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 8:1. _they shall bring out_ Not, apparently, with the hope of finding spoil, treasures and ornaments of value being often buried with the dead (cp. Darius's fruitless visit to the tomb of Nitocris, Herod. I. 187), but that the objects of their former devotion might look down on the indignit... [ Continue Reading ]
_host of heaven_ Such worship was frequent, as we see from 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3; Zephaniah 1:5, in the time of the later kings. Cp. Jeremiah 19:13; Ezekiel 8:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
The thoughts correspond closely with Leviticus 26:36 ff.; Deuteronomy 28:65 ff. _family_ See on Jeremiah 3:14. _which remain_ repeated in MT. by the error of a copyist.... [ Continue Reading ]
We have had (chs. Jeremiah 7:29 to Jeremiah 8:3) a kind of parenthesis, setting forth the nature of the coming punishment. Jeremiah now returns to the subject of the conduct which has procured it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeremiah 8:4 to Jeremiah 9:1. Forecast of punishment as the result of sin The section may be thus summarized. (i) Jeremiah 8:4. Human fortunes and conduct are as a rule liable to change, but Israel pursues a steady course of disobedience. Migratory birds obeying unerringly their instincts compare... [ Continue Reading ]
_slidden back … backsliding … return_ All three expressions are from the same root; "_turn back … backturning … to return_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I_ Jeremiah or Jehovah through him. _hearkened and heard_ implying an anxiety to give every chance of amendment. _turneth to_ better, as mg., _turneth away in_. _rusheth headlong_ lit. _overfloweth_, used figuratively of an invading army in Jeremiah 47:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
Instinct renders migratory birds punctual in departure and arrival. How much more should man's reason and conscience exercise over him an effective control. Cp. Isaiah 1:3. _stork_ There are two species found in Palestine, the white and the black, the former dispersed generally in pairs over the wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_the law_ The reply of the priests such as the two Pashhurs (Jeremiah 20:1; Jeremiah 21:1) and prophets such as Shemaiah (Jeremiah 29:24) was, We _do_know the Law and have it in writing. _But, behold, the false pen … falsely_ or (as mg.) _hath made_of it _falsehood_. Jeremiah has been thought by Du.... [ Continue Reading ]
See summary at commencement of section. These verses are omitted by LXX and are almost identical with ch. Jeremiah 6:12-15 above. See notes there.... [ Continue Reading ]
_there shall be_ better, _there are_. The people in their _present_state are likened to a lifeless vine or fig tree. We are reminded of the comparison of the righteous man, Jeremiah 17:8; Psalms 1:1 ff. The last clause can scarcely bear the sense given it either in the text or mg. (_I have appointed... [ Continue Reading ]
See summary at commencement of section.... [ Continue Reading ]
_be silent … put us to silence_ better, as mg. _perish … caused us to perish_. Cp. 1 Samuel 2:9. _water of gall_ a plant yielding some bitter flavour reminding of gall. It is mentioned also Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15; Deuteronomy 29:18 (Matthew 17), Jeremiah 32:32; Psalms 69:21;... [ Continue Reading ]
The people in their straits address one another. Cp. Jeremiah 4:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Jeremiah 14:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dan_ See Jeremiah 4:15. _strong ones_ i.e. _war-horses_. The same epithet is used as a substitute for the noun, chs. Jeremiah 47:3 ("strong ones"), Jeremiah 50:11 ("strong horses"). The horse was the embodiment of strength. See Job 39:19; Psalms 33:17; Psalms 147:10. _land_ or, _earth_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_basilisks_ better (mg.) _adders_, for the basilisk was only fabulous. The creature here meant cannot be identified with certainty. See conjectures in Dr., pp. 351 f. No art of the charmer will avail against the foe here figured. The serpent-charming art is still kept up in the East. It is supposed... [ Continue Reading ]
_Oh that I could comfort myself_ lit. _brighten_myself. The Hebrew verb occurs here only, but is found in Arabic in this sense. See further in Dr., p. 352.... [ Continue Reading ]
_from_(mg. _because of) a land that is very far off_ There is no need to suspect the genuineness of the clause. Jeremiah is in thought anticipating the captivity, and the distressful cries of the exiles in the direction of their home. _Is not … in her?_ the words of the exiles. _Why have they, etc... [ Continue Reading ]
The harvest lasted from April to June; later came "the summer," better (mg.), _ingathering of summer fruits_. As when the harvest was bad, there remained yet hopes from the yield of grapes, figs, olives, etc., and till these hopes had failed to be realised, men did not despair; so the people had los... [ Continue Reading ]
_the hurt_ lit. _the breach_, and so the verb that follows. _black_ mg. _mourning_(as to garb). Cp. on Jeremiah 4:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
_balm_ For balsam (balm) as a product of Gilead, see Genesis 37:25 and cp. Genesis 43:11; Ezekiel 27:17. As, however, some doubt has been thrown on Gilead as a place producing balsam, it has been suggested (so Pe.) that the meaning is mastic tree resin, which was obtained there. _Gilead_ a mountain... [ Continue Reading ]