CHAPTER XXIX.
‘of Judah and ‘Jerusalem, and the car-
B. C. 598.
penters, and the smiths, were departed . from Jerusalem,) |
38 By the hand of Elasah the son of “Shaphan, -and ‘Gemariah the son of! »xi,%. xxix.
4. 2Xonisxxii- Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah. 02 Ms, sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar ¢ cm? xcuves. king of Babylon,) saying, a A Thus saith the Lorp of hosts, the
God of Israel, unto all that are carried
away captives, ‘whom I have caused to be 35.55, fu s * oa | e ’ e e carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; fis: * 4"
5 *Build ye houses, and dwell zn them ;%10-, 2% Bz.
xxviii. 26, . ' and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of ™ them.
6 " Take ye wives, and beget sons and ® 3%. #5. Ger. daughters; and ‘take wives for your SONS, i Gene "xxi, “at
and givé your daughters to husbands, that 60. vavili. 1-4!
KXIX. 19. XXXIV.
they may bear sons and daughters, that 4° sugs.i. 12—
14. Xit. 9. xiv.
ye may be increased there, and not di- 2.1 cor. vise minished. . | 7 And ‘seek the peace of the city,i Ds, iv 27, vi
4. Rom. xiié. 1.
whither I have caused you to be carried §,' Pei 3~
for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye '7™-% oe have peace.
away captives; and “pray unto the Lorn ¥ 22m yi: to. vik. NOTES. CHAP. XXIX. V.1. Letter. (Noles, 24--32. 2 Chr.
Xxx. 1-9. Esth. ix. 20. Acts xv. 22—29,.—Preface to Romans.)— Residue. Many of the elders and others might die, by the hardships which they suffered on the road; or be cut off by the conquerors: so that the letter was addressed to the residue. .
— Prophets. It does not appear, that there was any true’
prophet at Babylon, or in Chaldea, when this letter was sent ; except Ezekiel, and Daniel, who was newly entered on the prophetical office. But there were several, who were accounted prophets, and who had great influence over the people ; and therefore the letter was addressed to them, along with the elders and priests.—The Septuagint read it ‘* false
<¢ prophets,” but they would hardly. have been included in, the address, under that title, in the letter, which was particularly intended to warn the people against false prophets.
V.2. Queen. SJeconiah’s mother. (Noes, xxil. 24—g0. xxiv. 1—y. 2 Kings xx. 17, 18, xxiv. 8—16. 2 Chr, xxvi. 8—10. Dan. i. 93—7.)
V. 9. These persons seem to have been sent by Zcde-kiah, to ratify some treaty with Nebuchadnezzar, or to make some submissions to him. (Marg. Ref)
' V.4—7. The vain expectation of a spcedy return to their own land, which the false prophets excited in the Jews at Babylon, led them to neglect their personal and domestick interests, and comfort, and the good of the nation; and tended to betray them into measures, calculated to excite the jealousy of the victors, and to increase their own miseries. But the prophet, in the name of God, directed them to consider Babylon as their home appointed to them by him, and to take the best care they could of themselves, their families, and the 19T 2
B.C. 598.
1 See on xxxiii. 21. XXVii. 15. XXVIile
§ For thus saith the Lorp of hosts, 4 matt xxiv, 4, the God of Israel; 'Let not your prophets
e.ou2e-takeand your diviners, that be in the midst of i. e R : ba id :
xvi. 18, @,.¢ YOU, deceive you, neither hearken to "your
xi. 19—15. Epi. .
iv. ua. v. 6.dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
@ Thes. ii. 3. 9—
u. Tun, ii , Q For they prophesy * falsely unto you
Rev. xuis 14-1n my name: [have not sent them, saith Mmv.3i. Mic. ii. the Lorp. ‘11. Luke vi. 26 ; e o trettie 3. 10 For thus saith the Lorp, That six te mi, after seventy years be accomplished at
Femi, vias. Babylon, °I will visit you, and perform
i. ) ° e e Dan. ix.” My good word towards you, in cansing :ch. Vil. 5. e o See on xxiv, 6, YOU to return to this place. —Zeph. ii. 7. ~ piob xxii 18. 11 For PI know the thoughts that
xl. 5. Is. xivi, I think toward you, saith the Lorn,
10, 11. lv. 8 12, Mic. iv. 12.9 ‘ vy
39. | Mic, iv. 12. though ts of age and not of evil, 14, 15, , -
q itt Wu. xxx.t0 give you an texpected end. 18—22. xXxi—xxxlii. Is. xl—xlvi. Ez. XxXxiV. VI—3L. XXXVI. XXXVI. KXXIX. Hos. ii. 14-23, iii. 5, xiv. Y— 9, Joel ii. e8—32Q., Arm. iX. how 15, Mic. Vv. 4—7. vil. 14—20. Zeph. ili. 14i—20. Zech. ix. 9-17. xii. 5—~10. Xiv. 20, 21. Rev. xiv. B14, 4 Hed. end and expectation.
nation; to use their influence and endeavours to promote the publick peace ; and to pray for the welfare of the city, as the way to obtain peace to themselves. These directions tended
to render theni patient and contented, industrious and useful, -
and as comfortable as their situation would admit of. This deportment, and their constant prayers, in all their religious assemblies, for the welfare of the community, would tend to conciliate the rulers. (Notes, Ezra vi.6—12. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.) Most of the captives must end their lives at Babylon ; and share the calamities, and many of the advantages, of that city, all their days: and their posterity must do the same, till the expiration of the appointed period.
It was therefore both reasonable and prudent to pray, that there might be peace in that place, where God had assigned them their habitations : and as far as they believed his word they would do it.—The Lord had caused them to be carried captive, or all the power of the Chaldeans could not have effected it: and his will ight to be submitted to in this dispensation. (20.) ¢ It is * the duty of all private persons, to submit to the govern- * ment that protects them, and to pray for the prosperity of “it.
And if they are persccutors or enemies to the truth, * they are to leave it to God to execute on them the judgments ‘he has denounced against tyrants and oppressors; which ‘ threatenings the Jews expected God would execute upon ‘ Babylon in due time.’ (Ps. cxxxvii. 8, 9.) (Lowth.\—-To pray for the peace of .a city or country, “and for the health, or eternal salvation, of the rulers, is very different from wishing success to their ambitious, rapacious, or sanguinary undertakings: though this distinction is not generally attended to.—May not the surprising change, which took place in the character of Nebuchadnezzar, (Notes, Dan. iv,) be considered as an answer to the prayers of the pious Jews for him; as the conversion of Saul was to the prayers of the Christians for their persecutors, and of Stephen for his murderers?
And may not even they, who live under the most oppressive persecutors, take an encouraging hint from this consideration, as to their duty in such circumstances?
V.8, 9. (Marg. Ref.) Cause, &c. (8.) By the encouragement which the Jews gave to those who promised them speedy deliverance, they, as it were, bespoke these dreams; and unprincipled men would be sure to furnish such prognos-
12
JEREMIAH.
B. C. 598. 12 Then ‘shall ye call upon me,- and * 7%, 9, xxii. ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will je: Sy. 1,37: hearken unto you... 3) Dan ix
Dun. ix.$, -
13 And ‘ye shall seek me, and find $‘taervin je. me, when ye shall search for me ‘with’ 4. deine all your heart. vii. et 14 And“ T will be found of you, saith 32. Peoxc, ts. the Lorn: ‘and I will turn away your ‘,,"% ¥. 1 captivity, and I will gather you from all Zegh- i 1s.
the nations, and from all the placest ie mv 3 whither I have driven you, saith the ¢xng furs Lorp ; and I will bring you again into ea the place whence I caused you to be car- ‘&. ried away captive.
15 Because ye have said,
Lorp hath raised us up prophets in Ba- W. 6 Rom. x. bylon : ie ee
XXIV. S—7. XXX. 3. 10. xxxi. 8, KC. xxxii. $7, &c. xxxiil. 7, Kc. xlvi. 7, 28, 1. & Se 19, We 33, $4. li, 10. Ez. xi. 16-20. xXXiv. XXXVI~—XXXIX, Xx 8, 9. xxviil, 1, &c,
tications, as they found acceptable to the people. (Notes, v.' 30, 31. Mic. ii. 11. Luke vi. 24—26.)—The prophets are joined with the diwners. '
V. 10. (Notes, xxv. g—12. 2 Chr. xxxvi. 01, Ezrai. 1 —4. vi. 139—15. Dan. 1x. 2,3. Zech. i. 12, 19.) © But few ‘in comparison of these, returned in person into their own
* country: so this promise was chiefly fulfilled to their pos- .
‘terity: and it is common in scripture to speak of blessings ‘ bestowed upon the children, as if they had actually been ‘ made good to their progenitors.’ (Low/¢h.) '
V.11—14. The Lord had his plan before him; and neither the impatience of the Jews, nor the power of the Chaldeans, could alter it. He had determined, that the’ Chaldean monarchy should continue till the seventy years expired, and solong the Jews must remain in captivity.
Buthe had ‘* thoughts of peace and not of evil,’”’ to those who were already at Babylon. (Nofe, xxiv. 1—7.) These calamities were intended for their good, and he would in due time give them that happy deliverance which they expected, or ‘* an ‘© end, even hope.” (Note, xxxi. 15—17.) Other benefits, personal or publick, spiritual or temporal, they might-in the mean time obtain by prayer ; and they might pray to be delivered in the appuinted season: but when that arrived, the Lord ‘* would pour upon them the Spirit of grace and sup- ‘* plication,” and lead them to fervent prayer, and great earnestness by every means to seek his favour; and they would do it with their whole heart, and succeed, and then their captivity would be terminated. (Notes, xxxill. 3. 1. 4—8.
Ez Xi, 19, 20. XXXvi. 24-27.) The termination of the judgments, brought on the nation by their sins, in answer to theif penitent fervent praycrs, had been predicted by Moses and the prophets: (Notes, Lev. xxvi. 4o—45. Deut. iv. a9 3 Xxx. 1—10. 1 Kings viii. 46—55 :) and the same is foretold by Zechariah, as the introduction to the restoration of the Jews from their present dispersions, (which some think to be here predicted, as well as their return from Babylon.) (Notes, xxiii, g—8. Js. xiii, 15—19. lxiv. Dan. ix. 1g9—20, Zech. Xli. 9—14.)
V.15. © As Ahab, Zedekiah, and Shemaiah.’ (21. 24.)
This is assigned as the reason of this message from God to -
them,
h Gen. xlviii. en.
B. C. 598.
CHAPTER XXIX.
B.C. 598,
16 Know that thus saith the Lorp, | have. spoken 'lying words in my name, I See on 8, 9. Qe
ys. xiv. of the king that sitteth upon the throne
XXxXvili. 2, $9. 17
~45. Bz: vi-ix.of David, and of all the people that
xvii. 12—21. xxi. Sivimis. welleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you
into captivity ; © 18. xv. @, $.xxiv.
0. XXX1iVe lq—
e2. xin i ti hold, I will send upon them the sword,
tiie xx ies.the famine, “and the pestilence, and will
a See onzxiv.l—3." make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. :
18 And I will persecute them with the
sword, with the famine, and with the
brv. 4. xiv. pestilence, and *will deliver them to be
xxxiv. 17. Deut,
xxviii. 25. 64. removed to all the kingdoms of the earth,
ie e ii. ° « ° vie 8. xi “to be a “curse, and an astonishment, and
19. Am. ix
Zech vii 12,40 hissing, and a reproach, among all the © Heb, fora curse nations whither I have driven them: _ ese on xix. s. 10 Because “they have not. hearkened
mix. 31—2.t0 my words, saith the Lor, which I
# Chr, vii. 1@—sent unto. them by my servants the pro-ae iS ‘siege ay up early and sending them;
eta ied ye would not hear, saith the Lorp.
$8. xxxiv. 17.
XXXV. 14 — 16, xhv.4, 5. Zech.
i 4s. vi-1i LORD, all ye of the captivity, ‘whom I
2, sie ", have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: Mic iv.10. 21 Thus saith the Lorp of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Ko-laiah, and of. Zedekiah the son of Maa- Bie noi seiah, ® which prophesy a lie unto you in : my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes ;
Rath iv... 1 22 And of them "shall be taken up a xiaz. ' “curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The Lorp make - thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom
iDan. ji 6.81. the king of Babylon ‘roasted in the fire ; kui, 10 xm.. 22 Because they have committed vil- M4. Fs. 1. 16-18. any in Israel, and “have committed adul-jude eae tery with their neighbour’s wives, and
V. 16—20. (Notes, xxi. 4—10. xxiv. 8—10. xxxiv. 17. Marg. Ref.) ‘ The Septuagint step in to our relief, by evi- ‘ dencing a transposition of ver. 15, which they have placed, ‘ where undoubtedly it ought to stand, immediately before ‘ver. 21.’ (Blayxey.)—The fact is, the Septuagint wholly omit all the intervening verses, and so connect the fifteenth with the twenty-first.
V. 21—23. It is probable, that these. false prophets ex- .
cited the people to make disturbances, or at least to be disaffected to the government ; and thisso offended Nebuchadnezzar, that he put them to death in a most crucl manner, to deter others from such seditious practices. (Notes, Dan. iii.) For it pleased God to deliver them into his hand, that he might
punish them for their atrocious wickedness, as well as for
17 Thus saith the Lorp of hosts; *Be-.
20 Hear ye therefore the word of the:
which I have not commanded them; "even I know, and am a witness, saith ™,xii. 97. xvi. 1. the Lorp. : Ero. ¥_ SI. Mal. ii. 14.111. 5. Heb, 24 @ Thus shalt thou also speak to {:'3.%e" ++ "Shemaiah the tNehelamite, saying, siesee _ 25 Thus speaketh the Lorp of hosts, * $2 on 6°" the God of Israel, saying, ° Because thou! Kings xxi. s—
7 18S. 2K oh hast sent letters in t y name unto all the’ en xix. De 4,
Yr. Xxxii. 17.
people that are at Jerusalem, and to "Ze- Br iv. 7-16. phaniah the son ‘of Maaseiah the priest, , 1% 4c! © ° and to all the priests, saying, Skins oes 26 The Lorp hath made thee priest ~*” in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be ‘officers in the house of theo },2. 2 Kings Lorp, * for every man ¢hat is mad, * and, i"x.%5%, 4), maketh himself a prophet, ‘that thou Mes ®7..Mark shouldest put him in prison, and in the uN 24, 8 Conv: stocks. $27.
Deut. xili. t 27 Now "therefore why hast thou not s—é. ‘at nal, reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, * which < eee maketh himself a prophet to you? xvi 10, Acts v. 28 For therefore he sent unto us zn *- % Rev. ii.
Babylon, saying, ¥-This captivity is long: "402% 'S: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and Xuin een plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. x24. 2 ». 29 And *Zephaniah the priest read this mat! avi. 03: letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. y See on "0. 30 Then came the word of the Lorp ~ unto Jeremiah, saying, ' 31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lorp concerning . Shemaiah the Nehelamite; *Because that * 4%," %3:iv.
Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and Benin? s— io: I sent him not, and he caused you to *”™ trust in a lie: : 32, Therefore thus saith the Lorn ;° 3°95."
3
Behold, >I will punish Shemaiah the 24°%s.Viauis Nehelamite, and his seed: ‘he shall not was. Ie xiv. 20. have a man to dwell among this people ; « xii. ‘30. xxv.
19. 1 Sam. ii. 80
neither shall he “behold the good that , =
ad See on 10—14,—
I will do for my people, saith the Lorp ; xt!i,6 2Kings
their lying predictions. It seems that the people did not know of their villainy and adulteries, till the Lord testified against them, and by exposing thcir secret crimes warned men apainst their seductions.——The accomplishment of this dreadful prediction would have a great effect upon the minds of the Jews; and when they were enraged against any one, they would not be able to think of a more dreadful imprecation, than to wish them, to be like Ahab and Zedekiah.—The event seems to have so evidently confirmed Jeremiah’s predictions, that the captives were taken off from hearkening to false prophets, and rendered more peaceable and submissive in their situation. V.24—32. ‘ This was done, after the messengers, who ‘delivered the former message to the captives at Babylon, “were returned home, who brought along with them the
B. C..597. * Heh, | revolt: becaase he hath taught * rebellion against
XxVili.16. Alarg.
the Lorp.