Yahveh, and the bases and the brasen sea in the house of Yahveh, the Chaldæans broke in pieces, and carried all their brass to Babylon. 18. And the kettles, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and all the brasen vessels with which they ministered, they took away; 19. and the goblets, and the firepans, and the basons, and the kettles, and the lamps, and the spoons, and the sacrificial dishes, those which were wholly of gold and those which were wholly of silver, the captain of the guards took. 20. The two pillars, the one sea, and the (twelve brasen bulls, which were under the) base(s), which king Solomon had prepared for the house of Yahveh, the brass of all these vessels was not to be weighed. 21. And as for the pillars, eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a thread of twelve cubits compassed it, and it was four fingers thick, hollow. 22. And a capital of brass was on it, and the height of the one capital was five cubits, and network with pomegranates was round about the capital, all of brass. And the second pillar also had the like and pomegranates. 23. And there were six and ninety pomegranates towards the wind; in all there were a hundred xxxix. 10. Ver. 18 f. more complete than 2 Kings xxv. 14 f. The repetition of the kettles, etc., in ver. 19 is explained by the fact that here golden ones are referred to, in ver. 18 brasen ones. It is clear from this passage that, after 2 Kings xxiv. 13, the temple was not quite without golden utensils, although the most and best were then wanting; certainly efforts were soon made to repair the loss. Ver. 20. According to 2 Kings xxv. 16, the clause " and the twelve brasen bulls, which under is to be erased and simply no to be read; for the brasen bulls did not stand under the bases, but under the brasen sea, and, moreover, were already removed by Ahaz as a tribute to Tiglath-pileser, 2 Kings xvi. 17. The clause originates with a commentator who missed the bulls among the brasen articles, while that passage did not occur to him. Ver. 21 f. Cf. the description of the two pillars, 1 Kings vii. 15 ff. In 2 Kings xxv. 17 it is imperfect.-, Kethib, properly, 18 cubits in height was the one pillar. Ver. 22. ллл, wanting in 2 Kings, is not essential, though not wrong. 2 Kings has incorrectly put 3 instead of 5 cubits; cf. 1 Kings vii. 16. Instead of D, which is not essential, 2 Kings xxv. 17 has navn by at the close (from ver. 23 in Jeremiah ?). Ver. 23. Wanting in pomegranates round about the network. 24. And the chief of the guards took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold, 25. and from the city he took a court-official, who had charge of the men of war, and seven men of those who saw the face of the king, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the general of the army, who commanded the army of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found within the city,-26. these Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, took, and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27. Then the king of Babylon smote them and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he took Judah away captive from its own land. 28. This is the people which Nebuchadnezzar took away captive: in the seventh year three thousand and three and twenty Judæans; 29. in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar eight hundred and thirty-two souls from Jerusalem; 30. in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, took away seven hundred and forty-five souls; in all, four thousand six hundred souls. 2 Kings, and found here only at all. mis variously explained. It scarcely means toward the four quarters, so that the four remaining pomegranates would stand at the four corners; rather to the free breeze, since the four were concealed by the wall of the porch, by which the pillars stood. Ver. 25. Seven men; 2 Kings, five.-DD, 2 Kings, with article, as if the ספר refers to המצבא- .next word were in apposition After ver. 27 there follows in 2 Kings xxv. 22-26 an account of Gedaliah and his death, of which Jer. xli.-xliii. speaks at much greater length. This notice is therefore omitted. On the other hand, we find here a summary of those carried away into captivity (vv. 28-30) taken from another source, and harmonizing with the statements in 2 Kings xxiv. 14-16 respecting the carrying away under Jehoiachin only on the twofold supposition that in ver. 28 my is to be read after you (Ewald, Graf, Keil), and that the years of Nebuchadnezzar are here reckoned somewhat differently from what they are usually, so that the capture of Jerusalem would fall into the eighteenth instead of the nineteenth (ver. 12) year. Josephus also follows this reckoning (Ant. x. 8. 5; contra Apion, i. 21). Both these suppositions are quite admissible; in this case there is here no 31. And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the five and twentieth of the month, that EvilMerodach, king of Babylon, in the year when he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, and brought him out of the prison-house, 32. and spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 33. And he changed his prison dress; and he ate food in his presence continually as long as he lived. 34. And his support was given him as constant support from the king of Babylon, the daily supply every day until the day of his death, as long as he lived. reference at all to the carrying away under Jehoiachin, but in ver. 28 to that of the Judæans during the siege, in ver. 29 to that of the Jerusalemites after the taking of the city; and in ver. 30 to one that took place on a later campaign of Nebuchadnezzar and was carried out by Nebuzaradan. Josephus (Ant. x. 9. 7) relates that this king in the twenty-third year subjugated Cole - Syria, then conquered the Moabites and Ammonites, and finally turned against Egypt. However disputable certain features of his account may be, it is clear from monumental sources that further expeditions of this conqueror against Egypt took place after 588, and therewith a further decimating of the population of Palestine might easily be inflicted. See on xliii. 8-13. The smallness of the numbers certainly seems strange in comparison both with 2 Kings xxiv. 14 ff. and Ezra ii. 64. But they give the impression of trustworthy exactness. Certainly only the non-dependent men are reckoned. That the Jewish population quickly increased in Babylon, is quite credible. Vv. 31-34. Notice of the advancement of Jehoiachin, who came to honour at the Babylonian court after long captivity, almost an exact copy of 2 Kings. Ver. 31. Instead of the twenty-fifth day, 2 Kings has the twenty-seventh, LXX the twenty-fourth. EXPOSITION. This historical section, the conclusion of which reaches far down into the exile, was written neither by Jeremiah nor for Jeremiah's book, but was borrowed from a historical work. With the exception of vv. 26-30, and some touches in the description of the temple-pillars, it is found almost literally in 2 Kings xxiv. 25, to which we refer for exposition of the contents. As the style of the narrative is quite that of the Kings (cf. especially the introduction of Zedekiah), its original place will be there; yet the form of the text in Jeremiah is better and more complete; and whoever added it to this book used another source in vv. 26-30. Why he inserted in the book this important section from the Israelitish history is easily seen. As already many historical illustrations had been inserted in it, necessary to explain the discourses of the prophet, and for the appreciation of their fulfilment, it seemed appropriate here to give a connected and complete view of the catastrophe, which was the goal of most of Jeremiah's prophecies, and with which his name is inseparably blended. The beginning of such a supplement from the historical book had been already made in ch. xxxix., perhaps by the same hand. MORRISON AND GIBB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. T. & T. CL AR K, 38 GEORGE STREET, EDINBURGH. LONDON: HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO. Adam (J., D.D.)-AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 8vo, 9s. Ahlfeld (Dr.), etc.-THE VOICE FROM THE CROSS: Sermons on our Lord's Passion by Eminent Living Preachers of Germany. Cr. 8vo, price 5s. Alexander (Prof. W. Lindsay) -BIBLICAL THEOLOGY. Two vols. 8vo, 21s. Alexander (Dr. J. A.)-COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH. Two vols. 8vo, 17s. Allen (Prof. A. V. G.)—LIFE AND WRITINGS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. Ante-Nicene Christian Library-A COLLECTION OF ALL THE WORKS OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL OF NICEA. Twenty-four vols. 8vo, Subscription price, £6, 6s. Augustine's Works-Edited by MARCUS DODS, D.D. Fifteen vols. 8vo, Subscription price, £3, 19s. Bannerman (Prof.) THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. Two vols. 8vo, 21s. Bannerman (Rev. D. D.)-THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH. 8vo, 12s. Baumgarten (Professor)-APOSTOLIC HISTORY. Three vols. 8vo, 27s. Beck (Dr.)-OUTLINES OF BIBLICAL PSYCHOLOGY. Crown 8vo, 4s. PASTORAL THEOLOGY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. Crown 8vo, 6s. Bengel GNOMON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. With Original Notes, Explanatory and Illustrative. Five vols. 8vo, Subscription price, 31s. 6d. Cheaper Edition, the five volumes bound in three, 24s. Besser's CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE WORLD. Bible-Class Handbooks. Crown 8vo. BINNIE (Prof.)-The Church, 1s. 6d. Price 6s. BROWN (Principal)-The Epistle to the Romans, 2s. DAVIDSON (Prof.)-The Epistle to the Hebrews, 2s. 6d. DODS (MARCUS, D.D.)-Post-Exilian Prophets, 2s. Book of Genesis, 2s. KILPATRICK (T. B., B.D.)—Butler's Three Sermons on Human Nature, 1s. 6d. St. Luke's Gospel, Part I., 2s.; Part II., 1s. 3d. The Reformation, 2s. The Acts of the Apostles. Two vols., 1s. 6d. each. MACPHERSON (JOHN, M.A.)-Presbyterianism, 1s. 6d. The Sum of Saving Knowledge, 1s. 6d. MURPHY (Prof.)-The Books of Chronicles, 1s. 6d. REITH (GEO., M.A.)-St. John's Gospel. Two vols., 2s. each. SCRYMGEOUR (WM.)-Lessons on the Life of Christ, 2s. 6d. STALKER (JAMES, M.A.)-Life of Christ, 1s. 6d. Life of St. Paul, 1s. 6d. SMITH (GEORGE, LL.D.)-A Short History of Missions, 2s. 6d. THOMSON (W.D., M.A.)—Christian Miracles and Conclusions of Science, 2s. Bible-Class Primers. Paper covers, 6d. each; free by post, 7d. In cloth, 8d. each; free by post, 9d. CROSKERY (Prof.)-Joshua and the Conquest. GIVEN (Prof.)—The Kings of Judah. GLOAG (PATON J., D.D.)-Life of Paul. IVERACH (JAMES, M. A.)-Life of Moses. * |
