XXVIII.
years of his reign, miglit be faid to Be in the bes ginning of it. Others think that here are two di- {tinct dates; that the former refpects the-things in the preceding chapter, which were in the beginning of his reign; and the latter that affair of Hananiab, which was in the fourth year of it, But Noldius ™, after Glaffius *, gets clear of the difficulties of this text, by rendering the words, and it was from that year, the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, unto the fourth year of his reign; that is, the prophet went on for the fpace of four years, fignifying the will of the Lord by words and types; when in the fifth month of the fourth year, which was the month of 44, anfwering to part of our July and of Auguft, Hananiah the fon of Azur the prophet, the falfe prophet, as the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic verfions call him: which was of Gibeon; a city of thé priefts; fo might be a prieft, tho’ not the highprieft, as fome have thought: /pake unto me in the boufe of the Lord, in the prefence of the priefts, and of all the people; he came to the temple, where Feremiah was, to confront him; and he addrefied himfelf to him, the priefts and all the people being prefent, who were come thither to minifter and worthip: /aying, as follows. _
¥. 2. Thus fpeaketh the Lord of hofts, the God of Tfrael, &c.] Ufing the language of the true prophets, and defcribing the Lord juft in the famé manner they do, when coming from him, and fpeaking in his name; a bold and daring aétion, when he knew the Lord had not fent him, nor had faid any fuch thing to him: he next relates with all aflurance, /aying, I have broken the yoke o the king of Babylon, which he had ‘put upon the neck of the king of Fudah; fignitying, that he fhould be no more fubject to him; that is, he had determined to do it, and would do it, in a very fhort time. a.
¥. 3. Within two full years, &c.] Or, within two years of days °; when they are up to a day. _ The Targum is, “+ at the end of two years;” what the falfe prophets before had faid would be done in a very little time; this fixes the precife time of doing it; a very fhort time, in comparifon of| about to fay, it being what greatly concerns thee the feventy years that Yeremiah had {poke of, ch. xxv. 11, 12: will J bring again into this place, all the veffels of the Lora’s boufe, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, the temple, where he now was; namely, all fuch veflels as before this time had been taken by him, both in Feboickim’s reign, and at the captivity of Feconiah: and carried them te Babylon, where they ftill remained, and according to ‘feremiah {till would; _ and were fo far from being brought back in a fhort time, that what were left would be carried thither alfo, ch. xxvii. rg—21.
y. 4. And Iwill bring again to this place Fecoconiah the fon of Feboiakim king of Fudab, &c.] This he knew would pleafe the people, who looked upon Zedekiah only as a deputy of the king of Babylon, and not properly their king; but Feconiah, as he is here called; and he knew that Zedekiah durft not refent this, but was obliged to diffemble a defire of Feconiah’s return, though otherwife not agreeable to him: with all the captives of Fudab that went into Babylon, faith the Lord; the princes, officers, and others, that fhould be living at the time fixed: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon; weaken his power over other nations, and particularly deliver the king of Fudab from his bondage, and from fubjection to him.
¥. 5. Then the prophet Feremiah faid unto the prophet Hananiab, &c.] The falfe prophet, as he is called by the Targum, Syriac, and Arabic verfions: in the prefence of the priefts, and in the prefence. of all the people, that ftood-in the houfe of the Lor, waiting and worfhipping in the temple; and faid boldly and before them all, in anfwer to Hananiab’s prophecy, what follows.
' ¥. 6. Even the prophet Feremiah faid, Amen, &c.] Or, fo be it; he wifhed it might be fo as Hananiah had faid, if it was the will of God; as a prophet he knew it could not be; as an J/raelite, out of refpect to his country, he withed it might be; or however, he wifhed that they would repent of their fins, that the evil he had threatened them with might not come upon them, and the good that Hananiab had prophefied might be fulfilled: the Lord do fo, the Lord perform the words which thou ‘haft prophefied, fach a hearty regard had he for his country, that were it the Lord’s pleafure to do this, he could be content to be accounted a‘falfe prophet, and Hananiah the true one; it was very defirable to him, to have this prophecy confirmed and fulfilled by the Lord. -The Fews? have a fay~ ing, that whoever deals hypocritically with his friend, at laft falls into his hand, or the hands of his fon, or fon’s fon; and fo they fuppofe Feremiab acted hypocritically with Hananiah, and therefore fell into the hands of the fon of his fon’s fon, ch. xxxvii. 13. but he rather {poke ironically, as fome think: to dring again the veffels of the Lord’s boufe, and all that is carried away captive to Babylon into this place, as a prieft, this muft be very defirable to Feremiab, the Fews obferve, fince he would be a gainer by it; being a prieft, he fhould eat of the holy things; when Hananich, being a Gibeonite, would be a hewer of wood, and a drawer of water:
¥. 7. Neverthele/s, bear thou now this word that I fpeak in thine ears, &c.| Tho’ this would be very acceptable to me, and I fhould be glad to have it fulfilled; yet carefully attend to what I am to obferve, as well as all prefent to liften to: and therefore it is added, and in the ears of all ihe people; that ftood round to hear the converfation that paffed between the two prophets.
¥. 8. Lhe prophets that have been before me, and before thee of old, &c.] Such as I/aiah, Hofea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zepoaniab,and — others: thefe prophefied both againft many countries, and againft great kingdoms, as Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Ethiopia, Moab, &c. as Ifaiah particularly did: of war, and of evil, and of peftilence; by evil, fome think is meant famine, becaufe that uftally goes along with the other mentioned, and there being but one letter in which the words for evil and famine differ; and now the prophets that prophefied of thefe were fent of God, wére the true prophets of the Lord; and therefore this ought not to be objected to the prejudice of Feremiah, that his prophecies were of this fort:, yea, if they fhould not come to pafs, yet a man is not to be counted a falfe prophet, becaufe fuch things are threatened in cafe nations do not repent of their fins and reform, which they may do; and then the evils threatened are prevented, as in the cafe of the Ninivites.
¥. 9. The prophet which prophefieth of peace, &c.| Of profperity, of good things, as Hananiah did, and which are always acceptable to men; and fuch a prophet is agreeable to them: when the word of the Lord foall come to pafs; when the prophecy of good things, which he delivers’ in the name of the Lord, fhall be fulfilled: then /ball the prophet be known that the Lord hath truly fent him; and not till then; it is the event that muft make it manifeft: in the other cafe it may be in a good mea-
‘| fure known before it comes to pafs, and whether it comes to pafs or no, that a prophet is a true prophet; becaufe his prophecies are agreeable to the word, and the declared will of God; contain evils threatened on account of fin, and in order to bring men to repentance, which muft needs be right; and befides, they have no intereft of their own to ferve, but run contrary to the ftream of the people, and-are expofed to their rage and cenfure: whereas, a man that prophefies of peace, he is more to be fufpected of flattering the people, and of prophefying out of his own heart; and nothing but the event ‘can‘fhew him a true prophet 5 which if he delivers witha provifo, that the people do not do that which is evil in the fight of God, to provoke him to deny them the promifed good, is always certainly fulfilled; and if it is not, then he appears manifeftly a falfe prohet.
: y. 10. Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from.off the prophet Feremiah’s neck, &c.] Which he wore as a fymbol of the fubjection of Fudea, and other nations, to the king of Babylon: an impudent and -infolent action this was, to take the prophet’s yoke from his neck; and the more fo, as it was by the command of God that he made it, and wore it: and brake it, being made of wood, as it afterwards appears, and fo might eafily” be broken. Mind.
y. 11. And Hananiah fpake in the prefence of all the people, &c.] Explaining to them his meaning, in taking the yoke, and breaking it: /aying, thus faith the Lord, wickedly making ufe of the Lord’s name, to give countenance to his words and actions: even fo will I break the yoke of Nebuchad- nexzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations, within the [pace of two full years, the time he had fixed for the bringing back of the veflels of the fan&tuary, ¥. 3: and the prophet Feremiah went his way; fhewing thereby his diffent from him, and his diflike and deteftation of his lies and blafphemies; patiently bearing his affronts and infolence; and prudently withdrawing to prevent riots and tumults; returning no anfwer till he had received’
one from the Lord himfelf, which he quickly had. ¥. 12, Then the word of the Lord came to Feremiah the prophet, &c.] When in his own houfe or apartment, to which he retired; and this came to him either in a vifion or dream, or by fome articulate voice, or by an impulfe upon his {pirit, directing him what to fay to the falfe prophet: after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off ihe neck of the prophet Jeremiah; how long afterwards is not known, perhaps the fame day; or however, it is certain it was in the fame year, and lefs than two months after, ¥. 17. and very probably in a few hours after: /aying, as follows. — ¥. 13. Go and.tell Hananiah, faying, thus faith the Lord, &c.}| Whofe name he had abufed; whofe prophet he had ill-treated; and whofe prophecies he had contradiéted, and the fymbols of them had contumelioufly ufed: shou haft broken the yokes of wood; or bonds, or the thongs; with which the yokes of wood were bound and faftened, as Kimchi interprets it: but thou Jbalt make for them yokes of iron, not Hananiah, but Jeremiah; who fhould prophefy of a. more fevere bondage the nations fhould be brought into by Nebuchadnezzar, in direct contradiction to Hananiah’s prophecy; inftead of wooden yokes, they fhould have: iron ones; which fhould he heavier, and bear harder upon them, and which could not be broken nor taken off. ¥. 14. For thus faith the Lord of hofts, the God of Irael, &c.] Under which titles he.is often fpoken of; and which he ufes, when he delivered any thing to his prophets to declare.in his name to others: J have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all thefe nations; mentioned in ch. xxvii. 3: that they may ferve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they foall ferve him; dire€tly contrary to what Hananiah had prophefied, y. 11. that his yoke fhould be broke off from. them; but inftead of that, it fhould become heavier unto them, and they fhould be obliged to ferve him, whether they would or no; and refufing to pay tribute to him, fhould be carried captive by him, as had been foretold: and I have given him the beafts of the field alfo; as he had faid -he would, ch. xxvii. 6. and which is repeated, to fhow that the whole would be punctually fulfilled; that not only thofe nations, the men, the inhabitants of them, would. be delivered to.him, but even the very cattle, and all that belonged to them. ¥. 15. Then faid Feremiah the prophet unto Hananiah the prophet, &c.| The falfe prophet, as he _is again called by the Targum, and in the Syriac verfion,; where he went to him, and met with him, whether in the temple or elfewhere, is not. mentioned; very probably in fome public place, that there might be witnefles of what was faid; for it was for the conviction of others, as well-as for his own confufion, the following things are obferved.
4 YY FOI lora lignea, Junias & Tremellius.
Hear NOW, Hananiah, the Lord hath not sent theey r
tho’ he {poke in his name, and pretended a mifion from him, when he had. none, which was abominable wickednefs: but thou makeft this people to truft in a lie, that the Lord would break off the yoke of the king of Babylon, and free the nations from fervitude to him, particularly udea; and that the king, and his princes, and people, and the vefitls of the temple, carried away with him, would be returned within two years; this the people depended on as coming from the Lord, when he was not fent by him.
¥. 16. Therefore thus faith the Lord, &¢.] Becaufe of this heinous offence, in lying in the name of the Lord, and deceiving the people: bebald, I will caft thee from off the face of the earth; with the utmoft indignation and abhorrence, as not worthy to live upon it: it fignifies that he fhould die, and that not a natural, but violent death, by the immediate hand of God, by fome judgment upon him; and fo be by force taken off the earth, and buried in it, and be no more feen on it: shis year thou fhalt die; within the prefent year, reekon- ing from this time; fo that had he died any time. within twelve months from hence, it would have been fufficient. to have verified theprophecy: decaufe thou haft taught rebellion againft the Lord; to defpife his word by his prophet; to contradiét his will; to refufe fubjection to the king of Babylon; to neglect his inftructions, directions, and exhortations; and to believe a hie.
¥. 17. So Hananiah the prophet died the fame yegr, &c.] That he had delivered out his prophecy; the fame year in which Yeremiah faid he fhould die; which proved him to be a falfe prophet, and Feremiah to be a true one: in the feventh month, it was two months after he had prophefied; for it was in the fifth month that he prophefied, and in the feventh he died; not after feven months, as Z/eodoret remarks, but in two months; fo he that prophefied, that within two years what he foretold would come to pafs, in two months: time dies himfelf,. according to the word of the Lord, and his prophecies die with him. - The Fewifh, writers move a difficulty. here} ‘how he fhould be faid to die the fame year, when} the feventh month was. the beginning of another year;
for the civil year of the Jews began from the fe-, venth month, or the month Zi/ri,; as’ their ecclefiattical year from the month Nifan or Adib. To folve this, they obferve, a tradition, that he died, the laft day of the fixth month, or the eve of the: new year; and ordered; his fons and his -fervants,: before his death, to hide it, and not bring him)
out to be buried till after the year was begun, to make Feremiah a liar: to,which agrees the Targum, both of the claufe in the preceding verie, and this; the formerjof which it pair ‘« this year thou fhalt die; and in the other yeat “< (or the year following)..thou fhalt be buried,” and this verfe thus, ‘‘.and. Haneniab hei ‘* phet died this year, and was buried in the fe- «« venth month:” but there was no occafion to raife fuch a difficulty,. fince. it wo een enough to have verified the predi that he died any time within the twelve months from the: date of it; and _befides,. phe fee ea thedifficulty greater, and contradiéts - Ty text, which fays, he died in the Pinan eed wip TU 8 ro ilies SSP cpsitaier
CAP, oX XTX.
HIS chapter contains a letter of Feremiah to the captives in Badylon; and gives an account of another fent from thence by Shemaiah to the people at Feru/falem; and is clofed with threatning him with punifhment for fo doing. eremiab’s letter concerns both the captives at Babylon, and the people left at Ferufalem. The perfons to whom and by whom it was fent, and the time of writing and fending it, are mentioned in y. 1, 2, 3. and tho’ the prophet was the amanuenfis, God was the author of it, as well as of their captivity, y. 4. the contents of it, refpecting the captives, are advices to them, to provide for their comfortable fettlement in Babylon, and not think of returning’ quickly, by building houfes, planting gardens, marrying, and giving in marriage, y. 5, 6. and to feek and pray for the profperity of the place where they were, in which their own ‘was concerned, y. 7. to give no heed to their falfe prophets and diviners, ¥. 8, 9. and to expect a return to Ferufalem at the end of 70 years; which they might -be affured of, fince God had refolved upon it in his own mind, ¥. ro, 11. and efpecially if they called upon, him, prayed to him, and fought him heartily, ¥. 12, 13, 14. the other part of the letter refpects the Jews in Ferufalem; concerning whom the captives are directed to obferve, that both the king and people fhould fuffer much by fword, famine, peftilence, and captivity, with the reafon of it, ¥. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. particularly it is foretold, that Abab and Zedekiah, two lying prophets, fhould be made an example of vengeance; and a proverbial curfe fhould be taken of them, becaufe of their villany, leudnefs, and lies, ¥. 20, 21, 22, 23. next follows fome account of Sbhemaiah’s letter from Babylon, to the people and priefts at Ferufalem, ftirring them up againft Feremiab the prophet; which came to be known, by the priefts reading it to him, y¥. 24, 25,.26, 27, 28, 29. upon which Shemaiah is threatened with punifhment, and his feed after him, y. go, 31,
¥. 1. Now thefe are the words of the letter that
Seremiah the prophet fent from Ferufalem, &c.|] The argument and tenour, the fum and fubftance, of an epiftle, which the prophet eremiab, being at Ferufalem, wrote, under the infpiration of God, to his countrymen abroad, afterwards defcribed; fo the prophets under the Old Teftament inftructed the people, fometimes by their fermons and difcourfes delivered by word of mouth to them, and fometimes by letters and epiftles; as did the apoftles of the New Teftament; and they were both ways ufeful and profitable to men: unto the refidue of the elders which were carried away captive; fome perhaps dying by the way, and others quickly after they came to Babylon; fome were left, who had been rulers or civil magiftrates in Fudea, and perhaps of the great Sanhedrim: and to the priefts, and to the prophets; falfe prophets, as the Syriac verfion; for we read only of one true prophet that was carried captive, and that was Ezekiel, but of falfe prophets feveral: and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Ferufalem to Babylon, which was eleven or twelve years before their laft captivity thither. This was this letter was an interefting one to them a catholic epiftle, common to all the captives, of every rank and clafs, age or fex..
¥. 2. After that Feconiah the king, &c.| Of Fudah, the fame with Feboiachin, who was carried captive into Babylon when he had reigned but three months: and the queen; not Fecontah’s wite, for he had none; but his mother, whofe name was Nebufhta, and who was carried captive with him; 2 Kings xxiv. 8,12: and the eunuchs; or chamberlains to the queen; the Targum calls them princes; thefe were of the king’s houfhold, his courtiers; and fuch perfons have been every where, and in.all ages, court-favourites: and the princes of Fudab and Ferufalem, the noblemen and grandees of the nation: and the carpenters, and the /miths were departed from Ferufalem,; whom Nebuchadnezzar took with him, partly for his own ufe in his own country; and partly that the Fews might be deprived of fuch artificers, that could affitt in fortifying their city, and providing them with military weapons; fee the note on ch. xxiv. 1.
¥. 3.° By the band of Elafah the fon of Shapban, &c.] Perhaps the brother of Abikam, and of Faazaniab, ch. xxvi. 24. Ezek. viii. 11: and Gemariah the fon of Hilkiah; to diftinguifh him from Gemariah the fon of Shaphan the {cribe, ch. xxxvi. 10: whom Zedekiah king of Fudab fent unto Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, as his embaffadors, on what account it is not certain; perhaps to pay the tribute-money to him; or to treat with him about the reftoration of fome of the captives; or to cultivate friendfhip, and promife fubmiffion, and that he would faithfully keep the covenant he had made with him: and perhaps he might be jealous of ecoviah ufing his intereft with the king of Babylon for his reftoration, whieh could not be acceptable to Zedekiab; and this might be one reafon why he admitted his meflengers to carry Feremiah’s letter to the captives, if he knew of it, or faw it; fince it exhorted them not to think of a return, but provide for a long continuance where they weré; however, by the hand of thefe meffengers Jeremiah fent his letter.to them: /aying, as
¥. 4. Thus faith the Lord of -hofts, the God of I/- rael, &c.|. For the letter was written by the order of the Lord, was indited by him, and was fent in his name, the prophet was only his amanuenfis 5 and the titles which, the Lord here takes are worthy of notice: the Lord of hofts; of the armies above and below, that does according to his pleafure in heaven’ and in earth, with whom nothing is impoffible; who could eafily deftroy the enemies of his people, and deliver them, either immediately by his power, or mediately by means of armies on earth, whom he could affemble, and fend at pleafure; or by legions of angels at his command: the God of I/rael, their covenant God§ who {till continued to be fo, notwithftanding their fins and tranfereffions, and tho’ in captivity in a foreign land; and a good hint this, to preferve them from the idolatry of the country they were in, and to obferve unto them that he only was to be worfhipped by them: wxto all that are carried away captives; or, to all of the captivity, or, to the whole captivity’ high and low, rich and beer awhom Ihave caufed to be carried away from ferufalem unto Babylon, for tho’ their fins and iniquities were the moving, meritorious and procuring caufes of their captivity; and Nebuchadnezzar and his army the inftruments; yet God was the efficient caufe: the Chaldeans could never have cartied them captive, if the Lord had, not willed it, or had not done it by them; for there is no evil of this kind ix a city, and the Lord hath not done it, Amos iii. 6. ¥. 5. Build ye boufes, and dwell in them, 8c.) Intimating hereby, that they muft not expect a return into their own land in any fhort time, but that they fhould continue many years where they were; fuggefting alfo, that as they had ability, fo._ they fhould have liberty, of building themielves houfes; nor fhould they be interrupted by. their enemies; nor would their houfes be taken from them, when built; but they fhould dwell peaceably and quietly in them, as their own; which they might affure themfelves of from the Lord, who gives thefe, and the following direftions: and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; and live as comfortably as you can in a foreign country; plant your gardens with vines. and pomegranates,. and all forts of fruitful trees the country produces; and fear not the fruit being taken away from you; depend upon it, you fhall eat the fruit of your own labour, and not be deprived of it. ¥. 6. Take ye wives, and beget fons and daughters, &c.] That is, fuch as had no wives, who} were either batchelors or widowers; not that they were to take wives of the Chaldeans, but of thofe of their own nation; for inter-marriages with heathens were forbidden them; and this they were to do, in order to propagate their pofterity, and keep up a fucceffion: and take wives for your fons, and give your daughters to hufbands,; or men*; preferving and eftablifhing the right of parents to give their children in marriage, and pointing to them their duty to provide fuitable yoke-fellows for them; and hereby is fignified, that not only they, but their children after them, fhould continue in this ftate of captivity: that they may bear fons and daughters, that ye may be increafed there, and not diminifoed, like their anceftors in Egypt, who grew very numerous amidft: all their afflictions and bondage. ¥.7. And feck the peace of the city, &c.] The profperity and happinefs of Babylon, or any other city in Chaldea, where they were placed: this they were to do by prayer and fupplication to God, and by all other means that might be any ways conducive to the good of the ftate where they were: whither I have caufed you to be carried away captives; and as long as they continued fo; for being under the proteétion of the magiftrates of it, tho’ heathens, they owed them fubmiffion, and were under obligation to contribute to their peace and welfare: and pray unto the Lord for it, the city, where they dwelt; for the continuance, fafety, peace and profperity of it; and therefore much more ought the “natives of a place to féek and pray for its good, and do all that in them lies to promote it; and fill more fhould the faints and people of God pray for the peace of Ferufalem, or the church of God, where they are born, and brought up in‘a {piritual fenfe; {ee 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. P/, CR. Gay, 8,9: for in the peace thereof foall ye have peace;
was no doubt of its, performance, { faithful who. has promifed, and is was in fafety and profperity, was ina flourifhing condition, as to its health and trade, they would partake more or lefs with them of the fame advantages; and on the other hand, fhould they be diftreffed with the fword, famine or peftilence, or any grievous calamity, they would be involved in the fame. -
¥.8. For thus faith the Lord of hofts, the God of Trael, &c.] See the note on y¥. 4: let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the. midfi of you, deceive you; their falfe prophets, as the Zargum and there were many fuch in the captivity; fee Ezek. xiii. 2, 3, 4. and fuch who pretended to divine and foretel future things, and fo impofe upon the people, who were too apt to believe them; thefe infinuated, that in a little time they fhould have their liberty, and return to their own land again, contrary to the prophecies that came from the Lord himfelf: merther hearken to your dreams which ye caufe to be dreamed; for that of a fpeedy return to their own land, was-no other than a dream, which they both dreamed themfelves; their thoughts running on it in the day-time, they dreamed of it at night; and fancied it was from the Lord; a divine dream; and fo built much upon it; and alfo which they encouraged the falfe prophets and diviners to dream, and tell their dreams, by their liftening to them, and being pleafed with them, giving credit to them as if they came from God.
¥.9. For they prophefy falfly unto you in my name, &c.] They. pretended to have the authority of God for what they faid; that their prophefies and) dreams were from him, and as fuch they delivered them in his name; tho’ they were falfe ones; that they might be the better received by the people: Ihave not Jent them, faith the Lord; they had no miffion or commiffion from the Lord, no warrant or authority from him; they fet up themfelves; and ran without being fent; and prophefied out of their own hearts, what came into their heads,
|the fancies of their own brain, or the delufions of fatan, under whofe power and. influence they” were; therefore fad niuft be the cafe of a people
| giving heed to fuch feducing fpirits.
¥.10. For thus faith the Lord, that after feventy years be accomplifbed at Babylon, 8ec.]. Thefe feventy
| years are not to be reckoned from the laft captivity under Zedekiah; nor‘from the precife prefent time; nor from the firft of Feconiab’s captivity; but from the fourth’ year of Feboigkim, and the firft of Nebuchqadnezzar, when he firft came, up. ainft Te > rufalem, fee ch. xxv. 1,2, 11: J will vifit yous in a way of mercy, by ftirring up Gras king of Perfia, to grant them their liberty: and perform my good word tewards you, in canfing you to return Mt this place; meaning the. promife of return. f their captivity to their own land; whi good word of promife, a promife of which was good news to them, and;o form... It was from hence, and ch. xxs that Daniel learned the time. of the, captivity the. returm from it, “Dam. ix.2,. ». «, y. 11. For I know. the thoughts that wards you, faith the Lord, &c.] and refolutions of his. heart, concert fare, particularly the reftoration to their, which is an argument taken from felf-intereft; inimating, that whilft the city in which they were! own land; thefe were wit in him, and known to, ¥ him, and him only; they were remembered by 2 him, and continued with him, as the thoughts of them: Some render it, ax expelted reward»; which his heart are to all generations; and fo would not fail of being performed; men think, and forget what they have thought of, and fo it comes to nothing; but thus it is not with God; he has taken up many thoughts in a way of love, grace and mercy, concerning finful men; about their election in Chrift; a provifion of all fpiritual bleffings for them; redemption and falvation by Chrift; their effectual vocation, adoption and eternal. life: thoughts of peace, and not of evil; or, for evil‘; thefe thoughts were concerning the temporal peace and profperity of the Fews in Babylon, and not of any thing to their hurt; yea, even their captivity was for their good, ch. xxiv. 5. and thoughts concerning his fpiritual J/rae/, their peace and reconciliation with God, and the manner of bringing it about, by the blood, fufferings and death of his Son in human nature, with whom he confulted and agreed about this matter; and concerning their inward {piritual peace of mind and confcience now; and their eternal peace hereafter: nor does he ever think of evil for them; whatever evil he thinks towards others, angels or men, he thinks none towards them; and whatever evil befals them, he means it for good, and it does work for good unto them; he can’t think otherwife concerning them, confiftent with his everlafting and unchangeable love to them; fince he has defigned fo much good for them, does fo much to them, and has fo much to beftow upon them. The iffue of all which is, to give you an expected end; a very defirable one; fuch as they wifhed, and hoped to have, and expected; fuch as would put an end to all their troubles, and put them into the enjoyment of all good things promifed, and waited for. This, in the myftical fenfe, may have reference to the Meffiah, in whom all God’s thoughts of peace, concerning his fpecial people, iffue; he is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, of all things; of all things in creation; of the fcripqures, promifes and prophefies of it; the end of the law for righteoufne/s; the fulfiling end of it, by his obedience, and fufferings, and death; and who was to come, and did come, at the end of the Fewifo world, at the end of their civil and ecclefiaftical ftate: he was long promifed and prophefied of, and was much waited for and expected, by the faints before the flood; from thence to Mofes; from Mofes to David, from David to the Babylonifh captivity; from thence to the times of his coming, when there was a general expectation of him; and this expected end was then given, as an inftance of God’s grace and good-will to men. It may alfo be applied to falvation by Chrift; the end of all God’s gracious purpofes and defigns; the end of the covenant of grace, the provifions, bleffings and promifes of it; the end of Chrift’s coming into the world, and of his obedience and death; the end of his prayers and preparations now in heaven; and the end of the faith of the faints on earth: this is an end hoped, waited for, and expected by faith; and for which there is good reafon; fince it is wrought out, prepared and promifed; faints are heirs of it; and now it is nearer than when they believed; and will be beftowed as a free grace-gift, thro’ Jefus Chrift our Lord; and will be enjoyed as the iffue and refult of God’s eternal thoughts of peace concerning is givén at the end of the work; others, pofterity and hope”, a numerous pofterity; and hope and expectation of good things from the Lord, promifed in the days of the Meffiah.
¥.12. Then fhall ye call upon me; &e.] When the expected end is about to be given; when God intends, and is about to beftow a mercy, he gives his people a fpirit of prayer to afk for it; and even the promife of it is a confiderable argument to encourage and engage more to pray for it: and ye foall go and pray unto me, walk in my ways;
fo Farchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, or rather, ye fhall go into your private clofets, or ‘into thofe public places where prayer was wont to be made, and there put up your petitions; or it may be, the meaning is, that they fhould continue praying unto him; fhould pray without ceafing, until they enjoyed the bleffing, and had the expected end given them: and I will. bearken unto you; God is a God hearing prayer; he liftens to the requefts of his people, and anfwers them in his own time and way; which is no {mall encouragement to pray unto him. ¥.13. And ye fall feek me, and find me, &c.} When perfons feek the Lord aright, they always find him; aGod hearing prayer; a God in Chrift; be- {towing favours upon them; granting them his prefence; indulging them in-communion with him; and favouring them with frefh fupplies of his grace, and every thing needful for them; every mercy temporal and {piritual; that is, when they feek him in Chrift, who is the only way to the Father, under the guidance and influence of the blefied Spirit; in the exercife of faith upon him and his promifes; with fervency of fpirit, and ardor of mind; with diligence and importunity; with ears neft defires and ftrong affections; and as follows, with all fincerity of foul: when ye shall fearch for me with all your heart; which, as Calvin rightly obferves, does not defign perfection, but integrity and fincerity; when they draw nigh with a true heart, and call.upon him in truth, and fearch for him with eagernefs, with a hearty defire to find him, as men fearch for gold, and filver, and hid treafure.. y.14. And I will be found of you, faith the Lord, &c.] As he is; when his favour is fhewn, his prefence is enjoyed, and the blefling fought for is obtained: and I will turn away your captivity; this defigns the captivity of Feconiah, or of the Fews that were carried captive with him; and which had its accomplifhment, when the Jews returned to their own land, upon the edict of Cyrus: and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, faith the Lord; for tho’ the greateft part might be carried to Babylon, and continue there; yet others might be removed, or remove, into other countries; and befides, this may refpect their brethren who fhould come into captivity, and return with them at the end of the feventy years; for the expreffions are very large and general: and I will bring you agaim into the place whence I caufed you to be carried away captive; that is, Ferufalem, and the land of Fudea; tho” the Vulgate Latin verfion renders it, ** and I “© will make you to return from the place to which «© T have caufed you to go captive;” meaning Babylon. The fenfe comes to the fame; but the. common
© TPM FAN mercedem & quider
626 YER EM éorfiiton reedbing is moft-agreeable to the Hebrew
COXEY OD ceTo gsIOW Oh he ¥. 150 Bécanfe ye bave aid, &c.| That is, fome of them. for here the Lord, by the prophet, turns)
from the godly among the captives, whom ‘he had been advilind, encouraging and comforting. before, to thofe who gave heed?tc promifed them a fpeedy recurn to their -own land, and which they believed3 ‘and therefore rejected and defpifed the prophecies of Feremiab, and others =)
the Lord hath raifed us up: prophets in Babylon 3and therefore ftood in no: need of other prophets that were in Fudea, ot in Serufalem, nor fhould‘hearken to them; but believe thofe that -wefe® raifed up among themfelves, rather’ than others at a diftance;':and ‘tho’ thefe were falfe prophets; yet being fuch that prophefied to them ‘things that were agreeable, they were willing to believe them, and to confider them, and. receive them, as’ prophets fént of God, ‘when they were nots
¥. 16) Know that thus faith the Lord, &c.] Or for, ot wherefore thus faith the Lord*; for the word snow, is notin the text, and feems needlefs 5 tho’ it is alfo fupplied by other interpreters'y.: ‘The words.are \illative, and follow upon the former; and the fenfe is, that fince they gave heed to their falfe prophets! in Badylon, who told them that they fhould: quickly returm;: therefore the Lord fent the following meflage to them, informing them, that it was fo far from being: true, that they fhould in a fhort time return to Ferufalem;‘ that, on the other hand, they:that were there fhould foon be with them in captivity, or be deftroyed: of, or concerning the king that fitteth on the throne of David; that is, Kine Zedekiah, who was then the reigning king at Ferujalems and of all the people that dwelleth in this city; the city Ferufalem, where Feremiab was, and’ from whence this letter was written in the name of the Lord to the captives at Babylon: and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; that lived’ in the feveral parts of the land of Fudea, who were left behind; and not carried captive, when thofe were to whom thefe words are directed.
¥. 17. Thus faith the Lord of hofts, behold, I will fend upon them the fword, &c.| The fword of the
Chaldeans, by which many of them fhould fall, as’
they did.. The Targum is, ** I will fend upon *¢ them thofe that kill with the fword;” who, tho’ they were prompted to come againft the ews thro’ a natural and ambitious defire of conquering and plundering, yet were fent of God; nor would they have come, had he not willed and fuffered it: the famine, and the peftilence; to deftroy others that efcaped the fword; both thefe raged, whilft Ferufalem was befieged by the Chaldeans: and will make them like vile figs that cannot be eaten, they are fo evil; to ‘which they are compared, ch. xxiv. 8. The ‘fenfe is, that as they had made themfelves wicked and: corrupt like naughty and rotten figs, fo the Lord would deal with them as men do with fuch, caft them away, as good for nothing. The _word * for wile, fignifies fomething horrible; and defigns fuch figs fo bad, that they even ftrike the eater of them with horror. ¥: 18. And I will perfecute them with the fword, with the famine, and with the peftilence, &c. | Bg follow afier* them fach as fhould make their efeape
* VON ITD 13 nam fic ait, Junius & Tremellius, Pifcator, Cocceius;.ideo, Calvin 5 ita na mane een Dann) tenguam ar eee heed to the falfe prophets, who"
out Of the'éityy and go into Beipt or other couns|
|tries, for fhelter and fafety, fhould be purfued by:
the-vengeance of God; and fhould fall by: fword;" famineror peftilence, invother places: arid will de> liver thém fachias fhould not petifh by the above-' mentioned ‘calamities + ro de removed to all the king=* doms: of \thé earth, where they thould be feattered, and fivetintexile: or, for a /haking to all the king’
doms of the earth»; who:fhould fhake‘and tremble - at fuch’a dreadful fpectacle of vengeance; or ra~’ ther, théy\fhould: fhake and tremble’at the wrath of God upon ther jorelf theit enemies; amor whom they: fhould:be;fhould shake their heads ae. themjby way of infult; and’ triumph over'them + to be a curse, and an-oftonifiment, and uh bifine; and a reproach among all-the nations whither I have driven thems. where men fhall lookat then with amazes ment,’ and curfe: them, and hifs'atthem, and re= proach them, as the off-{courine of ‘the world, yt. 19. Becaufe they have not hearkened tomy words; faith the Lord, &c.} Which were fpokenito them bythe prophets’; not hearkening’ to ‘them but defpifing them, were the‘fame as not hearkening to him, and: defpifing-hinty contempt ‘of Ged, and his word, was the caufe of their ruin 5 fee 2 Cbrom! XXXVI. 15,16: whith I fent unto them by my fers vants the prophets’; fuch as Hofea, Taiaby: Micabs - Jeremiah, and others: rifing up early, and fending them; which denotes the frequency of their mi fion; the diligent:care of God towards them; and his -earneft ‘folicitude for their welfare; and the plenty of means they were fayoured’with; all which were agaravations of: their fin: but ye sbould not hear, faith the Lordy ‘the words of the Lord ‘by his prophets; the counfél and admonitions hé gave them; but purfued their own ways and ‘counfels; and liflened to the falfe:prophets,
¥.20. Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, &c.}' What he was now about to fay concerning their falfe prophets: all. ye of the’ captivity, whom I have fent from Ferufalem to Babylon; all that were carried ‘captive along with Feconiah. ‘Some parts of this letter are directed to one fort of the captives, and others to another fort of them; fome being good men, fome ‘bad; but what’ follows, all are called upon to obferve, good. and bad; it being a prediction of ‘a certain event,’ which they would fee fulfilled in a fhort time; and therefore might be of -fervice to them; to the godly, for the confirmation of them in the belief of what the Lord had promifed; and to the reft, to bring them off from giving heed to falfe prophets, that fhould hereafter arife: ae, er y.21. Thus faith the Lord of bofis, the God of ' Trael, &c.| See the note on ¥. 4: of Abab the jon of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the fon of Maafeiab, which prophefy a lie unto you; two falfe proph of whom we have no account any where elfe, but — here; and are, no doubt, the prophets, or how= ever two of them, that they of the captivity boafted of, that God had raifed unto them in Babylonyy. 1: The Yews* fay, and fo Ferom relates, that thef aré the two elders that attempted thé chaftity ‘:
Sifannab: behold, I wiil deliver them into the!
of Nebuchadréezzar king of Babylon, they thould
4 E 101 Ke feized as feditious perfons; which was fo permitted— wl Pe eee Mae ke OO eee ieee in providence, that they might be brought to punifhment for*other fins. they were guilty of: and he foall flay them before your eyes; by roatting them with fire; ‘as follows, Mi Wa Oh bat ome ¥.22. And of them foall be taken up-a' curfecby all the captivity of Fudab which are in Babylon, 8c.) A form of curfing; when they curfed any one, or withed him ill, it thould be in’ fuch like ‘manner,
: 527 miab came tothe! Captives in Babylon; and after the return of'the mefféngers..from thence, who brought ‘account how it was recéived, and what umbrage it: gave to the falfe prophets s\/ayings as». follows; (di bluow on es...big My gist yon ‘oils ¥.25. Thus fpeaketh the Lord. of bofts; the God of Ifrael, faying, Bec.) See the note ong: becaufe. thou haft \fent: letters inthy name untovall the:
as follows; fo odious and deteftable would thefe people that ure at Ferufalem;, not in the name of men be afterwards to them, whom they, at) leaft fome of them, took to be ‘thé: prophets of) the Lord: the Lord make thee like Zedekiab,;.and like Abab, whom:the king of Babylon roafted in the fire; or burnt. them *; not.at once, but with a flow fire; fo the Maccabees were roafted,»2 Maccab..vii. 3. Burning perfons with fire, and: cafting them into a fiery: furnace, were ways. ufed by the Chaldeans in putting perfons to death, Dax. iil. 6. and.roafting men.ata fire was ufed by the Chinefe*..<° y¥.23. Becaufe they have committed villany in Ifrael, &c.| Or folly; as the. fins of adultery, the captives, whom) he.confiilted. not; nor With Ezekiel the prophet of the Lord, who was ofthe. captivity; but mhis own name, taking upon. him to direct and order what fhould be done in Feru- Salem... Thefeoletters were nt: very probably by the hands of the king’s meffengers, when they returned, whofe names:aré mentioned, yi 3. fome of them) were) fent: to: the: people, to fet them. againft the prophet: of the Lord, Feremiah, that! they might not give any heed: aiid:credit to him;.:and others to the priefts, as follows:; and ta Zephaniah the fon of Maajeiah the prieft; not the: high-prieft, but his and prophefying falfly are ‘afterwards mentioned. /agam orideputy’; the fecond prieit, ashe is called,
This was not the reafon why the king of. Babylon put them to death; tho’ the ews * have a ‘tradition, that they attempted the chaftity of: Neduchadnezzar’s daughter, for which reafon he ‘caft them into a furnace; but rather it was on account of their. prophefying: immediate: deftruction to Babylon, and telling the captives. that they fhould. be -delivered in a. fhort time; and) ftirting them up to prepare;to go to their own land’; ‘but the reafons here given, are thofe which moyed the Lord to deliver.them into. the ‘hands of the king of Babylon for-their deftruction >and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives 3 which was a piece of villainy, as well as folly; and which abundantly fhewed, that thefe men were not the prophets of the Lord, or were fent by him, being fuch impure wretches: and have /poken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; as that the people fhould return to their own land in a fhort time; this was another part of their villainy and folly, and for which they were given up into the hands of the king of Babylon to be punifhed: even I know, and am a witnefs, faith the Lord; for tho’ their adulteries might bé very fecretly committed, and their lying prophecies " were not feen to be fuch by the people in common; yet God, who, is omnifcient, faw all their impurity, and knew all their lies and falfhood, and was, and would. be, a:fwift witnefs againft them, here and hereafter. The Targum is, ‘* and before «* me it is manifeft, and my word is a witnefs, $© faith the Lord.” nog? y¥.24. Thus fhalt thou fpeak to Shemaiah the Nekelamite, &c.] Or, the dreamer*; becaufe he pretended to have dreams from the Lord; ‘or becaufe what he delivered as prophecies, were mere dreams; as that the captives fhould quickly return to their own land; fo Kimchi: but Farchi takes it to be the name of a place, from whence he was fo called; perhaps the place of his birth, or habitation formerly; fo the Targum paraphrafing, ** who << was of Halem;” he was another of the falfe prophets in Badylon. This latter part of the chapter is of a later date than the former; and refers’
to what was done after the above letter of Fere- ch, lit. 24. for: Seraiah was high-prieft, unlefs he was now become high-prieft; in his room. This Maafeiah was either his immediate parent, or €lfe the: head ofthat courfe. to which Zephaniah be« longed, as a common prieft, which was the twentyfourth in order, 1 Chron. xxiv. 18: faying; as follows, ¥. 26. The Lord hath made thee prieft in the ftead of Feboiada the prieft, &cc.). The fame with Seraiah, who might have more names than one, and ¥ehoiada be one of them, who either was removed, or carried captive; and this Zephaniah, his fagan or deputy, fucceeded him. Some think he refers to the famous Yebsiada in the times of Foa/h, a great ‘reformer; and that this man was another fuch an one for his zeal, or at leaft ought to be, which he would have him exert againft Feremiab; but the former feems moft probable: that ye fhould be officers in the houfe of the Lord; or vifiters, or overfeers* there; that is, Zephaniah, and the reft of the priefts; or that he fhould fee to it, that there were proper officers fet there, to take care of it, and fuffer none to come in and prophefy there, to the hurt of the people, as he would infinuate: for every man that is mad, and maketh himfelf a prophet, or, againft every man“; to prevent all enthufiaftic perfons, and fuch as are troubled with a phrenfy in their brain, and fet up themfelves for prophets, from fpeaking in the name of the Lord; fo the true prophets of old, and the apoftles of Chrift, and! faithful minifters of the word, have always been reprefented as befide themfelves, and as taking upon them an office that did not belong to them; and:therefore fhould be refltrained and perfecuted by the higher powers: that thou /houldft put bim in prifon, and in the frocks; the former of thefe words, according to the Hebrew, fignifies an engine or inftrument, in which the. neck was put, like our pillory; and the latter, an iron inftrument for the hands, a manacle, or hand-cuff,.as Kimchi; fee ch. xx. 2. tho’ this rather:better agtecs with the pillory, being a ftrait narrow place, in which the hands, feet and neck were put‘. y.27. Now therefore why' baft thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, 8c.) Not by words only, is ogebue; © Martin. & T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93.'1. i Ey7H) infpectores, Cocceiusy but by actions; by beating and fcourging, by pillory or imprifonment, and fo reftraining him from
¥. 30. Then came the word of the Lord unto Fe+ remiah, &c.] After he had heard the letter read:
prophefying to the people: which maketh himfelf faying; as follows, a prophet unto you? takes upon him fuch an office, tho’ not fent of the Lord, as he would infinuate: this fhows the haughtinefs and infolence of the falfe prophets in Babylon, to affume fuch authority to’ themfelves, to diétate to the high-prieft, as Kimchi takes him to be, or however the fecond prieft, what he fhould do, and to rebuke him for not doing his office.
¥.28. For therefore he fent unto us in Babylon, faying, 8cc.] That is, Jeremiah che prophet; and this was the reafon, becaufe his mouth was not ftopped, and he reftrained from prophefying; fo that Shemaiah lays all the blame on Zephaniah, and his brethren the priefts; who, had they done their duty, would have prevented Feremiah’s letter to the captives, as he fuggefts; the purport of which was, this captivity is long; fo Kimchi, Abarbinel and Ben Melech tupply it; or, it is Jong ™; it will be a long time ere the captives fhall return to their own land; and therefore they fhould not think of it, or provide for it; but, on the contrary, for their continuance in Babylon; giving the following advice: Luild ye boufes, and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them, referring to Feremiah’s letter, ¥. 5. fee the note there.
y.29. And Zephaniah the prieft read this letter, &c.] Of Shemaiah’s to him, and the other priefts: in the ears of Feremiah the prophet, whether out of good-will, to let him know who were his enemies abroad; or out of ill-will, to ftir up the people againft him; or in pretence of proceeding equitably with him; not taking him up, and punifhing him before he brought the accufation and charge again{t him; and acquainted him who were his accufers, and what evidence there was, and heard what he had to fay in his own defence; whether one or the other is uncertain; however, by this means Yeremiah came to the knowledge of Shemaiah’s letter.
¥. 31. Send to all them of the captivity, &c.] Another letter; not to Shemaiah, but to the people, that they might all know that he was a falfe prophet; and how his lies were refented by the Lord; and what punifhment fhould be inflicted on him and his, on account of them: faying, thus faith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nebelamite; the letter, tho’ wrote by the prophet, muft be fent in the name of the Lord, declaring what he would do with the perfon mentioned, and the rea-_ fon of it; which follows: becaufe that Shemaiah, hath prophefied unto you, and I fent him not, and he caufed you to truft in a lie, that they fhould ina very little time return from their captivity to Ferufalem.
¥. 32. Therefore thus faith the Lord, &c.] Be— caufe he prophefied without being fent of God, and prophefied lies, by which the people were deceived: behold, 1 will punifh Shemaiah the Nebelamite, and bis feed, not him only, but his pofterity alfo: thus God fometimes vifits the fins of parents on their children, they being, as it were, a part of themfelves, and oftentimes partners with them in their iniquities: he Jhall not have a’man to dwell among this people; either at Babylon, or at Ferufalem, whither he had promifed a fpeedy return: neither fhall he behold the good that 1 will do for my people, faith the Lord, by returning them, after feventy years captivity, to their own land, and to the enjoyment of all their privileges, civil and religious: Lecaufe he hath taught rebellion againft the Lord; or, a departure» from him; taught men to revolt from him, and not give heed to his prophets; to difbelieve what he faid by them, concerning their continuance in Babylon; which is called a rebellion againft him; and being fo heinous a crime, deferved the punifhment denounced on him and his; rebels and their offspring are punifhed among men.
HIS chapter contains a prophecy of the call and converfion of the ews in the latter day; which being a matter of moment and importance, and that it might continue, and be read hereafter, it is ordered to be written in a book, ¥.1, 2. the thing itfelf is expreffed by a return from captivity to their own land, y¥. 3. but previous to this there would be moft dreadful times, as never were the like, ¥. 4, 5, 6,-7. yet there would be a deliverance from them, and from the yoke of the oppreffor; when the Zews fhould ferve the Lord God, and the true Meffiah, ¥. 8, 9. of which deliverance and falvation they are affured in the ftrongeft terms, tho’ all other nations fhould be made an end of, among whom they were, ¥. 10, 11. and tho’ their cafe might feem to be defperate, ¥. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. neverthelefs they fhould be brought into a very comfortable and happy eftate; their city rebuilt; their offspring increafed; and religious worfhip eftablifhed; and above all, the Meffiah fhould be made known to them as their king and prieft, and they appear to be the Lord’s covenant-people, ¥. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.