Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Prophet's LcUey to the Captives, JEREMIAH XXIX. Forelellina their Return njltr Semntv Yen-t.
adage saith, " The people wish to be deceived, so let them be deceived." Not mere credulity misleads men, but their own perverse " love of darkness rather than liglit."
tlie fulfilment of His word. Honce Jeremiah deigns no repiy (r. 11 ; Matthew 7. «). 11. neck of all nations—opposed to ch. 27. 7. 13. Thou Ua«t broken . . . wood . . . tliou 8UaIt ninke , . . Iron—Not here, " Thou hast broken
It was not priests who originated priestcraft, but the people's own morbid appetite to be deceived ; e. g., Aaron ana the golden calf (Exodus 32. 1-4). So the Jews caused or made the prophets to tell them encouraging dreams (ch. 23.25,26; Ecclesiastes 5. 7; Zechariah 10.2; John 3. 19-21). 10. (Note, ch. 25. 11, 12; Daniel 9. 2). This proves that the seventy years date from Jeconiah's captivity, not from the last captivity. The specification of time was to curb. . . wood," and "7 will malvC . . . iron" (cf. v. 10). The same false propliets who, by lu-King the Jews to rebel, had caused tlieni to throw off the then comparatively ecvj/yoke of Babylon, thereliy brought on them a more set'ei-e yoke imposed by that city. "Yokes of iron," alluding to Deut<!ronomy 2S. 48. It is better to take up a light cross in our way, than to pull a heavier on our own heads. We may escape destroying providences by submitting to humbling providences. So, spiritually, contrast the " easj' yoke" of Christ witli the " yoke of Ijondage" of the law (Acts 15. 10; CJalatinns .5. 1). 14. I Uave pnt—Though Hananiah and those like him were secondarj instruments in bringing tlie impatience of tlie Jews, lest they should hasten before God's time, good word— promise of a return. 11. I know—/alone; not the false prophets who know nothing of my purposes, though tliey pretend to know, thoughts ... I think—(Lsaiah 5.5. 9.) Glancing at the Jews who had no " thoughts of peace," but only of "evil" (misfortune), because they could not conceive how deliverance could come to them. The moral malady of man is twofold—at one time vain confidence, then, when that is disappointed, despair. So the Jews first laughed at God's threats, confident tliat they should speedily return ; then, when castdowu from that confidence, they sank in inconsolable despondency, expected end lit., end and expectlie iron yoke on Judea, God was tlie great FirstCause (ch.
4-7). 15. makest . . . trnst in a lie—<Ch. 29. 31; Ezekiel
13.22.) 16. this year ; . . die—The prediction was uttered in the fl/lh month (u. 1); Hananiah's death took place in the sevetUh month, i.e., within lu'O months after the prediction, answering witli awful significance to the tivo Hears in which Hananiah had foretold that the yoke imposed by Babylon would end. rebellion-opposition to God's plain direction, that all should submit to Babylon tation, i. c, an end, and tliat such an end as you wish for. Two nouns joined by and, standing for a noun and adjective. So in ch. of). 27, " the roll and the words," i. e., theroll
CHAPTER XXIX.
of tvords ; Genesis 3. 16, " sorrow and conception," i. e., sorrow in conception. Cf. Proverbs 23. IS, where, as here, end means a happy issue. 13. Fulfilled (Daniel 9. 3, &c.). When God designs mercy, he puts it into the hearts of His people to pray for the rnrcy designed. When such a spirit of prayer is poured out, it is a sure sign of coming mercy, go— to the temple and other places of prayer: contrasted witli their previous sloth as to going to seek God. 13. (Leviticus 26. 40-42, 41, 45.) 14. to be found— (Psalm 32. 6; Isaiah 55. C.) turn . . . captivity—play upon sounds, s/iafit . . . shebith. 15. Because—referring not to the preceding words, but to v. 10, 11, "Jehovah saith this to you" (i. e., the prophecy of the continuance of the captivity seventy years), " because ye liave said. The Lord hathraised us up prophets in Babylon," tuz.^ foretelling our speedy deliverance (this their prophecy is supposed, not expressed ; accordingly, v. 16-19 contradicts this false hope again, v. 8,
Ver. 1-32. Letter of Jeremiah to the Captives in Babylon, to Counteract the Assurances Given by THE False Prophets of a Speedy Restoration. 1. residae of the elders—Those still surviving from the time when they were carried to Babylon with Jeconiah the other elders of the captives had died by either a natural or a violent death. 2. queen—Nehushta, the queenmother, daughter of EInathan (2 Kings 2t. 8, 15). (Elnatban, her father, perhaps is the same as the one ch. 26.
22.) She reigned jointly with her son. princes—All the men of authority were taken away, lest they should organize a rebellion. Jeremiah wrote his letter whilst the calamity was still recent, to console the captives under it. 3. ZedekiaU . . . sent unto Babylon—In ch. 51. 59, Zedekiah himself goes to Babylon; here he sends ambassadors. Whatever was the obje<'tof the embassy, it shows that Zedekiah only reigned at the pleasure of the king of Babylon, who might have restored Jeconiah, had he pleased. Hence, Zedekiah permitted Jeremiah's letter to be sent, not only as being led by Hananiah's death to attach greater credit to the prophet's words, but also as the letter accorded with his own wish that the Jews should remain in Chaldea till Jeconiah's death. Hilkiah —the high priest who found the book of the law in the house of the Lord, and showed it to "Shaphan" the scribe (the same Shaphan probably as here), who showed it to King .losiah (2 Kings 22. 8, &c.). The sons of Hilkiah and Shaphan inherited from their fathers some respect for sacred things. Soin ch. Sfi. 2.5, "Gemariah" interceded witli King Jehoiakiin that the prophet's roll should not be burned. 3. Build . . . houses—In opposition to the false prophets' suggestions, who told the captives that their captivity would soon cease, Jeremiah tells them that it will be of long duration, and that therefore they should build houses, as Babylon is to be for long their homo. 6. that ye . . . be . . . not diminished—It was God's will that the seed of Abraham should not fail ; thus consolation Is given them, and the hope, though not of an Immediate, yet of an ultimate return. 7. (Ezra 6. 10; Romans l.S. I; 1 Timothy 2. 2.) Not only bear the Babylonian yoke patiently, but pray for your masters, i. e., whilst the captivity lasts. God's good time was to come when they were to pray for Babylon's downfall (ch. 51. 8.5; Psalm 137. 8). They were not to forestall that time. True religion teaches patient submission, not sedition, even though the prince be an unbeliever. In all states of life let us not throw away the comfort we may have, because we have not all we would have. There is here a foretaste of gospel love towards enemies (Matthew 5. 44). 8. your dreams wliicli yc caiued to be dreamed—The Latin
9,21). He, in this 15th verse, turns his address from the godly (v. 12-14) to the ungodly listeners to false prophets. 16. people . . i«i this city . . . not gone forth—So far from your returning to Jeru.salem soon, evenyoar brethren still left dwelling there shall themselves also be cast into exile. He mentions "the throne of David," lest they should think that, because David's kingdom was to be perpetual, no severe, though temporary, chastisements could interpose (Psalm 89. 29-36). 17. vile ligs Hebrew, "horrible," or nauseoius, from a root, to regard with loathing (see ch. 24. 8, 10). 18. removed to all . . . kingdoniis—(Ch. 15.4; Deuteronomy 28.25.) curse, <fec. — (Ch. 29. 6; 18.16;
19. 8.) ai. Zedekiah—brother of Zephaniali (v. 25), both being sons of Maaseiah. Probably of the same family as the false prophet under Aliab in Israel (1 Kings 22. 11, 24). 33. shall be taken ... a curse i. e., a formula of imprecation. Lord make tliee like Zedekluh—(Cf. Genesis 48.
20; Isaiah 65. 15.) roasted in the fire—a Chaldean punishment (Daniel 3. 6). 23. villainy lit., sinful folly (Isaiah
32. 6). 34r-33. A second communication which Jeremiah sent to Babylon, after the messenger who carried his first letter had brought a letter from the false prophet Shemaiah to Zephaniah, &c., condemning Jeremiah and reproving the authorities for not having apprehended him. Nehclamlte — a name derived either from his father or from a place: alluding at the same time to the Hebrew meaning, "a dreamer" (cf. i;. 8). 35. in thy name—without sanction of "the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel," which words stand in antithesis to thy name (John 5. 43;. Zephaniah—the second priest, or substitute (Sagan) of the high priest. He was one of those sent to consult Jeremiah by Zedekiah (ch. 21. 1). Slain by Nebuchadnezzar at the capture of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25. 18,
21). Zephaniah was in particular add' "used, as beinc 535