1Jeremiah prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem, and the fate of Zedekiah. 8The princes and people having according to covenant let their bondservants go free, afterward reassume them: 12Jeremiah proclaimeth liberty to the sword, the pestilence, and the famine, and prophesieth the return of the Babylonians to execute vengeance upon them.
1THE word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, whena1Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
a 2 Kings 25:1, etc.; Jeremiah 52.
1 Otherwise called in this book, and by Ezekiel, for the most part Nebuchadrezzar.
2Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burnb it with fire:
b Jer. 21:10; 32:29.
3And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt 2surely be taken,c and delivered into his hand; and thine 3eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
2 Hebr. taking be taken.
c Jer. 32:4.
3 Compare Jer. 32:4; 52:9, 10, 11.
4Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, 4Thou shalt not die by the sword:
4 Compare Jer. 32:5, with the annotation.
5But thou shalt die in peace: and 5with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, 6Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.
5 Or, according to the burning, that is, as they have honored thy predecessors at their burials with fires or burnings of all manner of precious spices, so shall it likewise be done unto thee. See hereof 2 Chron. 16:14, with the annotation.
6 Compare Jer. 22:18, 19.
6Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
77When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against 8Lachish, and against 9Azekah: for these 10defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.
7 Hereby is intimated the obedience, godly boldness and confidence of Jeremiah, who was not afraid as matters than stood to tell king Zedekiah what was commanded him by God.
8 See 2 Kings 14 on verse 19.
9 See 1 Sam. 17 on verse 1.
10 Hebr. cities of defense.
8¶This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had 11made a covenant with 12all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim libertyd13unto them;
11 See the manner of this covenant making verses 18 and 19, and compare Gen. 15 on verses 17 and 18.
12 Understand all those who had servants.
d Exod. 21:2.
13 Namely, all menservants and maidservants, in the seventh year, according to the law, verses 13 and 14. This Zedekiah did to obtain, by this external work of obedience, deliverance and victory from God, but how they have meant and kept it, according to the manner of the hypocrites, is related in the sequel.
9That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should 14serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
14 See Jer. 22 on verse 13.
10Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, 15heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.
15 That is, obeyed, as later in this verse again, and elsewhere often.
11But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to 16return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
16 To their former service, also verse 16. This they seemed to have done, because the Babylonians were departed from Jerusalem and were gone against the Egyptians, vainly imagining that they had now escaped all danger, whereas on the contrary they provoked the wrath of God anew against themselves. See verses 21 and 22.
12¶Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the 17house of bondmen, saying,
17 Hebr. house of servants.
14Ate the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been 18sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
e Exod. 21:2; Deut. 15:12.
18 Or, which shall have sold himself unto thee.
15And ye were now 19turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called 20by my name:
19 Or, had returned, namely, in outward show, as much as concerned the outward work.
20 See Jer. 7 on verse 10. Understand the temple.
16But ye turned and polluted my 21name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their 22pleasure, to 23return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
21 Which ye have used in the oath of the covenant.
22 Or, desire, wish, pleasure, will. Hebr. soul. See Psalm 27 on verse 12. Other, for themselves, for their persons, that is, to be their own men and women, and to be free.
23 As verse 11.
17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a 24liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be 25removedf into all the kingdoms of the earth.
24 An elegant alteration or varying of the words of proclaiming liberty, previously for good, but here for evil, that is, for punishment, which God in His just judgment would execute upon them, and cause to rage amongst them. Some render it to the sword, etc. As if God said: I will give liberty to the sword, to the pestilence, etc., to rage amongst you.
25 See Deut. 28 on verse 25.
f Deut. 28:25; Jer. 15:4; 24:9, etc.
18And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not 26performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, 27when they cut the calf in 28twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
26 Have in fact not performed, not kept. Hebr. properly: have not caused to rise or to rise up. See Deut. 27:26; Jer. 35:14.
27 Other, when the calf, etc., that is, I will cause them to be torn in pieces by the fowls, etc. as verse 20.
28 See Gen. 15 on verses 17 and 18.
19The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the 29eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;
29 Or, courtiers. See Gen. 37 on verse 36.
20I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their 30life: and their 31deadg bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
30 That is, who seek to kill them. See Exod. 4 on verse 19; 2 Sam. 4 on verse 8. Likewise in the next verse.
31 Hebr. dead body; as Jer. 7:33.
g Jer. 7:33; 16:4; 19:7.
21And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up 32fromh you.
32 That is, are marched away from Jerusalem, and are marched up against the king of Egypt (see verse 11; Jer. 37:5, 11), who was upon the march to come and help Zedekiah.
h Jer. 37:11.
22Behold, I will 33command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.
33 That is, I will rule and order the matter by My Providence and government that the Chaldeans shall come again. Compare Lev. 25 on verse 21; Jer. 25 on verse 29; Amos 6:11; 9:9.