Jeremiah 28:27

Micah and Isaiah, a little later, speak of such opposition, in Judah, as habitual Micah 2:6; Isaiah 30:10-11; much more in Israel, where the opposition to God's law was more fundamental, and where God's prophet's had been all but exterminated. Even Asa, in his degenerate days, imprisoned Hanani for prophesying that he would "have wars" 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:10; Joash killed Zechariah son of Jehoiada 2 Chronicles 24:20-21; Amaziah silenced the prophet who rebuked him, "Art thou made of the king's council? forbear. Why shouldest thou be smitten?" 2 Chronicles 25:15-16. Jehoiakim sent even into Egypt to fetch Uriah and killed him Jeremiah 26:20-23. Jeremiah's life was one continuous encounter with false accusations Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:4, contradictions by false prophets (Jeremiah 23:17 ff; Jeremiah 27:9-10, Jeremiah 27:14-16; Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29), hatred Jeremiah 15:10, mockery Jeremiah 17:15; Jeremiah 20:7-8; Jeremiah 23:33, persecution Jeremiah 17:18, imprisonment Jeremiah 20:2; Jeremiah 32:3; Jeremiah 33:1; Jeremiah 37:15-21; Jeremiah 38:6-13, attempts to destroy him (Jeremiah 11:18-21; Jeremiah 18:18, Jeremiah 18:20-23; Jeremiah 26:8 ff; Jeremiah 36:26). The complaint was, as here, "wherefore dost thou prophesy?" Jeremiah 32:3.

(cf. 2 Chronicles 36:9 and 2 Chronicles 36:10 ). Jehoiachin, יהויכין or יויכין ( Ezekiel 1:2 ), i.e., he whom Jehovah fortifies, called יכניהוּ in 1 Chronicles 3:16-17 , and Jeremiah 27:20 ; Jeremiah 28:4 , etc., and כּניהוּ in Jeremiah 22:24 , Jeremiah 22:28 ; Jeremiah 37:1 , probably according to the popular twisting and contraction of the name Jehoiachin, was eighteen years old when he ascended the throne (the eight years of the Chronicles are a slip of the pen), and reigned three months, or, according to the more precise statement of the Chronicles, three months and ten days, in the spirit of his father. Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 19:5-7 ) describes him not only as a young lion, who learned to prey and devoured men, like Jehoahaz, but also affirms of him that he knew their (the deceased men's) widows, i.e., ravished them, and destroyed their cities-that is to say, he did not confine his deeds of violence to individuals, but extended them to all that was left behind by those whom he had murdered, viz., to their families and possessions; and nothing is affirmed in Jeremiah 22:24 and Jeremiah 22:28 respecting his character at variance with this. His mother Nehushta was a daughter of Elnathan, a ruler of the people, or prince, from Jerusalem ( Jeremiah 26:22 ; Jeremiah 36:12 , Jeremiah 36:25 ).

(cf. 2 Chronicles 36:9 and 2 Chronicles 36:10 ). Jehoiachin, יהויכין or יויכין ( Ezekiel 1:2 ), i.e., he whom Jehovah fortifies, called יכניהוּ in 1 Chronicles 3:16-17 , and Jeremiah 27:20 ; Jeremiah 28:4 , etc., and כּניהוּ in Jeremiah 22:24 , Jeremiah 22:28 ; Jeremiah 37:1 , probably according to the popular twisting and contraction of the name Jehoiachin, was eighteen years old when he ascended the throne (the eight years of the Chronicles are a slip of the pen), and reigned three months, or, according to the more precise statement of the Chronicles, three months and ten days, in the spirit of his father. Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 19:5-7 ) describes him not only as a young lion, who learned to prey and devoured men, like Jehoahaz, but also affirms of him that he knew their (the deceased men's) widows, i.e., ravished them, and destroyed their cities-that is to say, he did not confine his deeds of violence to individuals, but extended them to all that was left behind by those whom he had murdered, viz., to their families and possessions; and nothing is affirmed in Jeremiah 22:24 and Jeremiah 22:28 respecting his character at variance with this. His mother Nehushta was a daughter of Elnathan, a ruler of the people, or prince, from Jerusalem ( Jeremiah 26:22 ; Jeremiah 36:12 , Jeremiah 36:25 ).

Verse 26. - Mischief... turnout. The combination reminds us of the "wars and rumours of wars" of Matthew 24:6 . The floating uncertain reports of a time of invasion aggravate the actual misery (comp. Isaiah 37:7 ; Jeremiah 51:46 ; Obadiah 1:1 ). They shall seek a vision of the prophet, etc. The words paint a picture of political chaos and confusion. The people turn in their distress to the three representativtes of wisdom - the prophet as the bearer of an immediate message from Jehovah, the priest as the interpreter of his Law ( Malachi 2:7 ), the "ancients" or "elders" as those who had learnt the lessons of experience, - and all alike in vain. (For illustrative facts, see Jeremiah 5:31 ; Jeremiah 6:13 ; Jeremiah 21:2 ; Jeremiah 23:21-40 ; Jeremiah 27:9-18 ; Jeremiah 28:1-9 , and generally Micah 3:6 ; Amos 8:11 ; 1 Samuel 28:6 ; Lamentations 2:9 .) Ezekiel 7:26

Because Israel did not do this, therefore the Lord watched upon the evil, i.e., continually thought thereon - an idea very frequently found in Jeremiah; cf. Jeremiah 1:12 ; Jeremiah 31:28 ; Jeremiah 44:27 . צדּיק with על following, righteous on the ground of all His works - a testimony from experience; cf. Nehemiah 9:33 (Kranichfeld).

Or rather, Thou art Judah, thy brethren shall praise or celebrate thee. So the expression is like that 1 Samuel 25:25 . As his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him, or in him. So here the sense is, As thy name signifies praise, Genesis 29:35 , so shalt thou have praise or honour from thy brethren. He alludes to his name, and to the occasion of it, but with an elegant variation. Thou art deservedly called Judah, not only because thy mother praised God for thee, but also because thy brethren shall praise and bless thee for the reasons here following. But this, as also the other blessings or predictions, do not so much declare the state of Judah or the rest in their own persons, as in their posterity. Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, i.e. thou shalt overthrow and subdue them. This was fulfilled in part, Judges 1:1,2,4 3:9,10 ; but more fully in David, 2 Samuel 8:1 , and Solomon, 1 Chronicles 12:9 ; and most eminently, though spiritually, in Christ. The phrase is taken either, 1. From the practice of warriors, who use to assault their enemies in that part, that they may throw them down at their feet; of which see Job 15:26 16:12 . Or, 2. from the custom of conquerors, who are said to put the yokes upon the necks of the conquered. See Genesis 27:40 Deu 28:48 Isaiah 10:27 Jeremiah 27:8 28:14 .

The God, whose providence is ever solicitously watching over His people for good, shall solicitously, as it were, watch for their hurt. Contrast Jeremiah 31:28; 32:41. 28. small number —(see on Jeremiah 44:14; and Jeremiah 42:17; Isaiah 27:13); compare "all-consumed" (Jeremiah 44:27). A band easily counted, whereas they were expecting to return triumphantly in large numbers. shall know —most of them experimentally, and to their cost. whose words … mine, or theirs — Hebrew, "that from Me and them." Jehovah's words are His threats of destruction to the Jews; theirs, the assertion that they expected all goods from their gods (Jeremiah 44:17), &c. "Mine"; by which I predict ruin to them. "Theirs"; by which they give themselves free scope in iniquity. shall stand —(Psalms 33:11). 29. this … sign unto you —The calamity of Pharaoh-hophra (see on Jeremiah 44:30) shall be a sign to you that as he shall fall before his enemy, so you shall subsequently fall before Nebuchadnezzar (Matthew 24:8) [G ROTIUS ]. C ALVIN makes the "sign" to be simultaneous with the event signified, not antecedent to it, as in Exodus 3:12. The Jews believed Egypt impregnable, so shut in was it by natural barriers. The Jews being "punished in this place " will be a sign that their view is false, and God's threat true. He calls it "a sign unto you, " because God's prediction is equivalent to the event, so that they may even now take it as a sign. When fulfilled it would cease to be a sign to them: for they would be dead. 30.

Verse 9 Four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy - Probably these were no more than teachers in the Church: for we have already seen that this is a frequent meaning of the word prophesy; and this is undoubtedly one thing intended by the prophecy of Joel, quoted Acts 2:17, Acts 2:18, of this book. If Philip's daughters might be prophetesses, why not teachers? ACTS 21: 10 As we stayed there some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Verse 10 Agabus - See the note on Acts 11:28. ACTS 21: 11 Coming to us, and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘So will the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Verse 11 Took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands, etc. - This was no doubt a prophet, in the commonly received sense of the term; and his mode of acting was like that of the ancient prophets, who often accompanied their predictions with significant emblems. Jeremiah was commanded to bury his girdle by the river Euphrates, to mark out the captivity of the Jews. Jeremiah 13:4. For more examples of this figurative or symbolical prophesying, see Jeremiah 27:2, Jeremiah 27:3; Jeremiah 28:4; Isaiah 20:1-6; Ezekiel 4:1-17; 12:1-28, etc. Into the hands of the Gentiles - That is, the Romans, for the Jews had not, properly speaking, the power of life and death.

As his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him, or in him. So here the sense is, As thy name signifies praise, Genesis 29:35, so shalt thou have praise or honour from thy brethren. He alludes to his name, and to the occasion of it, but with an elegant variation. Thou art deservedly called Judah, not only because thy mother praised God for thee, but also because thy brethren shall praise and bless thee for the reasons here following. But this, as also the other blessings or predictions, do not so much declare the state of Judah or the rest in their own persons, as in their posterity. Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, i.e. thou shalt overthrow and subdue them. This was fulfilled in part, Judges 1:1,2,4 3:9,10; but more fully in David, 2 Samuel 8:1, and Solomon, 1 Chronicles 12:9; and most eminently, though spiritually, in Christ. The phrase is taken either, 1. From the practice of warriors, who use to assault their enemies in that part, that they may throw them down at their feet; of which see Job 15:26 16:12. Or, 2. from the custom of conquerors, who are said to put the yokes upon the necks of the conquered. See Genesis 27:40 Deu 28:48 Isaiah 10:27 Jeremiah 27:8 28:14. Thy father’s children, i.e. all thy brethren, and my posterity; he saith not thy mother’s children, for his sons had divers mothers; shall bow down before thee, i.e. shall own thee as their superior and lord, upon whom I have devolved this part of the right of the first-born.

Verse 6. - So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers. It is not certain that the writer means anything more by this than that "Jehoiakim died." His body may, however, possibly have been found by the Jews after the Babylonians had withdrawn from before Jerusalem, and have been entombed with those of Manasseh, Amen, and Josiah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead, Josephus says ( l.s.c. ) that Nebuchadnezzar placed him upon the throne, which is likely enough, since he would certainly not have quitted Jerusalem without setting up some king or other. Jehoiachin has in Scripture the two other names of Jeconiah ( 1 Chronicles 3:16, 17 ; Jeremiah 27:20 ; Jeremiah 28:4 ; Jeremiah 29:2 ) and Coniah ( Jeremiah 22:24, 28 ; Jeremiah 37:1 ). Jehoiachin and Jeconiah differ only, as Jehoahaz and Ahaziah, by a reversal of the order of the two elements. Both mean "Jehovah will establish (him)." "Conlah" cuts off from "Jeconiah" the sign of futurity, and means "Jehovah establishes." It is used only by Jeremiah, and seems used by him to signify that though "Jehovah establishes," Jeconiah he would not establish. 2 Kings 24:6