Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Chaldeans liaise the Siege. JEEEMIAH XXXVII, XXXVIII. Their Metwn and Success Pre(liciod.
writing being divided into columns, lilie pages, penknife —^the writer's knife with wliich ttie reed, used as a pen, was mended. " He" refers to the king (u. 22). As often as Jehudi read tliree or four columns, tlie king cut asunder the part of the roll read; and so he treated the wliole, until all the parts read consecutively were cut and hurnt meet Pharaoh. .5. After this temporary diversion, caused by Pharaoh in favour of Jerusalem, the Egyptians returned no more to its help (2 Kings 24. 7). Judea had the misfortune to lie between the two great contending powers, Babylon and Egypt, and so was exposed to the alternate inroads of the one or the other. Josiah, taking side with Assyria, fell in battle witli Pliaraoh-necho al Megiddo (2 Kings 23. 29). Zedekiah, seeking the Egyptian alliance in violation of his oath, was now about to be taken by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36. 13 ; Ezekiel 17.
ti. 21, "all these words," imply that the whole volume was read through, not merely the first three or four columns
(1 Kings 22. 8). 34. The king and his "servants" were more hardened tlian the " princes" and councillors (u. 12-
15, 17). 7. shall return—witliout accomplishing any deliverance for you. 8. (Ch. 34. 22.) 9. yourselves Hebrew, " souls." 10. yet . . . tliey—even a few wounded men would suflice for your destruction. 11. broken up "gone up." 13. Benjamin—to his own town, Anathoth. to separate himself—Jlfarj/in translates, " lo slip away," from a Hebrew root, "to be smooth," so, to slip away as a slippery thing that cannot be held. But it is not likely the prophet of God would flee in a dishonourable way ; and "in the midst of the people" rather implies open departure along with others, than clandestine slipping away by mixing with the crowd of departing people. Ratlier, it means, to separate himself, or to divide his place of residence, so as to live partly here, partly there, without fixed habitation, going to and fro among the people. [Ludovicus DE DiEU.] Maurer translates, "to take his portion tlience," to realize the produce of his property in Anathoth [Henderson], or to take possession of the land which he bought from Hanameel. [Maurer.] 13. ward i. e., the guard, or watch. Hananiah—whose death Jeremiah predicted (ch. 28. 16); the grandson in revenge takes Jeremiah into custody on the charge of deserting (" tliou fallest away," ch. 38. 19; 52. 15; 1 Samuel 29. 3) to the enemy. His prophecies gave colour to the charge (cli. 21. 9; 3S. i). 15. scribe—one of the court secretaries ; often in tlie East part of the private house of a public officer serves as a prison. 16. dungeon . . . cabins—the prison consisted of a pit (the " dungeon") witii vaulted cells round tlie sides of it. The "cabins," from a root, to bend one's self. 17. secretly —Zed€kiah was ashamed to be seen by his courtiers consuiting Jeremiali (John 12. 43; 5. 4-1; 19. 38). thou shalt be delivered—Had Jeremiali consulted his earthly interests, he would have answered very difi'erentiy. Contrast ch.
16, Notes). Contrast the humble fear exhibited by Josiah at the reading of the law (2 Kings 22. 11). 35. {Note, v. 16.) The "nevertheless" aggravates the king's sin; tliough God would have drawn him back through their intercession, he persisted: judicial blindness and reprobation! 36. HammelecH—not as Margin, " of tlie king." Jeholakim at tills time (the fifth year of his reign) had no grown-up son: Jeconiah, his successor, was then a boy of eleven (cf. 2 Kings 23. 36, with 21. 8). Iiid them—(Psalm
31. 20; 83. 3; Isaiah 26. 20.) 37. roll, and . . . woi-ds—t. e., the roll of words. 38. all the former words—It is in vain that the ungodly resist the power of Jehovali not one of His words shall fall to the ground (Matthew
5. 18; Acts 9. 5; 5. 39). 39. say to Jeholaklm—not in person, as Jeremiali was "hidden" (v. 26), but by the written word of prophecy, saying, Why—This is what the king had desired to be said to Jeremiah if he should be found kings often dislike the truth to be told them. 30. He shall Iiave none to sit upon the throne—fulfilled (2 Kings 24.8, 25). He had successois, but not directly of his posterity, except fits son Jeconiah, whose three months' reign is counted as nothing. Zedekiah was not son, but uncle of Jeconiah, and was raised to the tin-one in contempt of him and his father Jehoiakim (ch. 22. 30). dead body . . . cast ont—(Ch. 22. 18, 19.) day . . . heat. . . night . . . frost—there are often these variations of temperature in the East between night and day (Genesis
31. lOj. 33. added besides . . . many like words—Sinners gain uotliing but additional punishment by setting aside the word of Jehovah. The law was similarly l ewritten after tlie first tables had been broken owing to
Israel's idolatry (Exodus 32., 34).
6. 14; Isaiah 3(). 10; Ezekiel 13. 10. 18. What—In what respect have I offended? 19. AVliere arc now your prophets—The event has showed them to be liars; and, as surely as the king of Babylon has come already, notwithstanding their prophecy, so surely sliall he return. 30. be accepted—ratlier, " let my supplication be humbly presented" (ch. 36. 7, Note.) [Henderson.] lest I die titere —in tlie subterranean dungeon (v. 16), from want of proper sustenance {v. 21.) The prophet naturally shrank from death, which makes his spiritual firmness the more remarkable;' he was ready to die rather than swerve from his duty. [Calvin.] 31. court of the prison—(Ch. 32. 2;
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 buliness 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 Malclilali, 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 satisfied" (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