Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Judah's Confidence Rejected, JEREMIAH III. GocTs Mercy toisards the People.
19.4; 2 Kings 21. 16; Psalm 106.38). See as to innocent blood shed, ntrt as here in honour of idols, but of prophet* for having reproved them, v. 30 ; ch. 26. 20-23. souls i. e., persons, search—I did not need to "search deep" to find proof of thy guilt; for it was "upon all these" thy skirts. Not in deep caverns didst thou perpetrate these atrocities, but openly in the vale of Hinnom and within the precincts of the temple. 35. (Ver. 2!, 29.) 36. gaddest—runnest to and fro, now seeking help from Assyria (2 Chronicles 28.
the Hebreiv, Cotham, being equivalent to Cathab. Others translate, " is treasured yj)," from the Arabic. Maueeb, from a Si/rirxc root, is polluted. 33. (Proverbs 30. 12.) Baalim—pium, to express manifold excellency: of. Elohim. aet—consider, the vnlley-^iz., o/i7mnom, or Tophet : sovilh. and east of Jerusalem : rendered infamous by the human
Bacriflces to Moloch in it (cf. ch. 31, 32; 19. 2, 6, 13, 14; 32.
85; Isaiah 3". 33, Note), thou art—omit. The substantive that follows in this verse (and also that in v.H) is In apposition with tlie preceding "thou." dromedary—rather, ayoung she-camel, traversing—iiZ., enfolding; making its ways complicated by wandering hither and thither, lusting after tlie male. Cf. as to the Jews' spiritual lust, Hosea2.6,7. 34. (Ch. 14. G; Job 39.5). " A wild ass," agreeing with " thou" (v. 23). at her pleasure—rather, " in her ardour," viz., in pursuit of a male, snuflfing the windto ascertain where one is to be found. [Maurer.] occasion —either from a Hebrew root, "to meet;" "her meeting (with the mi>le for sexual intercourse), who can avert It?" Or better from an Arabic root: "her heat (sexual im-
16-21), now from Egypt (ch. 37, 7, 8 ; Isaiah 30. 3). 37. him —Egypt, hands upon . . . head—expressive of mourning (2 Samuel 13. 19). in them—in those stays in which thou trustest.
CHAPTER III.
Ver. 1-25. God's Mercy notwithstanding Judah's VlLENESS. Contrary to all precedent in the case of adultery, Jehovah ofters a return to Judah, the spiritual adulteress (v. 1-5). A new portion of the book, ending with ch.
6. Judah worse than Israel ; yet both shall be restored In the last days {v. 6-25). 1. They say—rather, as Hebrew, "saying," In agreement with "the Lord;" v. 37 of last chapter. [Maurer.] Or, it is equivalent to, "Suppose this pulse!, who can allay it?" [Maurer.] all tliey—whichever of the males desire her company. [Horsley.] will not weary themselves—have no need to weary themselves in searcliing for lier. her month—in the season of the year ivhen her sexual impulse is strongest, she puts hercase." Some copyist may have omitted "The word of the Lord came to me," saying, shall he return to her will he take her back ? It was unlawful to do so (Deuterononiy 24. 1-4). sliall not—should not the land be polluted if this were done? yet return (v. 22; ch. 4. 1 ; Zechself in the way of tlie males, so that they have no difficulty in finding her. 35. Withhold, &o.—i. e.. Abstain from incontinence; fig. for idolatry. [Houbigant.] unshod, Ac-do hot run so violently in pursuing lovers, as to tvear out thy shoes: do not "thirst" so incontinently after sexual intercourse. Hitztg thinks the reference is to penances performed barefoot to idols, and the thirst occasioned by loud and continued invocations to them, no hope—(Ch.l8. 12; Isaiah 57. 10.) "It is hopeless," i. e., I mn desperately Te%o\wpA to go on in my own course, strangers—t. e., laying aside the metaphor, strange gods (ch. 3.
ari.ah 1. 3; cf. Ezekiel 16. 51, 58, 60.) "KTcvertheless," &<i. (Isaiah 50. 1, note). 3. high places—the scene of idolatries which were spiritual adulteries, in . . . ways sat for them—watching/o)' lovers like a prostitute (Genesis 38. 14,
21; Proverbs 7.12; 2.3.28; Ezekiel 16. 24, 2.5),'and like an Arab who lies in wait for travellers. The Arabs of the desert, east and south of Palestine, are still notorious as robbers. 3. no latter rain — essential to the crops in Palestine ; withheld in judgment (Leviticus 26. 19; cf. Joel
13; Deuteronomy .32. 10). 36. is ashamed—is put to shame. "Thief" (John lb. 1). Israel—i. e., Judah (u. 28). 37. Thou art my father—(Contrast ch. 3. 4; Isaiah 64. 8.) in . . . trouble they will say viz., to God (Psalm 78. 34 ; Isaiah 26.
2. 23). whore's forehead—(Ch.. 8. 12; Ezekiel 3. 8.) 4. from this time—not referring, as Michaelis thinks, to the reformation begun the year before, i. e., the twelfth of Josiah ; it means—now at once, now at last, me—contrasted with the " stock" whom they had heretofore called on as "father" (ch. 2. 27; Luke 15. 18). thou art—rather, "thou wast." guide of . . . youth i. e., husband (ch. 2.
16). Trouble often brings men to their senses (Luke 15.
16-18). 33. But—God sends them to the gods for whom they forsook Him, to see if they can help them (Deuteronomy 32. 37, 38 ; Judges 10. 14). according to the number of thy cities — besides national deities, each city had its tutelary god (ch. 11. 13). 39. plead with me —i. e., contend with me for afflicting you {v. 23, 35), 30.
2 ; Proverbs 2. 17 ; Hosea 2. 7, 15). Husband and father are the two most endearing of ties. 5. he—" thou," the second person, had preceded. The change to the third person implies a putting away of Ged to a greater distance from them; Instead of repenting and forsaking their idols, they merely deprecate the continuance of their punishment. Verse 12, and Psalm 103. 9, answer their question in the event of their penitence, spoken and—rather (God's reply to them), " Thou hast spoken (thus), and yet (all the while) thou hast done evil," &c. as thou couldestr-with
(Ch'.5. 3; 6.29; Isaiah 1.5; 9.13.) your children—f. e., your people, you. your , . . sword . . . devoured . . . prophets -(2 Chronicles .36. 16; Nehemiah 9. 28; Matthew 23. 29, 31.) 31. The Hebreiv collocation is, O, the generation, ye, i. e., " O ye who now live." The generation needed only to be named, to call its degeneracy to view, so palpable was It. wilderness—In which all the necessaries of life are wanting. On the contrary, Jehovah was a never-falling source of supply for all Israel's wants in the wilderness, and afterwards in Canaan, darkness lit., darkness of Jehovah, the strongest J?i?6rei« term for darkness; the densest darkness; cf. "land of the shadow of death" (v. 6). We are lords i. e., We are our own masters. We will worship what gods we like (Psalm 12. 4; 82. 6). But it is better to translate from a different Hebrew root: "We ramble at large," without restraint pursuing our idolatrous lusts. 33. Oriental females greatly pride themselves on their ornaments (cf. Isaiah 61. 10). attire girdles for the breast. forgotten me—<Ch. 12. 25; Hosea 8. 14.) 33. Why trimmeat Matjrer translates, " Hoiv skilfidly thou dost prepare thy way," Ac. But see 2 Kings 9. 30. "Trimmest" best suits the Image of one decking herself as a harlot, way—course of life, therefore accordingly. Or else, " nay, thou hast even," <tc. also . . . wicked one»—even the wicked harlots, i. e. (laying aside the metaphor) even the Genttles who are wicked, thou teachest to be still more so. (Grotius.] 34. Also—Not only art thou polluted with Idolatry, but also with the guilt of shedding innocent blood. [Maukkr.J Rosenmuller not so well translates, "even in thy skirts," Ac, t. e., there is no part of thee (not even thy skirts) that is not stained with innocent blood (ch.
all thy might; with incorrigible persistency. [Calvin.] 6. From here to ch. 6. 30, Is a new discourse, delivered in Josiah's reign ; it consists of two parts, the former extending to ch. 4. 3, in which he warns Judah from the example of Israel's doom, and yet promises Israel final restoration the latter a threat of Babylonian invasion; as Nabopolassar founded the Babylonian empire, 625 b. c, the seventeenth of Josiah, this prophecy is perhaps not earlier than that date (ch. 4. 5, &c. ; 5. 14, Ac; 6. 1, Ac; 22.); and probably not later than the second thorough reformation In the eighteenth year of the same reign, backsliding— lit., apostasy ; not merely apostate, but apostasy itself, the essence of it (v. 14, 22). 7. I said— (2 Kings 17. 13.) sister— (Ezekiel 16. 46 ; 23. 2, 4.) 8. I saw that, though (whereas) it was for this very reason (namely), because backsliding (apostate) Israel had committed adultery I had put her away (2 Kings 17. 6, 18), and given her a bill of divorce, yet Judah, Ac. (Ezekiel 23. 1}, Ac.) bill of Aivoi ce—lit., a " writing ot cuttings off." The plural implies the completeness of the severance. The use of this metaphor here, as in the former discourse (v. 1), Implies a close connection between the discourses. The epithets are characteristic
Israel "apostate" (as the Hebrew for "backsliding" is better rendered); Judah, not as yet atterly apostate, but