Jeremiah 8:26

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.

26 . The great influence possessed by the priests in this age appears from the place they occupy next the royal house. Jeremiah 2:8 ; Jeremiah 2:26 ; Jeremiah 4:9 ; Jeremiah 8:1 ; Jeremiah 13:13 ; Jeremiah 26:11 . between the holy and profane ] ch. Ezekiel 44:23 ; Jeremiah 15:19 ; Leviticus 10:10 .

10 . obeyed (lit. hearkened to ) the voice , &c.] So Exodus 15:26 ; Exodus 19:5 ; and especially in Deut. (as Deuteronomy 4:30 , Deuteronomy 9:23 , Deuteronomy 28:1-2 ; Deuteronomy 28:15 ), and Jer. (as Jeremiah 3:13 , Jeremiah 9:13 , Jeremiah 44:23 ). Cf. with this verse Bar 1:18 ; Bar 2:10 . to walk in his laws ] Cf. Jeremiah 26:4 ; Jeremiah 32:23 ; Jeremiah 44:10 ; Jeremiah 44:23 . which he set before us ] See Deuteronomy 4:8 ; Deuteronomy 11:32 ; Jeremiah 9:13 ; Jeremiah 44:10 , and esp. Jeremiah 26:4 (cf. the last clause). Daniel 9:10

7 . Thus righteousness belongs only to God: to the sinful people only confusion and shame. With Daniel 9:7-8 b , cf. Bar 1:15-17 . confusion of faces , &c.] Cf. Ezra 9:7 , ‘and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered … to confusion of face, as (it is) this day.’ Lit. ‘shame of face,’ as the same expression is rendered in 2 Chronicles 32:21 ; cf. Psalm 44:15 , ‘shame of my face;’ Jeremiah 7:19 , ‘the shame of their own faces’; also Psalm 69:7 . The meaning is the shame (i.e. disappointment) which is visible upon the face after a repulse, disaster, &c. as (it is) this day ] as experience shews is now the case. the men (lit. man ,—collectively) of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem ] A combination found otherwise only in Jer. (8 times),—e.g. Jeremiah 4:4 , Jeremiah 32:32 ,—and 2 Kings 23:2 (= 2 Chronicles 34:30 ). An evident reminiscence of the language of Jer.: cf. ‘all the countries whither thou hast driven them’ from Jeremiah 16:15 ; Jeremiah 23:3 ; Jeremiah 23:8 ; Jeremiah 32:37 . that are near and that are far off ] Jeremiah 25:26 ; cf. Isaiah 57:19 . their unfaithfulness wherein they have dealt unfaithfully against thee ] The idea of mâ‘al is disloyalty rather than ‘trespass.’ The same phrase Leviticus 26:40 ; Ezekiel 17:20 ; Ezekiel 18:24 ; Ezekiel 39:26 ; 1 Chronicles 10:13 .

(15) Rising up betimes and sending. —i.e., constantly and earnestly. Jeremiah 25:3-4 : “The Lord hath sent all his servants, the prophets, rising early and sending them” (comp. also Jeremiah 26:5 ; Jeremiah 29:19 ; Jeremiah 35:14-15 ). He had compassion on.—He spared, was forbearing with. Dwelling place.—Mācôn (2Chronicles 30:27; Psalm 26:8; comp. Jeremiah 25:6).

19 . whosoever will not hearken … I will require it of him ] Cp. the confidence of Jeremiah 26:12-15 ; Jeremiah 29:8 f., Jeremiah 29:18 ff. (the punishment exacted for not hearkening to God’s word), Jeremiah 35:13 ff. LXX B omits my words ; Sam. LXX most codd. his words. Require, darash , Jeremiah 23:21 (22).

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”).