Jeremiah 45:6

Our apostle tells us, 1 Timothy 3:16, that "without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." All things which concern the Messiah, his person, office, and work, are exceedingly mysterious, as containing the principal effect of the eternal wisdom and goodness of God, and the sacred depths of the counsel of his will. Hence the things spoken of him in the Old Testament are, unto carnal reason, full of seeming inconsistencies. As, for instance, it is promised of him that he should be the seed of the woman, Genesis 3:15; of the seed of Abraham, chap. 22:18; and of the posterity of David: and yet that his name should be, "The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," Isaiah 9:6; and of him it is said, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever," Psalms 45:6; and we are told that he is "The LORD our righteousness," Jeremiah 23:6; that he is "The LORD of hosts," Zechariah 2:8. Moreover, it is declared that he shall sit upon his throne for ever, and reign, whilst his enemies are made his footstool, Isaiah 9:7, Psalms 2:6–8, 45:6, 7, 110:1: and yet that he shall be cut off, Daniel 9:26; that he shall be pierced in his hands and feet, Psalms 22:16; slain by the sword of God, Zechariah 13:7; and that in his death he shall have his grave made among the wicked and with the rich, Isaiah 53:9.

Jeremiah 51:45 Ver. 45. My people, go ye out of the midst of her,.... This is a call of the Jews to go out of Babylon, not before the taking of the city by Cyrus; but when he should issue out a proclamation, giving them liberty to return to their own land; which many of them, being well settled in Babylon, would not be ready to accept of, but choose to continue there; wherefore they are urged to depart from thence, because of the danger they would be exposed unto; for though the city was not destroyed by Cyrus upon his taking it, yet it was by Darius Hystaspes some time after. The same call is given to the people of God to come out of mystical Babylon, Revelation 18:4; and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord; shown in the destruction of Babylon; See Gill on "Jeremiah 51:6". Jeremiah 51:46 Ver. 46. And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land,....

5. Zedekiah. To render the transpositions evident which have taken place in these prophetical discourses, we have only to look at those which bear the date of their delivery. Table II Jeremiah 1:1. Delivered the thirteenth year of Josiah Jeremiah 35:1. Under Jehoiakim Jeremiah 3:6. Under Josiah Jeremiah 36:1. Under Jehoiakim Jeremiah 21:1. Under Zedekiah Jeremiah 37:1. Under Zedekiah during the siege of Jerusalem Jeremiah 24:1. After the carrying away of Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim Jeremiah 37:11. Under Zedekiah Jeremiah 25:1. The fourth year of Jehoiakim Jeremiah 38:1. Under Zedekiah Jeremiah 26:1. The beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim Jeremiah 39:15. Under Zedekiah while Jeremiah was in prison Jeremiah 28:1. The beginning of the reign of Zedekiah Jeremiah 45:1. The fourth year of Jehoiakim Jeremiah 29:1. After the carrying away of Jeconiah Jeremiah 46:2. The fourth year of Jehoiakim Jeremiah 32:1. The tenth year of Zedekiah Jeremiah 49:34. In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah Jeremiah 34:1. (Under Zedekiah) during the siege of Jerusalem Jeremiah 51:59.

Verses 40, 41. - These verses should be read continuously: For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, As I live forever, if I whet my glittering sword, and if my hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, etc. Lifting up the hand to heaven was a gesture intended to express that the person taking an oath appealed to God as a witness of his oath, and who would perish for falsehood (cf. Genesis 14:22 ); and "as the Lord liveth" was a common formula in taking an oath (cf. Numbers 14:21 ; 1 Samuel 14:39, 45 ; Jeremiah 5:2 ). As God could swear by none greater, he swore by himself (cf. Exodus 6:8 ; Numbers 14:30 ; Isaiah 45:23 ; Jeremiah 22:5 ; Hebrews 6:17 ), that if he did come forth to avenge himself of his enemies, he would not spare, but would do thoroughly what he had come forth to do. - Glittering sword ; literally, lightning of sword (cf. Ezekiel 21:10 [15]). Deuteronomy 32:40

Some knowledge of God's peculiar relation to Judea reached its heathen invaders from the prophets (Jeremiah 2:3; Daniel 9:16); hence the strong language they use of Jehovah here, not as worshippers of Him themselves, but as believing Him to be the tutelary God of Judah ("the hope of their fathers," Psalms 22:4; they do not say our hope), as each country was thought to have its local god, whose power extended no farther. habitation —(Psalms 90:1; 91:1). Alluding to the tabernacle, or, as in Ezekiel 34:14, "fold," which carries out the image in Jeremiah 50:6, "resting-place" of the "sheep." But it can only mean "habitation" (Jeremiah 31:23), which confirms English Version here. hope of their fathers —This especially condemned the Jews that their apostasy was from that God whose faithfulness their fathers had experienced. At the same time these "adversaries" unconsciously use language which corrects their own notions. The covenant with the Jews' "fathers" ## is not utterly set aside by their sin, as their adversaries thought; there is still "a habitation" or refuge for them with the God of their fathers. 8. (Jeremiah 51:6, 45; Isaiah 48:20; Zechariah 2:6, 7; Revelation 18:4). Immediately avail yourselves of the opportunity of escape. be as … he-goats before … flocks —Let each try to be foremost in returning, animating the weak, as he-goats lead the flock; such were the companions of Ezra (Ezra 1:5, 6). 9. from thence —that is, from the north country.

The latter were now in the midst of them, but on their restoration they were to be "in the midst of the Jews," that is, as proselytes to the true God (compare Micah 5:7; Zechariah 14:16). "Pluck them, " namely, the Gentile nations: in a bad sense. "Pluck Judah": in a good sense; used to express the force which was needed to snatch Judah from the tyranny of those nations by whom they had been made captives, or to whom they had fled; otherwise they never would have let Judah go. Previously he had been forbidden to pray for the mass of the Jewish people. But here he speaks consolation to the elect remnant among them. Whatever the Jews might be, God keeps His covenant. 15. A promise, applying to Judah, as well as to the nations specified (Amos 9:14). As to Moab, compare Jeremiah 48:47; as to Ammon, Jeremiah 49:6. 16. swear by my name —(Jeremiah 4:2; Isaiah 19:18; 65:16); that is, confess solemnly the true God. built —be made spiritually and temporally prosperous: fixed in sure habitations (compare Jeremiah 24:6; 42:10; 45:4; Psalms 87:4, 5; Ephesians 2:20, 21; 1 Peter 2:5). ## 17. (Isaiah 60:12). ## CHAPTER 13 Jeremiah 13:1-27. S YMBOLICAL P ROPHECY (Jeremiah 13:1-7). Many of these figurative acts being either not possible, or not probable, or decorous, seem to have existed only in the mind of the prophet as part of his inward vision. [So C ALVIN ]. The world he moved in was not the sensible, but the spiritual, world.

10 . know not to do right ] Wrong-doing has become their second nature. Right (a rare word) is properly what is straight in front , fig. clear, true, straightforward ( Isaiah 26:10 ; Isaiah 59:14 ; 2 Samuel 15:3 ). store up violence and robbery in their palaces ] The nobles and great men, in Samaria as in Jerusalem ( Isaiah 1:23 ; Isaiah 3:14 , &c.) the irresponsible oppressors of the poor, are referred to: they accumulate treasures, but as these are amassed by violence and robbery , they in reality treasure up violence and robbery in their palaces (cf. Isaiah 3:14 , end ). robbery ] A strong word, implying violent treatment, and often more adequately represented by wasting or devastation (cf. Amos 5:9 ; cp. on Joel, p. 81). Coupled with violence , as here, Jeremiah 6:7 ; Jeremiah 20:8 , Ezekiel 45:9 , Habakkuk 1:3 (A. V. spoil or spoiling ).

Abram, impersonating the people of which he was to be the founder, receives from Melchizedek, the Priest-King of Jerusalem (Salem), not riches, nor offers of reward and possessions, but firstly bread and wine, sustenance and refreshment, and secondly his blessing, in the name of the Most High God, upon the servant of Jehovah. Abram, in his turn, renders tithe to Melchizedek, typifying thereby the obligation of every true son of Abram to recognize the full claims of the spiritual life upon his loyal service. II. Details for study . 1. The Name. Though originally the name may have meant “Zedek is king,” it suggested to Israelite readers or hearers “the king of righteousness,” cf. Hebrews 7:2 , or “righteous king,” cf. Joseph. B. J . vi. 10, Μελχ . ὁ τῇ πατρίᾳ γλώσσῃ κληθεὶς βασιλεὺς δίκαιος . For the Messianic significance of which, cf. Psalm 45:4 ff.; Jeremiah 23:6 ; Jeremiah 33:15-16 ; Daniel 9:24 ; Malachi 4:2 . 2. His Royal Office. He is King of Salem; and, while this title denoted to the Israelite the personal character of “a king of peace” (cf. Hebrews 7:2 ), it can scarcely be doubted that in the identification of Salem with Jerusalem (cf. Psalm 76:2 ; Joseph. Ant . i. 180) lies the peculiar typical significance of the event. The name of the city in the Tel-el-Amarna tablets (circ. 1400) is Urusalim : the king of Jerusalem in Joshua 10:1 is Adoni-zedek. 3. His Priestly Office. He is Priest as well as king.