CHAP. XXV. V. 1. Nebuchadrezzar, or “ Nebuchad- “ nezzar. —‘ The first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, ac- ‘ cording to the scripture-account, is coincident with the ‘ end of the third, and the beginning of the fourth, year.of * Jehoiakim.—Two years Nebuchadnezzar reigned with his ‘ father.—Daniel—writing in Chaldea, follows the compu- ‘ tation in use among the Chaldeans.’ (Lowth.)—This computation fixes the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign two years later; namely from the time in which he began to reign alone. (Notes, 2 Kings xxiv. 1. Dan. ii. 1.)
v (Note, i. 1—3.; ‘ Jeremiah prophesied nineteen ‘ years under Josiah, who reigned thirty one years: and “this was the beginning of Jehotakim’s fourth yedr,’ (Lowth.)—Doubtless Jeremiah preached much more thaa
8 ‘B. C. 606.
JEREMIAH.
B.C. 608,
aavii.is.a0v-hath come urito me, and I have spoken thereof, and “against all these nations® 7% =%3
15. xliv.4.
BYGeie unto you, ‘rising early and speaking; round about, and will utterly destroy 4 them, and make them °an astonishment,. Mark i. $5. John vii. 2. but ye have not hearkened.
vil i-25.31.7- -4 And the Lorp hath sent-untoyou all
@ vil. 18. 95. xi. 7. xXv. 3.’ xXXV1. : ae . Pe : xxix. 19. xxx" his servants the prophets, ‘rising early and
33 : zliv. 43.2Cbr. sending them; but ‘ ye have not hearken-: XXXVI. > :
£3.7- vil 94-26. eP nor inclined your ear to ‘hear. 14 We «6S «They said, *Turn ‘ye agam ‘now 12, xix. 15. xxii.
-
‘Zech. vii. 1
Acts vi. s1,22. vil of.your doings, and dwell in the land g See on xviii. 1 that the Lorp hath given unto you, and 2 Kings xvii. 18, LO YOU fathers, for ever and ever :
Ez avi. 30. .6 And ‘go not after other gods to iii, 8-10. Zech- serve them, and te worship them, and oi a0. AS provoke me not to anger with the works n wiz, svi. .0f your hands; and I will do you no ‘eave a7. er. hurt,
i vit 6.9. wary. 37 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, 2, Deut vi 4-saith the Lorn; / that ye might provoke
xxviii. 14. Josh. me to anger with the works of your hands,. Raiv. 20. 1 Kings
xi. 4--10. 2Kings to your own hurt.
XVI. 35e : 4 See onviinte, 19» .§ Therefore thus saith the Lorp of Deut, mil 2 hosts ; Because ye ‘have not heard my
xxi. 15. Neh. ix. words,
26, ki, 15. ve 15, 16, Vi. 1. 22—26. vill.
vitoaevii. Behold, «TI will send and take all gic. Dent. xxvil. the families of the north, saith the Lorp, —s0. xxx. 7. and ' Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, A mavii, 6. xii ry servant, and will bring them against ali, xv.-this land, and against the inhabitants
‘was committed to writing; and laboured constantly among the Jews, according to the tenour of those messages which ‘were recorded: and it is probable, that several prophets spake in the name of God to the people, who wrote no- . thing, and whose names are not transmitted to us.
Rising early. Thatis, ‘I spared no diligence or labour.’ » (Marg. Ref. Note, Ec. ix. 10.)
V. 4 ue the son of Shemaiah, (Note, xxvt. 20— 23;) and Huldah the prophetess, lived about this time : (Note, 2 Kings xxii. 14:) Zephaniahalso prophesied during lc of this time: (Zep. i. 1:) and it is probable, that Ha-akkuk was contemporary with them. (Preface to Habak-huk.\—Sending. (Notes, 2 Chr. xxxvi. 15, 16. Neh, 1x. 29. 1s,¥.3, 4. Matt. xxi. 33—39-) V. 5—7- (Notes, vii. 18—24. xxxil.25—31.) No hurt, {6.) If the people had repented, and returned to the Lord, e would not have hurt them: for all his denunciations of vengeance implied a reserve of mercy to the penitent; and his service would have been very profitable: so that nothing could hurt them but their own evil works. This was the purport of Jeremiah’s mmistry, and that of all the-other prophets. (Marg. Ref.)
- 8,9. Nebuchadrezzar did not intend to serve JEHO- VAH, but to gratify his own ambition by his conquests: yet the Lord purposed to empley him as the executioner of his righteous vengeance: and he gave notice of it, as soon as Nebuchadrezzar came to the throne, to make it generally known that his future success and greatness formed a part
wf the divine plan. (Note, Ez. xxix, 17—~20.)—" Families ' of the north.” (Note, i. 13—15-)
ti wari st.every one from his‘evil way, and from the.
xxvi.7. Xxix. 192 REx. 10, EI. © See on xviit. 1. id : artes = t Kings and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. ~”
1O Moreever, I will * take from them —. couse fe the "voice of mirth, and the voice of {3 *
gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, ? Sakti 11.2 and the voice of the bride, 2the sound X.is.seew.
of the mill-stones, and the light of the se.” @ Bc. xik 6.
candle.
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and.an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Ba-s1s:¢ ctr. xv.
bylon ‘ seventy years. b=], Zech 12 And it shall come to pass, "whens ix. 10. meni:; » % 8,
seventy years are accomplished, * that It 4} tL Dest will t punish the king of Babylon, and- a
xviii.
Ga—c4. Is. xiii, lations. 6 avi
13 And I will bring upon that land ™"* all my words which J have pronounced
against it, even all that is written in this seeent.s. to
book, which Jeremiah .* hath prophesied y xvii. ‘Lai. . 7 li. 6. Is. xiv. @ against all the nations. air. 1-2, Dan.: : V. $8. 14 For Y many nations and great kings ee aces
shall serve themselves of them also: and 327.4% *I will recompense them according to 2) 2
—Nations. ‘Some of these, particularly Egypt, were ‘the Jews’ confederates, on whose assistance they relied;
* and the subduing of them made way for the easier conquest
* of Judah.’ P misegeee -(Marg. Ref.)
V. 10. (Notes, xvi. 8, 9, xxxi. 30, f1. Is. xxiv. 1— 12.) ‘St. John exactly follows the Hebrew text; (Reo. * xviii. 29, 233) whereas the seventy in this place, instead ‘ of “the sound of the mill-stones,”” read,—** the smell of ‘¢ ointment;” from which and several other places of the ‘ New Testament, it appears that the apostles and evan- ‘ gelists did not implicitly follow the Greek translation ; but ‘only when they thought it agreeable to the original text.” (Lowth.) ot
V.11. Seventy, &c. (Notes, 2 Chr. xxxvi. 21. Ezra i. 1—4. Vi. 19—15- Dan. ix. 2, 3. Zech. 1. 12, 13.
V. 12. ‘ God often punishes the persons, whom he ‘ makes instruments of his vengeance on others, for those ‘ very things, which they did by his appointment: because ‘ their intent was purcly to carry on their own ambitious ‘and Cruel purposes; and not at all to fulfil God’s will'or ¢ advance his glory.—So that the evil they did was altogether ‘their own, and the good that was produced out of it was ‘to be ascribed to God.’ (Lowth.) (Notes, xxix. 10. Is. x. 5—19. Hos. i. 4, 5+) ;
V. 13. (Notes, xlvi—li.) The prophecies, contained in the fittieth and fifty-first chapters against Babylon, seem especially referred to; and this renders it probable-that the substance of them had been written and bad been delivered before this time. The manuscripts of the Septuagint introduce all these prophecies in this place. _
ee ae Se ee. Soe et eT Se SE ae (ee ee fe et Rona
‘B.C. 607. | *- their deeds, and according to the works | of their own hands.
‘ami w-14-Job =—=15 @ For thus saith the Lorp God of + exe, eer, Israel unto me; * Take the wine-cup of
-war_ss. __ this fury at my hand, and cause ° all the
«© Iam fi. 1s, 1, Nations to whom I send thee to drink it. Sun 'Nan, i ~=6«16 And they shall °-drink, and be
11. Rey. XIV.
to, x 911: moved, and be mad, because of the sword |
98. 10, xxzi that I will send among them.
xiii. 3. s-o. 17 Then took I the cup at the Lorp’s xxi, 6-10. F-hand, 4 and made all the nations to drink, #2. £2. ix. 5—-8- unto whom the Lorp had sent me; freien =< 18 To wit, © Jerusalem, and the cities xxiv. sob Of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the
“£ See on Q tit. v
xxi ID. " princes thereof, ‘to make them a desola-
Sui oe Ecraie.
b Lil "9 3s,curse ; § as i¢ as this day: Nabe it oto. :
i.” servants, and his princes, and all his
X mar at. 1 car. people : |
7 20 And all 'the mingled people, and Bin dm. i-all the kings of the land of * Uz, and 4-7. Zech. ix! all the kings of the land of the Philis-mi gam. vi. 7-tines, and ™ Ashkelon, and Azzah, and
nis. xx. 1. Am. Wkron, and ™ the remnant of Ashdod.
~V. 14.—* The nations and kings, which confederated < with Cyrus.’ (Notes, 1. 1—16. 21—46. li. 20—58. Js. Xiii. xivii.)
V.15—17. The nature of the case determines this to have been a figurative representation, and nota real transaction; for the prophet could not perform Jiterally the things here commanded: but this was not the case in respect of some other transactions, which many suppose to have orly been done in vision. (Nofe, xiii. r—11. Hos. i. 2,3.) It was in this way revealed to the prophet, and he ‘was ordered to publish it as widely as he could, that the vengeance of God would be executed on all the surrounding nations, as wel] as on the Jews, by Nebuchadrezzar and hhis Chaldeans. (Notes, xlvi.
Ji.) —The wrath of God, and its fatal effects, when men are judicially left to infatuation and rage, and to rush upon their own destruction, are aptly represented by a cup of intoxicating liquor, mingled with poisonous ingredients ; such as was commonly given to condemned criminals, in order to end their wretched lives. (Notes, Ps. \xxv. 8. Is. li. 17—23. Lam. iv. 20, 21. Rev. xiv. 8—t1.
V. 18. (Marg. Ref.) As it is this day. ‘ This relates © to the desolations of Judea and Jerusalem, when all that « had been foretold by Jeremiah was fulfilled; and there- “ fore must have been added by Baruch,—or by Ezra, or ‘ whoever it was that collected Jeremiah’s prophecies into * one volume.’ (Lowth.)—As, however, the prophet lived to witness the completion of these predictions, it is not at all unlikely, that he himself added the clause to the copies that were afterwards written ; from which it might be inserted also in the others,
V. 19. (Notes, xliii. 8—1g. xliv. 29, 90. xlvi. Jz. xxix —XXXI.)
V. 20. The mingled people. These.are supposed to have been the various tribes of the Midianites, and others connected with them: or some nations, dwelling on the Medi-
CHAPTER XXvV.
B.C. 607
21 © Edom, and P Moab, and 49 thee xi, s. xix. ‘children of Ammon, : cee
22 And all * the kings.of Tyrus, and $3 "saw. ‘all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of suv.seiie
° ° 2. Ob. 116, the * isles which aze beyond the sea. 18. Mal. i. 94:
23 *Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and? x. "ai tx: all that are t in the utmost corners. . BA a I=s.
24 And all * the kings of Arabia, and xix. 1-6. Bz. all the kings of * the mingled people that , ',!3=">
r xxvii, 3. xlsii.
dwell in the desert. 4. Bz. xxvi,
XXXVI, Xvi. 1
25 And all the kings of Y Zimri, and xn% 2 it.
‘all #the kings’ of Elam, * and all thes ge. xxvii 22,
° 23. ii. 30.
kings of the Medes. , eel i oo ; , region
20 And Pall the kings of the north, #siie nic.es
far and near, one with another, dnd all, 5 Zech. ix.1.’. t xix. s. Gen. x.
the kingdoms of the world, which are 7,*i,21-»«.
upon the face of the earth: * and the king 22? si 32. gS. of Sheshach shall ¢ drink after them. aoe
pe e b. i 27 Therefore thou shalt say unto'them, * Gonenor hav.
Thus saith the Lonrp of hosts, the God of their “har of Israel; * Drink ye, and be drunken, and Blix 32. es spue, and fall, and rise no more, f because @ Chr. ix, t-of the sword which I will send among you. , =v. ¢.
x See on 20. xlix. 28-33. Gen. xxv. 2—4, 19-16. xxxVii. 2—28. Ez. xxx. 5. Gen. xxv. 3. Zimran. z xlix, 34-49. Gen. x, 22. xiv. 1. Is. xk tt. xxil. 6. Ez. xxii, 04. Dan. Viil. 2. a li, 11.
28. 1s. xiii, 17. Dan. ¥-28. b 9. 1. 9. Ez. xxxii. 30, c hi. 41. d 12. 1. li. Is. xiii. xiv. xIvii. Dan. vs Hab. ii. 16. Rev. xvii. e Is. li. @t. Ixiii. 6. Lam. iv. 21. Hab. ii, 16. f 16. xii, 19. xlvi. 10. 14, xlvii. 6, 7. 1.35. Deut. XXxil. 42. Bz. xxi. 4, 5. XXiv. $1—95.
terranean Sea, are intended: or, a multitude of other nations mingled with the Egyptians.—The Marg. Ref. give nearly all the information, which can be had of the other tribes.—* The kings mentioned here and in the following “ verses, were petty princes of several clans and colonies. ‘ The title of king is given in scripture to any ruler or “ governor.’ (Lowth.) Note, xlvii.)
7 V. - ; (Notes, xlviii. xlix. Am. i. 6—15. ii. 1—3. Zech. ix. 1—6.
V. 22. (Marg. Ref.) Isles, &c. The marginal reading, ‘* the region by the sea-side,”’ is preferable: for, it does not appear, that Nebuchadnezzar subjugated any countries ** beyond the sea,” (Notes, Ez. xxvi—xxviii.)
V. 23. (Marg. Ref. Note, ix. 25, 26.) Little satisfactory information can be adduccd, about several of the tribes or nations, mentioncd in this passage ; beyond what may be collected by consulting the marginal references.
V. 24. Mingled. ‘ The learned Dr. Pocock is of opinion, that the word 4radia is derived from the Hebrew. word Arab, signifying mixture. Because the coyntry was inhabited by a medley of several nations.’ (Lowth.) .
V. 25. Zimri. ‘© A people of Arabia, descended’ from Zimran, Abraham’s son by Keturah.’ (Low#h.) . V. 26. The world. ‘ The kingdoms within the extent of the Babylonish empire, which called itself ‘* Empress ‘ of the world.” So owspemn, (al! the world) is put for the * Roman empire.’ (Luke ii. 1.) (Lowth.) (Dan. ii. 98. iv.
22. v.19.) Some render the clause, ‘* All the kingdoms ** of every region which lies before this land,” that is, the countries all round about Chaldea,.—Sheshach evidently means Babylon; though it is not certain on what account it was so called.—When the kings of Babylon had executed the predicted vengeance on these nations, they would in their turn be punished for their still more enormous wick edness. (Note, 12. Marg. Ref.) - - V. 27, 28. (Notes, 15—17. Lam. iv. 91,22.) Hah, ii,
a A AM
“A
*
* 13. @
B. C.607.
g Job xxxiv. 39.
28 And it shall be, § if they refuse to
JEREMIAH,
B..C. 607.
33 And ¢t the slain of the Lorp shall: 15-26, afl, 38
take the cup at thine hand to drink, then | be at that day, from oné end of the earth. s-& mrt 1s.
« i 1%
shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the |! even unto the other end of the earth: Bev ™.1— -
teagan LORD Of hosts; » Ye shall certainly drink. _ 38 'sewivess, 29.For, lo, 1] begin to bring evil on 5 xbx: ia,’ Prov. the city * which is called by my name,
@. Ob 16. tuke and should ye be utterly unpunished ?
xxiit. S$). 1 Pet. iv. 17. my name is call-cal] for a sword upon all the inhabitants =) . eax * of the earth, saith the Lorp. of hosts. “23. Proy. xi. 1. 1 Ry. xiv, 17. a. them all these words, and say unto them, RXxVIN-II.Zech. ° iz. Lhe Lorp shall ™ roar froin on high, snIs. xiii. 18. Hos. : . ; v.14. xii 7, 8- ANd utter his voice from ii. 16, am. i.e. tation ; he shall mightily roar upon his nxvii 12, Devt. habitation; he shall ° give a shout, as a they that tread the grapes, against all ° Hecvisi. os. ne, te inhabitants of the earth.
1820. xix. 15. . p xiv. 5. Ie. xxxiv. of the earth ; for P the Lurp hath a con-
9. Mic. vi. 2. $6. ates ee with all flesh: he will give them that are ons wiéked_to the sword, saith the Lorp. r 2Chr. ou - Is. xvi. ; x is. Luke xxi: hold, " evil shall go forth from nation to ¢ Seon xxii. 19: nation, § and a great whirlwind shall be
® Heb.wpon which ‘oe povixiai, 30 Therefore prophesy thou against xi. 7. " his holy habi-xvi. 15, Ps, xi 80 s.s, 31 A noise shall come even to the ends q Seon ts, xvi, troversy with the nations, he will 4 plead 2Chr. 32 Thus saith the Lorn of hosts, Be-joni’, “raised up from the coasts of the earth.
15—17.) § If they either do not believe thy threatenings,
_ © or disregard them as thinking themselves sufficiently se- ‘ cure ;—let them know that the judgments denounced ‘ against them are God’s irreversible decree.’ ‘Lowth.)
V. 2g. If the Governor of the world would not let his own worshippers escape punishment; but would even destroy the city and temple, which were more immediately ' dedicated to him, for the sins of the people: would he deal with idolaters and avowed enemies, as if they were altogether innocent? Or, would he suffer them to escape with impunity? (Noles, xlix. 12. 1 Pet iv. 17—19. Mare. Ref.)— Utterly unpunished. The same words are rendered, ‘* Will ** by no means clear the guilty.” (Notes, Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7. Num. xiv. 13-19.) |
V. 30. Upon, &c. The Lord would utter and execute his tremendous threatenings, from his holy habitation in heaven, upon Jerusalem and the temple, which had been as his habitation on earth: but which, having been polluted with wickedness, were sentenced to be destroyed along with the cities of the gentiles. (Notes, Hos. v. 7, 8. xiii. 5—8. Am. iii. 4 —8. Marg. Ref.)
V. 391—33- The dreadful devastations made by the Chaldeans through all the nations in that part of the world ; _ and afterwards the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and _ Persians, are primarily foretold, in this awful language: _ but it accords very much with those passages, in which the ruin of all the antichristian powers is evidently predicted. (Marg. Ref. Notes, Is. xxwiv. Ixili, 1—6. Ez. xxxviii. axxix. Rev. xvill. xix.) "
V. 34 -- 36. When.the predicted judgments of God should dismay and scatter the nations, as the roaring of a lion would a flock of sheep ; the shepher.'s or rulurs would have peculiar cause to howl: they would have no place to flee to, the pas-k ye shall not be unpunished: for ' I will.
“they shall not be lamented, neither* 2?" 2% gathered, nor buried; * they shall be 3, “ieee
dung upon. the ground. | oS 34 @ Y Howl, ye shepherds, and cry 5" bee. hae
>; are accomplished ; and © ye shall fall like, 2s, jeur days
Ser slaughicr. ia.
a + pleasant vessel. . | Ravi. 7 li. So
35 © And §the shepherds shall have iui). tam: no way to flee, * nor the principal of thes xa," to— i. flock to escape. feb: weet af
9.
36. A voice of the ‘cry of the shep-* sear. oa st eames
cut down, because of the fierce anger of: km. a. Rev.
Rev.
the Lorp. | ao
38 He & hath forsaken his covert as’ pet f is
the lion: for their land is | desolate, be- gcaptng’ frome
cause of the fierceness of the oppressor, , Am.% 1+ —1]
44. I 8 and because of his fierce anger.
» 2 — - z Am. ix. lo=wJ. e See on $4. iv.8. f Is. xxvii. 10, 11. xxxti. g iv. 7. v. 6. gin. ig. 1.44. Hote v. I4. xi, 10. xiii. 7, 8. Am. till. 8.
4 t Heb. a desolation. 12.
ture whence their wealth arose would be spoiled, and they would fall a prey to the instruments of the Lord’s indignation. (Marg. Ref.) 2
Pleasant vessel. (34.) ‘ As an earthen vessel, that is ‘ curiously wrought, while it hold sound is well esteemed ; ‘ but if once it fall and break, is worth nothing: so shall ye ‘ be unto me.’ (Bp. Hall.) ‘Ye, who are esteemed above ‘ the common rank, shall undergo the fate of a vessel, made ‘ of acrystal or gem; which being let fall is shattered to. ‘ pieces.” (Blaney.) The rulers of the Jews seem principally meant. (Marg. Ref.) oo
V. 37. Peaceable habitations. ¢ In the Hebrew it ts ¢ Neoth Shalem, alluding to Salem, the same with Jerusa- ‘lem.’ (Lowth.) (Note, Hed. vii. 1, 2.)
V. 38. Some expositors understand this of Nebuchad-rezzar, who had left the covert of Babylon, to destroy the nations, especially Judah. (Nose, iv. 5—7.)—Others ‘explain it of the Lord, who had left Jerusalem and his temple defenceless, to their enraged invaders and oppressors; whereas, had he continued to protect them, no ‘enemy would have dared to approach, any more than other beasts would enter the denof a fierce lion, whilst he remained in it. (Marg. Ref.)
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS: Vi. 114.
The command to repent, and turn from every evil way, to the worship and service of God, and the invitations to sinners to come and trust in Christ, and partake of his salvation, concern all men, and ought-to be fully and plainly proposed to all. (Notes, Acts xvii. 30, 31. P. O. 30—g4. 1 Tim. i. 15, 16.) It iS agreed by the servants of God, in every age \’ they, who refuse to seek happiness in his favour, be de- |
B.C. 609. —_ 9 | CHAP. XXVI.
Jeremiah delivers an awful message from God at the temple, artd is persecuted by the priests and prophets, 1—9. fHe” pleads his cause before the princes, evhorts them to repent, and warns them not to shed innocent blood, 1O—
15. The princes acquit him, referring to the erample of Micah, 16—19. Urijah, having prophesied in like manner, was persecuted; and having fled into Egypt, was fetched thence by
those, however vile they have been, who truly obey this command, and accede to this invitation; that no good can come to those, who provoke him by impenitent wickedness ; and that no profession, or creed, or forms can_ profit those, who ‘* do not turn from the evil .of their doings.”—The Lord keeps an exact register of our sins and the aggravations ‘of them, and of our abused mercies and means of grace; and thus the continued neglect shewn to the warnings of his faithful ministers exceedingly hastens the execution of his judgments.—The earnestness with which the servants of God labour, and the fervency with which they pray, for the salvation of souls, afford a striking contrast to the supine-ness and negligence of most men about their own salvation! —<Our God is sincere in all his invitations, and faithful to all his promises ; he ‘‘ rejoiceth in mercy,” and ‘ delight- ‘s eth not in the death of the wicked.”—How soon will
ra under every dispensation, that he will do no hurt to-prived of every source of transient joy! All miseries on earth, however, are temporal, and have an appointed period; but ‘‘ the wrath to come” is perpetual, yea, efernal. —The Lord employs wicked men as his servants, and when they have executed his vengeance on others, to gratify their own vile passions, he punishes them for their wickedness. And every threatening of scripture will be as certainly accomplished, as those have been, which relate to Jerusalem and Babylon.: V. 15—38.
How grand and awful a view have we here given us of divine Providence! How affecting a representation of the state of fallen man!
The judgments of God have ever been going round from one nation to another, and have never been suffered to rest ; because of the wickedness of mankind.— ‘When we consider the fury and rage, with which the nations of the earth have, in every age, rushed upon mutual carnage and destruction ; we must allow that their conduct hath resembled that of men, who are intoxicated and mad: but we need not wonder at thesc effects, when we reflect that they have been drinking of the cup of God’s indignation, and have been given up to their own mad passions to execute his vengeance on each other.
This emblem also may instruct us, what an odious and pernicious vice drunkenness is ; and how dreadful the wrath of God must be to those who fall under it to rise no more. It is vain to struggle against the sentence, which he hath denounced, or
to object to his righteousness: he will constrain men to.
drink of this bitter cup; he will destroy them with his avenging sword. He will not even spare those cities or