Chapter XXXVII
Ver. 1-21. Historical Sections, chap. 37.-44. The Chaldeans kaise the Siege, to go and meet PhaKAOH-HOPHRA. ZEDEKIAH SENDS TO JEKEMIAH TO PRAY TO God in behalf of the Jews: in vain. Jeremiah TRIES TO Escape to his native place, but is arrested. Zedekiah abates the rigour of his Imprisonment.
1. Conlah—curtailed from Jeconiah by way of reproach, whom—referring to Zedekiah, not to Coniah (2 Kings 24.
17). 3. Amazing stupidity, thattheywerenot admonished by the punislmu nt of Jeconiah [Calvin] (2 Chronicles 36.
12, 14) ! 3. Zedekiah . . . sent—fearing lest, in the event of the Clialdeans overcoming Pharaoh-hophra, tliey should return to besiege Jerusalem. See Note in lieglnulng of cli. 21.; that chapter chronologically comes In between ch. .37. and 38. The message of tlie king to Jeremiali here in ch. 37. is, however, somewhat earlier than that in ch. 21. ; hero it is whilst the issue between the Chaldeans and Phaiaoh was undecided; there it Is when, after the repulse of Pharaoh, the Chaldeans were again advancing against Jerusalem ; hence, whilst Zephaniah Is named In both embassies, Jehucal accompanies him here, Pashur there. But, as ['ashur and Jehucal are both mentioned In ch. 38. 1, 2, as hearing Jeremiah's reply, which Is Iden-
38. 13, 28.) bakers' street-persons in the same bul^iness commonly reside in the same street in cities in the East, all the bread . . . spent—Jeremiah had bread supplied to him until he was thrown into the dungeon of Mal-
clilali, at which time the bread In the city was spent. Cf. this verse with ch. 38. 9; that time must have been very shortly before the capture of the city (ch. 52. 6). God salth of His children, " In the days of famine they shall be sat-
isfied" (Psalm 37. 19; Isaiah 33. 16). Honest reproof {v. 17), In the end often gains more favour than flattery (Proverbs 28. 23).
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Ver. 1-28. Jeremiah predicts the Capture of Jerusalem, FOR WHICH IIK IS cast INTO A DUNGEON, BUT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE PRISON COURT ON THE INTERCESSION OF EBED-MELECH, AND HAS A SECKKT INTKRVIBW WITH Zedekiah. All this was subsequent to his imprlsonmpr.t in Jonathan's house, and his release on his interview with Zedekiah. The latter occurred before the return
tical with that in ch. 21. 9, it is probable the two messages followed one another at a short interval ; that in this ch.
37. 3, and the answer, v. 7-10, being the earlier of the two. Zephaniah—an abettor of rebellion against God (ch. 29.
25), though less virulent than many (ti. 29; ch.29.), punished accordingly (cli.M. 24-27). 4. Jeremiah . . . not put . . . Into prison—he was no longer In the prl.son court, as he had been (ch. 32. 2; 33. 1), which passages refer to the beginning of the siege, not to the time when the Chaldeans
of the Chaldeans to the siege; the similar events in this chapter occurrei* after it. 1. Jucal—Jehucal (Ch. 37. 3.) Pashur—(Ch. 21. 1; cf. v. 9 of ch. 2i. with v. 2 of this ch. S8);
renewed the siege, after having withdrawn for a time t.y
Tlie Prophet Imprkoned. JEREMIAH XXXIX. Taking of Jerusalem, and Zedelciah^s Fatt,
the deputation in ch. 21. 1, to whom Jeremiah gave this
which is on the right hand;" the north, "that which is on the left hand;" the west, "that which is behind." So beginning with the east they might term it the first or principal entry; the the seco?i(i entry; the?iorWithe "third entry " of the outer or inner court. [Maurer.] The tliird gate of the temple facing the palace ; for through it tlie entrance lay from the palace into the temple (I Kings 10. o,
reply, if not identical with the hearers of Jeremiah (ch.
S8. 1), must have been sent just before the latter "heard" him speaking the same words. Zeplumiah Is not mentioned liere as in ch. 21. 1, but is so in ch. 37. 3. Jucal is mentioned here and in the previous deputation (ch. 37. 3), but not in ch. 21. 1. Shephatiah and Gedaliah here do not occur either in ch. 21. 1 or ch. 37. 3. The identity of his words in botli cases is natural, when uttered, at a very short interval, and one of the hearers (Pashur) being present on botli occasions, unto all tlie people—they had free access to him In the court of the prison (ch. 32.
12). It was westward (1 Chronicles 26. 16, 18; 2 Chronicles
9.11). [Grotius.] But in the future temple it is eastward (Ezekiel 46. 1, 2, 8). 15. wilt thou not hearken unto me —Zedekiah does not answer this last query; the former one he replies to in t>. 16. Rather ii-anslaie, " Thoa wilt not hearken to me." Jeremiah judges so from the past conduct of the king. Cf. v. 17 with v. 19. 16. L,oj-d . . . made us this soul—(Isaiah 57. 16.) Implying, "may my
12). life ... a prey—he shall escape with his life; though losing all else as in a shipwreck, he shall carry off his life
as his gain, saved by his going over to the Chaldeans.
(Note, ch. 21. 9.) 4-. Had Jeremiah not had a Divine commission he might justly have been accused of treason; but having one, which made the result of the siege cer-
life (soul) be forfeited if I deceive thee." [Cai-vin.] 17. princes—(Ch. 39. 3.) He does not say "to the king him-
self," for he was at Riblah, in Hamath (oh. 39. 5; 2 Kings
tain, he acted humanely as interpreter of God's will under the theocracy, in advising surrender (cf. ch. 26.. 11.) 5. the king Is not he—Zedekiah was a weak prince, and now in his straits afraid to oppose his princes. He hides his dislike of their overweening power, which prevented him shielding Jeremiah as he would have wished, under complimentary speeches. " It is not right that the king should deny aught to such faithful and wise statesmen;" the king is not such a one as to deny you your wishes. [Jerome.] 6. dung-eon lit., the cistern. It was not a subterranean prison as that in Jonathan's house (ch. 87. 15), but a, pit or cistern, which had been full of water, but was emptied of it during the siege, so that only "mire" remained. Such empty cisterns were often used as prisons (Zechariah 9. 11) ; the depth forbade hope of escape. Haramelecli—(Ch. 36. 26.) His son followed in the father's steps, a readj'tool for evil, sunk in the mire—Jeremiah herein was a type of Messiah (Psalm 09. 2, M). "I sink in deep mire," &c. 7, Ebed-melech—The Hebrew designation given this Ethiopian, meaning king's servant. Already, even at this early time, God wished to show what good reason there was for calling the Gentiles to salvation. An Ethiopian stranger saves the prophet whom his own countrymen, the Jews, tried to destroy. So the Gentiles believed in Christ whom the Jews crucified, and Ethiopians were among the earliest converts (Acts 2. 10, 41 ; 8.
25.6). "J7 thou go forth" (viz., to surrender; 2 Kings 24.
12; Isaiah 36. 16), God foreknows future conditional contingencies, and ordains not only the end, but also the means to the end. 19. Afraid of the .Tews—more than of God (Proverbs 29. 2.5; John 9.22; 12.43). mock mc—treat me injuriously (1 Samuel 31. 4). 33. women—The very evil which Zedekiah wished to escape by disobeying the command to go forth shall befall him in its worst form thereby. Not merely the Jewish deserters shall " mock " him (v. 19), but the very "women" of his own palace and harem, to grjitify their new lords, will taunt him. A noble king in sooth, to sufTer thyself to be so imposed on! Thy trlens\s—Hebrew, men of thy peace (see ch. 20. 10; Psalm 41. 9, Margin). The king's ministers and tlie false prophets who misled him. sunk in . . . mire—proverb-
ial for, Thou art involved by "thy friends'" counsels in inextricable difRculties. The phrase perhaps alludes to
V. 6; a just retribution for tlie treatment of Jeremiali, wlio literally ".sank in the mire." they are turned . . . back —having involved thee in the calamity, they themselves shall provide for their own safety by deserting to the Chaldeans (u. 19). 23. children—(Ch. 39. 6; 41.10.) "Wives . . . children . . . thou;" an ascending climax. 34. Let no man know—If thou wilt not tell this to the people, I will engage thy safety. 35. Kings are often such only in title
{hey are really under the power of their sulijects. 36. presented lit., made my supplication to fall; implying supplication with humble prostration {Note, ch. 36. 7). Jonatlian's house—(ch. 37. 15), difTerent from Malcliiali's dungeon {v. 6). This statement was true, thoijgh not the whole truth ; the princes had no right to the information
27-39). Ebed-melech probably was keeper of the royal harem, and so had private access to the king. The eunuchs over harems in the present day are mostly from Nubia or Abyssinia. 8. went forth . . . and spake—not privately, but In public ; a proof of fearless magnanimity, die for hunger in tKe place where he is, for . . . no . . . bread tn , . . city—(Cf. ch. 37. 21.) He had heretofore got a piece of bread supplied to him. " Seeing that there i&tiieutmost want of bread in the city, so that even if he were at large, there could no more be regularly supplied to him, much less now in a place where none remember or pity him, so that he is like to die for hunger." "No more bread,"
no sanction is given by Scripture here to Jeremiah's representation of this being the cause of his having come to the king. Fear drove him to it. Cf. Genesis 20. 2, 12; om the other hand, 1 Samuel 16. 2, 5. left oif speaking with' —Hebrew, " were silent from him," t. e., withdravv ing from him they left him quiet (1 Samuel 7. 8, Margin). 38. hewas [there] when Jerusalem was taken—These words are made the beginning of ch. 39. by many; but the svc" cents and sense support English Version.
i. e,, no more left of the public store in the city (ch. 37. 21)
or, all but no bread left anywhere. [Mauber.] 10. with thee Hebrew, "in thine hand," t'. e., at "thy disposal" (1 Samuel 16. 2). "From hence," i.e., from the gate of Benjamin where the king was sitting {v. 7). thirty men—not merelj' to draw up .leremiah, but to guard Ebed-melech against any opposition on the part of the princes (u. 1-4), In executing the king's command. Ebed-melech was rewarded for his faith, love, and courage, exhibited at a time when he might well fear the wrath of the princes, to which even the king had to yield (ch. 39. 16-18). 11. cast clouts—"torn clothes." [Hender-SON.] rotten rags ••worn-out garments." God can make the meanest things His instruments of goodness to His people (1 Corinthians 1.27-29). under . . . arm-holes—" under the Joints of thine hands," i. e., where the fingers join the hand, the clothes being in order that the hands should not be cut by the cords. [Maurer.] 13. court of . . . prison—Ebedmelech prudently put him there to be out of the way of his enemies. 14. thirdentry—The Hebrews in determining the position of places faced the east, which they termed " that which is in front ;" the south was thus called " that