1The prophet proclaimeth God's covenant, and rebuketh the Jews for disobeying it: 11he denounceth evil against them for their idolatries, 18and against the men of Anathoth, who devised his death.
1THE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
21Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the 2men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
1 Thou Jeremiah, and My other, godly prophets and priests who yet remain among the people (as some do take it), hear this and present it afterward to the people.
2 Hebr. man. See Jer. 4 on verse 3. Also verse 9.
3And say 3thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursedabe the 4man that 5obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
3 Thou Jeremiah.
a Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10.
4 That is, the human being, or every man. As Psalm 1:1, and elsewhere often. See Job 12 on verse 10.
5 That is, who does not obey the law of God.
4Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the 6ironb furnace, saying, Obeyc my 7voice, and do 8them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my 9people, and I will be your God:
6 See Deut. 4 on verse 20.
b Deut. 4:20.
c Lev. 26:3, 12.
7 That is, words, commandments.
8 Namely, the words of the covenant, as verses 3 and 6.
9 As Jer. 7:23.
5That I may perform the oathd which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land 10flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, 11So be it, O LORD.
d Deut. 7:12.
10 See Exod. 3 on verse 8.
11 Or, Amen. See Num. 5 on verse 22; Deut. 27:15.
6Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
7For I 12earnestly protested unto your fathers 13in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising 14earlye and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.
12 Hebr. protesting protested.
13 That is, from that time on.
14 See Jer. 7 on verse 13.
e Jer. 7:13, 25.
8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear,f but walked every one in the 15imaginationg16of their evil heart: therefore I 17will bring upon them all the 18words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.
f Jer. 7:26.
15 See Jer. 3 on verse 17.
g Jer. 3:17; 7:24; 9:14.
16 The evil heart of them all.
17 That is, I shall surely bring upon them.
18 That is, the additional threats, that is, the threatened punishments. See thereof Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.
9And the LORD said unto me, A 19conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 League, conspiracy, plot, to do evil, directly opposite and repugnant to the covenant, which they have made with Me, and sworn to it.
10They are turned back to the iniquities of their 20forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and 21they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have 22broken my covenant which I 23made with their fathers.
20 Who were disobedient in the wilderness and consequently afterwards.
21 As a wicked posterity of their wicked forefathers.
22 Or, destroyed.
23 See Gen. 15 on verses 17 and 18.
11¶Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring 24evil upon them, which they shall not be able to 25escape; and though they shall cryh unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
24 That is, punishment, mishap, misery, etc., as verse 12.
25 That is, deliver themselves out of it. Compare Micah 2:3.
h Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 14:12; Ezek. 8:18; Micah 3:4.
12Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them 26at all in the time of their 27trouble.
26 Hebr. saving not save.
27 Which I will bring upon them, verse 11. Also verses 14, 17 and 23.
13For 28accordingi to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that 29shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.
28 As Jer. 2:28.
i Jer. 2:28.
29 That is, the shameful idol Baal. See Jer. 3 on verse 24.
14Therefore prayj not 30thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
j Jer. 7:16; 14:11.
30 O Jeremiah.
1531What hath my 32beloved to do in 33mine house, seeing 34she hath wrought 35lewdness 36with many, and 37the holy flesh is passed from thee? 38when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.
31 Compare the manner of speech with 2 Sam. 16:10 and the annotation there.
32 Namely, this people (the Hebrew word is put in the masculine gender, but the following words in the feminine), that call themselves such or boast of it that they are My beloved people. Or, God calls them such, notwithstanding their unthankfulness, because of His covenant which He had made with them and their fathers, and the mercies that He had bestowed on them. Compare Jer. 12:7, 8; Rom. 3:3; 11:28. Some understand hereby the prophet Jeremiah and other servants of God, who prophesied daily in the temple to this wicked people, compare Jer. 7:2, as if God said: What have My servants anymore to do in the temple among this rebellious people to instruct them or to pray for them? See verse 14.
33 The temple; as if God said: To what purpose do they run so much in the temple, since they are so full of all kinds of wickedness?
34 Understand the daughter of My people, or the city of Jerusalem, that is, the inhabitants.
35 Other, gross lewdness, because the Hebrew word, which signifies an abominable act or plot (see Prov. 31 on verse 16) has here a letter more than ordinary, serving to heighten the signification of it. Compare Psalm 3 on verse 2. Understand hereby the abominable idolatry, mentioned in verse 13, etc.
36 Namely, with many idols, as verse 13. Or, it may be understood of the multitude or great company of those who committed these abominations, thus: seeing many of them commit this heinous act. Some put instead of with many: yea, even the great ones. Compare Ezek. 8:11; 23:39.
37 Hebr. the flesh of holiness, or of the sanctuary, are passed from thee, or shall pass from thee. As the word flesh is not in use in the plural number among us, thus neither is it used more than once in the entire text of the Hebrew Bible in the plural number, namely, Prov. 14:30. The sense is: All your offerings, O Jerusalem, are no more of any value, ye offerest no more an holy offering, because ye profanest all things by thy wickedness. Some understand it thus, that God threatens them that the time is at hand, that they, being punished and driven out of their land for their wickedness, shall come no more into the temple, nor offer sacrifice, nor keep their wonted joyful feasts with the flesh of the offerings, as they did at present, but with an horrible profanation of God’s holy institutions, therefore God would cast them out of His house and out of the land. Some understand by the holy flesh the true, sincere Israelites, who were circumcised both outwardly and inwardly.
38 Or, For in thy wickedness, etc. Other, When evil (that is, thy punishment, misery) is at hand, or is foretold or threatened by my prophets, then thou rejoicest; that is, thou despisest My threatenings so extremely, as even to vex Me, thou doest the more rejoice, to show that thou carest not at all for them.
16The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of 39goodly fruit: with the noise of a great 40tumult he hath kindled 41fire upon 42it, and the 43branches of it 44are broken.
39 Hebr. fruit of form.
40 Compare Ezek. 1:24.
41 Understand the desolation, destruction and the consumption of the land and people by the Babylonians.
42 The olive tree. Other, a fire hath kindled the leaves thereof.
43 Or, boughs, twigs, sprigs.
44 Other, shall they break.
17For the LORD of hosts, that 45plantedk thee, hath pronounced 46evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves 47to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
45 As an olive tree; as was said in the previous verse.
k Jer. 2:21.
46 The destruction by the Babylonians.
47 Or, to incense.
18¶And the 48LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: 49then thou shewedst me their doings.
48 When I in simplicity heeded my calling, according to God’s command, and thought not of any evil.
49 Jeremiah speaks this unto God, Whom he takes as Witness, that he does not speak this out of human suspicion or passion, but only by Divine revelation in a vision. Compare Jer. 24:1.
19But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought 50to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised 51devices against me, saying, Let us destroy 52the tree with the 53fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the 54land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
50 Or, to be slain, that is, to be killed, that he may be slain.
51 That is, intended wicked assaults and practices against me.
52 Namely, the prophet Jeremiah with his doctrine or prophecy.
53 Hebr. properly: bread, that is, food, and consequently fruit, serving for food.
54 See Psalm 27 on verse 13.
20But, O LORD of hosts, that 55judgest righteously, thatl triest the 56reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance 57on them: for unto thee have I 58revealed my cause.
55 Hebr. Judge of righteousness, or, that judgest righteousness.
l 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Chron. 28:9; Psalm 7:9; 26:2; Rev. 2:23.
56 The innermost and secret thoughts and motions of the heart. See Job 19 on verse 27; Psalm 7 on verse 9.
57 Which Thou wilt take from them, or execute upon them.
58 Presented and committed as to mine Advocate and Judge.
21Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of 59Anathoth, that seek thy 60life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:
59 See Jer. 1:1.
60 An attempt on your life. See Exod. 4 on verse 19; 2 Sam. 4 on verse 8.
22Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will 61punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:
61 Or, visit them. See Gen. 21 on verse 1.
23And there shall be no 62remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even 63the year of their visitation.
62 That is, none of them shall remain, they shall all perish and be cut off; meaning, if they do not repent.
63 Or, namely the year of their visitation, that is, of their punishment. Also Jer. 23:12, etc.