Jeremiah 45:8

Naturalists {l} observe, that the voice in all female creatures is smaller and shriller, excepting the ox; for the voices of the females of that creature is stronger than in the males; and also that the taming of these creatures is when they are three years old, that is the proper time; before it is too soon, and afterwards too late {m}; and then it is their voice is fuller, and their strength firmer, to which the allusion here is; See Gill on "Isaiah 15:5"; for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate; being disturbed by the Chaldean army, their horses treading them with their feet, and so fouling them; or being mixed with the blood of the slain, and so unfit to drink. A sad case this, to have neither wine nor water; See Gill on "Isaiah 15:6"; to which may be added, that Jerom also makes mention of a village in his time called Benamerium, to the north of Zoar; and seems rather the place intended. {l} Aristotel. Hist. Animal. l. 4. c. 11. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 51. {m} Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 45. Jeremiah 48:35 Ver. 35. Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places,....

Verses 9-17. - The oblations of the people to the prince for the sanctuary. Verse 9. - In continuation of the foregoing thought, the princes of Israel first are reminded that whatever they should obtain from the people for the sanctuary was not to be extorted from them by violence and spoil (comp. Ezekiel 7:11, 23 ; Ezekiel 8:17 : Jeremiah 6:7 ; Jeremiah 20:8 ; Habakkuk 1:3 ) or by exactions - literally, expulsions, or drivings of persons out of their possessions, such as had been practiced on Naboth by Ahab ( 1 Kings 21 .) - but levied with judgment and justice , which, besides, should regulate their whole behavior towards their subjects (comp. 2 Samuel 8:15 ; Jeremiah 23:5 ; Jeremiah 32:25 ). Ezekiel 45:9

Verse 13. - The work was perfected by their hands. The margin gives the literal rendering, "healing" or health, or, i.e. , recovery, "went up upon the work." The lively figure of the Hebrew word used ( אֲרוּכָה ) is very intelligible. The term is employed in only five other places, viz. Nehemiah 4:7 (Authorized Version, "The walls were made up ;" Revised Version better, The repairing of the walls went forward ); Isaiah 58:8 ; Jeremiah 8:22 ; Jeremiah 30:17 ; Jeremiah 33:6 ; in each of which four instances, in both Authorized Version and Revised Version, the literal rendering " health" or " healing" is found. In his state ; equivalent to in its stateliness , perhaps the idea of the Hebrew word מַתְכֻּנְהּו [only used four other times, and then rendered once "tale" ( Exodus 5:8 ), twice "composition" (2 Chronicles 30:32, 37), once "measure" ( Ezekiel 45:11 )], being measure , or proportion , or rate. 2 Chronicles 24:13

Reproofs of the Jews, the second through twenty-fourth chapters, made up of seven sections: (1) the second chapter (2) the third through sixth chapters; (3) the seventh through tenth chapters; (4) the eleventh through thirteenth chapters; (5) the fourteenth through seventeenth chapters; (6) the seventeenth through nineteenth and twentieth chapters; (7) the twenty-first through twenty-fourth chapters. III. Review of all nations in two sections: the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth through forty-ninth chapters, with a historical appendix of three sections, (1) the twenty-sixth chapter; (2) the twenty-seventh chapter; (3) the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth chapters. IV. Two sections picturing the hopes of brighter times, (1) the thirtieth and thirty-first chapters; (2) the thirty-second and thirty-third chapters; and an historical appendix in three sections: (1) Jeremiah 34:1-7; (2) Jeremiah 34:8-22; (3) Jeremiah 35:1-19. V. The conclusion, in two sections: (1) Jeremiah 36:2; (2) Jeremiah 45:1-5. Subsequently, in Egypt, he added Jeremiah 46:13-26 to the previous prophecy as to Egypt; also the three sections, the thirty-seventh through thirty-ninth chapters; fortieth through forty-third chapters; and forty-fourth chapter. The fifty-second chapter was probably (see Jeremiah 51:64) an appendix from a later hand, taken from 2 Kings 24:18, &c.; 2 Kings 25:30.

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 ).

Anointing was in particular practised on festal occasions; and oil was accordingly a mark of joy ( Psalm 23:5 ; Psalm 45:7 ; Psalm 92:10 ; Isaiah 61:3 ; Ecclesiastes 9:8 ), while not to anoint oneself was a token of mourning ( 2 Samuel 14:2 ). but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph ] more lit., are not sick for the breach (or wound ) of Joseph . The words bring out the irony of their position: immersed themselves in a vortex of pleasure, they are unconcerned by the thought of the breach or wound in the body politic, i.e. the impending material ruin, the signs of which the prophet can only too clearly discern, though they are invisible to the self-satisfied political leaders of the nation. For the term breach (or wound ), applied to a nation, cf. Isaiah 30:26 ; Jeremiah 6:14 (“the breach of the daughter of my people”), Jeremiah 8:21 , Jeremiah 10:19 , Jeremiah 14:17 , Jeremiah 30:12 ; Jeremiah 30:15 ; Nahum 3:19 ; Lamentations 2:13 (A.V., R.V., often “hurt”).

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

## Jeremiah 7:22 Some would argue from hence that sacrifices were at first an invention of men, as papists and Socinians; and because they should not be used to idols, God gave way for the introducing them into his worship; but it is evident in Scripture that they have been of Divine institution ever since Adam, Gen_4:3 ,4 . As to the meaning of the words, God doth not condemn them, or deny them, save only comparatively in respect of obedience, not so much these as obeying his commands, 1Sa_15:22 Hos_6:6, i.e. mercy rather than sacrifice. Negatives are often put for comparatives, Gen_45:8 Exo_16:8 Joh_5:45. Hence the Hebrew is, the matter of burnt-offerings ; for sacrifices were not instituted for themselves, but for other uses, and to be signs of faith in his promises, and obedience to his commands, as in the next verse, where the condition, promise, and end are all set down. ## Jeremiah 7:23 This thing, or word, which is the rule by which all obedience is to be tried, viz. what commands, every thing else being but mere superstition. ## That it may be well unto you: he shows what would be the good effect of their obedience, Exo_15:26 Deu_5:29 ,33 , which implies that their sufferings are from their perverseness, as it is expressed in the next verse. ## Jeremiah 7:24 Nor inclined their ear: it notes something of a higher degree of non-attention than bare not hearkening, viz.

should be sent to Caesar in Italy," etc. The Latin Vulgate and the Arabic also read "he" instead of "we."] It occurs ## only in the following places: 1 Sa 18:25; Esther 8:3; 9:24,25; Isaiah 33:8; Jeremiah 49:20; 50:45; Lamentations 2:8; 2 Sa 14:14; Jeremiah 49:30; Genesis 1:20; Job 35:2; 2 Sa 14:13; Ezekiel 38:10; Jeremiah 18:8 Psalms 21:11; 140:2,4; Jeremiah 11:19; 48:2; Amos 6:5; Psalms 10:2; Isaiah 53:3, Jeremiah 26:3; Micah 2:3; Nahum 1:11; Jeremiah 18:11; Job 13:24; 41:27,29, Psalms 32:2; 35:5; Isaiah 10:7; Job 19:11; 33:10; Genesis 15:6; 38:15; 1 Sa 1:13; Psalms 52:2; Jeremiah 18:18; Zechariah 7:10; Job 6:26; 19:11; Isaiah 13:17; 1 Ki 10:21; Numbers 18:27,30; Psalms 88:4; Isaiah 40:17; Lamentations 4:2; Isaiah 40:17; Lamentations 4:2; Isaiah 40:15; Genesis 31:15. I have examined all the passages, and, as the result of my examination, have come to the conclusion, that there is not one in which the word is used in the sense of reckoning or imputing to a man that which does not strictly belong to him; or of charging on him that which ought not to be charged on him as a matter of personal right. The word is never used to denote imputing in the sense of transferring , or of charging that on one which does not properly belong to him. The same is the case in the New Testament. The word occurs about forty times, (see Schmidius' Concord .,)and in a similar significa

Mh lupeite to pneuma, &c. Ne contristetis spiritum, &c. Et dixit verbo suo, se confracturum potentiam eorum secundum voluntatem suam. ## So Judges 10:15 , "And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel," that is, as the Chaldee renders it, [he grieved, or his soul was affected with anguish;] by which grief the commiseration and compassion of God, for the afflictions and calamities of Israel is noted. The like phrase of the indignation and averseness of God is used, Ecclesiastes 11:8. The word broken when ascribed to God is also of the same sense, as Ezekiel 6:9 , "I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me," that is, I am affected with grief, and as it were compelled to decree their punishment, as verse the 10th. ## [39] Or shortened, so it is in the Hebrew. Repentance is ascribed to God, by which likewise his divine displeasure against man's iniquities, and the infliction of punishment is noted, Genesis 6:6; 1 Samuel 15:35; Jeremiah 18:10 . Sometimes (if the speech be with reference to men that by serious repentance are converted to God) it denotes divine commiseration, and a taking away of punishment Exodus 32:12,14; 2 Samuel 24:16; Psalms 106:45; Jeremiah 18:8 , and Jeremiah 27:3; Hosea 11:8; Joel 2:13-14 . Upon which place Tarnovius thus expresses himself, "The condition of men being changed, the immutable God is not changed, but the thing itself; for he willeth always, that it should go ill with the obstinate, and that