Jeremiah 8:37

Jarchi relates a fable, how that the Egyptian army came by ships, and that at sea they saw strange appearances, upon which they said one to another, what means this? they replied, these are our fathers, whom the fathers of those we are going to help drowned in the sea; and immediately returned to their own land. {a} Anitqu. l. 10. c. 7. sect. 3. Jeremiah 37:8 Ver. 8. And the Chaldeans shall come again,.... To Jerusalem, after they have defeated or drove back the Egyptian army: and fight against this city; with fresh rigour and resolution; being exasperated by the methods taken to oblige them to raise the siege: and take it, and burn it with fire; as they did, Jeremiah 39:8. Jeremiah 37:9 Ver. 9. Thus saith the Lord, deceive not yourselves,....

12 . humbled not himself ] Jeremiah consistently advised Zedekiah to submit to the Chaldeans; but the king partly through fear of his princes, partly through illusive hopes, could never bring himself to do this; cp. Jeremiah 21:1-7 ; Jeremiah 34:8-22 ; Jeremiah 37:1-10 ; Jeremiah 37:17 ; Jeremiah 38:17-23 .

11–19 (= 1Es 1:46-56 ; cp. 2 Kings 24:18 to 2 Kings 25:21 ; Jeremiah 37:1 to Jeremiah 39:8 ; Jeremiah 52:1-27 ). Reign of Zedekiah. Destruction of Jerusalem 11 . in Jerusalem ] The Chronicler omits, as usual, his mother’s name. She was “Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah” ( 2 Kings 24:18 ), and was mother of Jehoahaz also ( ibid . 2 Kings 23:31 ). Jehoiakim was by a different mother ( ibid . 2 Kings 23:36 ). 2 Chronicles 36:11

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.

Jeremiah 37:7 The word ## inquire lets us know that Zedekiah did not send to the prophet only to pray for him, but to inquire of God what the issue would be of this future contingency; it may be more desirous to know that, than that Jeremiah should intercede with God for them. The prophet tells them from God that the king of Egypt’s army should do them no service; it is expounded, Eze_17:17, He should not make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons . Probably the Egyptian army, upon the sight of the strength of the Chaldeans, and the weak and impotent state of the Jews, were discouraged, and would not adventure to fight them, but by and by returned to their own land. Jeremiah 37:8 No text from Poole on this verse. Jeremiah 37:9 No text from Poole on this verse. Jeremiah 37:10 The substance of the answer returned by the prophet to the king is this: That whereas they pleased themselves with fancies that the Babylonian army now withdrawn to meet with the army of the Egyptians would return no more to the siege, it was a dream; he assures them from God they should return, besiege the city, and take it, and burn it; and therefore they did but deceive themselves to think otherwise; though they were gone, yet it was but for a very short time.

Jeremiah 7:34 All kind and degrees of mirth shall cease, Rev_18:23, all places shall be filled with lamentations and woe; their singing shall be turned into sighing; they shall lay aside all things that are for the comfort of Human society, which is to be understood in this expression. ## For the land shall be desolate; there shall be such an utter devastation, that there shall be neither season nor place for these things, Isa_64:10 ,11 Jeremiah 25:10 : where marrying shall cease, without which mankind cannot subsist, there must needs be desolation. ## Jeremiah 8:1 JEREMIAH CHAPTER 8 The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive, Jer_8:1-3. Their brutish impenitency, Jer_8:4-7: Their vain boast of wisdom; their covetousness, security, impudence, Jer_8:8-12. Their grievous judgments, Jer_8:13-17; bewailed by the prophet, Jer_8:18-22. This chapter being a continuation of the former, he proceeds in carrying on the threatening with higher aggravations of the judgment, viz. that when the time shall come spoken of Jer_7:32, the Chaldeans’ rage shall reach, not only to the living, but even against those that are in their graves, and that sparing none of any degree or quality.

Genesis 43:11 ; Jeremiah 8:22 ; Jeremiah 46:11 ; Jeremiah 51:8 ; Ezekiel 27:17 . It was used for incense, and medicinally for wounds. It is said to be the gum of the mastic tree, pistacia lentiscus . myrrh ] R.V. marg. ladanum , a gum obtained from the cistus creticus , or rock-rose. Myrrh, lôt = LXX στακτή (cf. Genesis 43:11 ), appears is ladunu in Assyrian inscriptions describing tribute from Syria to Tiglath-Pileser IV. The caravan trade with Egypt was evidently largely occupied with materials for the practice of physicians, embalmers, and priests. Genesis 37:25

THE REIGN OF ZEDEKIAH, the last KING OF JUDAH ( 2Kings 24:17 to 2Kings 25:7 ; comp. 2Chronicles 36:11 seq.; Jeremiah 52). This section and the parallel in Jeremiah appear to have been derived from the same historical work. The text of Jeremiah is generally, though not always, the best. (19) And he did that which was evil . . .—The evidence of the prophet Jeremiah should be compared with this statement. (See especially Jeremiah 24:8; Jeremiah 37:1-2; Jeremiah 38:5, and Comp. Note on 2Chronicles 36:13.) The contemporary state of religion is vividly reflected in the pages of Ezekiel (2Kings viii—11); who, moreover, denounces Zedekiah’s breach of faith with the king of Babylon (Ezekiel 17:11-21). According to all that Jehoiakim . . .—He is not compared with Jehoiachin, who only reigned three months.

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 .

Verse 13. - Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me. Inquiry of the Lord, which from the time of Moses to that of David was ordinarily "by Urim and Thummim," was after David's time always made by the consultation of a prophet (see 1 Kings 22:5-8 ; 2 Kings 3:11 ; 2 Kings 8:8 ; Jeremiah 21:2 ; Jeremiah 37:7 ; Ezekiel 14:7 ; Ezekiel 20:1 , etc.). The officers, therefore, understood the king to mean that they were to seek out a prophet (see ver. 14), and so make the inquiry. And for the people, and for all Judah - the threats read in the king's ears were probably those of Deuteronomy 28:15-68 or Leviticus 26:16-39 , which extended to the whole people - concerning the words of this book that is found. Not "whether they are authentic, whether they are really the words of Moses" (Duneker), for of that Josiah appears to have had no doubt; but whether they are words that are to have an immediate fulfillment, "whether," as Yon Gerlach says, "the measure of sin is already full, or whether there is yet hope of grace?" (compare Huldah's answer in vers. 16-20, which shows what she understood the king's inquiry to be). For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us.