Chapter XL
longer, but want of provisions drove him to flee by the double wall south of Zion, towards the plains of Jericho
Ver. 1-16. Jeremiah is set free at R.\mah, and goes TO Gedaliah, to whom the Remnant of Jews repair. Joiianan Warns Gedaliah of Ishmael's Conspiracy IN vain. 1. word that came—the heading of a new part ol the book (ch. 41.^), viz., the prophecies to the Jews in Judea and Egypt after the taking of the city, blended with history. The prophecy does not begin till ch. 42. 7, and the previous history is introductory to it. bound in chains —though released from the court of the prison (Xote, ch.
(f. 5j, in order to escape beyond Jordan to Arabia De-
serta. He broke an opening in the wall to get out (Eze-
kiel 12. 12). 5. Kiblali—north of Palestine (see ch. 1. 14; Numbers 34. U). Hamath is identified by commenta-
tors with Antioch.in Syria, on the Orontes, called Epiphania, from Antiochus Epiphanes. gave judgment upon lilm Hi., spake judgments with him, i. e., brought him to trial as a common criminal, not as a king. He had violated his oath (Ezekiel 17. 13-19; 2 Chronicles
39. 14), in the confusion at the burning of tlie cit.v he seems to have been led away in chains with the other captives, and not till he reached Ramah to have gained full liberty. Nebuzaradan had his quarters at Ramah, in Benjamin, and there he collected the captives previous to their removal to Babylon (ch. 31.1.5). He in releasing Jeremiah obeyed the king's commands (ch. 39. 11). Jeremiali's "chains" for a time were due to the negligence of those to whom he had been committed; or else to Nebuzaradan's wish to upbraid the people with their perverse ingratitude in imprisoning Jeremiah [Calvin]; hence he addresses the people (ye . . . j/oit) as much as Jeremiah (y.
36. 13). 6. slew . . . sons . . . before Ills eyes—previous
to his eyes being "put out" (u. 7); lit., dug out. The Assyrian structures depict the delight wiUi which the kings struck out, often with their own hands, the eyes of captive princes. This passage reconciles ch. 32. 4, "his eyes shall behold his eyes;" with Ezekiel 12. 13, "he shall not see Babylon, though he shall die there." slew all , .
nobles—(Ch. 27. 20.) 8. burned . . . the houses—(Ch. 52.
12, 13.) Not immediately after the taking of the city, but in the month after, viz., the fifth month (cf. v. 2). The delay was probably caused by the princes having to send to Ilihlah to know the king's pleasure as to the city. 0. remnant—excepting the poorest {v. 10), who caused Nebuchadnezzar no apprehensions, those . . . that fell to Ivim—the deserters were distrusted ; or they may have been removed at their own request, lest the people should vent their rage on them as traitors, after the departure of the Chaldeans, rest . . . that remained—distinct from the previous " remnant:" there he means the remnant of those besieged in the city, whom Nebuchadnezzar spared
2, .3). 3. The Babylonians were in some measure aware, through Jeremiah's prophecies (ch. 39.11), that they were the instruments of God's wrath on His people. 3. ye (Note, V. 1.) His address is directed to the Jews as well as to Jeremiah. God makes the very heathen testify for Him against them (Deuteronomy 29. 24, 25). 4. look well unto thee—the very words of Nebuchadnezzar's charge (cli. 39.
12). all the laud is before thee . . . seemeth good—(Genesis 20. 15, Marffin.) Jeremiah alone had the option given him of staying where he pleased, when all the rest were either carried off, or forced to remain there. 5. while he was not yet gone hack—parenthetical. When Jeremiah hesitated whether it would be best for him to go, Nebuzaradan proceeded to say, " Go, then, to Gedaliah," Ac. (not as English Version, " Go back, also"), if thon preferrest (as Nebuzaradan inferred fi-om Jeremiah's hesitancy) to stop here rather than go with me. victuals—(Isaiah 33. 16.) reward rnther, a presetxt. This must have been a seasonable relief to the prophet, who probably lost his all In the siege. 6. Mlipah—In Benjamin, north-west of Jerusalem (ch. 41.5, 6, 9). Not the Mizpah in Gilead, beyond Jordan (Judges 10.17). Jeremiah showed his patriotism and piety In remaining in his country amidst afflictions, and notwithstanding the ingratitude of the Jews, rather than go to enjoy honours and pleasures in a heathen court (Hebrews 11.24-28). This vindicates his purity of motive in his withdrawal (ch. 37. 12-14). 7. captains ... In the flelda —The leaders of the Jewish army had been "scattered" throughout the country on the capture of Zedekiah (ch.
here, those scattered through various districts of the country which had not been besieged. [Calvin.] 10. left . . . tlie poor . . . whicli had nothing—the poor have least to lose; one of the providential compensations of their
lot. They who before had been stripped of their possessions by the wealthier Jews obtain, not only their own, but those of others. H. Jeremiah's prophecies were known to Nebuchadnezzar through deserters {v. 9; ch. 38.
19), also through the Jews carried to Babylon with Jecoiiiah (cf. ch. 40. 2). Hence the king's kindness to him. 13. look well to \\\m~ITebrew, set thine eyes upon him; pro-
vide for his well-being. 13. Nebuzaradan . . . sent—he was then at Ramah (oh. 40. 1). 14. Gedaliah—son of Ahikam, the former supporter of Jeremiah (ch. 26. 24). Gedaliah was the chief of the deserters to the Chaldeans, and 'Was set over the remnant in Judea as one likely to remain
faithful to Nebuchadnezzar. His residence was at Mizpah
(ch. 40. 5). home—the house of Gedaliah, wherein Jeremiah might remain as in a safe asylum. As In ch. 40.
Jeremiah is represented as "bound In chains" when ho came to Ramah among the captives to be carried to Baby-
5'2. 8), In order to escape the notice of the Chaldeans. 8. Netophathlte—from Netophah, a town in Judah (2 Samuel 23. 28). Maachathlte—from Maachathi, at the foot of Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3. 14). 9. Fear not—They were afraid that they should not obtain pardon from the Chaldeans for their acts. He therefore assured them of safety by an oath, serve lit., to stand before (v. 10; ch.
lon, this release of Jeremiah Is thought by Mauker to be distinct from that in ch. 40. 5, 6. But he seems first to have been released from the court of the prison, and to have •been taken to Ramali, still in chains, and then committed In freedom to Gedaliah. dwelt among the people— i. c, was made free. 1.5-18. Belonging to the time when the city was not yet taken, and when Jeremiah was still in the court of tbe prison (ch. 88. 13). This passage Is inserted here bc<!ause H was now that Ebed-melech's good act(ch.
52. 12), i.e., to be at hand ready to execute the comman Is of the king of Babylon. 10. Miipali—lying on the way between Babylon and Judah, and so convenient for transacting business between the two countries. As for in«
as. 7-12; Matthew 25. 13) was to be rewarded In his dellverouco. 1(5. Oo—not literally, for 1>€ was In eonflnement, 54G
. . . but yc— he artfully. In order to conciliate there, rep-
Tlie Murder of Gedcdiah by Tshmael. JEREMIAH XLI, XLII. The Jews ana Johanan Inquire of God
slew . . . not—(Proverbs 13. 8.) Ishmael's avarice and needs overcame his cruelty. 9. because of Gedaliah rather, "near Gedaliah," t'l'z., those intercepted by Ishmael on their wa.v from Samaria to Jerusalem, and killed
resents the burden of the service to the ChaUleans as fall-
ing on him, whilst fhey may freeljgather their wine, fruits, and oil. He does not now add tliat these very fruits were
to constitute the chief part of the tribute to be paid to
a« Jtfi2prt/i, where Gedaliah had lived. So 2 Chronicles IT.
Babylon : whicli, though fruitful in corn, was less producMve of grapes, figs, and olives. [Herodotus, 1. 193.] The grant of " vineyards" to the "poor" (ch.3(l. 10) would give hope to the discontented of enjoying the best fruits {v. 12).
1.5, "next;" Nehemiah 3.2, Margin, lit., as here, "at liis hand." " In the reign of Gedaliah." [Calvin.] However, English Version gives a good sense: Ishmael's reason for killing them was because of his supposing them to be connected with Gedaliah. 10. the king's daughters—(Cli.
II. Jews... In Monb—who had fled thither at the approach of the Chaldeans. God thus tempered the severity
43.6.) Zedekiali's« Ishmael must have got additional followers (whom the hope of gain attracted), besides those who originally set out with him {v. I), so as to have been able to carry off all the residue of the people. He proljabli' meant to sell them as slaves to the Ammonites (ch. 40. 14, Note). 11. JoJianan—tlie friend of Gedaliah who had warned him of Ishmael's treachery, but in vain (ch. 40. 8,
of his vengean<'e tliat a remnant might be left, 13. In the ficlrts—not in the city, but scattered in the country
{V. 7). • 1*. Baalis—called from the idol Baal, as was
often the case in heathen names. Ammonites—so it was to them that Ishmae! went after murdering Gedaliah
(ch. 41. 10). slay—lit., strike thee in the soul, i. e., a deadly
stroke. Islimnel—being of the royal seed of David (ch. -11.
13). la. the . . . waters ... In Gibeon—(2 Samuel 2. 13.) A large reservoiror lal<e. Gibeon—on the road from Mizpah to Ammon: one of the sacerdotal cities of Benjamin, four miles north-west of Jerusalem, now El-jib. 13. glad —at the prospect of having a deliverer from their eaptiv-
1), he envied Gedaliah the presidency to which he thought himself entitled; therefore he leagued himself with the ancient heathen enemy of Judah. believed . . . notgenerous, but unwise unsuspiciousness (Ecclesiastes 9. 16). 16. tliou spenUest falsely—a mystery of providence that God should permit the righteous, in spite of warning, thus to rush into the trap laid for them! Isaiah 57.1 suggests a solution.
it}'. 14. cast aliont—came round. 10. men of war—" the men of war," stated in v. 3 to have been slain by Ishmael, must refer to tlie military about Gedaliah's person ; " the men of war" here to those not so. eunuchs—the kings of Judah had adopted the bad practice of having harems and eunuchs from the surrounding heathen kingdoms. 17. dwelt—for a time, until they were ready for tlieir Journey to Egypt (ch. 42). habitation of Chimham— his caravanserai close by Bethlehem. David, in reward for Barzillai's loj'alty, took Chimham his son under his patronage, and made over to him his own patrimony in the land of Bethlehem. It was thence called the habitation of Chimham (Geruth-Chimham), though it reverted to David's heirs in the year of jubilee. Caravanserais (a compound Pcman word, meaning "the house of a company of travellers") differ from our inns, in that there is no host to supply food, but each traveller must carry with him his own. 18. afraid-lest the Chaldeans should suspectall the Jewsof i)eing implicated inlshmael's treason, as though the Jews sought to have a prince of the house of David {v. I). Their better way towards gaining God's favour would have been to have laid the blame on the real culprit, and to have cleared themselves. A tortuous policy is the parent of fear. Righteousness inspires with boldness (Psalm Si. 5; Proverbs 28. 1).
CHxVPTEB, XLI.
Ver. 1-lS. IsnMAET^ Murders Gedaliah axd other.s, TJIEN FLKES to the AMMONITES. JOHANAN PURSUES Him, Recovers the Captives, and Purposes to flee TO Egypt for Fe.vr of the Chaldeans. 1. seventh month—the second month after the burning of the city
(ch. .')2. 12, 13i. and the princes—not the nominative. And the princes came; for the "princes" are not mentioned either in the next verse or in 2 Kings 25. 23: but, " Ishmaol being of the seed royal and of the princes of the king." [.Maureii.J But the ten mere were the "princes of the king:" thus Maurer's objection has no weight: so
Enfili-ih Version, eat bread together—Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, by whom he was hospitably received, in violation of the sacred right of hospitality (Psalm 41. 9). 2. Blew him whom the king of Babylon had made governor—This assigns a reason for theirslaying him, as well as showing the magnitude of their crime (Daniel 2. 21; Romans 13. 1). slew all the Jews—namely, the attendants and ministers of Gedaliah; or, the military alone, about his person, translate, "even (not nnd, as Enc/li^h Vern'o«)the men of war." The main portion of the people with Gedaliah, including Jeremiah, Ishmael carried away captive (v. 10, 10). 4. no man knew it i.e., outside Mizpah. Before that tidings of the murder had gone abroad. 4. beards shaven, ic—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city, cut themselves