mission. They thought to escape the sword by fleeing into Egypt, but even there it followed them.

"That set their faces," v. 17.-Openly reject God's word, and decide on going there. By these words Jeremiah and others are excepted, who went there against their will; ch. xliv. 14, 28.

"As. my fury hath been poured," v. 18.-They had felt it in Judea, which was now desolate, because of sin; and they shall feel it to the same extent in Egypt, notwithstanding their trust in it.

"Ye shall die... in the place," v. 22.-They expected to go to Egypt, and afterwards return to Judah in better times; but Jeremiah warns them that they shall never return-they shall die in the place whither they desire to go.

CHAPTER XLIII.

Johanan and the captains reject the prophet's advice, and go down to Egypt, carrying Jeremiah and the captive people with them. They settle at Tahpenes. Under a type Jeremiah foretells the conquest of Egypt, and the fate of these fugitives, by Nebuchad

nezzar.

The Captains reject the Lord. (v. 1) "And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words, (v. 2) Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely; the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: (v. 3) But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. (v. 4) So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah."

They come down to Egypt-(v. 5) "But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; (v. 6) Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. (v. 7) So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord. Thus came they even to Tahpanhes."

Jeremiah builds before the palace-(v. 8) "Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, (v. 9) Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; (v. 10) And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid: and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.”

The type explained.—(v. 11) “And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death, to death; and such as are for captivity, to captivity and such as are for the sword, to the sword. (v. 12) And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. (v. 13) He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt: and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.”

“Azariah the son of Hoshaiah,” v. 2.-He is called Jezaniah in ch. xlii. 1. There was another of the same name at this time in Babylon. Dan. i. 7; iii. 12-18.

"Baruch the son of Neriah," v. 3.-He was known to have been in favour of the Chaldean alliance; hence the distrust manifested by Azariah and the others who belonged to the Egyptian party.

"Setteth thee on," v. 3.-A little before, they had appealed to Jeremiah to pray to the Lord for them; now they reject both the Lord and his prophet; ch. xlii. 2, 3, 5, 6, 20.

"From all nations," v. 5.-They had come from neighbouring states, such as Edom, Moab, Ammon, &c.; ch. xl. 11, 12. See ch. xxv. 26, and note.

"At Tahpanhes," v. 7.-Now Daphne, on the Tanitic branch of the Nile. In ch. ii. 16 it is called Tahapenes (in Heb., Tachpanches). It was called by the Greeks Daphnæ Pelusii, being near Pelusium. It was the first town on the frontier towards Palestine.

"Take great stones," v. 9.-To be laid as the foundation of Nebuchadnezzar's throne when he should come to Egypt to conquer it, and to punish still further the rebellious Jews who had trusted in its power.

"Hide them in the clay," v. 9,-rather under a layer of mortar, as for building. They were to be seen, not hidden. "At the entry of Pharaoh's house," v. 9.-The palace was at this time undergoing repairs, and the brickkiln was at its entry; but as bricks were usually dried in the sun in Egypt, it is supposed that a pavement of bricks is here intended.

"And say unto them," v. 10.-When he had attracted their attention by building a little dais on which to set up a throne for Pharaoh, then he was to announce the Lord's decision to the people, who came round him in astonishment at such proceedings in such a place.

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My servant," v. 10.-See ch. xxv. 9, and note.

"Will set his throne upon these stones," v. 10.—The mock throne was to be set on the bricks. The whole transaction being intended to show that Nebuchadnezzar's throne was to be erected on the ruins of Pharaoh's.

"His royal pavilion," v. 10,-or canopy. According to some this refers to the rich tapestry which hung round his throne. According to others it is the large parasol which was held over the monarch's head by a bearer. It is represented frequently on the slabs.

"Such as are for death," v. 11.-Some shall die of the plague, brought on by crowding, neglect, and want of food, common in those times among captives; some by famine; some by the sword, ch. xv. 2.

"The houses of the gods," v. 12.-The temples of the idols of Egypt.

"Burn them, and carry them away," v. 12.-It may mean, burn the idols that were of wood, and carry away those of gold or silver. Or the first "them" may refer to the

I

temples; shall burn the temples, and carry away the idols, (generally of gold or silver)."

"Break the images of Bethshemesh," v. 13.—Images were obelisks. The word is translated pillar in Isai. xix. 19. Bethshemesh-the house of the sun-called also Heliopolis (the city of the sun) and on (Gen. xli. 45)—was north of Memphis, the Noph of Isai. xix. 13, (see also 18). There is an obelisk here still, 60 or 70 feet high, covered all round with hieroglyphics.

"Shall he burn," v. 13.-Here it is Nebuchadnezzar who shall burn. In v. 12 it is the Lord, for the king of Babylon is only a rod in his hand-his servant, v. 10

CHAPTER XLIV.

Jeremiah reproves the Jews for their idolatry in Egypt, and predicts their destruction. The people defend their worship of the queen of heaven. The fall of Egypt and death of Pharaoh foretold.

Jeremiah's censures for idolatry.-(v. 1) "The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, (v. 2) Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, (v. 3) Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. (v. 4) Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. (v. 5) But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods. (v. 6) Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day. (v. 7) Therefore now thus saith

the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; (v. 8) In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? (v. 9) Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem ? (v. 10) They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in the law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. (v. 11) Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. (v. 12) And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. (v. 13) For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence (v. 14) So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape. (v. 15) Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying."

Answer of the people.-(v. 16) "As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. (v. 17) But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink