Jeremiah 42:15

42:7-22 If we would know the mind of the Lord in doubtful cases, we must wait as well as pray. God is ever ready to return in mercy to those he has afflicted; and he never rejects any who rely on his promises. He has declared enough to silence even the causeless fears of his people, which discourge them in the way of duty. Whatever loss or suffering we may fear from obedience, is provided against in God's word; and he will protect and deliver all who trust in him and serve him. It is folly to quit our place, especially to quit a holy land, because we meet with trouble in it. And the evils we think to escape by sin, we certainly bring upon ourselves. We may apply this to the common troubles of life; and those who think to avoid them by changing their place, will find that the grievances common to men will meet them wherever they go. Sinners who dissemble with God in solemn professions especially should be rebuked with sharpness; for their actions speak more plainly than words. We know not what is good for ourselves; and what we are most fond of, and have our hearts most set upon, often proves hurtful, and sometimes fatal.

And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah,.... A small remnant indeed, a few that were left in the land; who ought therefore to have admired the distinguishing goodness of Providence in preserving them in it; where they should have continued and made use of their privilege, to the glory of God and their mutual good: thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; the Lord of armies above and below, the Lord God omnipotent, and so able to protect them in their land; and who had a peculiar favour to Israel, and stood in a particular relation to them, and therefore would do it, of which they had no reason to doubt; but, disobliging him, what judgments might they not expect? if you wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt: are resolved upon it, and are actually engaged in it; turning their faces from Judea towards Egypt, and obstinately pursuing it, nor can be reclaimed from it: the phrase expresses their resolution, impudence, and obstinacy: and go to sojourn there: to be sojourners and strangers there, as their fathers had been before; the remembrance of which was enough to set them against going into Egypt any more.

The threatening if, in spite of warning and against God's will, they should still persist in going to Egypt. The protasis of the conditional sentence begun in Jeremiah 42:13 , "If ye say," etc., extends onwards through Jeremiah 42:14 ; the apodosis is introduced co-ordinately with the commencement of Jeremiah 42:15 , "Now therefore," etc. קול שׁופר, "the sound of war-trumpet," as in Jeremiah 4:19 . On "hungering after bread," cf. Amos 8:11 . הלחם (with the article) is the bread necessary for life. "The remnant of Judah" is to be understood of those who still remained in the land, as is shown by Jeremiah 42:2 ; see also Jeremiah 42:19 , Jeremiah 43:5 ; Jeremiah 44:12 , Jeremiah 44:14 . The warning given in Jeremiah 42:16 contains the idea that the very evil which they feared would come on them in Judah will befall them in Egypt. There they shall perish by sword, famine, and plague, since Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt; cf. Jeremiah 43:8-13 .

The "all" countries implies a future restoration of Israel more universal than that from Babylon. 38. (Jeremiah 30:22; 24:7). 39. one heart —all seeking the Lord with one accord, in contrast to their state when only scattered individuals sought Him (Ezekiel 11:19, 20; Zephaniah 3:9). for … good of them —(Psalms 34:12-15). 40. (Jeremiah 31:31, 33; Isaiah 55:3). not depart from me —never yet fully realized as to the Israelites. I will not turn away from them … good —(Isaiah 30:21). Jehovah compares Himself to a sedulous preceptor following his pupils everywhere to direct their words, gestures. put my fear in … hearts … not depart from me —Both the conversion and perseverance of the saints are the work of God alone, by the operation of the Holy Spirit. 41. rejoice over them —(Deuteronomy 30:9; Isaiah 62:5; 65:19; Zephaniah 3:17). plant … assuredly —rather, "in stability," that is, permanently, for ever (Jeremiah 24:6; Amos 9:15). 42. (Jeremiah 31:28). The restoration from Babylon was only a slight foretaste of the grace to be expected by Israel at last through Christ. 43. (Jeremiah 32:15). whereof ye say, It is desolate —(Jeremiah 33:10). 44. Referring to the forms of contract (Jeremiah 32:10-12): Benjamin —specified as Anathoth; Jeremiah's place of residence where the field lay (Jeremiah 32:8), was in it. ## CHAPTER 33 Jeremiah 33:1-26. P ROPHECY OF THE R ESTORATION FROM B ABYLON , AND OF M ESSIAH AS K ING AND P RIEST. 1. shut up —(Jeremiah 32:2, 3; 2 Timothy 2:9).

(Compare Psalms 22:16; Isaiah 42:13). 66. And he smote … part —or, "struck His enemies' back." The Philistines never regained their position after their defeats by David. 67, 68. tabernacle of Joseph —or, "home," or, "tribe," to which— tribe of Ephraim —is parallel (compare Revelation 7:8). Its pre-eminence was, like Saul's, only permitted. Judah had been the choice (Genesis 49:10). ## 69. Exalted as— high palaces —or, "mountains," and abiding as— the earth. 70-72. God's sovereignty was illustrated in this choice. The contrast is striking—humility and exaltation—and the correspondence is beautiful. 71. following … ewes, &c.—literally, "ewes giving suck" (compare Isaiah 40:11). On the pastoral terms, compare Psalms 79:13. ## PSALM 79 Psalms 79:1-13. This Psalm, like the seventy-fourth, probably depicts the desolations of the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 52:12-24). It comprises the usual complaint, prayer, and promised thanks for relief. 1. (Compare Psalms 74:2-7). 2, 3. (Compare Jeremiah 15:3; 16:4). 4. (Compare Psalms 44:13; Jeremiah 42:18; Lamentations 2:15). 5. How long —(Psalms 13:1). be angry —(Psalms 74:1-10). jealousy burn —(Deuteronomy 29:20). 6, 7. (Compare Jeremiah 10:25). Though we deserve much, do not the heathen deserve more for their violence to us (Jeremiah 51:3-5; Zechariah 1:14)? The singular denotes the chief power, and the use of the plural indicates the combined confederates. called upon —or, "by" thy name —proclaimed Thy attributes and professed allegiance (Isaiah 12:4; Acts 2:21). 8.

The term may refer primarily to the organisation of the Church as a visible institution, but would also indicate the spiritual edification which is so often expressed by the word in St. Paul’s Epistles, where both the verb and its cognate noun are so frequent; cf. Acts 20:32 , and note. The fact that the verb is employed only once in the Gospels, Matthew 16:18 , of the Church, as here in a non-literal sense, as compared with its constant use by St. Paul as above, is a striking indication of the early date of the Synoptic Gospels or their source (see Page, in loco ). For the metaphorical use of the word in the O.T. of good fortune and prosperity, cf. LXX, Psalm 27:5 ( Psalm 28:5 ), Jeremiah 12:16 ; Jeremiah 40:7 ( Jeremiah 33:7 ); Jeremiah 38:4 ( Jeremiah 31:4 ), Jeremiah 49:10 ( Jeremiah 42:10 ). (Hilgenfeld refers the whole section Acts 9:32-42 to the same source A from which his “author to Theophilus” derived the founding, and the first incidents in the history, of the early Church, 1:15–4:42, although the “author to Theophilus” may have added the words καὶ τῇ παρακ .… ἐπληθύνοντο . But if we desire a good illustration of the labyrinth (as Hilgenfeld calls it) through which we have to tread, if we would see our way to any coherent meaning in Acts 9:31 to Acts 12:25 , it is sufficient to note the analysis of the sources of the modern critics given us by Hilgenfeld himself, Zeitschrift für wissenschaft.

11 . even by departing ] and have turned aside , as Daniel 9:5 . so as not to obey ( hearken to ) thy voice ] as Jeremiah 18:10 ; Jeremiah 42:13 (Heb.). and so there hath been poured out upon us the curse and the oath , that is written , &c.] ‘Poured out,’ as Jeremiah 42:18 ; Jeremiah 44:6 (of anger): ‘the curse that is written in,’ as Deuteronomy 29:20 , the reference being here to Deuteronomy 28:15 ff.; ‘curse’ strengthened by ‘oath,’ as Numbers 5:21 , Nehemiah 10:29 . Moses, the servant of God ] Nehemiah 10:29 : and (with Jehovah for God ) Deuteronomy 34:5 , and often in Josh, (as Joshua 1:1 ; Joshua 1:13 ; Joshua 1:15 , Joshua 8:31 ; Joshua 8:33 ).