the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. So I took the evidence of 11 the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: and I gave the 12 evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. And I charged Baruch before them, 13 saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; 14 Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; 15 Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. 16-25. The prophet asks the Lord how his recent action could be consistent with coming events. Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase 16 sealed it] not in our sense of adding a seal to a signature ("under one's hand and seal") but sealed up, closed securely. 11. the evidence of the purchase] the deed of purchase. See note above. according to the law and custom] rather, the offer and the conditions, literally, the thing fixed and the statutes, the two parts of which the deed consisted, as explained above, viz. the description of the property and the conditions under which it was sold. 12. the evidence of the purchase...the book of the purchase] the purchase deed in each case, and so in ver. 14. See former notes. in the court of the prison] See note on ver. 2. 15. shall be possessed] shall be bought. "It is not the only time in the history of States and Churches that he who has been denounced as a deserter and traitor [see note on the tenth year of Zedekiah ver. 1] becomes in the last extremity the best comforter and counsellor. Demosthenes, who had warned his fellow country-men in his earlier days against their excessive confidence, in his later days was the only man who could reassure their excessive despondency. Stanley's Jewish Church, II. 465. For an illustration of the above transaction from Roman history see Introd. chap. I. § 16. 16-25. THE PROPHET ASKS THE LORD HOW HIS RECENT ACTION COULD BE CONSISTENT WITH COMING EVENTS. 16. I prayed unto the Lord] Jeremiah still felt a difficulty in reconciling the obvious sense of the transaction which he had just carried unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, 17 saying, Ah Lord Gon! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, 18 and there is nothing too hard for thee: thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, 19 great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and amongst other 21 men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day; and hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; 22 and hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to 20 their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and 23 honey; and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed out at the Lord's command with that overthrow which at the command of the same Lord he had so frequently announced to the guilty city. This difficulty he expresses towards the end of this section, the earlier part being introductory and setting forth the goodness of God as repeatedly shewn in the history of the people and on the other hand their ingratitude. 17. Ah] Alas. See note on chap. i. 6. too hard for thee] literally, too wonderful for thee. 18. recompensest the iniquity of the fathers] See note on xxxi. 29. into the bosom] The Eastern garment formed at the bosom numerous folds, which served as a pocket. Compare Ruth iii. 15; Prov. xvii. 23. 20. which hast set] who wroughtest. even unto this day] The construction is elliptical. We must understand before these words, and hast continued them (signs and wonders). and in Israel] both in Israel. and amongst other men] In illustration of men, thus used of heathen nations in opposition to Israel, compare Is. xliii. 4. 21. Almost the same as Deut. xxvi. 8. For the terror caused to neighbouring nations by the miracles attendant upon the Exodus compare Exod. xv. 14; Deut. iv. 34. 22. a land flowing with milk and honey] See note on xi. 5. 23. possessed it] The verb in the Heb. is the same as that rendered "shall inherit" in chap viii. 10, where see note. law] Another reading in the Heb. is laws, but that which our version follows is the better one. not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them: behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; 24 and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and behold, thou seest it. And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, 26-35. The first part of the Lord's reply; Judgment. 25 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 26 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any 27 thing too hard for me? Therefore thus saith the LORD; 28 Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: and the Chaldeans, that fight against this 29 city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the 30 children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. For 24. the mounts] See note on chap. vi. 6. are come unto the city] The enemy have pushed them forward so that they already reach to the walls. is given] The thing is virtually done, there being a complete blockade, and no hope of rescue for the starving population within. 25. The two things, the state of the city and God's command, are placed side by side that their apparent inconsistency may be most strikingly shewn. 26-35. THE FIRST PART OF THE LORD'S REPLY; JUDGMENT. 27. too hard for me] See ver. 17 and note. 29. and burn it] This would in fact have been the duty of the Jews themselves according to Deut. xiii. 12-16. with the houses] literally, and the houses. 30. from their youth] from the earliest times of the nation. In chap. ii. 2 the Exodus is spoken of as the youth of Israel. the work of their hands] This may mean their wicked deeds gene 31 32 this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke meto anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, 34 yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by 35 my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 36-44. Second part of the Lord's reply; Mercy. And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of rally, but it seems better to take it as referring to their idols in regard to which similar expressions are often used (chap. x. 3, 9; Deut. iv. 28; 2 Kings xix. 18, etc). 31. as a provocation of] literally, upon.. The preposition which Jeremiah uses is often employed by him in a vaguer sense than is usual elsewhere in the Bible. Here the meaning seems to be that the city constitutes a burden which rests on God's wrath, so to speak, and makes it incumbent upon Him to display it in the shape of punishment. from the day that they built it] from the earliest times of the occupation of it by Israel (from David's days; 2 Sam. v. 6, 7). 33. though I taught them...] This and the two participles following are infinitives (as in chap. vii. 9 where see note), and there was a teaching of them, &c. 35. See notes on vii. 30, 31 where this and ver. 34 have already occurred in the main. In addition it is to be remarked that here Baal and Molech are identified. "Molech the king and Baal the lord are simply different names of the sun god, but in altered relations. Molech is the sun as the mighty fire, which in passing through the signs of the Zodiac burns up its own children." Sp. Comm. Compare with these last words the classical legend of Kronos who devoured his chil dren as they were born. 36. 36-44. SECOND PART OF THE LORD'S REPLY; MERCY. 1 Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, it shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; behold, I 37 will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I 38 will be their God: and I will give them one heart, and one 39 way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an ever- 40 lasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will 41 rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have 42 brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And 43 fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money, and sub- 44 "is there any thing too hard for me?" In spite of the richly deserved ruin which has been dwelt on in the intermediate verses, deliverance and restoration to the land shall assuredly come. 39. and one way] See note on chap. vi. 16. that they may fear me for ever] The words seem suggested by those of Deut. iv. 10, as the next words are also taken from that Book (vi. 24). for ever] literally, all the day's. Compare Matt. xxviii. 20, where our Saviour says to His disciples, "I am with you alway," literally, all the days. 40. The sense would be made clearer by the omission of the comma after turn away from them. God's side of the covenant is that He will not turn away (cease) from doing his people good; their side, that His fear shall be in their hearts, so that they shall not depart from Him. 41. assuredly] in truth, referring to God's purpose. The other rendering (Eng. margin), in stability, is less correct, as referring to the condition of the people. 43. fields] literally, the field. As opposed to 'fields' at the beginning of ver. 44, the sense here is the open country. See note on chap. iv. 17. We are therefore pointed to a large increase in the population generally. 44. fields] individual properties, as in that case of which the particulars have been given. JEREMIAH 15 |