Where God himself does these things, Jeremiah does it by the word of the Lord in his mouth.

"To build, to plant,” v. 10.—Four words for destruction, only two for restoration.

"What seest thou?" v. 11.-God communicated his revelations to the prophets by visions, as well as in other ways; Isai. vi. 1; and John xii. 41..

"Of an almond tree," v. 11.-The name of this tree, shaked, is derived from the verb shakad, (to awake), because it awakes from the sleep of winter earlier than other trees; hence it becomes the symbol of an early fulfilment.

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A seething pot," v. 13.—Lit., a pot blown under, therefore kept boiling, because the fire is kept bright under it by blowing.

"The face.. toward the north," v. 13.-Lit., from the north-ready therefore to pour out its contents toward the south-toward Jerusalem. See v. 14, 15; ch. xxxix. 5, lii. 9.

"Out of the north," v. 14.-Babylon was directly east of Judea; but not being able to cross the desert, an army invading Judea must enter the land from the north. See Sennacherib's line of march. Isai. x.

Break forth," v. 14.-Indicating the suddenness of the danger.

"I will call," v. 15.-Like Sennacherib (Isai. x. 5, 6), the Chaldeans were instruments in the Lord's hand for chastening his people; ch. xxv. 9, "my servant," and Prov. xvi. 4.

"The families," v. 15.—The various tribes or clans of which the Chaldean kingdom was made up.

"Set every one his throne," v. 15.—Literally fulfilled, ch. xxxix. 3.

"Of the gates," v. 15.-The usual place for administering justice; Psa. cxxvii. 5. They sat there to judge the captive Jews.

"I will utter my judgments," v. 16.-The decisions of the Chaldean princes in the gate would be really God's judgments, for they were unconsciously overruled by Him.

"The works of their own hands," v. 16.-Idols of gold, silver, or wood. Isai. xliv. 16, 17.

"Gird up thy loins," v. 17.-The long eastern robe which retarded progress. Luke xii. 35; 1 Pet. i. 13; Heb. xii. 1, 2. Dismayed confound," v. 17.-The same verb is used for both, conveying the idea of retributive chastise

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ment. Be not dismayed at them, lest I make thee dismayed before them.-Br. and F.

"An iron pillar.. brazen walls," v. 18.-Giving him such strength from God, that nothing should turn him aside-Ezek. iii. 9; fulfilled in his singular strength of character and tenacity of purpose—ch. xx., xxi., xxxvii., Xxxviii.

"Princes.. priests people," v. 18.-The ruling powers, the religious teachers, and the mass of the people, all equally corrupt-Ezek. viii. 3-16; hence the punishment. The iniquity of the city was nearly full. Gen. xv. 16.

B.C. 610.]

CHAPTER XIII. [1st of Jehoiakim.

(See "Order of Events," p. 16).

Symbolical prophecy of the "Marred Girdle hidden at the River Euphrates, 1-8.

The Marred Girdle.-(v. 1) "Thus saith the Lord unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. (v.2) So I got a girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins."

The First Journey to the Euphrates.-(v. 3) "And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, (v.4) Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. (v. 5) So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me."

Second Journey to the Euphrates.-(v. 6) "And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. (v. 7) Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. (v. 8) Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (v. 9) Thus saith the Lord, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. (v. 10) This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this

girdle, which is good for nothing. (v. 11) For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory but they would not hear. (v. 12) Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? (v. 13) Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. (v. 14) And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them."

:

"A linen girdle," v. 1, linen," as the appointed dress of the priests, Lev. xvi. 4; and the "girdle," a symbol of activity.-Sp. Com.

"Put it not in water," v. 1.-Indicating the moral uncleanness of the Jewish state and people. Ezek. viii., and xvi. 4-6.

"Put it upon thy loins," v. 1,-to show how close the people of Jerusalem had been brought to the Lord, and yet they must now be cast off; v. 11; Exod. xxix. 5.

"Go to Euphrates," v. 4.-Some think that Phrath, here rendered by Euphrates, means Ephratha (Mic. v. 2), and that Jeremiah actually went there; others say that here and in ch. xxv. we have internal acts—a journey, not in the world of sight and sense, but spiritual; Rev. i. 10. Phrath would, with this view, mean Euphrates, to which, about 200 miles away, Jeremiah made his double journey in spirit, not in body.

"Hide it there," v. 4.-Implying that the people of Judah were to be hidden there in captivity-lost sight of for years.

"In a hole of the rock," v. 4.—In a cleft of the rock; Isai. vii. 19.

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After many days," v. 6.—After 70 years the people returned from Babylon. The many days in the vision mean the 70 years.

"Go to Euphrates, and take," v. 6.-They were brought back under Zerubbabel, but their pride was then indeed marred, v. 9.

"And digged," v. 7.-Having filled the hole or cleft with earth or gravel, he dug it out again to get the girdle. "Will I mar the pride of Judah," v. 9; Lev. xxvi. 19.— They were to return stripped of their temporal power and greatness.

"This evil people," v. 10.—The decay was of the ungodly and idolatrous only; the good were strengthened by the exile in Babylon. See ch. xxiv. 5-7.

"Every bottle," v. 12.—The word for "potters' vessel" is here used-every jar-Isai. xxx. 14; a new symbolical action, signifying the coming destruction of the city.

"With drunkenness,” v. 13.—With the impotence of drunkenness; as powerless as drunkards.-Sp. Com. It may also convey the infatuation of the people and their kings.

B.C. 610.]

CHAPTER XVII. [1st of Jehoiakim. He is commanded to stand in the gates and proclaim that God's Sabbaths are to be hallowed, 19-23.

The Prophet stands in the Gate.-(v. 19) "Thus said the Lord unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem.”

His proclamation touching the Sabbaths.—(v. 20) "And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: (v. 21) Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; (22) Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. (v. 23) But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction."

The Lord's promises to obedience.-(v. 24) "And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; (v. 25) Then there shall enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and this city shall remain for ever. (v. 26) And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord."

His threatenings to disobedience.-(v. 27) "But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."

"Stand in the gate," v. 19.-He is commanded to publish his prophecy in the gate, because it was the public thoroughfare, and the place where business was transacted. Ruth iv. 1.

"The children of the people the kings," v. 19.— The gate of the Temple by which the people entered in, whether kings or commoners, a separate gate having been assigned for the use of the priests.

"In all the gates of Jerusalem," v. 19.-For the violation of the Sabbath was charged against all the inhabitants. "Ye kings of Judah," v. 20.-The royal house of Judah is addressed, not Jehoiakim and his successors alone.

"Take heed to yourselves," v. 21,-to your souls,—not merely to your lives, but with a deeper meaning,-lest the violation of the Sabbath should lead to the loss of their souls.

"No burden on the Sabbath-day," v. 21.-To prevent this Sabbath traffic, Nehemiah ordered the gates to be kept closed during the Sabbath. Neh. xiii. 19.

"Hallow ye the Sabbath-day," v. 22; Exod. xx. 8.— From Saul's accession (B.c. 1095) to the Captivity (B.c. 606)