Address delivered by Jeremiah at the gate of the Temple The first question to be answered in regard to these Chapter s as a whole is the date to which they are to be referred, whether to the reign of Josiah or Jehoiakim. This seems to be answered by ch. 26, for while its Jeremiah 7:1 have a marked... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah 10:1-16. The folly of idolatry It is now generally recognised that this passage is a later insertion, for (_a_) it breaks the connexion between Jeremiah 9:1-22 and Jeremiah 10:17 ff.; while by its omission the train of thought in the former is carried on smoothly in the latter; (_b_) elsew... [ Continue Reading ]
_the signs of heaven_ heavenly portents, such as comets, meteors, or eclipses, an allusion to the Babylonian love of astrology.... [ Continue Reading ]
_customs_ lit. as mg. _statutes_. The expression is strange in this connexion. Probably the word in MT. has suffered corruption, but no substitute commanding general acceptance has been found. It is clear, at any rate, that the reference is to idols. _one cutteth a tree_ the mg. is to be preferred.... [ Continue Reading ]
The idol is covered with plates of silver and gold, and secured to its place. _move_ lit. _shake_. Cp. Isaiah 40:20; Isaiah 41:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
_palm tree, of turned work_ Substitute mg., comparing, as above, Bar 6:70 ("scarecrow"). See introd. note for this attitude towards idols. From "they must needs" to "do good" is placed after Jeremiah 10:9 in LXX. This suggests that these clauses have their origin in marginal glosses, to the inserti... [ Continue Reading ]
_There is none_ This sense can only be got by omitting the first letter in MT. The omission can, however, be justified, as it may be an accidental repetition by a scribe of the last letter of Jeremiah 10:5. Keeping the Hebrew consonants with a slight change of vowels, we get the sense "_Whence_is an... [ Continue Reading ]
Omitted, most probably rightly, by LXX. See above.... [ Continue Reading ]
See summary at commencement of the ch.... [ Continue Reading ]
_to thee doth it appertain_ rather, as mg. _it beseemeth thee_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_together_ rather, _all together_, one and all. _the instruction … a stock_ lit. _the instruction of idols is wood_, i.e. "is no better than the idol itself: idolatry is destitute of moral or spiritual force," Dr. Possibly MT. needs emendation, as the expression is a strange one.... [ Continue Reading ]
A description of the process of the making of idols out of silver and gold, and the robing of them in expensive garments. There is probably in both MT. and LXX corruption such as cannot now be fully disentangled. The first part of the _v_. is likely to be a gloss. _Tarshish_ probably Tartessus in S... [ Continue Reading ]
LXX omit, but there is more to be said for MT. here than in the cases above. As Jeremiah 10:11 is clearly a gloss, Jeremiah 10:12 would be very abrupt without an introduction of this kind. _the true God_ better (as mg.) _God in truth_.... [ Continue Reading ]
The _v_. is not Hebrew, but Aramaic. Either it is a marginal note, subsequently introduced into the text, where it interrupts the connexion of Jeremiah 10:10_; Jeremiah 10:12_, or it was designed by the prophet to supply the exiles with a form of answer when solicited to share in idolatrous practice... [ Continue Reading ]
The creation of all things, and in particular the phenomena of the tempest, are appealed to as signs of Jehovah's supremacy.... [ Continue Reading ]
Repeated Jeremiah 51:15-19.... [ Continue Reading ]
_when he uttereth his voice, etc_.] The sense is plain, though the form of the Hebrew in MT. is peculiar, and hence the alternative in mg. _at the sound of his giving an abundance of waters_, continuing, _when he causeth_or (simply), _he causeth_. Thunder, torrential rain, lightning, and winds mark... [ Continue Reading ]
_is become brutish and is without knowledge_ or, as mg. _is too brutish to know_. MT. is open to either rendering, that of R.V. text being preferable. _is put to shame_ by the contrast between Jehovah's power over the forces of nature and the impotency of the idol.... [ Continue Reading ]
_delusion_ rather (with mg.) _mockery_, bringing scorn upon those who trust in them. The last clause of the _v_. refers to the fate which may be expected to befall the idols when "the day of the Lord" comes. Cp. Isaiah 2:12 ff.... [ Continue Reading ]
The parallelism of clauses is improved by the LXX's omission (probably therefore rightly) of two words in MT. The LXX render accordingly, "For the former of all things is his inheritance.... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy wares out of the land_ the Hebrew word occurs here only, and is of doubtful meaning. This rendering connects it with the Hebrew root of Canaanite; the Canaanites being the merchants best known to the Hebrews. It seems to mean a few articles gathered together, rather than any considerable amount... [ Continue Reading ]
Du. and Co. omit these _vv_., Du. rejecting 20, 21 also, while Gi. omits Jeremiah 10:18. See note on it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Exile is at hand. Appeal to Jehovah in His wrath to remember mercy The utterances, interrupted by Jeremiah 9:23-26, and Jeremiah 10:1-16, are now continued. The passage has apparently suffered both by corruption of MT. and by marginal glosses, afterwards incorporated with the text. It may be summar... [ Continue Reading ]
_sling out_ Cp. 1 Samuel 25:29; also Isaiah 22:18. _feel_ See the mg. The clause is suspicious in form, the verb having no expressed object. It is just possible, but hardly likely, that it may be corrected (by a change of vocalisation) to "that they may be found," i.e. that disaster may overtake th... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet now begins a lament in the person of the nation. _my hurt_ See Jeremiah 8:21. _grief_ lit., as mg., _sickness_. "We speak only of a _person_as being sick; Heb. speaks also of a _wound_as being sick." Dr., p. 355, where see references.... [ Continue Reading ]
The land is likened to a tent overthrown and injured beyond repair. _curtains_ See on Jeremiah 4:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shepherds_ See on Jeremiah 2:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
_jackals_ See on Jeremiah 9:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
Man's weakness is pleaded, either as compared with the Divine power, or, better, as prone to sin. _it is not, etc_.] lit. _it is not for man to walk and direct his steps_.... [ Continue Reading ]
See summary before Jeremiah 10:17. Stade, Du. and others (so Gi. in 1905, see his _Metrik_, p. 23) consider the passage to be the work of a supplementer. Gi. already in his Commentary (1894) surrenders Jeremiah 10:25, probably rightly, while Jeremiah 10:23 may at least be held doubtful. Co. agrees w... [ Continue Reading ]
_correct_ See on Jeremiah 2:19. _with judgement_ in a judicial spirit, in measure. Cp. Jeremiah 30:11; Jeremiah 46:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
_yea, they have devoured him_ Plainly by an error of repetition in MT. In the Ps. (see above) the words are not found.... [ Continue Reading ]