Before 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! about 629. behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

c Exod. 4. 10.

7 ¶ But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

d Ezek. 3. 9. 8 d Be not afraid of their faces: e Exod. 3. 12. fore I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

Deut. 31. 6,

8.

pressed by "knowing" him, or taking especial notice of him, as if a prince should single out one particular person, and call him by name, and appoint him to some honourable office and trust. So God expresses His peculiar favour for Moses, by saying, "I know thee by name;" Exod. xxxiii. 12, 17. W. Lowth. The phrase "I knew thee" may signify, "I had thee in my view," or approved thee as a fit and proper object: as in Acts xv. 18, "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world:" He contemplated the plan of them, and approved it in His mind, before He created and brought them into being. Dr. Blayney.

To the same effect it is said, that God "sanctified" him, or set him apart for the prophetical office: the same phrase being applied to our Saviour Himself, whom God in an eminent manner" sanctified" or set apart for the offices of King, Priest, and Prophet; and in due time "sent Him into the world" to execute the same, John x. 36. W. Lowth.

6.- I am a child.] Not strictly within the years of childhood: but he calls himself "a child," by way of extenuating his abilities. Solomon calls himself "a little child" when he was married, and at least twenty years old, 1 Kings iii. 1, 7. And the word "child," or youth, is elsewhere used of those who were arrived at the first years of manhood. So Isaac is called a "lad," or youth, when he must have been twenty or thirty years old. The Romans extended their word for youth to thirty or forty years of age. W. Lowth. The same word is translated a "young man" in 2 Sam. xviii. 5.

8. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee] The style of God's commission to His Prophets and messengers commonly runs in these words, "I will be with thee:" see Exod. iii. 12; Deut. xxxi. 8; Josh. i. 5; importing that God who sent them, will enable them to discharge the office He has committed to them, and will give them strength proportioned to the business they undertake. W. Lowth.

10.-to root out, and to pull down, &c.] The Prophets are said to do things, when they declare God's purpose of doing them. See Isai. vi. 10; Ezek. xliii. 3. In the same manner God here appoints Jeremiah to declare His purposes concerning the overthrow or restoration of kingdoms and nations, according as they should persist in, or repent of, their sins: compare chap. xviii. 7. In pursuance of these directions, some of the follow

an almond tree, and seething pot.

Before CHRIST

11 ¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jere- about 629. miah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is † toward the north.

+Heb. from the face of the

14 Then the LORD said unto me, north. Out of the north an evil † shall break i Chap. 4. 6. forth upon all the inhabitants of the be opened. land.

+ Heb. shall

& 6. 22. &

15 For, lo, I will call all the fa-k Chap. 5. 15. milies of the kingdoms of the north, 10. 22. saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne

ing prophecies foretell the destruction of the Jewish and other nations; see chap. xxv. 15, &c.: and others predict their restoration; see chap. xxx. xxxi. xlviii. 47 ; xlix. 6, 39. W. Lowth. See Gen. xli. 13.

11. I see a rod of an almond tree.] The almond tree is supposed to have received its Hebrew name, because it is the first tree that waketh or riseth from its winter repose. Accordingly, Pliny says, that this tree flowers in January, and by March brings its fruit to maturity; (meaning in warm southern climates ;) and more modern travellers attest the same fact. And the word in the next verse, rendered “hasten,” signifies properly to wake or watch: so that here is at once an allusion to the property of the almond tree, and in the original an affinity of sound, which makes the allusion more striking there, than it can be in a translation. Parkhurst, Dr. Blayney.

13. toward the north.] The phrase should be rendered "from the north," or " from the face of the north," as in the margin. From the next verse it appears, that the evil was to come from the north: and therefore the steam, which was designed for an emblem of that evil, must have issued from that quarter. The pot denoted the empire of the Babylonians and Chaldeans, lying to the north of Judea, and pouring forth its multitudes, like a thick vapour, to overspread the land. Dr. Blayney. See the note on chap. iv. 6.

These comparisons had no appearance of meanness among a people accustomed to see in the temple of the Lord victims, the flesh of which was dressed in caldrons, for the use of the priests, and of the individuals who came thither to offer sacrifice. Calmet.

15.-all the families of the kingdoms of the north,] There were inferiour kings and princes, who were either allies or tributaries to the Babylonian empire: compare chap. xxxiv. 1; 1. 41; li. 27. God saith, all these shall join their forces with the Chaldean army, in order to the conquest of Judea. The word "family" is equivalent to people here, and in chap. viii. 3; x. 25. W. Lowth.

In wars of this sort kings of extensive empires led with them inferiour princes, their subjects or allies. We may see an instance of this in the army of Holofernes, Judith ii. 7; and in that of Ben-hadad, king of Syria, who had with him as many as two and thirty kings, 1 Kings xx. 1. Calmet.

shall set every one his throne] Each prince shall

God promiseth him assistance.

Before CHRIST

Before CHRIST about 629.

2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember || thee, the kindness of or, for thy thy a youth, the love of thine espou-a Ezek. 16. 8. sals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not

sown.

sake.

pieces.

pitch his royal pavilion, with all the marks of sovereignty belonging to it, in token of having obtained a complete victory, and taken entire possession of the city: see chap. xliii. 10. W. Lowth. To" set up a throne" in or over any place, denotes taking full possession of it, and exercising authority and dominion there. Dr. Blayney.

17.- gird up thy loins, &c.] See the notes on 1 Kings xviii. 46; Job xxxviii. 3.

18. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, &c.] For, behold, I do this day confirm thee against all the opposition which shall be made unto thee; thou shalt be more surely defended from henceforth than a strongly walled city; more firm than a pillar of iron, or walls of brass. Bp. Hall.

Chap. II. The prophecy, begun in this chapter, is continued to the end of the fifth verse of the next chapter. In it God professes to retain the same kindness and favourable disposition towards Israel which He had manifested in their earlier days. He expostulateth with them on their ungrateful returns for His past goodness; and sheweth, that it was not want of affection in Him, but their own extreme and unparalleled wickedness and disloyalty, which had already subjected, and would still subject them to calamities and misery. He concludes with a pathetick address, exhorting them to return to Him, with an implied promise of acceptance; and laments the necessity He was under through their continued obstinacy, of giving them further marks of His displeasure. This prophecy may not improbably have

4 Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:

5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

с

14.

13.

6 Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the e Isai. 63. 9, land of Egypt, that led us through Hos. 13. 4. the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when

been delivered soon after the beginning of the Prophet's mission. Dr. Blayney.

Ver. 2. I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, &c.] I remember My first kindness to thee, when I delivered thee out of Egypt, (compare Hos. ii. 15,) and espoused thee to Myself, to be My own peculiar people. The covenant which God made with the Jews at mount Sinai is commonly represented under the metaphor of a marriage contract. W. Lowth.

3. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, &c.] Israel was then consecrated to the Lord, and set apart for His service; as the first-fruits are wont to be sequestered and devoted to God, so that all who devour them bring evil upon themselves. Bp. Hall.

5.- walked after vanity,] That is, after the idolatrous worship of the heathens. Idols are commonly styled "vanities," chap. x. 15; xiv. 22; xvi. 19; and things of nought," chap. xiv. 14; because "an idol is nothing in the world," as St. Paul speaks, 1 Cor. viii. 4. W. Lowth.

66

6. - a land-of pits,] Irwin describes the wilderness, through which God led His chosen people, as presenting in various parts a wild confusion of hanging precipices, disjointed rocks, and hideous and horrid chasms, which appear very alarming and tremendous to travellers. Harmer.

- the shadow of death,] This image was borrowed from those dusky caverns and holes among the rocks, which the Jews ordinarily chose for their buryingplaces; where death seemed to hover continually, casting over them his broad shadow. Dr. Blayney.

The Jews are the causes

Before

d Ps. 78. 58. & 106. 38.

d

of their own calamities.

them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

f Chap. 16. 20.

g Chap. 17. 13. & 18. 14. Ps. 36. 9.

11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the 8 fountain of living waters, and hewed

8. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? &c.] The priests, whose office it was to instruct others in their duty, Mal. ii. 6, 7, were ignorant or regardless of it themselves. This was the principal reason of that degeneracy of manners which prevailed among the people. See Hos. iv. 6. W. Lowth.

9.- I will yet plead with you,] That is, I will maintain by arguments the equity of My proceedings, and the iniquity of yours. Dr. Blayney.

10.-the isles of Chittim,] See the note on Gen. x. 5. "The isles of Chittim" are Italy, and the adjacent provinces of Europe which lie along the Mediterranean sea. And as these were to the west of Judea, and Kedar in Arabia to the east, the plain purport of this passage is, Look about you to the west and to the east. Dr. Blayney.

11. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?] Men are very tenacious of the religion of their forefathers, and with difficulty prevailed on to renounce it, though the change be never so reasonable. Whereas the Jews have changed the worship of the true God for idols and vanities. W. Lowth.

12. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, &c.] See the note on Isai. i. 2.

13.-they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, &c.] God is the Author and Giver of all blessings, both spiritual and temporal; and from Him all good gifts are derived, as from an inexhaustible spring or fountain: see Ps. xxxvi. 9. And wherever else men place their happiness, whether in false religions, or in the uncertain comforts of worldly blessings, they will find themselves disappointed, just as they that expect to find water at broken cisterns or conduits. W. Lowth. 14. Is Israel a servant? &c.] God redeemed Israel from the bondage of Egypt, and adopted him for His son, Exod. iv. 22: so that his present servitude, and his being made a prey to so many foreign enemies, cannot be ascribed to his birth or primitive condition, but must be imputed to his sins, of which his slavery is the consequence. Compare Isai. 1. 1; lii. 3. W.

Lowth.

Before CHRIST about 629.

come a spoil?

14 ¶ Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he † spoiled? + Heb. be 15 The young lions roared upon him, and † yelled, and they made his + Heb. gare land waste: his cities are burned voice.

without inhabitant.

16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes || have broken the crown of thy head.

17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?

18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?

out their

Or, feed on

thy croten. Deut. 33. 12.

1sai. 8. 8.

Hos. 5. 5.

19 Thine own h wickedness shall h Isai. 3. 9. correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the

15. The young lions roared upon him,] In the figurative style of prophecy, "lions" denote "powerful princes and conquerors.' Such were Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; whose successive hostilities against the kingdom of Judah seem here to be foretold.

It may be observed, that the verbs in this verse express the time past; but the context shews that they must be understood of the future. Nor is it unusual for the Prophets thus to speak of events foreseen by them, as if they had been already accomplished. W. Lowth, Dr. Blayney. See the note on Deut. xxxii. 15.

16. Also the children of Noph &c.] This alludes to the severe blow which the nation received in a capital part, when the good king Josiah was defeated by the Egyptians, and slain in battle: or when afterwards, upon the deposition of Jehoahaz, the glory of the monarchy was debased, by its being changed into a tri.butary and dependant kingdom, 2 Kings xxiii. 33, 34. Noph and Tahapanes were two principal cities of Egypt, otherwise called Memphis, and Daphnæ Pelusiacæ. Dr. Blayney.

have broken the crown of thy head.] The Prophet here pursues the metaphor of the lions, ver. 15, whose custom it is "to tear the arm with the crown of the head," Deut. xxxiii. 20. The margin reads, "feed upon thy crown;" that is, destroy and devour the principal or best parts of the country. So the best spices are called "the head of spices" in the original, Exod. xxx. 23; Cant. iv. 14. W. Lowth.

18.—to drink the waters of Sihor?] At ver. 13 it is said, that the people had "forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters;" by a like figure they are here reproved for proceeding, after the manner of the Egyptians and Assyrians, "to drink the waters of their rivers;" that is, to have recourse for help to the gods, on whom those nations placed their dependance. Sihor is a name given to the Nile, Isai. xxiii. 3; and the Euphrates is called "the river" by way of eminence. Dr. Blayney. See note on Gen. xv. 18.

19.-it is an evil thing and bitter, &c.] This is ap

plicable to individuals as well as to nations. Life was not intended to be led inconsistently; one part in doing wrong, the other in being sorry for it. Uniform obedience is our Maker's demand; and whoever departs from it wilfully, though he may return, will assuredly be made to "know and see," one way or other, that "it is a thing evil and bitter, that he hath forsaken the Lord his God." Abp. Secker.

22. For though thou wash thee with nitre, &c.] Though thou endeavourest to wash away thy sins by the rites of expiation prescribed by the law, or practised by idolaters; though thou insistest upon thy own innocence and justification, (ver. 23;) yet the "marks" or stains of thy sins will always appear in the sight of God, till they are cleansed by a sincere repentance and reformation. W. Lowth.

-nitre,] Natron, (which is here meant by nitre,) whether native or purified, dissolves in a very small quantity of water; and this solution is in many parts of Asia used for washing: it is made into soap by mixing it with oil. Parkhurst. See Note at Prov. xxv. 20. 23.- see thy way in the valley,] See how thou hast prostituted thyself, and practised the grossest idolatry in the valley; alluding to those idolatrous acts which were practised in the valley of Hinnom. See chap. vii. 31; Isai. lvii. 5, 6. Dr. Blayney. The horrible practice of the Jewish idolaters, in burning their sons and their daughters in the fire, effectually confuted their pretences to innocence, since this way of worship had been expressly forbidden by God, Lev. xx. 2, &c. W. Lowth.

-thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;] The impossibility of restraining one of these fleet animals, when hurried away by the impetuous call of nature, is represented as a parallel to that unbridled lust and eagerness, with which the people of Judah ran after the gratification of their passion for idolatry, which is called spiritual whoredom. Dr. Blayney.

of Judah.

Before CHRIST 629.

25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, || There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and case despeafter them will I go.

26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

|| Or, Is the

rate?

27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast || brought me forth for they have turned † their back unto me, and not Heb. the their face: but in the time of their hinder part trouble they will say, Arise, and mIsai. 26.16.

save us.

n

begotten me.

of the neck.

28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of n Isai. 45. 20. thy trouble: for according to the Heb. evil. number of thy cities are thy gods, O 13. Judah.

29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.

o Chap. 11.

30 In vain have I smitten your pIsai. 9. 13. children; they received no correction:

ch. 5. 3.

For the dromedary, see the note on Gen. xxiv. 10; and for the wild ass, see the notes on Job xxxix. 5-8; Hosea viii. 9.

traversing her ways;] That is, winding or crossing her way or path: running up and down in a disorderly manner. Parkhurst.

24.-all they that seek her will not weary themselves ; &c.] The animal is described in the season of her lust, when "all they that seek her," that is, the males, "will not weary themselves," but on the contrary will find her eager to meet them. Calmet.

25. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, &c.] This is probably a warning to beware of the consequences of pursuing the courses they were addicted to; as if it had been said, Take care that thou dost not expose thyself by thy wicked ways to the wretched condition of going into captivity unshod, as the manner is represented, chap. xx. 4; and of serving thine enemies in hunger, and in thirst, and in want of the necessaries of life, Deut. xxviii. 48. Dr. Blayney.

- but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; &c.] But thou continuest obstinate, and sayest secretly, There is no hope of my reclaiming: no; I have taken a deep affection to the strange gods of the Gentiles, and I will go after them. Bp. Hall. They are the words of desperate sinners, who are resolved to continue in their wickedness, in spite of all the reason that can be offered to the contrary. Compare chap. xviii. 12. W. Lowth.

28.according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.] The Israelites had now contracted all the habits of the Egyptians. It had been long peculiar to their superstition, for every city of that empire to have its tutelary deity, besides those which were worshipped in common. Jeremiah here tells us, that the people of Judah bore part with them in that extravagance. Bp. Warburton.

30. In vain have I smitten your children; &c.] The

CHRIST your own sword hath a devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

629.

q Matt. 23. 29, &c. r Ver. 5.

+ Heb. We have dominion.

+ Heb.

digging.

31 O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, † We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?

32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by †secret search, but upon all these.

35 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

36 Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also

design of God's judgments is men's reformation: and where they do not attain this end, it shews that such a people are incorrigible. The people of Judea were so far from "receiving correction," and turning God's chastisements to their own improvement, that they put to death the Prophets, who in God's name reproved them and exhorted them to repentance. See 2 Chron. xxiv. 20, 21; xxxvi. 16; Neh. ix. 26; Matt. xxiii. 30 -37; Acts vii. 52. W. Lowth, Dr. Blayney.

Merely feeling the pressure of distress will do us no service, without attending properly to Him from whom it comes. On the contrary, when God saith, " In vain have I smitten your children, they received no correction," it implies that they were hardened in wickedness; whereas, when "the voice of the Lord crieth, the man of wisdom will hear the rod, and who hath appointed it,” Mic. vi. 9. Abp. Secker.

31. O generation, see ye the word of the Lord. &c.] O ye unthankful generation, attend to this word of the Lord. Have I been barren of My favours to you? Have I yielded you no variety of comfortable fruits? Have I not enlightened you with the knowledge of My name and My laws? and now, when I have brought you into your promised land, and settled you there, ye are ready to say in your presumption, We are lords, and have gotten to ourselves these dominions; we will regard Thee no more. Bp. Hall.

33. Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love?] The Prophet alludes, as before ver. 20, to the practices of a common harlot, who decks herself, and uses all the inveigling arts that may recommend her. Thus has Judea tried all methods to gain the friendship of foreign idolaters, who are called her lovers. See chap. iii. 1; iv. 30; xxii. 22. W. Lowth.

therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.] Thou hast by these means not only confirmed those nations in their idolatrous practices, but hast also taught them to practise new idolatries, to which they were not accustomed. W. Lowth.

God's great mercy.

shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

37 Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

CHAP. III.

1 God's great mercy in Judah's vile whoredom. 6 Judah is worse than Israel. 12 The promises of the Gospel to the penitent. 20 Israel reproved, and called by God, maketh a solemn confession of their sins.

+THE

Before CHRIST 629.

+ HEY say, If a man put away his + Heb. wife, and she go from him, and Saying. become another man's, shall he re- a Deut. 24. 4. turn unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.

2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted

34. Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents:] Thou art plainly found guilty of the blood of My Prophets. Bp. Hall. Or, of the children offered in sacrifice to Moloch: see ver. 23.; chap. xix. 4; Ps. cvi. 38. The guilt of that innocent blood was as evident upon them, as if they had murdered them with their own hands, and the stains of blood had been found upon their clothes. W. Lowth. The "skirts" may signify both the skirts of a garment, and the outskirts or borders of a city or country; both which senses are probably here intended, the former being the metaphorical, the latter the literal, sense. Dr. Blayney.

I have not found it by secret search,] "I have not found it (that is, the blood) by digging," as in the margin; or, according to the Greek and Latin versions, "in a digged hole or pit." Compare Ezek. xxiv. 7. Parkhurst.

36. — thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, &c.] The people of Judah seem to have courted the assistance of foreign nations by a sinful compliance with their idolatrous customs. This measure had failed them. Ahaz made himself tributary to the king of Assyria, but it turned to his disgrace and ruin: see 2 Chron. xxviii. 21. In like manner, the Prophet says, they shall be disappointed in their expectations of succour from Egypt: see chap. xxxvii. 5, 7; Lam. iv. 17; 2 Kings xxiv. 7. Dr. Blayney, W. Lowth.

37.-thine hands upon thine head:] To cover the head was a mark of great affliction. See chap. xiv. 3; 2 Sam. xiii. 19; xv. 30. Dr. Blayney.

Chap. III. ver. 1.-shall not that land be greatly polluted?] See Deut. xxiv. 4; and the note there.

- In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness;] That is, thou hast waited for opportunities of practising thine idolatries, as the Arabian waits for a prey in the wilderness. Bp. Hall. The Arabs wait for caravans with the most violent avidity,