Chsva—6 KE RE Wa
the prophet, directing himfelf to God, acknowledges the impotence of man in general to help and guide-himfelf, deprecates correction in anger to-himéelf in particular, and prays that the wrath of God-might be poured down upon the heathens, by whom his people were devoured, confumed and made defolate, -y..23, 24, 25.
¥. 1. Hear ye the word which the Lord Jpeaketh tunto.you; O-boufe of Ifrael.| Or, upon yous or, concerning you *; it may defign the judgment of
‘God decreed-and pronounced upon them; or: the prophecy-of~it to them, in which they were nearly concerned; or the word of God in general, {ent unto them*by his prophets, which they were backward of -hearing; and feems to refer particularly to what follows.
¥. 2. Lhus faith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, &c.| Of the nations round about them, particularly the Chaldeans; meaning their religious ways, their ways of worfhip, their fuperftition and idolatry; which they were very prone unto, and many of which they had learned already; and were in danger of learning more, as they were about to be difperfed in divers countries, and efpecially in Chaldea, which was a very fuperftitious and idolatrous nation: and be not difmayed at the Signs of beaven, by which are meant, not any extraordinary figns, fuch as are predicted in Foe ii.
0, 31. and-by our Lord, as figns of the laft defrodion of. Ferujalem, and of his coming, and of the end of the world, Matt. xxiv. 3, 29. Luke xxi. 25—28. but ordinary figns, which are no other than the fun; and moon, and ftars, which are fet up for figns and feafons,; and days and years, Gen.
i. 14. and as long as:they are obferved as figns of places and of times, it is well enough; but if more is attributed unto them, as portending things future, and as having’ an ‘influence on the birth and death, difpofitions and attions of: men, when in fuch a conjunction; fituation and pofition, it is wrong; which is what is called judicial aftrology, and to which the Chaldeans were much addicted, and is here condemned; nor fhould men_poffefs themfelves with fears with what fhall befal them on fuch ‘accounts, fince all things are under the determination, direction and influence of the God of heaven, and not the figns of them; efpecially they fhould not be fo obferved as to be worfhipped, and to be fo. awed by them, as to fear that evil things will befal, if they are not; and to this fenfe is the Syrreec-verfion, the figns of the heavens do not sworfoip, or fear. Farchi interprets them of the éclipfes of the luminaries, which may be thought to forebode fomie dreadful’ things ': for the heathen are difmdyed at them, which is a reafon why the people of God fhould. not, becaufe is is an heathenifh fear’; ot, tho the heathen ™, &c. tho’ they ate frighted at fuch and fuch conjundtions and pofitions of the ftars, and fear that fuch and fuch dreadful things will follow’ and-never régard the fupreme being and firft. caufe of* all things; yet fuch who have the knowledge of the true God, fied hereby; fee If, xlvii 13. 'Phis text is brought to prove that the J/aelites aré not under any plaret *; fince the heathens are diffayed at them, but not they.
¥. 3. For the enftoms of the people are vain, &e.} Or, their decrees, or flatutes °, their determinations and conclufions, founded upon the obfervation of the ftars’;° or, their rites and ceremonies in religion, in the worfhip of the fun and moon, and the hofts of heaven.
people are nothing; and which appears by what fol-
The Syriac verfion is, the idols of the lows: for one cutteth a tree out of the foret (the work of the hands of the workman) with the ax; not for building, or for’ burning, but to make a god of; the vanity, ftupidity and folly of which are manifeft, when it is confidered, that the original of it is a tree that grew in the foreft; the matter and fubftance of it, the body and trunk of a tree cut down with ah ax, and then hewed with the fame, and planed with a plane, and formed into the image of a man, or of fome creature; and now, to fall down and worfhip this, muft be vanity and madnefs to the laft degree; fee J - xliv.
¥. 4. They deck it with filver and with gold, &c.] Cover it with plates of filver and gold for the fake of ornament, that it may look grand, majeftic and venerable; and by this means draw the eye and attention, and fo the devotion of people to it: they faften it with nails aad hammers, thet it move not. The fenfe is, either, that the idol was faftened to fome poft-or pillar; or in fome certain place on a pedeftal, that it might not fall, it not being able otherwife to fupport itfelf; or the plates of filver and gold, as ‘Kimchi thinks, were faftened to the idol with nails and hammers, that fo they might not be taken away from it; for were it not for the nails, the god would n/t be able to keep his filver and golden deckings.
¥.5. They are upright as‘ the palp-tree, &c.] Being nailed toa poft, or faftened to a pillar, or fet upon a pedeftal, and fo ftand erect without bending any way; and are‘like @ palm-tree which is noted for its uprightnefs; hence the church’s ftature is compared to: it, Cant. vii. 7. here it is a farcafm, and a bitter one: but /peak not; man, that is ofan erect ftature, In which he differs from other ‘creatures, has the faculty of fpeech, which they that go upon four feet have not; but the idols of ‘the Gentiles, tho’ erect, have ‘not the power-of fpeaking a word; and therefore can give no anfwer to their votaries; fee P/. cxv. 5. 1 Kings Kili. 26: ‘they muff needs be borne 5 or, in carrying be carried 1; when being made they dre fixed in the defigned‘ place, or are moved from place to place; they are then carried in mens arms, or on their fhoulders: decaufe they cannot go; they have no life, ‘and fo are’ uncapable'of motion of themfelvés'; they have feet, but walk not; and can’t arifé’and’ beftir themfelves ‘for the help of thofe that pray unto them, Pf cxv. 7: be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil; that is, infliét judgment, caufe drought; famine or peftilence, or anyother'¢vil or calamity; neither is it alfo in them to do good, to give rains:and fruitful feafons, or beftow any favour, temporal or fpiritual; ‘fee ch. PRaVe te and a fevelation of his will, ought not to be terti- y¥.6.. Forafimuch as there is none like unto thee,
O Lord, &c.| “None‘likehim, for the perfections of his‘nature, for the works of his hands, and for the inftances of his kindnefs and beneficence, both in a way of grace and providence; there is like him for doing good, or doing evil 3 that ‘is, for beftowing favours, or inflicting punifhments; there is none like him for goodnefs or greatnefs, as follows; thou art great, in his nature 3.0f great and in his works of creation and providence, and in every thing in which he is concerned, and greatnefs is to be afcribed to him, and greatly is he to be praifed; and all the glory due unto his name, is to be given him: and thy name is great in might his name is: himfelf, and his. greatnefs much appears in the exertion of the attribute of his. power and might;.in making all things out of nothing, in upholding the whole creation, and in the government of the univerfe; or the fame of him is great thro’ the effects of his power, which are to be.feen throughout the earth.
¥. 7. Who would not fear thee, O king of nations? &c.] Not that the fear of him among the nations was general, or that he was owned by them as their king; but inafmuch as of right he was their king, fo he ought to have been feared and reverenced by them; and it was an. inftance, of great ftupidity and ingratitude not to do it... The Targum renders it, ‘‘ king of all people;” and the Syriac verfion, king of all worlds; fome reference feems to be had to this pafflage in Rev. xv. 3, 4-' where, inftead of king of nations, the Lord is called king of faints; and there refers to a time when he will be feared, that is, worfhipped and ferved by all nations, as he ought:to be: for to thee doth it appertain;.that is, fear belongs to him, it is his due; and this, with keeping the commandments of God,.is the whole duty.of man. The Vulgate Latin verfion is, thine is the glory; honour or praile, as the Syriac-verfion; and fo Farchi interprets it.of beauty or glory; but the Targum, ‘* thine is the *¢ kingdom;”’. and fo. Kimchi, and to which agrees the Arabic verfion.. Forafmuch as among all the wife men of the nations, and in. all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee; that.is, among all.the wife kings of the nations, and all their wife counfellors, there is none like unto God for wifdom, or.for glory and majefty; there is none of them that has fuch.a:-kingdom_as he has,.or that. governs it as he does; and as all their power and government, fo all that wifdom by which they manage their political affairs, are from him..., ty OA. ¥..8, But.they are altogether brutifo and foolifb, &c.] In comparifon of the Lord,. there is, no knowledge.and wifdom in them, this is. a certain fact.;, they, are verily brutifh and foolifh; or.they are one and all fo, there:is not a wife man among them:~or,..7# one thing they, are brutifp ', &c. namely, in, their idolatry; however wife they, may be in other refpects, in this.they are foolith:. or to give no, more in{tances, of their brutifhnefs * and folly; this one is fufficient, even what follows, the Shock is a. do€irine of, vanities, or what they’ teach perfons,. as,to worfhip.the {tock of a tree, or, any idol of metal, or of wood, is a moft vain. and foolith thing, and argues, grofs ftupidity and.folly, and proves them to be brutifh, and without. underftanding.:.. se Pe ae 3
* YI) MMN A) in hoc uno, Muntter, Tigurine verfion; et certe in una quadem re obbratefcunt, Pifcator. So Jarchi and 1. * The Talsnudifts * feem to take the word “3, to have the fignification of burning; for the fenfe of one thing that burns the wicked in hell; what is it? idolatry; as it is here * DIDS monde Deus veritas, Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius,
Abarbine thefe words. being atked, ’tis replied,, there is a doctrine of vanities is the fotke. 0) > it was a country in India.
ways have-fubjects to reign over; nor will h any fucceffor, as mortal kings have, rbje cl he Targum renders it, from Africa, and calls it filver rolled up, or covered; fo the Vulgate Latin; fuch was beaten with an hammer into plates, and might be rolled up better convenience of carriage; and with w. they covered and decked their idols, to make them look glittering and pompous, and command fome awe and reverence from the common people, The Arabic verfion renders it, /olid filver; it being the fame. word from whence the firmament. of heaven has its name, or the wide expanfe; hence we ren-. der it /pread, ftretched, and drawn out into plates. The Syriac verfion is, the beft filver; as very likely that from Tarfbifh was reckoned. dud gold from Uphaz; called fometimes, the gold of Uphaz, Dan. x. 5. or Fe/s; perhaps the fame with the gold of
‘| Ophir, Fob xxviii. 16. and fo the Targum here calls it, gold from Ophir, to which agrees the Syriac verfion; and was efteemed the beft gold. Tbe work of workmen, and of the hands of the founder, melter or refiner, being firft purified by him from drofs, and then wrought into plates, and polifhed, and
‘fitted for the idol, and all this being owing to the art and workmanfhip of men, fhows the brutithnefs and ignorance of the people, in worfhipping it asa god. Blue and purple is their clothing; not the clothing of the workmen, but of the idols; thefe colours feem to be chofen to dazzle the eyes of the populace, and caufe them to entertain an. high opinion of them; the d/ve being the colour ot the heavens, and the purple what is wore by. kings; and fo both may denote their deity and dominion. But, alas! they are all the work of cunning men both the idols, and their clothing; efpecially the latter is meant, which were curioufly wrought and embroidered by men {fkilful in that y. 10. But the Lord is the true God, fe) la oppofition to all nominal and fictitious deities, which are not by nature God, only by name, and in the foolifh imagination of the people: or, the Lord God is truth *; that cannot lie, is true to his covenant and promifes, and will never deceive thofe that worfhip and ferve him, and rely upon him: be is the living God; that has life in himfelf, and is the author and giver of life to others; to all
/ men natural life, to fome men {fpiritual and eternal life; whereas the gods of the Gentiles have no life in themfelves; are either dead men, or lifelefs and inanimate things, ftocks and ftones, and can give no, life to others. The words are in the plural number, be is the living Gods; not for the fake of honour and glory, as Kimchi obfervyes; but.as denoting a trinity of perfons in the unity of the divine eflence: for though the words 57 mb living Gods, that.is, living divine ones, or perfons, are in the: plural number, yet si 4e, is in the fingular; which is worthy of Shad Rn Syriac verfion renders it, the God of the li ving 5, and fo. an.Oxford Arabic MS. fee Matt. xxii. 32. And an everlafting king; from everlafting to everlafting;, he is king of old, even from eternity, and will ever be fo; his kingdom is an everlafting one, and his; throne for ever and ever, and he wi have been deified by their idolatrous fubjeé his wrath the earth foall tremble; that is, the inhabitants of ity when it is poured forth in judgments in the prefent life, and in the everlafting deftruction of foul and body hereafter; and then fhall they fear him, tho’ now they donot. And the nations foall not be able to abide bis indignation,; efpecially at the day of judgment; fee Rev. vi. 16, we: vs 11. Thus feall ye fay unto them, &c.] The godly Fews to the idolatrous Chaldeans; and therefore this vere» alone is written in the Chaldee language. The Yargum prefaces it thus, ‘* this. is “< the copy of the letter, which Yeremiah the pro- ‘¢ phet fent to the reft of the elders of the capti- “¢ vity in Badylon, and if the people among whom *¢ you are, fhould fay unto you, ferve idols, O © houfe of J/rae]; then fhall ye anfwer, and fo “¢ fhall ye fay unto them, the idols whom ye ferve <<-are errors, in whom there is no profit; from heaven they cannot bring down rain, and out of the earth they cannot produce fruit:” fo Yarchi obferves; it follows in the text, the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perife from the earth, and from under thefe heavens which the Zargum paraphrafes thus, ‘* they and << their worfhippers fhall perifh from the earth, and “¢ fhall be confumed from under thefe heavens.” ‘The words may be confidered as a prediction, that fo it would be; or as an imprecation, that fo it might be, and be read, Jet the gods, &c. and confidered either way, being put into the mouth of the godly Yews in Babylon, to be openly pronounced by them in the midft of idolaters, and in anfwer to them, when they fhould be enticed to idolatry, fhow how open and ingenuous men fhould be in the profeffion of the true God, and his religion and worfhip: and it may be obferved againft the deniers of the true deity of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that if he is not that God that made the heavens and the earth, he lies under this imprecation or prediction.
y. 12. He hath made the earth by his power, &c.] The Targum confiders thefe words as a continuation of the anfwer of the Fews to the Chaldeans, paraphrafing them thus, ‘‘ and fo fhall ye fay unto <« them, we worfhip him who bath made the earth “< by his power;” who ftands oppofed to -the gods that made not the heavens and the earth, that had no title to deity, nor right to worfhip; but the true God has both; and his making the earth out of nothing, and hanging it upon nothing, and preferving it firm and ftable, are proofs of his almighty power, and fo of his deity; and confequently that he ought to be worfhipped, and he only. He hath eftablifbed the world by his wifdom; upon the rivers and floods; or he hath poifed it in the air; or he hath difpofed ic in an orderly,
¥. 13. When he uttereth bis voice, &c.} De~ clares his will and pleafure, iffues out his commands; or when he thunders, for thunder is his Voice, Fob xxxvii. 2, 3, 4, 5. and xl. g: there is @ multitude of waters in the heavens, they are covered with clouds, and thefe clouds full of water; which is brought about by the following means: and he caufeth the vapours to aftend from the ends of the earth; from the north and fouth, as Kimchi obferves from the philofophers; or from all parts of the earth, the moft diftant, and particularly from the fea, the border of the earth, from»whence clouds arife, being exhaled by the fun; fee 1 Kings Xviil. 43, 44. He maketh lightenings with rain; which very often go together, and the one makes way for the other, ‘fob xxviii. 26. tho’ they are fo oppofite one to another: and bringeth forth the wind out of bis treafures; the caverns of the earth, or his fifts, in which he holds it, Prov. xxx. 4: and lets it loofe at his pleafure; he has plenty of it in referve; he is Lord over it; he fends it forth when he pleafes, and it fulfils his will and his word.
¥. 14. Every man is -brutifp in his knowledge, &c.] Or fcience of making an idol, whether it be of wood, or of gold, or filver, or brafs; he is no better than a brute, if he thinks, when he has made it, he has made a god: or, becaufe of knowledge”; for want of it; being without the knowledge of God and divine things, he is like the beafts that perifh, Pf xlix. 20: every founder. is' confounded by the graven image; or put to*fhame on account of it; fince, after all his art, and care, and trouble, in melting and refining, and cafting it into a form, it is no more than a piece of gold, or filver, or brafs, and has no deity, nor any thing ‘like
‘it, in it: for bis molten image is falfhood; it is 4 lie, when it is faid to be a god; ahd it deceives thofe who worfhip it, and place any confidence in it. Kimchi renders it, his covering *. The covers ing of the idol with gold and filver, with blue and purple, asin ¥. 4, 9. is all a piece of deceit,’ to impofe upon the people, and lead them into ‘idolatry: and there is no breath in thems they are mere ftocks and ftones, lifelefs and inanimate creatures; they have neither life themfelves, nor can they. give it to others.,
¥. 15. They are vanity, &c.] They are the fruit of the vain imagination of men; to worfhip them fhows the vanity of the human mind; and-they are vain things to truft to: and the work of errors; of erroneous men, and which lead men into errors; and are worthy to be laughed at, as the Targum paraphrafes it. In the time of ‘their vifitation they foall perifo; or in the time that I thal! vifit upon them their fins, as the Yargum; that is, when Babylon thould be deftroyed by the Medes and Per- regular, and beautiful manner, as the word * ufed fans, as Kimchi interprets it, when their idols were fignifies,; by making it terraqueous, partly land, and partly water; by opening in it fountains and rivers; by diverfifying it with hills and vales, with ‘wood and arable land, &c. all which fhow:the wifdom, as well as the power of God. 4nd hath frretched out the heavens by bis diferetion; as a canopy over the earth, as a tent to dwell in; and which is beautifully befpangled with the luminaries in it; thence it has the name of expanfe, or the firmament of heaven.
¥. 16. The portion of facob is not like them, 8c.J Like thofe idols, vain, and the work of errors, or fhall perifh; even the true God, who is the portion of his people, of acob, whom he has chofen and redeemed; who call themfelves by the name of Facob, and are I/raelites indeed, and plainhearted ones; and who have: feen the infu ficiency of all other portions, and the excellency of this; for there is none like it, none fo large, fo rich, fo fa- “ q. é é: “tisfying,”
tisfying, and fo durable; for God is the portion of his, in all the perfections of his nature, which all, fome way or other, are for their good and advantage; and in all his perfons, and under every charaéter; even all he has is theirs, now and hereafter: for he is the former of all things; which idols are not, being the make of creatures themfelves; wherefore the Creator muft be a better portion thai’ they; and as he has all things at his difpofe, he beftows them on his people, and they cannot want: and Ifrael is the rod of bis inberitance; chofen-and pofiefied by him, and dear unto him; and wonderful this is, that on the one fide he fhould-be the portion of his people; and on the other, that they fhould be his portion and his inheritance, when fo few in number, and defpifed by and among men, and but finful duft and afhes; and efpecially when what follows is confidered: the Lord of bofts is his name; his title is the Lord of armies, above and below; he rules both in heaven and in earth, and has the inhabitants of both worlds, angels and men, at his command, and yet he chufes a handful-of people to be his poffeffion and inheritance.
y. 17. Gather up thy wares out of the land, &c.) Or thy merchandife, as the Zargum,; or thy fubftance, as the Septuagint; all valuable effects and goods that are moveable, which might be carried from place to place. The meaning is, that the ‘ews would gather up their riches from the feveral parts of the land of udea, and bring them to Ferufalem, a fortified place; or they would be in danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. Kimchi interprets the words as if fpoken of Baby- Jon, and directed to the Chaldeans, not to be elated with the captivity of [/rael, and becaufe the word 935, fignifies to humble and fubdue, he takes the fenfe to be, ** gather in or contraét thine humi- “¢ liation or fubjection;” that is, of other nations; refrain thyfelf, or ceafe from fubduing kingdoms; that is now at an end, it fhall be no more fo; but the words manifeftly refpect the people of the Jews, as is clear from the next verfe. O inhabitant of the fortrefs; of the fortrefs of Zion, or the fortified city, Ferufalem. The Targum is, ** O thou “© that dwelleft in the ftrong place, in the forti- ‘© fied cities.” It may be rendered, that dwelleft in the fiege”; in the befieged city, Feru/alem.
¥. 18. For thus faith the Lord, &c.| This isa reafon enforcing the exhortation in the preceding verfe, and fhows that the fame people that are fpoken of here, are addreffed there. Behold, I will fling out the inhabitants of the land at this once; meaning the inhabitants of the land of Fudea; or otherwife the prophet would never have expreffed fuch a concern for them, as he does in the following verfe. Their captivity is fignified by the flinging of a ftone out of a fling, and fhows how fudden, fwift, and certain it would be; and that it would as eafily and fwiftly be done, and with equal force and rapidity, as a ftone is flung out of a fling; and that it would be done by the Lord himfelf, whoever were the inftruments: azd will diftrefs them; or firaiten * them, on every fide; it feems to intend the fiege; or bring them into great {traits and difficulties, thro’ the peftilence, famine, fword, and captivity: that they may find it; {0 as he had fpoken by his prophets, it coming to pafs exactly as they had foretold. The Targum is,
‘* that they may receive the punishment of their ** fins;” and fo the Septuagint and Argbic verfions, that thy ftroke may be found but the Syriac verfion is very different from either, shat they may feek me — and find; which is an end that is fometimes anfwered by afflictive difpenfations. celal ¥.19. Wo is me, for my hurt, 8ec.| Or breach*, which was made upon the people of the Jews, when. befieged, taken, and carried captive; with whom the prophet heartily fympathized, and-confidered their calamities and diftreffes as his own; for thefe are the words of the prophet, lamenting the fad eftate of his people. Jy wound is grievous; caufes grief, is very painful, and hard to be_endured: but I faid; within himéelf, after he had throughly confidered the matter: sis 45.4 grief; an affliction, a trial, and exercife: and J mujt bear it; patiently and quietly, fince it is of God, and is juftly brought upon the peopie for their fins. y. 20. My tabernacle is fpoiled, &c.| Not the temple at Ferufa/em only, rather Ferufalem ittelf, as Kimchi; or the whole land, as the Targum,
/** my land is wafted:” the allufion is to the tents of fhepherds, and denotes the, unftable condition of the ¥ewi/> nation: and all my cords are broken 3 all the reft of the cities of the Jand are deftroyed, as Kimchi, and fo the Targum, ‘* my, cities are ipoil- “* ed:” as the cords are what the parts of the tabernacle or tent are faftened and kept together with; they may intend the ftrength of the nation, which lay in its wealth, its fortrefleés, and the numbers of its people, now weakened, loofed, and_broke. My children are gone forth of mes into. captivity, as the Zargum interprets it; the prophet, perfonating Yerufalem, and the cities of Fudeab, The Septuagint adds, and my fheep; keeping on the metaphor of a fhepherd, his tent, and flock.. dnd they are not; either not in the world, being deftroyed by one judgment or another; or rather not in their own land, being carried captive, There is none to firetch forth my tent any more, and to fet up my curtains; which fhows the great deftruction and defolation of the land, and its inhabitants, that there would be none to fet up a fhepherd’s tent; perhaps the rebuilding of Ferufalem, andthe reft of the cities, may be meant.
¥. 21. For the paftors are become brutifh, &c.] The kings of Judah, fo the Targum, Farchi, and Kimchi, as Feboiakim and Zedekiah; tho’ it need not be reftrained to thefe only, but may include all inferior civil magiftrates, and even all ecclefia- {tical rulers, who were the fhepherds of the péople; but thefe being like the brut¢ beafts, and without underftanding of civil and religious things, and not knowing how to govern the people either in a political or ecclefiaftical way, were the caufe of their ruin. And have not ‘fought the Lord; this is an inftance of their brutifhnefs and ftupidity, and opens the fource of all their miftakes and miffortunes; they did not feek the Lord for countel, by whom kings reign well, and princes. decree juftice; nor doctrine from the Lord, as the Za gum, as the priefts and prophets fhould have dor in order to inftruét the people, and 1 the with knowledge and underftanding; nor di ther of them feek the glory of God in what they did, but their own. intereft, worldly adyar, or applaufe: therefore they shall not profper: kingdom, and in the feveral offices and {tations in
= tom sym) obfidere faciam
Some render the words, ¢here- “fore they dowt ad prudently”, not coniulting the Lord, nor warning the people, nor giving them notice of approaching danger: and all their flocks fall be fcattered; the people of the Yews that were under their government, civil or ecclefiaftical, fhould be difperfed in feveral nations, and efpecially in Chaldee; wherefore it follows,
¥:22. Bebold the noife of the bruit is come, &c.] Or, the voice of bearing *, that is, the voice heard; the report that was made that the king of Badylon had invaded the land, and was coming up to befiege Yerufalem: and a great commotion out of the north country; a large army from Babylon, which lay north of ‘fudea, which came with great noife, and caufed a great trembling and fhaking among the inhabitants of the land whither they were comifig: 40 make the cities of Fudah defolate, and & den of dragons; this fhows that the whole paragraph is to be underftood of the Fewi/h nation, and of their deftru@tion. See the note on ch. ix. rr.
¥. 23. O Lord, I know that the way of man is hot in bimfelf, &c.] Kimchi and Ben Meleéch interpret it of that well known man Nebuchadnezzar, whofe way was not in himfelf, and was not mafter of his own refolutions, but was under the influence and direction of divine providence: when he fet out of Babylon, he thought to have gone agairift the Ammonites; but when he came to a place where two ways met; the one leading to the childen of Ammon, the other to Feru/alem, God changed his mind, and he fteered his courfe to Yeru/alem, to chaftife Zedekiab for the breach of his oath: but the words feem to havea more general meaning; and the fenfe to be, that the prophet knew that it ‘was not with him, nor with any of the godly to efcape the judgments that were coming upon them, that they were entirely in the hands of the Lord, to be guided, directed and difpofed of at his pleafure. The words may be accommodated to fpiritual things, and the affair of falvation; and be rendered thus, J know, O Lord, that not for man is bis way‘; his own way is not good for him, not his finful way, for this is oppofite to God’s way, and a going out of it; it is not according to his word; it is after the courfe of the world, and it is a dark and crooked way, and leads to, and ends in, deftruction and death, if grace prevent not: nor the way of his own righteoufne(s; this is no way of accefs to God, no way of acceptance with him, no way of juftification before him, no way of falvation, no way to heaven, and eternal happinefS; that which is the good and right way, the only way of falvation, is not of man, in him, or with him naturally, it is not of his devifing and contriving, and much lefs of his effecting; it is not even within his knowledge; and fo far as he knows any thing of it, he does not approve of it: but it is of God; the fcheme of it is of his forming; it is awork wrought out by Chrift, it is a way of falvation revealed in the gofpel; and the thing itfelf is favingly made known, and applied by the Spirit of God; all which is known and Owned when men ate fpiritually enlightened: it is not in man that walketh to direét bis feps; as not in natural and civil things, much lefs in religious ones; a good man is one that walks, which fuppofes life and ftrength, without which there can be no walking; and a progreffion, a going on in @ way; which ways are Chrift, and his ordinances the path of doétrine and of duty; yet it is not even in this good man, /o direff and order bis Steps of himfelf; it is the Lord that muft do it, and does; he can také no ftep aright without him; he is guided by him and his Spirit, both in the path of truth and of obedience; and hence it is that the faints perfevere unto the end; fee Pf. xxxvii. 23. Prov. iii. 5, 6,
¥. 24. O Lord corre? me, but with judgment, &c.] The prophet here perfonates the body of the Fewifh nation, efpecially the godly among them; he confiders the troubles coming upon the nation as a correction and chaftifement of the Lord; he does not refufe it, or defire it might not come upon them; he knew the chaftifements of a father are for good; he only intreats it might be with judgment, not in ftri&t juftice, as his and the fins of his people deferved, then they would not be able to bear it; but in meafure and moderation, with a mixture of mercy and tendernef3-in it; and in a diftinguifhing manner, fo as to make a difference between his own people and others, in thé correction of them; fee Ezek, xxxiv. 16, 17: not in thine anger; in vindictive wrath, and hot difpleafure, which is ¢élféwhere deprecated. by the faints, Pf vi. 1. and xxxviii. 1: lef thou bring me to nothing; or leffen me*, or make me little, or make us few, as the Arabic verfion; or bring to a fmall number, as the Syriac; and fo to utter ruin.
¥.25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, that know thee not, &c.] Make a difference between thy people that know thee, and make a profeffion of thy name, and worfhip thee, and the heathen; the nations of the world who are ignorant of God, and worfhip ftocks and ftones; whilft thou correcteft thine own people in meafure, in love, and not in wrath, pour out without meafure all thy fury upon the Gensiles that know not God, and are guilty of the groffeft idolatry: and upon the families that call not on thy name; this. does not fignify fingle families, commonly fo called; but kingdoms, as the Zargum interprets it; heathen kingdoms and nations that call not upon, or worfhip the God of Jrael, but their own idols; fuch as the family of Egypt, Zech. xiv. 17,18. and fo it is expreffed in a parallel place, P/- xxix. 6. which is either taken from hence, or this from thence: for they have eaten up Facob, and devoured him, and confumed him, and have made bis habitation defolate; an heap of words to exprefs the great deftruction and defolation of the land of SJjrael, of Ferufalem, and the cities of Fudab; and of their houfes and dwelling places, private and public; and of their fpoiling them of all their goods, fubftance, wealth; and riches; which is given as a reafon of the above imprecation.
“FAUIS chapter gives an account of the covenant God had made with the people of the ews, their breach of it; and the evils threatened them on that account; and particularly againft the men of Anathoth, for their ill treatment of the prophet. It begins with the order to Yeremiah to rehearfe the words of the covenant in the ears of the men of Fudab and Ferufalem, ¥..1, 2,3. which covenant is defcribed by the fanction of it; a curfe in cafe of difobedience;.and a promife of being their God, and bringing them into the good land, in cafe of obedience; and by the time when it was made, when the J/raelites were brought out of Egypt, ¥. 3, 4, 5.-which order, the prophet agreeing to, is repeated, ¥. 5, 6. declaring the earneft proteftation and exhortation of God to obey it, which they not obferving, were threatened with the curfes of it, y. 7, 8. the prefent Zews doing as their forefathers had done, breaking the covenant, particularly by their idolatry, are threatened alfo with punifhment they fhould not efcape, y¥. 9, 10, t1. which is aggravated by a refolution to fhew no regard to their cries, ¥. 11. by the impotence of their idols to fave them, tho’ fo numerous, y. 12,13. by forbidding, the prophet to pray for them, ¥.14. by their having no longer a place and protection in the houfe of God, becaufe of their wickednefs, ¥. 15. by comparing their former and prefent ftate together, having been as a_ beautiful and fruitful olive-tree, but now burnt, and its branches broken, ¥. 16. next follows an account of a defion of the men of Avathoth againft the prophet, to take away his life, which he was ignorant of, till the Lord gave him knowledge of it, ¥. 17, 18,19. when he imprecates vengeance on them, y¥. 20. and under. a fpirit of prophecy from the Lord, foretels their utter ruin and, deftruction, Y. 215225:23% y¥. 1. The word ihat came to Feremiah from the Lord, faying.| Here feems to begin a new prophecy; but when it was, and under what reign, and what diftance between this and the former, is not known; however it was from the Lord, and fo to be regarded.
y¥.2. Hear ye-the words of this covenant, &c.] Which Dr. Lightfoot underftands of the covenant lately made in the times of ¥e/ah,, upon. finding and reading the law of Mo/es, 2 Kings xxiii. 3. but it feems rather to defign the law of Mojes itfelf; or the covenant made with the people of J/rae on mount Horeb, Exod, xxiv. 7,8, or rather which was made with them in the land of Moab, Deut. xxix. 1. The words of it-are the things contained in it, the bleffings and curfes:; the, erder to ear them is in the plural number, and is;dire¢éted, ‘not ‘to Feremiah only, but to others with him, the reft of the prophets that were in his days; as Zepha-.
niab, who prophefied, as Kimchi obferves, in the reign of Fofab and there was Baruch his compa-: nion; or the priefts at: Asathoth are here addrefied with him; tho’ it is ufval, in the Hebrew laneuage, to put one number for another; and feremiah; in the next verfe, is fingly addreffed; and the Syriac verfion renders it in the fingular number; perhaps
Sworn unto your fathers; 8c,| Abraham Taac anc:
the book of the Jaw might lie before him, and be pointed at’; and fo he is bid fo take it, or receive it, as the Targum is, and read and publith it to Jews, as follows: and {peak unio the men of Fu and to the inhabitants of Ferufalem; the words o the covenant, and what follows, ¥
¥.3. And fay thou unto them, &c.| This fhows th the command of publifhing the law or coyenant; was however principally given to eremiah: this faith the Lord theGod of Ijrael; that made them, anci brought them out of Egypt, and made a covenani: with them, and had taken care of them, and hac beftowed many favours upon them: cured be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant; which the prophet, it may be, had in his hands, eve12 the book of the law, and held it forth unto them, whilft he was fpeaking; the language of which is, curfed is every one_that does not conftantly anci perfectly perform what is contained in it, Deut, XXVIl. 26.
¥.4. Which I commanded your fathers, &c.] Ti> obferve and keep: in the day that I brought then forth out of the land of Egypt; that is, quickly after, when they were in the wildernefs, and before they came into the land of Canaan. The. day feems to include the whole time from their coming out of Egypt, to their entrance into Canaan’s land.; it was in the firft year of their coming out from thence, that the law was given them on mount Sinai, Exod. xix. 1—11. and it was in the fortieth year, and when they were upon the borders of Canaan, that the covenant was made with them in the land of Moab, Deut. i. 3. and xxix. 1: from the iron furnace; meaning Egypt, and their loond-
}age and affliction in it, compared to an irom furnace. for the grievoufnefs of it, its long continuance, ahd the ufe of it to try and prove them; fee Deut. iv. 20. 1 Kings viii. 51: faying, bey my voice; in the law: and uo them; the commands of it, the words of the covenant: according to all which I command you every thing was to be done that was commanded, and as it was commanded; a perfect and uniform obedience is to be yielded to the law, in order to enjoy the bleffing, or a penalty is
| incurred: /o fall ye be my people, and I will be your
God; this is the tenor of the covenant of works; covenant-intereft in God, according to the law, depends upon obedience;: that is the condition oi it; but the covenant of grace is not clogged with _ fuch a condition; but-runs abfolutely, they /hall be my people, and I will be their God, ch. XXxii. 39.
¥.5. That I may perform the oath which I #4
Jacob: ta give them a land flowing with milk ani honey, that is, abounding with plenty of i of provifions.; fee Exod. iii. 8. Deut. vi. g. an vill. 7, 8, 9: 4s it is this day; the land of Canaan continued to thofe times a very fruitful country; it was, as it was promifed it fhould be, and w was'a clear thing); their eyes. faw it, and the day bore witnefs to it: then anfwered I, and faid, that— is, the prophet ‘Yeremiah, to whom * ord was given: fo be it, O Lord; or, Amen, Lor. either agreeing to publifh what the L Ce manded him; or as withing that the land of Ca-
Chaiv 6-1) JEREMY AHS as.
' fair warnings, and thefe repeated again and again;
_ obedience to them; he fhewed the prophet the reafon of it, and epened to him a fecret he was not naan might continue the fame fruitful land it was, and the people of the Jews in it, they keeping the words of this covenant; or elfe as‘aflenting that the curfe might fall upon the men that did not obferve them, alluding to Deut. xxvii. 15— 26. This is the fenfe of Abarbinel; Farchi and Kimchi obferve, that the word Lord is vocative, and in the language of prayer. _
¥. 6. Then-the Lord faid unto me, &c.| Again; for this is a repetition of the above order: proclaim all thefe ‘words in the cities of fudah, and in the Jireets of Ferujalem; with a loud voice, and openly, that all may hear: /aying, hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them which their forefathers promifed, when the covenant was made with them, Exod. xxiv. 7. but did not perform; hearing without doing is. of little avail; not the hearers, but the doers of the law are juftified; wherefore men fhould not be content with hearing only; Rom, i. 13. fam.i. 22. » ¥.7. For I earneftly protefted unto your fathers, &c.| Or, witnefing witneffed *; teftified his great affection for them; importunately folicited their obfervation of his precepts for their good; and ftrictly cautioned them againft neglect and difobedience: in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt; fee the note on ¥. 4: even unto this day, rifing carly, and protefting, faying, obey my voice; that is, from the ttme of the giving of the law, in all iucceffive ages, to the prefent time, he had fent his prophets to them, time after time, morning-by morning, early and late, to prefs, exhort and ftir them up to an obedience to his will, and to warn them of the evils that would come by difobedience to it.
¥.8. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, &c.] Tho’ they had fuch ftrong folicitations, and
God and his covenant, his word aiid his worfhip j fome defigns were forming to cafhire thefe, and’ introduce a new religion, the idolatry of the Gentiles; and it was not a few only that were in the {cheme, the combination was general, city and country were in it; the inhabitants of Yerufalem, the more polite part of the nation; and the countrypeople, that dwelt in the feveral cities of Fudab, were all united in this affairs and this was found out by him who fees and knows all things: » It is common for innovators in religion to lay fchemes privately, and fecretly inculcate them, before things are ripe for the open introduction of them. The Syriac verfion renders it, a rebellion; and confpiracies often iffe in open rebellion; and fo the Targum, ** and it is found that the men of Fudab; ‘and the inhabitants of Ferufalem, have rebelled ** againft my word.”
¥.10. They are turned back.to the iniquities of - their forefathers, &c.] » According to Kimchi, this prophecy was delivered out, in the. times of Fe hoiakim, There had been a reformation. in the reign of Fofiah, but now they had rebelled-againtt the Lord, and had returned to their former idolatries that had been practifed in the times of Amon; Manafeh and Abaz: which refufed to bear my words; fent unto them by the prophets J/ziah, and others: and they went after other gods to ferve them; not their. forefathers, tho’ it: was true of them; but the then prefent generation, that were in the con- {piracy and rebellion againft God; they put their ichemes into execution, and worfhipped and ferved the gods of the nations: the houje of I/rael, and the houfe of Fudab have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers; by their many tranfgref fions, and efpecially by their idolatry; the houfe of Irael, or the ten tribes, had done fo, many years ago, and were carried captive; and the houfe of Judah, or the two tribes of Benjamin. and Fudab, committing the fame iniquities, might juftly expect the like treatment,
Yat1. Therefore thus faith the Lord, bebold, I will bring evil upon them, &c.| ‘The evil of punifhment for the evil of their fins, fuch as famine, the, fword and captivity, which latter is the evil more efpecialiy defigned; and there is no evil of this nature but what is of God; it is of his fending and bringing; fee Amos iii. 6: which they foall not be able to efcape; they fhould not have wifdom enough to form a fcheme, nor power enough to put one in execution when formed, whereby they could extricate themfelves out of the difficulties they would be in; doubtlefs reference is had to their being befieged by the Chaldean army, the evil that fhould come out of the north, ch. i. 14. which fhould fo clofely furround them, that none fhould efcape: and tho’ they fhall cry unto me, I will not bearken unto them; becaufe their prayers were hypocritical, and not attended. with faith and, true repentance; otherwife, when men cry to God, under arfenfe of fin, being truly forry for it, and put their truft in him, he hears them, and. delivers them; but thefe would be concerned only for the evil that was come upon them, and not the evil they had been guilty of; and fuch finners, when,they pray to him, the Lord hears ot. ‘The Zargum is, *¢ and they fhall pray be- “ fore me, and I will not receive their prayers.”
all which was an aggravation of their difobedience and ftubbornnefs: but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart, which is defperately wicked, and is evil, and that continually, even every imagination of ft; wheréfore walking herein mutt be very wide and different from walking. in the law of the Lord, and obeying that; fee ch. iii. 17. and vii. 24: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant; that is, all the curfes and threatenings denounced in it againft the difobedient; and fo the Targum, ‘* and 1 brought *« upon them vengeance (or punifhment) becaufe “« they received not the words of this covenant:” which I commanded them to do, but they did them not; becaufe-they did not do the commands of the law, therefore,the curfes of it lighted on them; for the words of the preceding claufe may be rendered, and I brought upon them”, &c. and ’tis fuggefted, that the like punifhment would be inflicted on the preient generation, they imitating and purfuing the iniquities of their fathers; as follows, ¥.9. dud the Lord faid unto me, &c.) After he had given him the order to publifh-and -proclaim the words of the covenant, and exhort. to acquainted with: @ confpiracy, is found among the men of Fudah, and among the inhabitants of Ferufalem; not againit the king, and againft the civil government, ‘but againft the King of kings, againtt
7 See eS. eee wisest ae 2 his church and people withdrawing from the. ple, becaufe of the wickednefs of the Jews; they are the words of God concerning the.
y.12. Then fhall the cities of Fudab, and the inhabitants of Ferufalem, &c.] That is, the inhabitants of the cities of Yudab, as well as the inhabi-~ tants of the city of ‘eru/alem, the former being in diftrefS thro’ the enemy being in their land, as well as the latter befieged by him: go and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incenfe, Baal, the queen of heaven, fun, moon, planets, and all the hofts of heaven, as in ¥. 13. ch. xliv. 15, 17. 2 Kings xxiii. 5. thefe they fhould cry unto for help and deliverance in vain: but they /ball not fave them at all in the time of their trouble, not yield them the leaft relief and comfort in their trouble, fo far from faving them entirely from it. hy y¥.13. For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Fudah, &c.} See the note on ch. ii. 28': and according to the number of the fireets of Ferufalem; of which there were many, and fome of note:: have ye fet up altars to that foameful thing, even altars to burn incenfe unto Baal, one of whofe names is Bofheth, fhame; fee Ho/-ix.10. hence Ferub-baal is called in 2 Sam. xi. 21. Ferub-befheth, very properly is this name given to Baa/, not only becaufe the worfhip of him was to the reproach of the true God, but brought fhame and confuficn in the iffue to its worfhippers; as well as becaufe fhameful things were done in the worfhip of it, efpecially of Baal-peor; who feems to be the fame with the Priapus of other nations.
y¥. 14. Therefore pray not thou for this people, &c.] If for a remnant among them, yet not for the body of the people; and if for their fpiritual and eternal good, yet not for their temporal falvation; their temporal ruin was certain; the decree was gone forth, and there was no revoking it; and this is faid, not fo much by way of prohibition of the prophet, as by way of threatening to the people, to fhow that as their own prayers fhould not profit them, fo they fhould not have the benefit of the prayers of good men; their fin was a fin unto death, at leaft temporal death, and mutt not be prayed for, 1 Fobu v. 16: neither lift up a cry or prayer for them; more words are ufed to fhew the divine refolution, how inexorable he was, and how defperate was their condition, and their ruin fure; thefe words are repeated from ch. vii. 16: for I will not hear them im the time that they cry unto me for their trouble; for as he would not hear their prayers when they fhould cry to him to be delivered from their trouble, it cannot be thought that he fhould hear the prayers of others for them. The Targum underftands this of the prayers of the prophet for them, paraphrafing the words thus, <* for there is no acceptance before me (or it is “ not pleafing to me) when thou fhalt pray for «6 them before me, in the time of their evil;” -neither their prayers, nor the prophet’s for them, would be acceptable to God, or of any avail, he being determined to bring evil upon them.
¥.15. What hath my beloved to do in mine houfe, &c.] Thefe are either the words of the prophet, as Kimchi and Ben Melech think, {peaking after this manner; what has God, who is my ‘beloved, he whom my foul loves, and who loves-me, to do in the fanctuary, which is my houfe, ‘and not this peoples, that have defiled it, to caufe his Shekinab to dwell there, after fo much wickednefs has. been committed in it? and fo Cocceius interprets it, of Chrift the beloved Son of God, and the beloved of fake; fignifying, that now, becaufe of their abo-.
of the ews, who were beloved for the.
minations, it was not fitting they fhould continue in the houfe of God, or have any fhelter and protection there. The Yews interpret * this ofsAbrae ham: feeing foe hath wrought lewdnefs with many? that is, the congregation of J/rae/, or the church of the Fews, had committed idolatry with many idols; or it was not only a few of them that were guilty of this fin, but a multitude, even their er men, the princes and nobles: and the holy flelh paffed from thee, which Kimchi and Bea Melech un-_ derftand of holy and good: men, who ceafed from _ among them, were perifhed and gone; and Yarchi, of the circumcifion of the flefh, which was neglected: but it feems beft to interpret it of the flefh of facrifices; which were either laid afide by them, or if offered and eat of, were of no fervice to. them, being offered up with a wicked mind; or rather the meaning is, the time was come that thefe were at an end, the temple being deftroyed: when thou doft evil, the evil of fins or, when thine evil is! the evil of punifhment is coming upon thee: then thou rejoice; inftead of repenting of fin, and mourning for it, or being humbled at approaching
Judgments, gave themfelves up to fenfual lufts and pleafures; neither concerned at the one, nor at the other; neither grieved for fin, nor trembled at punifhment; but amidft all were brifk and jovial; tho’ fome fay ®, the word has the fignification of trembling; and render it, then thou foalt tremble. The Targum of the whole is, ** what (have I to ‘** do) with this people, that was beloved before me; they have left the worfhip of the houfe of my fanctuary,; they have took counfel to fin much; they mingle the flefh of abominations with the holy flefh; they fhall go into captivity ‘ from thee; becaufe of thy wickednefs thou art ‘ ftrone.”
¥.16, The Lord called thy name, a green olivetree, &c.] That is, compared the Fewi/o church and people to one, and made them as’ one, very profperous and flourifhing in the enjoyment of privileges, civil and religious, being highly favoured with the word and ordinances: fair, and of goodly fruit; which, for a while, brought forth the fruit of good works; and whilft fuch, was amiable and lovely to look upon; was, as the Syria¢ verfion is, fair with fruit, and beautiful in fight; and whereas it might have been expected fhe would have fo continued, and been {till as a green olive-tree in the houfe of God, as David fays, Pf. hii. 8. now it was otherwife, fhe was become barren, dry and fruitlefs; and therefore it follows: with the noife of a great tumult be hath kindled fire upon it, that is, by means of the Chaldean army, which a mighty rufhing noife, as a numerous ¢ the Lord had deftroyed it, and burnt it what the Chaldeans did is afcribed to Ge it was done according to his will, and by rection and oyer-ruling providence: and the ches of it are broken the high and pr the king, princes and nobles, their palaces, — the houte of God. The apoftle feem;
{pect to this paflage in Rom. xi. 17 is, ** as an olive-tree that is b
*« and comely of fight, whofe branches overfhadow “* the trees, fo the Lord hath magnified thy name *“ among the people; but now that thou haft “* tranferefied the law, the armies of the people ** who are {trong as fire fhall come againft thee, ‘* and helps fhall be joined to them.”
¥. 17. For the Lord of bofts that planted thee, &c.] As a green olive-tree, and gave thee all thy verdure, fruitfulnefs, happinefs and profperity; when he firft put thee into the poffeffion of the good land, and diftinguifhed thee by fo many favours and bleffings; as he is able to take them away, fo he will: for he hath pronounced evil againft thee; he hath determined it in his mind, and he hath declared it by his prophets: for the evil of the boufe of Ijrael; the ten tribes, who had committed fin, and for which the evil pronounced had been executed on them already, being fome time ago carried captive: and of the boufe of Judah, who had taken no warning by them, but had followed them in their iniquities, and even exceeded them; and therefore muft expect the like punifhment for their fins: which they have done againft themfelves; for fin is not only againft God, his nature, will and law; but it is againft the finner himfelf, and is to his hurt and ruin, both temporal and eternal: to provoke me to anger in offering incenfe unto Baal, this particularly was the evil which was fo provoking to God; and therefore he determined to bring the evil of punifhment upon them, and fhews the caufe and reafon of it; and which is a fufficient vindication of his juftice.
y¥. 18. And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, &c.] Either of what he had been. declaring, as the fins of thefe people; and of what he had been prophefying, concerning punifhment for their fins; what he had faid was not of himfelf, did not arife from any pique or refentment in him againft them; but it was of God, that knows all things, and had made ‘known thefe things toshim 3" and he had only faithfully related them as he had received them; or elfe of the malicious defigns of ‘the men of Anathoth to take away his life, atter-mentioned: and I know it; and am fure of it; having it by divine revelation, and from that God that cannot lye, and will not deceive: then thou fhewedft me their doings. - Some verfions, as the Septuagint, Syviac and Arabic, take the former words to be a prayer of the prophet’s, O Lord, make me know, or foew me, or teach me, that I may know and thefe fignify that his prayer was anfwered. The Lord thewed him the fins of thefe people, and what punifhments they deferved, and would be inflicted on them; or rather what they were doing in the dark, and what fchemes they were contriving and attempting to put in execution againft his life; but God was careful of it, and would not fuffer them to do him any harm; and therefore made all known unto him; fee Pf cv. 15.
¥.19. But I was like a lamb, or an ox, &c.] The word A/luph rendered an ox, is‘by many con-: fidered as an adjective to the word lamb." fince the disjunctive particle or, is notin the text; and is differently tranflated; by the Vulgate Latin verfion, as a meek or tame lamb, by the Septuagint and Arabic verfions, as an harmlefs lamb; and by the Syriac verfion, ‘as a pure or clean lamb, and by the Targum, ** as a choice lamb;” and fo R, Menachem in Farchi, a large or principal’one; but the words refpect not the excellency, the meeknefi, patience, innocence and harinlefihefs of the prophet; but his fecurity and infenfibility of danger, like one or both of thefe creatures: that is brought to the flaughter; to be facrificed by the prieft, or killed by the butcher; not knowing but it is going to the pafture to feed in, or to the fold or ftall to lie down in; fo ignorant was the prophet of the defigns of his townfmen againft him, and not at all jealous that they withed him ill; fince he meant none to them, but fought their good: and I knew not that they bad devifed devices againft me, that they had met and confulted together, and devifed mifchief againft him: /aying, let us defiroy the tree with the fruit thereof; meaning either the prophet and his family, root and branch; or him and his prophecies; for taking away his life would put an end to his prophefying. Some think this refpects the manner in which they propofed to take away his life, as by poifon; fo the Targum, ‘* let us *¢ caft (put). poifon (or the favour of death) into *¢ his food;” for the word rendered fruit, figni+ fies bread; and fo the Septuagint, Arabic and Vulgate Latin verfions render it, /et us caf, or put wood into bis bread °; either fome poifonous plant or tree, or rotten wood; or give him wood inftead of bread, and fo ftarve him. De Dieu obferves, that com) tranflated fruit, fignifies both in the Hebrew and Arabic languages, flefo; and renders it, let us break wood upon bis flelb®, or body; that is, beat him with ftaves till they are broken upon him, and fo kill him. The ancient fathers underftand this of Chrift, who is the bread of life, and of his crucifixion upon the wood of the crofs. Ferom fays it is the confent of all the churches, that thefe things are faid of Chrift in the perfon of Feremiak, even in this and the preceding verfe, and the following one: Jet us cut biim off from the land of tbe living, The Targum explains it of the land of J/rael; but it defigns the world in general, and the taking away of his life out of it, and from among men: that bis name may be remembered no more, that he and his prophecies may be butied in everlafting oblivion; he no more fpoken of, and his predictions no more regarded: but, as they failed in the former in taking away his life, he outliving many of them, fo in the latter’; for as what he foretold exactly came to pafs, his name and his prophefying are in remembrance to this cay; and, as the wife man fays, the memory of the juft is bleffed, Prov. x. 7. y¥. 20. But O Lord of hofts, that gudgeft righteoufly, &c.] This is the prophet’s appeal to God, as the judge of the whole earth, who will do right; he found there was no juftice to be done him among men; he therefore has recourfe to a righteous God, who he knew judged righteous judgment: that trieft the reins and the beart, of all men; as of his own, fo of his enemies; and which he mentions, not fo much on his own account, as theirs: /et me fee thy vengeance on them; which imprecation arofe from a pure zeal for God, for his glory, and the honour of his juftice; and not from private revenge; and fo no ways inconfiftent with the charaéter of a good man; tho’ fome confider the words as a prediction of what would befal them, and he fhould live to fee accomplifhed; and render them,
. moe WADD quali agnus manfuetus, V. L. agnus affuefaétus; fo fome in Dieu; tanquam agnus amicabilis, De Dieu;
_ un agneau aimable, Gallic verfion. © MOVIL YY PM rw) miteamus lignom in panem ¢jus, Valg. Lat. corrumpamus veneno cibum, Pagninus; corrumpamus lignum in pane ejus, Montanus, Vata lus, Calvin, P Rumpamus lignum in carnem ejus, De Dieu,
I fall fees. &c. and, fo the Zargum, “<1 *: ‘fhall fee the vengeance of thy judgment on *<“them:” for unto Tbe have I revealed my caufe; as a client to his patron; told his whole cafe, and left it with him, believing he would manage it for him, and do him juftice. The apoftle Peter feems to have this paflage in view, when fpeaking. of RC hitit, 1 Pat. U..23.
¥. 21. Therefore thus faith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, &c.] That is, unto, or concerning the falem at the time of its fiege, but in oth men of Anathoth, the townfmen of Ferémiab, and who were the perfons that combined together to deftroy him; of this place the note on ch. i. 1: that feek thy life; or foul, that is, to take it away: feying, prophefy not in the name of the Lord, without their leave, and fuch hard things as he did, unlefs he would prophefy fmooth things, and then he might go on, otherwife he muft expect to die: that thou die not by our hand, or means; they in-
_ timate that fhould he perfift in this way of prophefying, they fhould not ftay to carry on a judicial procefs againft him, to bring him and accufe him before a judge, or the Sanhedrim, or any court of judicature; but fhould do as thofe called zealots in after-times did; lay violent hands upon him, and difpatch him themfelves at once; perhaps this they faid after they found that the pro- pee: had knowledge of their defigns againft im.