Exposition of the Whole Bible

x. 14, Aud faid unto him, dof thou certainly know, &c.} Not that they thought he did know, or that the thing was fo flagrant that he muft know it; but that he might be affured of the truth of it, from the information they were now about to give him: or, deft thou not in knowing know *; it: is moft certainly true; and thou mayeft depend upon it, that it is real matter of fact: shat Baalis the had to make ‘to him, which’ it was not proper fhould be publickly' made’: ‘Jef’ me go, I pray thee, and I will flay I>mael the fon of ‘Nethaniah, and no man foall know it, that he had flain him, or that Gedaliab had given him leave to do it: wherefore Joould he flay thee, that all the Fews that aré gathered unto thee fhould be feattered, and the remnant in Fudah perifo? faggefting, that it was not barely king of the Amimonites, bath fent Imael the fon of his lofing his own life, whichis, and ought to

Nethaniah to flay thee? very probably Thmael, with the forces under-him, fled to the king of the Ammonites upon the taking of Feru/jalem’,; who out of illwill to the Jews, always bore them by the Ammonites, envying their re-eftablifhment under Gedaliab, and hoping to make a prey of them if their governor was removed, moved it to this young prince. to difpatch him; and who might be forward enough to undertake it, being difpleafed that Gedaliah fhould be governor, which he might think was an office he had a better right to, being of the feed royal; and therefore readily agreed to be fent on this bloody errand, to take away the governor’s life: or, to fmite him in the foul; or to fmite his foul »; that. is, to give him a mortal blow, his death’s wound, to feparate foul and body: but Gedaliah the fon of Abikam believed them not, being a good man, and knowing he had done nothing to difoblige him, could not believe a perfon of fuch birth and dignity would ever be guilty of fuch an action: very likely J/mael had behaved in a very princely, complaifant manner, and had exprefled a great affection for the governor, and had been very familiar with him, and being of the feed royal, it is highly probable Gedaliab had fhown a diftinguifhed regard to him, which he might think was the reafon of this charge being brought againft him, out of envy to him; however, fince it came from fuch a body of men, tho’ he was not over credulous, yet he ought to have enquired into it, and provided for his own fafety, and the public good, againft the worft that might happen. ¥. 15. Then Fohanan the fon of Kareah fpake to Gedaliah in Mizpah fecretly, &c.| Partly that he might, as he thought, more eafily prevail upon him, and perfuade him to believe the information given; and partly for the fake of the propof{al he be, precious to every man, and fhould be carefully preferved, but it would be a public lofs; the people, being without a governor, would difperfe here and there, fearing théir own lives and: property would not be fafe under a murderers; and that the Chaldeans would be fo incenfed by fuch an action, as to come and revenge his death on them; and-thus being fcattered’ about, fome one way, and fome another, would be ‘no more under any form of government as a body politic, and fo ‘perith as fuch, at leaft; and thus all their hopes, which began to revive, of their being a commonwealth again, would be loft: with this argument ‘fohanan hoped to prevail on'Gedaliah, to give: him leave to flay the confpirater.

¥. 16. But Gedaliab the fon of Abikam faid unto Fohanan the fon of Kareah, &c.] In anfwer to his requeft, and the motion made by him: thou fhalt not do this thing, or, donot do this thing *; dif fuading him from it, as being unlawful to take away a man’s life in fuch a fecret manner, without any legal procefs againft him; though it feems to carry more in it, that he laid his commands upon him not to do it, and threatened him if he did: for thou fpeaketh falfly of Ifomael, or a lie*; a falfhood, a mere calumny; which was not ufing Yohanan well, neither kindly nor genteelly, who had expreffed fuch a concern for him, and for the public good. The event, related in the following chapter, fhows that the information was good, and that it was no lie or calumny that was told; and it would have been well for Gedaliah, and the people of the Fews, had he given credit to it; but the time was not come for the Fewi/h commonwealth to be reftored; and things were thus fuffered to be, for the further punifhment of the fins of that people. - r [ HIS chapter relates the event of the confpiracy againft Gedaliah, Fobanan and the princes had informed him of, to which he gave no credit; but it proved true. An account is given of the murder of Gedaliah, and of the ews and Chaldeans with him; and of the perpetrators of it, ¥. 1, 2, 3. and of the chief of them, J/bmael’s treacherous dealing with fourfeore men that came from feveral parts to the houfe of God to offer facrifice, who all perifhed by his hands, excepting ten, ¥. 4—9.

and of the reft.of the people at Mizpah being carried away, in order to be captives among the Ammonites, ¥. 10, and of Febanan, and the reft of the captives, hearing of all this, and coming out to fight with J/>mae/; upon which the people deferted him, and he fled to the Ammonites, y. 11, 12, 13,14, 15. and of Fobanan and the people fettling in the way to Egypt, to flee there om occa= fion, fhould the Chaldeans fall on them for what was done to the governor, which they feared, y. 16, 17, 18.

y. 1. Now it came to pafs in the feventh month, &c.] The month Ti/ri, which anfwers to part of our September, and part of Oéfober; according to the Fewifh » chronicle, it was on the third day of this month, fifty-two days after the deftruction of the temple, that Gedaliab was flain; on which day a faft was kept by the Yews, after their return from captivity, on this occafion, called the faft of the féventh month, Zech, vii. 5. and viii. 19. tho’ according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, this event happened on the firft day of the month, the beginning of the new year; but the faft was “a yY ws snon> ut percutiat animam tuam,

Muniter; te in’anima, Pagninuss fecundum animam, Pifcator; ad percutiendum te (quoad) animam, Schmidt. 273577 AX wyn Sy noli facere hoc verbum, V. L. ne facias verbum hoc, Pagninas, Montanus, Schmidt.

59% the day following, becaufe the firft day was a feftival. “Fofephus « fays, it was thirty days after 7obanan had departed from Gedaliah, having given him information of the confpiracy againit him: that Jbmael the fon of Nethaniah, the fon of Elifhama, of the feed royal; not the fom of king Zedekiah, but one of the remoter branches of the family; whether Eli/bama his father, was the fame with £li/bama the {cribe, is not certain, ch. XXXvi. 12, 20. the fews have a tradition, that he defcended from Yerabmeel, whofe wife Atarah, was the daughter of an heathen king, and was a profelyte, which Kimchi on the place relates; {fee 1 Chron. ii. 26, 41. this circumftance, of his being a-kin to the royal family, is mentioned, to fhow that he envied the governor, and bore him a grudge for the honour he had, thinking that he had a-better title to it, as being of the feed royal: and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, fome of the nobles of Zedekiah, who fled with him from. Ferufalem, and deferted him when he was purfued and taken, and ever fince had remained in the land; even ten of \thefe joined, with J/bmae in the confpiracy again{ft Gedaliah, whom. they bore an ill-will to, for going over to the Chaldeans, and envying the power he was now poffefied of. Some think thefe were ten ruffians, befides the princes of the king, fince it. may be rendered, aad the princes of the king, and ten men with kim; whom Thmael and the princes took with them,,as fit. perfons to affaffinate the governor; and befides, it is thought that eleven men were not fufficient to flay the ews and the Chaldeans, as afterwards related; tho’ it may be obferved, that J/bmael, and thefe ten princes, did not come alone, as it can hardly be imagined they fhould, but with a number of fervants, and foldiers with them: thefe came unto Gedaliah the fon of Abikam to Mizpah; they had been with him before, to whom he had fwore, and given them affurance of fecurity; and they departed from him to their refpective cities, feemingly fatisfied; and now return, to pay him a friendly vifit, as they pretended:.aud there they did eat bread together at Mizpah; had a feaft, and kept holiday together, it being a new moon, the firft day of the month, and the beginning of the!

new year too; fo that it was a high feftival: and perhaps this feafon was fixed upon the rather, to cover their defign, and to perpetrate it; pretending they came to keep the feftival with him, and who, no doubt, liberally. provided for them; for bread here is put for all provifions and accommoda- |

¥. 2. Then arofe lhmael the fon of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, &c.] After they had eat and drank well, they rofe up from their feats at table: and fmote Gedaliah, the fon of Abikam, the fon of Shaphan, with the fword, and flew him; they all drew their fwords and thruft at him, and were affifting in the murder of him; tho’ it is probable, that it was Jbmae] that gave him the mortal wound, fince the phrafe, and flew him, is fingular. Fofephus * fays, that Gedaliah prepared a fplendid table; and made a fumptuous entertainment for them, and being drunk himfelf, which they obferved, took the opportunity and flew him, and all at table with him: whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land, which is mentioned, both to aggravate the crime théy were guilty of, and to obferve the reafon of it, and

what it was that prompted’ them 'to ic; for fo the words may be rendered, becauje the king had made bim governor over the land*. ds

¥..3, Ifbmael alfo flew all the Fews that were with bim, even with Gedaliah at Mizpah, Se.) Not only thofe that were at table, but that were in the city alfo. Yo/ephus ‘ fays, that having flair thofe that were at the feaft with him, he went out in the night, and: flew all the ews in the city, and the foldiers that were left by the Babylonians in it; but this cannot be underftood of all the individuals there, or of the main body of the peo» ple, for they were carried captive by him, yes but of thofe that oppofed him, or were able te avenge the death of their. governor,.and he might fufpect would do it: and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war 5 Or, even the men of war®; this defcribes more particularly who they were that were flain, thofe of the. Fews, and. efpe+ cially the Chaldeans, who. were, in military fervice; either. the life-guards of the governor, or the cityguards, or both, whom Jbmael. thought it advileable to cut off, left they fhould: fall upon him; and revenge-the death of Gedaliah, and prevent his further defigns, I +:

¥. 4. And it came to pals the fecond day after be had flain Gedaliah, &c.] ‘Lhat.is, the day following, for it was in the night, as ‘fo/epbus relates, as before obferved, the murder was committed: and no man knew it; not any out of the city, or in remote parts; for thofe that were in the city muit

‘be fenfible of it; but as yet, the report of it had not reached the neighbourhood,. and much lefs di- {tant parts; this is obferved on account of the following ftory, and to fhew how. eafily the perfons after-mentioned were drawn in by J&mael.

¥. 5. That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, &cc.| Places in the ten tribes, and which belonged to the kingdom of T/rael, fo that it feems even at this diftance of time, tho’ the body of the ten tribes had been many years ago carried captive, yet there were ftill fome religious perfons remaining, and who had a great regard to the temple-worthip at Ferufalem: even fourfcore men, having their beards fhaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themfelves; as mourners for the deftruction of Ferufalem, and the captivity of the people. The two firft of thefe rites, fhaving the beard, and rending of clothes, were agreeable to the law; but that of cutting themfelves, their flefh with their nails, or knives, was forbidden by it, Lev. xix. 28. Deut. xiv. r. fo that thefe people feemed to have retained fome of the heathenifh cuftoms of the places where they lived; for the king of Afyria had placed colonies of heathens in Samaria, and the cities of it, 2 Kings XVii, 24, 29, 30, 31: thele came with offerings and incenfe in their hands, a meat-offering made of fine flour, as the word fignifies; and incenfe, or frankincenfe, which ufed to be put upon fuch an offering, Lev. ii 1: to bring them to the houfe of the Lord, but the temple was now deftroyed; - fore either they thought there was.a tabernacle or fanctuary erected at Mizpab for divine fervice and facrifice; or they intended to offer thefe offerin on the {pdt where the temple of Je

‘erufalem; and where they hoped to find an altar, if only of earth, and priefts to facrifice; tho’ the Fewi h commentators, Farchi and Kimchi, obferve, that when — they firft fet out, they had not heard of the de- ftruction of the temple, but heard of it in the way; and therefore came in a mourning habit; but before knew nothing of it; and therefore brought offerings with them, according to the former; but according to the latter, they had heard before they fet out of the deftruction of Feru alem, and the captivity of the people; but not of the burning of the temple, until they were on their journey.

thefe hidden treafures, which lay in his way to Ammon, for between Gideon, where he was found, ¥. 12. and Ammon, lay Samaria, Sichem, and Shilob 5 at leaft it was not far out of his way to take that courfe; and thus he appears to be a covetous man as well as a cruel one, >

¥.9. Now the pit wherein Imael had caft al. the dead bodies, &c.] _ Not only of thofe feventy. men of Samaria, 8&c. but of the men whim be had:

¥.6. And Ifpmael the fon of Nethaniah went forth flain becaufe of Gedaliah becaufe of their attach- to Mizpah to meet them, &c.] Hearing there was fuch a number of men upon the road to Feru/alem, in fuch a habit, and upon fuch a defign, he thought it advifeable to go out and meet them, and ftop them, and decoy them into the city, and there deftroy them; left if they fhould have got any hint of what had been done by him, they fhould fpread it, and raife the country upon him, before he had executed his whole defign: weeping all along as be went; pretending equal concern for the deftruction of the land, city and temple, as they had: and it came to pafs as be met them, when he came up to them, and fome difcourfe had paffed between them: he [aid unto them, come to Gedaliah the fon of Abikam; as if he was alive, and for whom he had a great refpect, and whofe character was well known to thefe men; and thought that this would be an inducement to come along with him: this he faid either to try them, whether they had heard any thing upon the road of the death of him; or as an argument to come into the city, fuggefting the governor would gladly receive, and liberally entertain them. This looks as if their defign was not to come to Mizpab, but te go on their way to Ferufalem; had they not been met with by him, and had he not thus folicited them.

¥.7. And it was fo, whem they came into the midft of the city, &c.] Where Gedaliah’s houfe was, to which he invited them; and as they went in, he fhut up the court, as Yofepbus" fays, and flew them, as it here follows: that [hmael the fon of Nethaniah flew them, and caft them into the midjt of the pit; when he had flain them, the fourfcore men he had enticed into the city, except ten of them, he caft their dead bodies into a pit near at hand: he, and the men that were with him: I/bmael and the ten princes, with what fervants they brought with them; thefe were all concerned in the death of thefe men.

¥.8. But ten men were found among them, that faid unto Ifbmael, flay us not, &c.] They begged for their lives, ufing what follows as an argument to prevail upon him: for we have treafures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of Loney; not that they had then a ftock upon the ground at this time; for this being the feventh. month, not only the barley and wheat-harvefts had been over long ago, but the reft of the fruits of the earth were gathered in: but this either means ftore-houfes of fuch things in the field; or elfe, that thefe things were hid in cells under ground, the land having been invaded, to fecure them from the enemy, as is common to do in time of war; and fo Yofepbus fays *, they promifed to deliver to him things hid in the fields, houfholdgoods, clothes and corn: fo he forbore, and flew them not among their brethren; but faved them, and kept and carried them with him, in order to take ment to him: or, dy the band of Gedaliah *; not by him, as an inftrument; unlefs, as Farchi obferves, becaufe he rejected the advice of Fochanany and provided not for his fafety, and his people, it was as if they were, flain by him'; rather the fenfe is, that they were flain by the fide of him, or in the place where he was, or along with him” fee a like phrafe in ch. xxxviii. 10. now both the one and the other were caft into one pit: and this was that which Afa the king had made for fear. of Baafha king of Ifrael,; which was either a ditch that was caft up againft the wall that went round. the city; or a large pit or well in the midft of ity to hold water in it; and this was made by king. Afa, either when he built and fortified Mizpab, 1 Kings xv. 22. or, as the Targum here, when Baa/ba king of J/rael befieged it; which he made that he might be provided for with water during the fiege 5 or to hide himfelf in it, or ftop the enemy from proceeding any further, fhould he enter: and Js mael the fon of Nethaniah filled it with them that were flain, which fhews it-rather to bea pit or well within the city, than a ditch about it; fince it was filled with the flain, with thofe that were flain with Gedaliab, and thofe feventy other perfons; and by which he made the well ufelefs to the inhabitants hereafter. / y¥. 10. Then Ihmael carried away captive ail the refidue of the people that were in Mizpah, &c,] All that were not flain by him, that remained after the flaughter he had made, chiefly the unarmed people; they being men of war who fell by his fword: even the king’s daughters; whether they were the daughters of Zedekiah, Feboiachim or Fehoiakiny, fays Kimchi, we know not; but it is moft likely that they were the daughters of Zedekiah the laft king, and who was juft taken and carried captive; and fo Jo/epbus " exprefsly calls them; thefe the king of Babylon regarded not, becaufe they could neither fight, nor claim the kingdom; only the fons of the king, whom he flew before his eyes; tho’ it may be thefe were not his daughters by his lawful wife, but by his concubines, and. fo were not properly of the royal family, and lef regarded: and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the fon of Abikam; that were not flain, or carried captive by the Chaldeans; but were left at Mizpab, under the care.and governmient of Gedaliah: and Ifbmael the: fon of Nethaniah carried them away captive; fo that thofe who efcaped one captivity, fell into another, and even by the hand of one of their own countrymen: and departed to go over to the Ammonites 5 he went from Mizpab with thele captives, in order to carry them to the king of Ammon, and make them his flaves; who had put him upon this enterprife out of hatred to the ‘ews, and to enrich himielf with their m Ad latus, Junius & Tremellius, Pifcators in loco, cme in Muntter; cum their fpoils. Some render it, #0 go over with the Ammonites ° which they fuppofe the ten men to be that came along with him and the princes, to commit the barbarities they did.

¥. 11. Bat when Fobanan the fon of Kareah, &c.] The fame that is mentioned ch. x]. 8, 13, 15. and who had informed Gedaliah of IJ/bmael’s defigns againft him, but he would not believe him: and all the captains of the forces that were with him; his brother Yonathan, Seraiah, the fons of Ephai and fezaniab, ch. xl. 8: heard of all the evil that Yhomael the fon of Nethaniah bad done; in murdering Gedaliah, and thofe that were with him, deftroying feventy other perfons he had decoyed, and carrying captive the reft of the people at Mizpab; for tho” Jhmael kept all this ‘a fecret as much as he could, for fear of thefe forces, and that he might get off clear to Ammon, yet by fome means or another thefe captains came to hear of it, who probably were not at a great diftance from Mizpab.

y. 12. Then they took all the men, &c.] All the foldiers that were under their command; this they did at once, believing the report to be true, as they had reafon to do; fince they knew of J/hmael’s defigns, and had given notice and warning of them to Gedaliah, tho’ he would not liiten to them: and went to fight with I/bmael the fon of Nethaniah, refolving to give him battel, and to revenge the innocent blood he had fhed, and refcue the captives out of his hands he was carrying to the Ammonites: and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon, taking this road to the country of Ammon, tho’ it was not quite the direct road; either to avoid the forces of Ychanan,; or rather for the fake of the hid treafure at Shechem, or Shi- Toh, or Samaria, the ten men had promifed him for their lives. Thefe great waters were the fame with the pool at Gibeon, where the fervants of Thbofoeth, and the fervants of David met, and fat one on one fide, and the other on the other; and where twelve young men on each fide flew one another, and from thence called He/kath-hazzurim, 2 Sam. ii. 12—16. and the Targum calls it, ** the ** pool of many waters, which were in Gideon.” Fofepbus® calls it, a fountain in Hebron; which perhaps fhould be read Gibeon.

¥.13. Now it came to pafs, that when all the people which were with Ifbmael, &c.| ‘That is, thofe which he had brought captives from Mizpahb; not thofe that came with him thither: /aw Fobanan the fon of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, they were glad, looking upon them as their deliverers; hoping by their means to be preferved from being carried captives to the king of Ammon.

¥. 14. So all the people that Ifbmael had carried away captive from Mizpab caft about, &c.] Or turned about, and wheeled off from J/bmael, and deferted him at once; not at all regarding his authority, nor fearing his menaces, or his power; being in fight of the captains and their forces, they were determined to join, and put themfelves under their protection, knowing them to be their friends, and that they came to deliver them:° and returned, and went unto Fohanan the fon of Kareabh;, turned their backs on J/hmael, and marched direétly to Fohanan, and the captains of the forces under them.:

¥.15. But Ibmael the fon of Nethaniah efcaped from Fokanan with eight men, &c.] Of the ten he brought with him, ¥. 1. two of them being flain ~ in this fkirmifh, or taken by Fobenan, or they fled another way: ond went to the Ammonites, whoh put him upon, or however encouraged and affifted them not according to their wifhes, nor) with) chat honour and glory he thought to,|haye done... ¥. 16. Then took Fohanan the Jon of Koreab and all the captains of the forces that. were. with bim, &c.] After bmael had made his efeape, whom they did not think fit to purfue, and the people had committed themfelves to their care and protection; and having brought them to Mizpab again, they took them from thence, as follows: all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ifomael the fon of Nethaniah from Mizpab, after he had flain Gedaliah the fon of Abikam; thote whom he had refcued from J/bmael, and had returned to Mizpab, he perfuaded to go with him from thence; who are more particularly defcribed, as follows: even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom be had brought again from Gibeon, or men, even men of war%,; warlike men, foldiers; by which it appears, that Jémael muft have more than ten men with him when he came to Mizpah, as well to do what he did there, as likewife to carry away {uch a number of captives, among which were mighty men, men of war, fome of whom he had flain, befides women and children, to which are added ewnuchs, not mentioned before, fuch as the king of Fudab had in his court; fee ch.xxxviii. 7. but thefe were of no account with the Chaldeans; and therefore they left them behind with the poor of the land, perhaps Eed-melech might be among them, whofe jatety and protection is promifed, becaufe of his kindnefs to Feremiah, ch. Xxxix. 15—

18. The Targum calls them, princes: thefe were brought back by Yohanan trom Gibeon, where he met with Jbmael, to Mizpah; from whence they had been carried, and whom he took from thence again. ‘

2; 17. And they departed, &c.) From Mizpab, Yohanan and the captains of the forces, and all the people refcued from J/bmael: and dwelt in the habitation of Chimbam, which is by Bethlehem, o called perhaps trom Chimbam the fon of Barzillai the Gileadite, to whom David or Solomon might give this place to dwell in, 2 Sam. xix. 37. 1 Kings ii. 7. The Targum is exprefs for the former, calling it, ‘* the habitation which David gave to Chimbam *¢ the fon of Barzillai the Gileadi¢e;” and as it was near Bethlehem, it might be a part of the patrimony which belonged to David as a fon of Fefle the Bethlebemite,; which he might give to Chimbam out of refpect to his father Barzillai, who fhewed kindnefs to him when he was obliged to flee from Abjalom,; which, tho’ it returned to David’s family in the year of jubilee, as all inheritances did, yet might continue to be called after the name of Chimham, in commemoration of the royal grant of it to him. ‘o/ephus' calls the name of the place, Mandra. ‘The reafon why Fchanan and thofe with him pitched on this place was, becaufe it lay in the way Zo go to enter into Egypt, where they had an inclination to go; having ftill a friendly regard to that people, and a confidence in. them, as appears by fome following chapters; and that they might be ready and at hand to flee thither, fhould the Chaldeans come againft them, which they feared.

« Ya8. Becaufe of the Chaldeans, &c.). Which claufe fome think fhould have been joined to the preceding verfe. ‘This is a reafon given why they departed from Mizpah, and dwelt at the habitation of Chimbam in the way to Egypt; and which is explained in the next words: for they were afraid of them, at leaft, this they pretended, that the Chaldeans would come upon them, and cut them off, and revenge themfelves on them: decaufe Ihmael the fon of Nethaniah had flain Gedaliah the fon of Abikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor to hear that the vice-roy or deputy governor of the king of Babylon was flain in this manner; and ftill more fo, as there were many Chaldeans flain with him;, but there was no reafon to believe that the king of Babylon would carry his refentment againft the ews with Yohanan, or take vengeance on them, who had fo bravely appeared again{t the murderers, and had refcued the captives out of their hands: this feems only a pretence for their going into Egypt, for tho’ they were promifed fafety in Fudah by the prophet Feremy, yet they were ftill for in the land no doubt it was provoking to them, going into Agypt, as the following chapters thew.

'T HIS chapter contains a requeft of the ews __ to Jeremiah to pray to the Lord for them to direct them, and the Lord’s anfwer to it.. The requeft is made by the captains and all the

¥.7, 8. the purport. of which was, that if they continued in the land of Judah, it would be well with them, and they would be fate, ¥..9, 10, 11, 12. of their own inability to pray for themfelves, and of their unworthinefs to call God their God; and as if they had an high opinion of the prophet, as people,; having an intereft in God, and great power with him in prayer, whom he could not well deny any thing:. even for all. this remnant; this poor -rem+ After nant, this handful of people, left of the fword, famine, and peftilence, left in the land by\the Chaldeans, and who had efcaped the cruelty of Tfomael s and for whom it. might be hoped the Lord would ftill have a regard, fince he had fo mercifully and wonderfully. preferved them: for we are left but a

¥.1, 253. which Feremiab undertook. to prefent to! the Lord, ¥. 4, they promifing, to go according to the direction that fhould be given, ¥. 5, 6. ten days an anfwer is returned, and the prophet) calls the captains and people together to hear it, but if they went into Egypt, they fhould die by the fword, famine and peftilence, and be a curfe and a reproach, and never fee their own land more, y. 13—18. they are charged with diffimulation and difobedience, ¥. 19, 20, 21. and the chapter is concluded with an affurance of their perifhing by the above judgments in the place they were defirous of dwelling in, y. 22.

y.1. Then all the captains of the forces, &c.] Having taken up their refidence at the habitation of Chimham, in their way to Egypt, where they were defirous of going, and being afraid of the Chaldeans, as they pretended: and Yohanan the fon of Kareah; or, even Fohanan +; efpecially and particularly he, the principal captain and chief fpokefman in this affair: and Jezaniab the fon of Hofhaiab,

. faid to be the fon of a Maachathite, ch. xl. 8: and all the people, from the leat even unto the greatef, a phrafe expreffive of the univerfality of them in the ftrongeft terms: came near, that is, to Feremiab,; who either was at Mizpab when Gedaliab was flain, but preferved by the Lord; and tho’ carried captive by Jhmael with the reft, was refcued by Yohanan; and now along with him: or rather after he had been with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and made a fhort ftay there, he went to Anathoth, and there abode till now; and when Yohanan took thofe that were left at Mizpah, he gathered together all the reft of the Fews in different places to him, in order to go to Egypt, and among the reft the prophet Feremiah; for it can hardly be thought, had he been at Mizpah when Ibmael was there, he would have efcaped without a miracle.

1.2. And faid unto Feremiah the prophet, &c.] That is, fome one of them, as the mouth of the whole body, very probably Yohanan: let we befeech thee, our Jupplication be accepted before thee, they treat the prophet with great refpect, and are very humble and fubmiflive, as if they were very hearty and fincere in their requeft: and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, as it they were confcious few of many, as thine eyes do bebold us the number of the people had been very large, but by the judgments of the fword, famine, and peftilence; and captivity, they were greatly reduced; here | was their whole number before the prophet;’ his eyes beheld them, and the condition they were in: this they faid to move his compaffion, and very likely to fuggeft to him, how improbable it was, that they fhould ever be able to continue in their own land; but that it would be better to put themfelves under the protection of a neighbouring nation, Egypt, whither they were:inclined: to go; and hoped to have a word from the Lord by the prophet, to direct them thither.. ¥. 3. That the Lord thy God may fhew us the. way wherein we may walk, &c.}) Not the way of their duty as to religious worfhip, or their moral converfation, which was the way of God’s commandments, and had been fhown them,, and’ they knew it; but which way they fhould fteer their courfe for their fafety; they had departed from Adizpab of themfelves, and had taken up their dwelling at Geruth-chimbam,; in the way to. Egypt; whither they had fet their faces, and where their hearts were, only they wanted the Lord’s fan¢tion for it, pre~ tending they would be directed by him: aud the thing that we fhould do, the fteps they fhould take in order to proceed; and what they fhould do before they quitted their own country; and went into another. ¥. 4. Then Feremiah the prophet faid unto them, I have heard you, &c.} He took notice of what they faid to him, and found himfelf difpofed to comply with their requeft, and readily granted it: bebold, I will pray unto the Lord your God, according to your words; be an interceflor for them; ufe his intereft with his God, and their God; and, on account of relation, might expect to be heard; whom he would humbly intreat to direct what they fhould do, as they defired: and it fhall come to pa s,

that whatfoever thing the Lord fhall anfwer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from: 043

‘jon; but faithfully make known the whole mind and will of God, juft as it is delivered, be it in what way foever: and tho’ it is not expreffed, he might fuggeft that he had fome doubt on his mind, whether they would obey it, or no; and that he expeéted they would be open and free in declaring themfelves on that point; fince he had fo readily complied with their requeft, and was determined to act the faithful part to them; hence the following reply:

¥.5. Ihen they faid to Feremiab, the Lord be a true and faithful witnefs between us, &c.] Which is the form of an oath; a folemn appeal to God, as a witnefs to what they were about to fay, and to the fincerity of their hearts in it; who is true to his word, and faithful to his promifes and threat - nings; and who bears a true and faithful teftimony, and will do what is juft and right; and yet thefe people never intended to perform what they promifed; which is a moft fhocking piece of atheifm in a profeffing people; and who, at this very time, could not but obferve the judgments of God upon their nation, city and temple: if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God fhall fend thee to us; they promife to do every thing the Lord fhould fignify by the prophet, as his will, and if they did not, with the fevereft judgments of God might fall upon them.

y.6. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, &c.] Not morally good, or evil; for nothing but what is good, and not evil, in this fenfe, can come from God; but whether pleafantly or profitably: good or evil; whether agreeable or difagreeable, pleafing or difpleafing, advantageous or not; whether it feemed to them good or evil, be it what it would in their opinion and efteem: we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we fend thee; this was well fpoken, had they been fincere in it; and had they implored and depended on the grace of God to have enabled them to obey; but they fpoke not in the uprightnefs of their hearts; and did they, it was with too much confidence of their own ftrength, and the power of their freewill: that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God; they {poke as if they knew their own intereft; for fo it was, that it was well or ill with thofe people, as they obeyed or difobeyed the voice of the Lord; and yet they acted not according to it; and what was worle ftill, did not intend it. What a wretched fcene of hypocrify is here!

x. 7. And it came to pafs after ten days, that the word of the Lord came unto Feremiah.| Abarbinel thinks it was on the tenth day of the feventh month, the day of atonement, that the anfwer was returned; but it is clear from the context, that it was ten days from the time the ews applied to the prophet to enquire of the Lord for them, and he promifed ‘to do it, that this word. came from the Lord to him; not that he was praying all this while, as fome think; but having fpread the cafe before the Lord, he waited for an anfwer; which was deferred, that it might have the greater weight with it when it came; and that it might appear that it was not of the prophet himfelf, a device of his own; and chiefly ‘this was to mortify thefe people, who were impatient of an anfwer; and whofe hypocrify the Lord knew; and whofe dif obedience he forefaw; and therefore did not think fit to give the anfwer directly, but keep them in fufpence.a while,

§y3D5 naman Spm ut cadere facerem preces veltras coram ipfo, Schmidt.

¥. 8. Then ralled be Fobanan the fon of Kareab, &c.] That is, Jeremiah, as foon as he had received the anfwer from the Lord, called to ¥ehanan, who, after the death of Gedalizh, was a perfon of the greateft authority, and had the command of the people, to come unto him, and hear what it was: he either called to him vocally and by name; or he fent a proper mefiénger to him, to meet him at fome convenient place, to receive it; and not him only, but a/l the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people, from the leaft even unto the greateft, they were all convened together, as it was proper they fhould, to hear the word of the Lord; and the rather, fince they all joined in a requeft to the prophet, x. 1.

¥.9. And faid unio them, thus faith the Lord the God of Ijrael, &c.] That had chofen Jrael; had a favour for that people, and beftowed many bleffings on them, and continued in a covenant-rela~ tion to them; and therefore what he faid thould be regarded by them. This preface is made by the prophet, to fhew that what he was about to fay was not of himfelf, and in his own name; but was from the Lord, and who bore a good-will to them; and therefore whatever he faid fhould be taken in good part, and as what was beft for them: unto whom ye fent me, to prefent your fupplication before him; or, to-caufe your /upplication to fall before him*; to make it in the moft humble and fubmiffive manner; and which carries in it other arguments to engage them to obey the word of the Lord he brought to them; both becaufe they had fent him to the Lord on this errand, to get a word from him; and by him had intreated him for it, in the moft fuppliant manner. The word from the Lord follows:

¥. 10. If ye will fill abide in this land, &c.} In the land of udea, their native country, where they had always lived, and where they continued when their brethren were carried captive; and yet they thought of going out of it, which the Lord knew; and therefore to encourage them to abide in it, and not think of departing into Egypt; that if they would take up their refidence in it, and determine to continue there, he thus promifes them: then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plaut you, and not pluck you up; that is, they fhould be firm and ftable, happy and profperous; and abound with all kind of bleffings, and increafe in numbers, wealth and riches. The metaphors are taken from building houfes, and planting fields and vineyards: for I repent me, of the evil that I have done unto you; not that he had done any unjuft'thing to them; or that he changed his mind. concerning them; but that he had compaffion on them, and would change his way and courfe of providence towards them, according to his unchangeable will.

y.11. Be not afraid: of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid, &c.] Left he fhould revenge’ the. death of Gedaliah upon them, which was a groundlefs fear; fee ch. xii: 18. or that they thould

-be dealt hardly with by him, and be’ crueli “op= preffod, and notable to live in fubjeétion to him 5. fee ch. xl. 9: be not afraid of him, faith the Lord; who being omnifcient, knew they were and omnipotent, a greater King than the kihg of Ba-~ bylon, the King of kings, they had no reafon to fear any thing from him, fince they were unde his protection: for Jam with you to fave you, and to deliver you from bis hand; from his avenging; a.

and; oppreffing hand; tho’ they. were not to. be delivered>as.yet.from fubjection to him,, or being tributaries.to him; which they might.be,,.and.yet dwell.in peace.and fafety... po¥. 12. Aud 1will foew. mercies. unto you, &c,] Beftow.bleflings of goodnefs..upon them, out of pure mercy, and compaffion, to; them, and not according to their merits;. or. L.will:caufe. others. to fhow mercy to them, even the king of Babylon,.as follows:.God {hows mercy.tormen, when -he ftirs up the compafiion of others towards them: that he may bave mercy upon you, and not avenge the death. of. Gedaliah, or any way cruelly opprefs them, but: fhew them all the favour they ‘could with for, or expect under fuch.a government, and in fuch circumitances; giving them vineyards. and fields, and allowing them to gather the fruits of them, and enjoy them: and caufe you to return to your own land; this is faid, not of the captives.in Babylon, as Kimchi and Abarbinel, fince thefe were not to return till feventy years were ended and when they did, it was not by the order and direction of the king of Babylon, but of the king of Perfia: this is faid of thofe, who from the time that Yerufalem had been befieged, had deferted their houfes and fields, but fhould have liberty to return to them; or of thofe, who more lately had been carried captive by //mael, from the places - where they had fettled, but fhould be returned to them again, and live peaceably and comfortably there, under the government and_protection of the king of Babylon. ¥. 13. But if ye fay, we will not dwell in this lend, &c.] Or continue any longer in it, but go into Egypt: neither obey the voice of the Lord your God; or, fo as not to hearken to or obey, &c%. for they did not fay in fo many’words, that they would not obey the voice of the Lord; they had promifed they would; but refolving, againft his declared will, that they would not abide in the land, but go into Egypt, was interpretatively faying they would not obey his voice. ¥. 14. Saying, no, but we will go into the land of Egypt, &c.] It was all one as if they had faid, no, we will not obey the voice of the Lord, to continue in our own land; we are determined to ‘go into Egypt, induced by the following reafons: where we foall fee no war, either inteftine, or with a foreign enemy;: as both of late in their_own land, and which they feared would be again; but promifed themfelves exemption from both in the land of Egypt, and therefore.coveted to dwell there: nor hear the found of the trumpet, neither hear of wars, nor rumours of wars; not the found of the trumpet in the armies of the enemy, or among themfelves, to gather together and prepare for battel; or, as Farchi thinks, the found of the trumpet, blown by the watchman, giving, notice to the people of the approach of an enemy: or have hunger of bread; as they had had whilft Zudea was invaded, and Ferufalem befieged, and a foreign army in the land; and tho’ they had no reafon to fear this now, yet they thought they fhould be ‘more out of the danger. of it in Egypt, a fruitful country, overflowed by the Nile: and there will ‘we dwell, in peace, profperity, and fafety: this was their refolution, to go and abide there; and is their confidence, that fuch would be their happy ftate.

: 597 ¥.15. And. now therefore hear the word of. the Lord, ye remnant of Judah, 8c.) A fmall remnant indeed, a few that were left.in the land; who ought therefore to have admired the diftinguifhing goodnefs of providence, in preferving them in it; where they fhould have continued, and made ufe of their privilege, to the glory of God, and their mutual good: thus faith the Lord of hofts, the God.of Ifrael; the Lord of armies above and_ below, the Lord God omnipotent, and fo able to protect them in their land; and who had a, peculiar favour to J/rael, and ftood in a particular relation to them, © and therefore would do it, of which they had no reafon to doubt; but difobliging him, what judgments might they not expect? if you wholly fet your faces to enter into Egypt; are refolved upon it, and are actually engaged in it; turning their faces from Judea towards Egypt, and obftinately purfuing it, nor can be reclaimed from it: the phrafe expreffes their refolution, impudence, and obitinacy:

and go to fojourn there; to be fojourners and ftrangers there, as their fathers had been before; the remembrance of which was enough to fet them againft going into Egypt any more.

¥. 16. Then it fhall come to pafs, &c.] That the feveral judgments following fhould come. upon them: that the fword which ye feared, fhall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; that is, the fword of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, which they feared they fhould fall by in Fudea; this fhould come after them in Egypt, and there overtake them, as it did; Egypt being deftroyed by the king of Babylon, as it was foretold it fhould, ch. xlvi. 25, _ 26: and the famine whereof you were afraid, foall follow clofe after you there in Egypt; the famine they were afraid would come upon them in Fudea, fhould purfue them, overtake them, feize on them, and cleave unto them; in Egypt; thus the evils they thought to efcape, by moving from one place, fhould befal them in another; there’s no fleeing from the prefence, power, and hand of God: and there ye foall die; either by the fword, or by famine, or by peftilence, as in the following verfe.

y. 17. So foall it be with all the men that fet their faces to go into Egypt to fojourn there, &c.] Not all that went into £gypf, but all that were refolutely fet upon it; that were obftinately bent to go there, and did go, contrary to the exprefs com-_ mand of God; for otherwife there were fome that were forced to,go again{t their wills, as Jeremiah, Baruch, and no doubt others:. they fhall die by the frword, by the famine, and by the peftilence, three of the Lord’s fore judgments; fome fhould die by one, and fome by another, and fome by a third; all fhould die by one or the other: and none of them fall remain or efcape from the evil that I will bring upon them that is, none of thofe who wilfully, and of their own accord, went down to Egypt; they all perifhed there, none could efcape the hand of God, or the evil he determined to bring upon them; which is to be underftood of the above judgments.

y. 18. For thus faith the Lord of hofts, the Ged of Ifrael, &c.| See the note ony. 15: as mine anger and my fury hath-been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Ferufalem, Jike.a large hafty fhower of rain; or rather like melted metal, which fuddenly and fwiftly runs, and fpreads itfelf, and burns and le yin inbad ita ut non aufcultetis, Pifcator, Cocceius; ut non obediatis, Pagninus, Schmidt; yt non audiatis, fo fome ‘in, Vatablus.

confumes with a violent heat; fuch was the wrath | of God on Ferufalem, in the deftruétion of it by the Chaldeans: fo foall my fury be poured forih upon you, when ye foall enter into Egypt, as foon as they had well got there, quickly atter they were fettled there; for it was in the time of the then prefent king of Egypt, Pharach Hophra, and by the then prefent king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, that the deftruction of Egypt was, in which thefe Fews fuffered: and ye foall be an execration, and an aftonifhment, and a curfe, and a reproach; men fhould be aftonifhed at the hand of God upon them, reproach them for their fins; and when they made any imprecation on themfelves, it would be in this form, if it be fo, let the fame calamities come upon me as upon the Fews in Egypt: and ye fhall fee this place no more; and fo their cafe would be worfe than their brethren in Babylon; who, after a term of years were expired, would return to their own land, which thefe would never fee any more.

¥. 19. The Lord hath faid concerning you, O ye remnant of Fudab, &c.| Or, unto you”, by the mouth of the prophet: or, againff you™; that which was contrary to their inclination and will, as follows: go ye not into Egypt; this was the exprefs command of God: know certainly that I have admonifbed you this day; not to go into Egypt: or, have teftified unto you’, the will of God, concerning this matter; and therefore they could not plead ignorance.

¥. 20. For ye diffembled in your hearts, &c.] Did not honeftly and faithfully declare their intentions; they faid one thing with their mouths, and meant another in their minds; they pretended they would act according to the will of God, as it fhould be made known to them by him, when they were determined to take their own way. Some render it, ye have deceived me in your hearts”, the prophet, fo Kimchi; by that which was in their hearts, not declaring what was their real intention and defign: or, ye have deceived your fouls+, you have deceived yourfelves, and one another; I have not deceived you, nor the Lord, but you have put a cheat upon your own fouls: or, you have ufed deceit againft your fouls*, to the hurt of them, to your prefent ruin, and everlafting deftrution: when ye fent me unto the Lord your God, the prophet did not go of himfelt, they defired him to go: faying, pray for us unto the Lord our God; to be directed in the way they fhould go; fo that the prophet did nothing but what they defired him to do: and according to all that the Lord our God foal! fay, fo de-

HIS chapter contains the anfwer of the princes and people to the prophet’s meflage; arelation of their going into Egypt; and a prophecy of the deftruction of that land. The perfons that gave the anfwer are defcribed, fome by name, and all by their character; and the time of their giving it is mentioned, in which they charge the prophet with a falfhood,; impute the whole to an inftigation of Baruch, and an ill defign of his, and fo were difobedierit to the command of God,

4 top dy alloquitur vos, Junius & Tremellius; ad vos, fo fome in Vatablus. 7 T33 CNY conteftatus fum vos, Montanus, Pifcator, Cocceius. animis veftris, fo fome in Vatablus; fefelliftis me, Munfter. So Ben Melech. ’

» Seduxenitis vos contra animas veftras, Schmidt.