1A grievous dearth. 7The prophet's prayer. 10God will not be entreated for the people. 13Both the lying prophets, and the people who believe them, shall perish. 17Jeremiah is commanded to bewail their calamities.
1THE word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah 1concerning the dearth.
1 Hebr. properly: words or matters of ceasings, restraints, cuttings off, hindrances, withholdings, namely, of rain and dew (see Jer. 3:3), from which drought and dearth must needs follow, so that the Hebrew word is likewise taken for it. Compare Jer. 17:8, and see the signification of the original word Gen. 11:6; Job 42:2, etc.
22Judah mourneth, and the 3gates thereof 4languish; they are 5black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is 6gone up.
2 That is, the people or the land of Judah; he speaks here of Judah as of a woman.
3 That is, cities, and consequently the inhabitants, or the judges and the people who were wont to meet together in the gates. See Gen. 22 on verse 17.
4 Or, weakened, are grown faint.
5 Or, lie on the ground in black, unto a sign of mourning. See Job 5 on verse 11; Psalm 35 on verse 14.
6 Increases, waxes greater and greater, by reason of the great misery which is seen everywhere in the land, in regard of drought and want, both among great and small, as follows.
3And their 7nobles have sent their 8little ones to the waters: they came to the 9pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and 10covered their heads.
7 Or, illustrious, glorious, etc. See Psalm 8 on verse 1.
8 That is, servants.
9 Or, ditches.
10 Or, wrap their head about, as a sign of shame and mourning. See 2 Sam. 15 on verse 30. Also in the next verse.
4Because the ground is 11chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
11 Or, burst, split.
5Yea, the 12hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
12 Hebr. the hind bringeth forth, etc.
6And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they 13snuffed up the wind like 14dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.a
13 As Jer. 2:24, refreshing themselves therewith, instead of moistened grass or water.
14 Which breath in and out very strongly, as some do write of them.
a Jer. 12:4.
7¶O LORD, 15though our iniquities 16testify against us, 17do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are 18many; we have sinned against thee.
15 Or, Seeing, Surely.
16 Compare Isa. 59:12; Hosea 5:5; 7:10.
17 As if the prophet said: If our sins stand in Thy way, that Thou canst not show mercy to us, then take and find cause in Thyself and do it for Thy precious Name’s sake, in order that Thine unsearchable mercy and longsuffering be extolled by the godly, and that Thy Name may not be blasphemed by the enemies. This is the prophet’s intercession for the people.
18 Or, great.
8O the 19hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a 20stranger in the land, and as a 21wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
19 O Thou only true God, in Whom alone putteth Thy church her hope and trust, and from Whom she ought and is wont to expect and to receive help in her necessities. Also Jer. 17:13; 50:7. Compare verse 22.
20 That is, pretend Thyself as if Thou wert no more moved at our condition than a stranger, or someone who passes through the land, etc., whereas Thou hast taken up Thy constant dwelling amongst us; as follows.
21 Or, traveler, walker.
9Why shouldest thou be as a man 22astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called 23by thy name; leave us not.
22 Or, amazed, who is void of counsel. Other, wearied. The Hebrew word is only found here.
23 As Jer. 7:10.
10¶Thus saith the LORD 24unto this people, Thus have they loved to 25wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will 26now 27remember their iniquity,b and 28visit their sins.
24 This is God’s answer to Jeremiah’s intercession.
25 Sometimes to foreign, pagan nations, sometimes to all manner of idols, to seek help from them. See Jer. 2:36, etc.
26 That is, He will soon punish them. See Hosea 10 on verse 3.
27 See Gen. 8 on verse 1, and compare Hosea 8:13; 9:9.
b Hosea 8:13; 9:9.
28 That is, punish. See Gen. 21 on verse 1.
11Then said the LORD unto me, Prayc not for this people for their 29good.
c Exod. 32:10; Jer. 7:16; 11:14.
29 For their best that I would spare them any longer. Understand this of those who were incorrigible, whereby God will show unto all the people how greatly He was displeased with them, to move them who were corrigible to repentance.
12Whend they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnte offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consumef them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
d Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 11:11; Ezek. 8:18; Micah 3:4.
e Jer. 6:20; 7:21, 22.
f Jer. 9:16.
13¶Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the 30prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see 31the sword, neither shall ye have 32famine; but 33I will give you 34assured peace in this place.
30 Understand the false prophets, as follows. See Jer. 5:31; 6:13.
31 That is, ye shall not have experience of the violence and cruelty of war, or, such shall not come upon you. See Job 7 on verse 7; Jer. 42:14.
32 That is, hunger.
33 As if God had spoken this Himself.
34 Hebr. peace of truth, assurance, faithfulness, that is, undoubted, assured, firm peace, that is, certain prosperity.
14Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: Ig sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a 35false vision and 36divination, and a 37thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
g Jer. 23:21; 27:15; 29:8, 9.
35 Hebr. vision of falsehood, or of lies.
36 See Deut. 18:10; Ezek. 13:2, 3, 7, 8, 9, with the annotations.
37 From the Hebrew word elil, which signifies a thing of nought or nothing, the idols are also called elilim. See Lev. 19 on verse 4.
15Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
16And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will 38pour their 39wickedness upon them.
38 Compare Jer. 10 on verse 25.
39 Or, their evil, that is, the punishment of their wickedness, as Jer. 11:12, both in the same sense.
17¶Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mineh eyes 40run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the 41virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great 42breach, with a very grievous 43blow.
h Jer. 13:17; Lam. 1:16; 2:18.
40 As Jer. 9:18.
41 That is, my people, or my countrymen. Or (as some), the state and condition of My people, which he, according to Scripture language, compares to a virgin, by reason of her beauty, tenderness and comeliness, in respect of the state that was given them of God; or (as some), because they were never yet conquered and destroyed. See 2 Kings 19 on verse 21. Other, the virgin, the daughter of my people.
42 See Jer. 4:6.
43 Or, wound, that is very painful, grievous, sore, and consequently is dangerous. Also Jer. 10:19; 30:12; Nahum 3:19.
18If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are 44sick with famine! yea, 45both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they 46know not.
44 Hebr. sicknesses. See Job 24 on verse 20.
45 Hebr. also the prophet, also the priest.
46 That is, are void of counsel, know not what they shall do or not do, whom it befitted to remedy this evil. Other, for both prophets and priests practice merchandise against the land, and they (the people) perceive it not, namely, that they wear out and deceive them with false prophecies. Compare Jer. 5:31.
19Hast thou 47utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no 48healing for us? wei looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!
47 Hebr. rejecting rejected?
48 Or, medicine, remedy.
i Jer. 8:15.
20We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned againstj thee.
j Psalm 106:6; Dan. 9:8.
21Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not 49disgrace the 50throne of thy glory: 51remember, 52break not thy covenant with us.
49 Or, esteem little, decay or fade, cast down.
50 Thy temple, Jerusalem, Judah, where Thou hast taken up Thy seat, and revealed Thy glory; or, hereby may be understood the ark of the covenant, as Psalm 63:2; 78:61.
51 Namely, Thy covenant.
52 Or, make not void, do not disannul, the covenant which Thou hast made with us.
22Are there any among the 53vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens 54give 55showers? art not thouk56he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon 57thee: for thou hast 58made all these things.
53 That is, are idols able to give rain? See 1 Kings 16:13; 2 Kings 17:15. As if he would say: by no means. See Gen. 18 on verse 17.
54 Namely, of itself?
55 Or, showers of rain.
k Psalm 135:7; 147:8; Isa. 30:23; Jer. 5:24; 10:13.
56 That is, it is indeed undoubtedly true that Thou art He Who doest this alone. See Gen. 13 on verse 9.
57 That Thou mayest give us such rain as is needful for us, for, Thou art our Expectation (as verse 8), as in all other troubles and afflictions, as likewise in this drought, whereof mention is made at the beginning of this chapter.
58 Or, thou hast made all those things; rain and drought, etc., come from Thee.