Jeremiah 40:20

His residence was at Mizpah (Jeremiah 40:5). home —the house of Gedaliah, wherein Jeremiah might remain as in a safe asylum. As in Jeremiah 40:1 Jeremiah is represented as "bound in chains" when he came to Ramah among the captives to be carried to Babylon, this release of Jeremiah is thought by M AURER to be distinct from that in Jeremiah 40:5, 6. But he seems first to have been released from the court of the prison and to have been taken to Ramah, still in chains, and then committed in freedom to Gedaliah. dwelt among the people —that is, was made free. 15-18. Belonging to the time when the city was not yet taken, and when Jeremiah was still in the court of the prison (Jeremiah 38:13). This passage is inserted here because it was now that Ebed-melech's good act (Jeremiah 38:7-12; Matthew 25:43) was to be rewarded in his deliverance. 16. Go —not literally, for he was in confinement, but figuratively. before thee —in thy sight. 17. the men of whom thou art afraid —(Jeremiah 38:1, 4-6). The courtiers and princes hostile to thee for having delivered Jeremiah shall have a danger coming so home to themselves as to have no power to hurt. Heretofore intrepid, he was now afraid; this prophecy was therefore the more welcome to him. ## 18. life … for a prey —(See on Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 45:5). put … trust in me —(Jeremiah 38:7-9). Trust in God was the root of his fearlessness of the wrath of men, in his humanity to the prophet (1 Chronicles 5:20; Psalms 37:40).

(23) The captains of the armies. —Rather, the army captains; or, the captains of the forces. They and their men had fled with the king, and dispersed themselves over the country ( Jeremiah 40:7 ). Now they came out of hiding. Their men.—The Hebrew text has the men, but all the versions, and Jeremiah 40:7, read rightly, their men. Mizpah.—See 1Kings 15:22. It was well suited to be the governor’s residence, as it lay high, and was a naturally strong position. Moreover, it was the seat of an ancient sanctuary (Judges 20:1), which might serve in some sort as a substitute for the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 41:5). Ishmael.—Grandson of Elishama the royal secretary (2Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 36:12; Jeremiah 36:20), and of royal blood (Jeremiah 41:1). Johanan the son of Careah.—Jeremiah 40:8, “and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Careah.” The Netophathite.—The words, “and the sons of Ophai,” have fallen out before this epithet (Jeremiah 40:8), and probably the names of these sons of Ophai in both passages. Netophah is mentioned in Ezra 2:22; Nehemiah 7:26. It may be Beit Nettif south-west of Jerusalem. The son of a (the) Maachathite.—His father was an alien, and belonged to the Syrian state of Maachah (2Samuel 10:6; 2Samuel 10:8).

60 . The Lord will substitute for the old covenant which was broken an “everlasting” covenant, cf. ch. Ezekiel 37:26 ; Isaiah 54:9-10 ; Isaiah 55:3 ; Jeremiah 31:35-36 ; Jeremiah 32:40 ; Jeremiah 33:20-22 . The covenant will be everlasting because he will forgive their sins ( Jeremiah 31:34 ), and write his law ( Jeremiah 31:33 ), and put his fear ( Jeremiah 32:40 ) in their hearts; giving them a new heart and putting his spirit within them, Ezekiel 36:26 . On “days of thy youth” cf. Jeremiah 2:2 , and Isaiah 54:6 . Ezekiel 16:60

Mizpah is the present Nebi Samwil, two hours to the north-west of Jerusalem (see at Joshua 18:26). - On hearing of Gedaliah's appointment as governor, there came to him "all the captains of the several divisions of the army and their men," i.e., those portions of the army which had been scattered at the flight of the king (2 Kings 25:5), and which had escaped from the Chaldaeans, and, as it is expressed in Jeremiah 40:7, had dispersed themselves "in the field," i.e., about the land. Instead of והאנשׁים we have in Jeremiah 40:7 the clearer expression ואנשׁיהם, "and their men," whilst והאנשׁים in our text receives its more precise definition from the previous word החילים. Of the military commanders the following are mentioned by name: Ishmael, etc. (the ו eht( .cte ,l before ישׁמעאל, is explic., "and indeed Ishmael"). Ishmael, son of Mattaniah and grandson of Elishama, probably of the king's secretary mentioned in Jeremiah 36:12 and Jeremiah 36:20, of royal blood. Nothing further is known about the other names. We simply learn from Jeremiah 40:13. that Johanan had warned Gedaliah against the treachery of Ishmael, and that when Gedaliah was slain by Ishmael, having disregarded the warning, he put himself at the head of the people and marched with them to Egypt, notwithstanding the dissuasions of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 41:15.).

24–29. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, &c. 24 . Then the Lord , &c.] The destruction of the cities of the Plain is an event to which frequent allusion is made in Holy Scripture. The impressive features of the Dead Sea must have continually lent force to the terrible tradition of an overthrow in times of remote antiquity. The barrenness of the soil, the absence of life in the water, the deposits of salt, of bitumen, and of sulphur, helped to connect a region, which was within sight of Jerusalem, with the thought of a judicial visitation by Jehovah, more terrible in character, if less in magnitude, than the Deluge itself. For the prophetic use of this catastrophe, see especially Deuteronomy 29:23 . Cf. Jeremiah 20:16 ; Jeremiah 23:14 ; Jeremiah 49:18 ; Jeremiah 50:40 ; Lamentations 4:6 ; Amos 4:11 ; Zephaniah 2:9 . In the N.T. see Luke 17:29 ; 2 Peter 2:6 ; Jdg 1:7 . brimstone and fire ] It is unreasonable to subject the description of this overthrow to the close scrutiny of modern science. Geologists now tell us that, within recent geological periods, there is no sign of volcanic activity in the Dead Sea region. If, therefore, as is assumed, the cities of the Plain lay in the Dead Sea valley, their overthrow was not occasioned by lava or burning ashes, like Pompeii, or Herculaneum, or St Pierre.

First, Be sure that you are brought under the bond of the covenant. This gracious special presence of God with his people, under their greatest troubles, and deepest distresses—is peculiar to those who are in covenant with God. [Ezekiel 20:37; Psalms 25:14, and 50:5; Jeremiah 32:40-41; Genesis 6:8, 18, 19:20-26 and 39:20-22; Jeremiah 1:17-19, and 37:15, seq.; Daniel 3:23-25, and 6:22-23.] Noah was in covenant with God—and God was with him, providing an ark for him, and preserving of him from drowning in the midst of drowning. Lot was in covenant with God—and God was with him, and secures him in Zoar, when he rained hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Joseph was in covenant with God—and God was with Joseph in prison. Jeremiah was in covenant with God—and God kept him company in the dungeon. The three Hebrew children, or rather champions, were in covenant with God—and God was specially present with them in the fiery furnace. Daniel was in covenant with God—and God was wonderfully with him in the lions' den. Job was in covenant with God—and God was with him in six troubles, and in seven, Job 3:18-19. David was in covenant with God—and God was with him in the valley of the shadow of death, Psalms 89:33-34, and 23:4.

But, 2. Secondly, As there are many things to be avoided, just so, there are several things to be put in PRACTICE, as you would enjoy the gracious presence of God with you, in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers. Let me glance at a few—First, Be sure that you are brought under the bond of the covenant. This gracious special presence of God with his people, under their greatest troubles, and deepest distresses—is peculiar to those who are in covenant with God. [Ezekiel 20:37; Psalms 25:14, and 50:5; Jeremiah 32:40-41; Genesis 6:8, 18, 19:20-26 and 39:20-22; Jeremiah 1:17-19, and 37:15, seq.; Daniel 3:23-25, and 6:22-23.] Noah was in covenant with God—and God was with him, providing an ark for him, and preserving of him from drowning in the midst of drowning. Lot was in covenant with God—and God was with him, and secures him in Zoar, when he rained hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Joseph was in covenant with God—and God was with Joseph in prison. Jeremiah was in covenant with God—and God kept him company in the dungeon. The three Hebrew children, or rather champions, were in covenant with God—and God was specially present with them in the fiery furnace. Daniel was in covenant with God—and God was wonderfully with him in the lions' den. Job was in covenant with God—and God was with him in six troubles, and in seven, Job 3:18-19. David was in covenant with God—and God was with him in the valley of the shadow of death, Psalms 89:33-34, and 23:4