Date. 588. He slays Gedaliah. He takes the people to the Ammonites. The prophet's reply on the 10th day. They take the remnant to Egypt. Jeremiah prophesies against Egypt. He foretells its destruction by Nebu- He warns the Jews against idolatry. Ps. lxxix., lxxiv., lxxxiii., civ. Several verses are omitted in the foregoing Events" "Order of as referring to transactions already noted, and may be found in parallel passages. By referring to this Order, the young student can readily connect each chapter with the Events which preceded or followed in point of time. NOTES ON THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH. [The historical chapters alone being required, the predictions are omitted here. The chapters containing them may be found in the "Order of Events," in order to give a completeness to the work; but the predictions are not printed except when they form portions of historical chapters.] The ordinary chronology is followed here to prevent confusion between the dates given in the Bible and those given in the Assyrian Cylinders; but the latter are given in the Appendix, and can be easily adjusted to the events, if necessary. B.C. 629.] CHAPTER I. [13th of Josiah. The general title, 1-3. Jeremiah's call to the prophetical office, 4-10. His visions of the "almond tree," and the "seething pot," 11-16. Jeremiah's defence, 17-19. Introduction.-(v. 1) "The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin (v. 2) To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. (v. 3) It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth mouth." His Call or Inauguration.-(v. 4) "Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (v. 5) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (v. 6) Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. (v. 7) But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. (v. 8) Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. (v. 9) Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." The Objects of his Ministry.-(v. 10) "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, and to build and to plant." The Almond Tree (Vision 1).—(v. 11) " Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. (v. 12) Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen for Í will hasten my word to perform it." The Seething Pot (Vision 2).-(v. 13) "And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. (v. 14) Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. (v. 15) For lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. (v. 16) And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands." Jeremiah is made as Brazen Walls.-(v. 17) "Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. (v. 18) For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. (v. 19) And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee." "The words of Jeremiah," v. 1.-The name Yirmyahu (Jeremiah) may mean either Jehovah shall throw down (destroy), or Jehovah shall exalt. "Son of Hilkiah," v. 1.-Most probably the high priest in Josiah's reign, by whom the Book of the Law was found in the Temple (2 Ks. xxii. 8). He must have been a person of rank and influence, because,— 66 (1) Zedekiah spared him, though he put Urijah to death (xxvi. 23). (2) The princes treated him with great respect (xxvi. 10-17). (3) He was on terms of intimacy with Ahikam (xxvi. 24), and with his son Gedaliah (xl. 5, 6). (4) The Chaldean king treated him with respect (xl. 1-4). (5) Baruch, whose grandfather was governor of the city, was his friend and secretary (2 Chron. xxxiv. 8; Jer. li. 59, xxxii. 12). Of the priests," v. 1.-The line of Eleazar; but priests of the line of Ithamar may also have resided there. See 1 Ks. ii. 26, 27. "In Anathoth," v. 1.—Now Anata, a town in Benjamin, about three miles north-west of Jerusalem, one of the four cities belonging to the Kohathites; Josh. xxi. 18. It lay on the line of Sennacherib's march; Isa. x. 30. "In the days of Josiah," v. 2.-Josiah was succeeded by four kings; but two only are named here, because the reigns of the other two, Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin, were too short for notice, only three months each. "Thirteenth year of his reign," v. 2.-He began to reign B.C. 641, the thirteenth year would therefore be B.C. 629. "In the days of Jehoiakim," v. 3.-Josiah was slain B.C. 610; Jehoahaz reigned only three months; Jehoiakim succeeded, therefore, in the same year, and reigned to 599 -eleven years. "The end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah," v. 3.-Jehoiakim was succeeded by Jeconiah, or Jehoiachin, his son, who reigned only three months; Zedekiah then succeeded in the same year (B.C. 599), and reigned eleven years, to 588.-See Line-chart of Kings, Appendix B. "The carrying away of Jerusalem," v. 3.-The city was taken in the fourth month, but destroyed in the fifth, called Ab; 2 Ks. xxv. 3, 8. The ninth day was observed as a fast day in remembrance; Zech. vii. 3. "The word of the Lord came,” v. 4.—In this word, came," he seems to convey that he rather resisted the Divine call; ch. xv. 18; xx. 7, 14-18.-Sp. Com. "I knew thee," v. 5.-Chose, selected " instrument;" Gen. xviii. 19; Matt. vii. 23. as my chosen "I sanctified thee," v. 5. -Having first selected, God now consecrates him, by separation, to his sacred office; Gal. i. 15, 16. "I ordained thee," v. 5.-The three words seem to mean I approved of thee, I separated thee, and now, I have appointed thee a prophet to the nations. 66 'Ah, Lord God!” v. 6.—Alas, O Lord God! Josh. vii. 7 ; Isa. vi. 5. "I cannot speak,” v. 6.—Prophesy. I have not the powers of oratory, &c., requisite for such an office. The prophets were the national preachers," and in political matters, "orators." 66 "I am a child," v. 6.—The word here used (nahar) is employed to designate young men as well as children; 1 Ks. ii. 2; 2 Sam. xviii. 5. He may have been of any age between fourteen and twenty-five. "Whatsoever I command thee," v. 7.-For inspiration constrains the person inspired, to convey God's will; Num. xxii. 12, 20; Jer. xx. 9. "I am with thee," v. 8,-Exod. iii. 12; Josh. i. 5. "Touched my mouth," v. 9,-a symbolical act, implying that God will give him power to speak when needed, v. 6. Isai. vi. 7, li. 16; Ezek. ii. 4; Luke xxi. 15. "I have put my words," v. 9.-This is the explanation of the foregoing symbolical action-(1) Opening his mouth for utterance; (2) for God's messages to man, “my words." Isai. li. 10, 11. "Set thee over the nations," v. 10.-Lit., I have made thee my deputy, (pakid),-ch. xx. 1," Chief-Governor." "To root out, pull down, destroy," v. 10.-Prophets are said to do what they only foretell, for with God "word and deed are one thing;" Psa. xxxiii. 6-9, and Jer. xxxi. 28. |