 6-1, 6.5, a« to the ri-nllc.is arjilation of the .lews In their ceaseless removals from place to place in thelrdlsperslon. 18. pasKed between tlie parts tliereof—the contracting parties In the "covenant" (not here the /aiy In general, but their eoverinnt made before God In His house to emancipate their slaves, v. 8,9) passed through the parts of the aninnil cut In two, Implying that they prayed so to be cut In sun-
ftlfords no Justific.ition for slavish deference to the ndiglous opinions of the Christian fathers: for Jonadab's injunction only all'ccled matters of the present life : moreover. It was not bltiding on their consclenc<'s, for they deemed it not unlawful to go to Jerusalem in the InvaBlon (V. II). What Is praised here Is not the father's In-' Junction, but the obedience of the sons. [Calvin.1 1.
Baruch Writes Jeremiah's Prophecies. JEREMIAH XXXVI. King Jehoiakim Hums ihe Roll.
ttntg (Judgesi 4. 17.) live many days—according to the promise conuecteil with the tlfth commandment (Exodus
Baruch was less exposed, as not being 'he author of thn prophecy. C. go—on the following year (d. 9). fasting day—(See v. 9.) An extraordinary last, in the ninth month, whereas the fast on the great day of atonement was on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 16. 29; 23. 27-32), appointed to avert the impending calamity, when Nebuchadnezzar having, in the year before (i. e., the fourth of Jelioiakim), smitten Fliaraoli-neclio at Carchemish, it was feared, would attack Judea, as tlie ally of Egypt (2 Kings 23. 34, 35). The fast was likely to be an occasion on which Jeremiah would find the Jews more softened, as well as a larger number of them met together. 7. present . . . supplication— supplication shall fall; alluding to the prostrate attitude of the supplicants (Deuteronomy 9. 25; Matthew 26. 39), as petitioners fall at the feet of a king in the East. So Hebreiv, ch. 38. 26; Daniel 9.
20. 12 ; Kphesiaus 6. 2, 3). strangers—they were not of the
stock of Jacob, but sojourners in Israel. Types of the children of Ood, pilgrims on earth, looking for heaven as their home : having little to lose, so that losing times cost them
little alarm; sitting loose to what they have (Hebrews 10.
34; 11. 9, 10, 13-lG). 8. all tl»at lie cliarged us . . . all our days, we . . . wives . . . sous . . . daughters—unreserved obedience in all particulars, at all times, and on the part
of all, without exception: in all which respects Israel's obedience to God was wanting. Contrast 1 Samuel 15. 20,
21 ; Psalm 78. 34-37, 41, 56, 67. 11. Chaldeans . . . Syrianswhen Jehoiakim revolted from Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings
24. 1, 2). Necessity sets aside all other laws. This is the Rechabi tes' excuse for their seeming disobedience to Jonadab in temporarily settling in a city. Herein was seen the prescient wisdom of Jonadab's commands ; they could
18, Margin. 9. they proclaimed ... to all tlie people ... to all, &c.—rather, " all the people . . . all the people proclaimed a fast." [Michaelis.] Tlie chiefs appointed the fast by the wish of the people. In either version the ungodly king had no share in appointing the fast. 10. chamber—Baruch read from the window or balcony of the chamber looking into the court where the people were assembled. However, some of the cluunbers were large enough to contain a considerable number (Neheiniah 13.
at a moment's notice migrate, having no land-possessions
to tie them. 141:. obey . . . father's commandments
notwithstanding I— (Malachi 1. 6.) rising early and speaking— God Himself speaking late and early by His various ways of providence and grace. In v. 15; 2 Chron-
icles 36. 15, a distinct mode of address is alluded to, viz., God sending His servants. 15. (Ch. 18. 11; 25. 5, 6.) I enjoined nothing unreasonable, but simply to serve me, and
5). Gemarlah—distinct from the Gemariah, son of Hllkiah, in ch. 29. 3. Shaphan—the same person as in 2 Kings 22. 3. scribe—secretary of state, or he who presided over the public records. Ikiglier court—that of the priests, the court of the people being lower (2 •Chronicles
I attached to the command a gracious promise, but in vain. If Jonadab's commands, which were arbitrary and not moral obligations in themselves, were obeyed, much more ought mine, which are in themselves right. 17. because I have spoken . . . not heard . . . I . . . called
4. 9). new gate—(Ch. 26. 10.) The east gate. VZ. scribe's chamber—an apartment in the palace occupied by the secretary of state, px-lnces—liolding a counsel of state at the time. fHuathan—who had already been an instrument of evil in Jehoiakim's hand (ch. 26. 22, 23). Hananiah—the false prophet (ch. 28. 10-17). 14. Jeliudi—of a good family, as appears from his pedigree being given so fully, but in a subordinate position, come—instead of requiring Barucli to come to them, they ought to Inivegoru to the temple, and there professed their penitence. But pride forbade It. [Calvin.] 16. afraid, botli one and other—Hebrew, fear-stricken, they turned to one another
. . . not answered— (Proverbs 1. 24; Isaiah 65. 12.) 19. not want a man to stand before me—there shall always be left representatives of the clan to worship me (ch. 15. 1,
19;; or, " before me" means simple existence, for all things In existence are in God's sight (Psalm 89. 36). The Reehab-
Ites returned from the captivity. Wolff found traces of them in Arabia.