1Under the type of bonds and yokes Jeremiah prophesieth the subjection of the neighbouring kings to Nebuchadnezzar, and exhorteth them to submit quietly, and to give no heed to false prophets: 12he adviseth the like to Zedekiah: 16he warneth the priests and the people not to credit lying prophecies; 19and sheweth that the remainder of the sacred vessels shall be carried to Babylon, and there continue until the day of visitation.
1IN 1the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
1 Eleven years before the reign of Zedekiah, when Nebuchadnezzar was as yet no king of Babel, as may be gathered from Jer. 25:1. At that time Jeremiah received a command concerning what he would do and say in the time of Zedekiah’s reign, as appears by the sequel. See verses 3 and 12.
2Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and 2yokes, and puta3them upon thy neck,
2 As such is the Hebrew word also taken in Jer. 28:10, 12, 13. Otherwise it also signifies draught, beams or cords, wherewith they are tied to the yoke or the drawing bar. See Lev. 26:13 with the annotation.
a Jer. 28:10.
3 That is, one of them (see Judges 12 on verse 7; Jer. 26 on verse 23), and carry it, to represent vividly unto the people their future bondage under the king of Babel (see verses 8 and 12; Jer. 28:14), and do with the others as follows.
3And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the 4messengers which 5come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
4 Or, ambassadors.
5 Or, shall come, are come, to make a covenant with him against the Babylonians, or to harden him in his rebellion. See 2 Chron. 36:13.
4And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of 6hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;
6 See 1 Kings 18 on verse 15.
5I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, 7and haveb given it unto whom it seemed 8meet unto me.
7 Or, therefore do I give it, or have given it, etc., namely, the earth.
b Dan. 4:17, 25.
8 That is, unto whom it pleases, or pleases Me.
6And now have I given all these lands into the hand of 9Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, myc10servant; and the 11beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
9 In the previous chapters often called Nebuchadrezzar.
c Jer. 25:9.
10 See Jer. 25 on verse 9.
11 A manner of speech, signifying absolute and perfect dominion. Compare Jer. 28:14; Dan. 2:38.
7And all nations shall serve him, and his 12son, and his son’s 13son, until the very time of 14his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall 15serve themselves of him.
12Evil-Merodach, of whom see 2 Kings 25:27; Jer. 52:31.
13Belshazzar. See Daniel 5.
14 Or, the right time of his land. Hebr. the time of his land, also, or even, or yes, of his, namely, land; or, also that, namely, time of his land, that his land by God’s government shall be brought under the power and subjection of others and the Babylonian monarchy shall take an end. Compare Dan. 5:26.
15 Or, compel him to serve. See Jer. 25 on verse 14.
8And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and 16that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his 17hand.
16 Namely, nation or kingdom.
17 That is, by his service, or his power.
9Therefore hearken not ye to your 18prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your 19dreamers, nor to your 20enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
18 Understand false prophets, and such as pretend that they have Divine revelations and dreams. See Jer. 23:25, etc.
19 Hebr. dreams; likewise Jer. 29:8. Thus carrying away captive or captivity, for them that are carried away captive, captives, Jer. 28:4, 6; 29:1, 4. See Job 35 on verse 13.
20 See Lev. 19 on verse 26.
10For they prophesy a 21lie unto you, 22to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
21 Or, falsehood; also verses 14 and 16.
22 See on verse 15.
11But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
12 ¶ 23I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and 24live.
23 Namely, in the time of king Zedekiah. Compare verse 1; Jer. 35:1 with the annotation.
24 That is, remain alive; also verse 17.
13Why will ye 25die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
25 Which shall surely be, if ye will not serve the king of Babel. Also verse 17. Compare 2 Sam. 2:22.
14Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lied unto you.
d Jer. 14:14; 23:21; 29:8.
15For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; 26that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
26 This indeed was not the aim of the false prophets, but it will certainly follow thereupon, the Lord wants to say, if they would believe the false prophets, who were also with their false prophecies under the holy and righteous government of God. See 1 Kings 22:19, etc.; Jer. 18 on verse 16.
16Also I spake to the priests and to 27all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the 28vessels of the LORD's house shall now shortlye be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
27 Who adhered to the priests and to the false prophets.
28 Which in the time of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin were carried to Babel, 2 Chron. 36:7, 10.
e Jer. 28:3.
17Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and 29live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
29 As verse 12.
18But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make 30intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
30 Hebr. entreat, run upon, come between, namely, with intercession; as Jer. 7:16. See there.
19¶For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the 31pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,
31 See 2 Kings 25:16, 17.
20Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captivef Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the 32nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
f 2 Kings 24:14, 15.
32 Hebr. white ones. See Neh. 2 on verse 16.
21Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
22They shall be carriedg to Babylon, and there shall they 33be until the day that I 34visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restoreh them to this place.
g 2 Kings 25:13; 2 Chron. 36:18.
33 That is, remain; also Psalm 37:18; Jer. 32:5, etc.
34 This and what follows may be applied to the gracious visitation of the Jews, whom God would redeem out of the Babylonian captivity, and cause them to come again with the vessels into their own land; or also (by way of comparison taken from men), it may be applied to the vessels themselves, to which God (in a manner) would show this mercy, that He would bring them again out of the hands of those who violently detained and most shamefully misused them (Dan. 5:2, 3, 4) to their due place, and restore them to their right use. Thus God is said to visit the land, Psalm 65:9, etc.
h 2 Chron. 36:22; Jer. 29:10.