ing, which perished without remedy, a new generation being substituted in their place 70 years afterwards.

"Make this city as Tophet," v. 12.-As defiled with the dead-as Tophet-ch. vii. 32. "No place to bury," 2 Ks. xxiii. 10.

"Because of houses. . whose roofs," v. 13.-God will break down all the houses whose roofs have been defiled by idolatrous worship. Retributive chastisement is again traceable in the repetition of the word "houses," ch. i. 17, and note.

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Upon whose roofs," v. 13.-The roofs of Eastern houses being flat, were used for various purposes :-For festivals, Judg. xvi. 27; for exercise, 2 Sam. xi. 2; for tents or booths, Neh. viii. 16 (during the Feast of Tabernacles); for public meetings, Matt. x. 27; for the worship of the host of heaven, ch. xxxii. 29, 2 Ks. xxiii. 11, and Zeph. i. 5. "The host of heaven," v. 13.-Here, evidently, the sun and planets. Job xxxi. 26, 27.

"Stood in the court of the Lord's house," v. 14.—This was the largest court; usually the greatest crowd was there, 2 Chron. xx. 5. It was this repetition of his prophecy in the Temple court that irritated the priests, and caused Pashur, the deputy-governor, to smite him, ch. xx. 1, 2.

"I will bring upon this city," v. 15.-This verse contains a brief summary of Jeremiah's prophecy, and is added as an explanation of the symbolical prophecy in v. 1-10. Upon all her towns," v. 15.-Suburban villages and towns such as Bethany, are referred to.

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B.C. 610.]

CHAPTER XX. [1st of Jehoiakim.

Jeremiah is imprisoned by Pashur, son of Immer, the principal officer of the Temple, for prophesying within its precincts, 1-2. He predicts the "doom of Pashur," 3-6. He complains to the Lord, 7-18.

Jeremiah smitten and imprisoned.-(v. 1) "Now Pashur the son of Immer, the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. (v. 2) Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the

prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord."

His prophecy of Pashur's captivity and death.-(v. 3) "And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib. (v. 4) For thus saith the Lord, Behold I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends : and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. (v. 5) Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hands of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. (v. 6) And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies."

His complaint to Jehovah.-(v. 7) "O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. (v. 8) For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord_was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. (v. 9) Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. (v. 10) For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. `(v. 11) But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. (v. 12) But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. (v. 13) Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath

delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. (v. 14) Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. (v. 15) Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. (v. 16) And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; (v. 17) Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. (v. 18) Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame."

"Pashur the son of Immer," v. 1.-There were two persons of this name, both priests; but the Pashur here named was head of the sixteenth course of priests, of which Immer had been head in David's time, 1 Chron. xxiv. 14; while the other Pashur named in ch. xxi. 1, belonged to the fifth course of priests, of which Melchijah had been the head.

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Chief governor," v. 1.-Rather, deputy-governor. The high priest was the Nagid, or chief governor, 1 Chron. ix. 11; 2 Chron. xxxi. 13; Neh. xi. 11. Pashur was his Pakid, or deputy, ch. i. 10, where Jeremiah is styled Jehovah's Pakid, or deputy. This is what is called the second priest, in 2 Ks. xxv. 18; Jer. lii. 24. Seraiah was at this time the high priest or Nagid.

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Prophesied these things," v. 1.-In the court of the Temple, ch. xix. 14, 15.

"Smote Jeremiah," v. 2.--Compare 1 Ks. xxii. 24— where Micaiah is smitten before King Ahab-and Matt. xxvi. 67.

"In the stocks," v. 2.-The word rendered stocks is derived from a verb signifying to twist. There were five holes in it, into which the neck, hands, and feet were thrust, the body being thus kept in a crooked or bent posture, ch. xxix. 26. It is rendered by "prison house” in 2 Chron. xvi. 10. See also Acts xvi. 24.

"In the high gate," v. 2.-The upper gate, 2 Ks. xv. 35, built by King Jotham, Ezek. viii. 3, 5. It was not a city gate, but the "northern gate of the inner court of the Temple."-Sp. Com.

"Not Pashur, but Magor-missabib," v. 3.-Pashur means, security on every side. His new name means terror on every side. It is explained in v. 4 and ch. vi. 25. The word is used by Jeremiah several times almost as a watchword, ch. xx. 3, 10; xlvi. 5; xlix. 29; also in Ps. xxxi. 13.

"A terror," v. 4.-The "terror" predicted in this name was most probably the remorse which Pashur felt when he saw how the king, misled by his advice, contrary to Jeremiah's counsel, was brought into captivity. He became "a terror to himself and to all his friends," v. 4.

“All the strength of this city," v. 5.-Its resources-stores laid up in magazines-wealth. "Labours,"-fruits of labour, their gains.

"All the treasures," v. 5.-These words recall the warnings given to Hezekiah when he displayed his treasures before the ambassadors of the king of Babylon, Isa. xxxix.

"And thou, Pashur," v. 6.-Pashur was a sincere and patriotic man. He regarded submission to the Chaldeans as wholly opposed to the interests of Judah (see Introduction, p. 14), and advocated an alliance with Egypt. Notwithstanding, therefore, his rough treatment of Jeremiah, his sentence from the prophet's lips is only captivity in Babylon, and a peaceable death there; while his successor, as Pakid, was put to death, ch. lii. 24-27.

"Thou hast deceived me," v. 7.-Having been kept for hours under the torture of the stocks (v. 2), and exposed to the ridicule of his enemies, the prophet, in the bitterness of his spirit, complains that instead of being an “iron pillar" (ch. i. 18) against the whole land, he was allowed to be trodden down and degraded. Like others, he had mistaken the real meaning of the promises, ch. i. The Lord had said he should not be overcome by his enemies, but not that he should not be tried. John xvi. 33; Isai. xliii. 2.

"I will not make mention," v. 9.-Disappointed at the result of his prophetic ministrations, he determined to prophesy no more; but the word of Jehovah was in him as a burning fire," and the Spirit constrained him to speak. 1 Pet. i. 11.

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"All my familiars," v. 10.-Mine acquaintance-the men with whom I am at peace. The Hebrew is the men of my peace, Psa. xli. 9-the Eastern salutation being

"Peace to thee," and "to thee peace." Here, possibly, Jeremiah may be regarded as a type of Christ, as in ch. xxxviii. 22; see also Job xix. 19; Psa. lv. 13, 14.

"Watch for my halting," v. 10.-Reference is again to Psa. xxxv. 15, xxxviii. 17.

Sing unto the Lord," v. 13.-He now learned to leave his cause in God's hands, and experienced the peace which always flows from full trust.

"Cursed be the day," v. 14.-Similar to Job iii. This passage seems to have been written to show how dark his spirit had been before he realised peace, v. 13.-See Sp. Com.

B.C. 609.]

CHAPTER XXVI. [2nd of Jehoiakim.

Jeremiah again prophesies in the Court of the Temple, urging the people to repent, 1-6. He is pronounced worthy of death by the priests and the false prophets, 7-15; but delivered by Ahikam and the princes, 16-24.

He prophesies in the Temple Court.-(v. 1) "In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord, saying, (v. 2) Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: (v. 3) If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. (v. 4) And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, (v. 5) To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; (v. 6) Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. (v. 7) So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord."