_Righteous art thou, O Lord_ The prophet, being about to inquire into the reasons and meaning of some of the divine dispensations, first recognises a truth of unquestionable certainty, namely, that God is _righteous_, that is, just and holy in all his ways. Thus he arms himself against the temptatio... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast planted them_ In a rich soil, by thy power: _they have taken root; they grow_ Their prosperity seems to be confirmed and settled by thy providence. _Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins_ They talk of thee, and profess piety, but do not believe in and obey thee from their... [ Continue Reading ]
_How long shall the land mourn?_ As it doth under thy judgments inflicted upon it; _for the wickedness of them that dwell therein_ Lord, shall they themselves prosper, who ruin all about them? The wickedness of the people is here represented as having brought a great calamity upon the land, under wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_If thou hast run with the footmen_ Here God speaks, and applies a proverbial expression to the prophet's circumstances, the import of which is, that if men find themselves unable to contend with a less power, it is in vain for them to strive with a greater. This sentence, being applied to the proph... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have forsaken my house_ My temple, where I had placed my name. I have already withdrawn my favourable regard and presence from it, and shall withhold those manifestations of my power and goodness, which I have been wont to make to the people who come thither to worship me, and I will shortly give... [ Continue Reading ]
_My heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest_ Those that were my lambs and sheep, following me, their chief shepherd, and the guidance of those prophets and pastors whom I set over them, are become like lions in the forest roaring against me, and rending and tearing the prophets whom I send unto... [ Continue Reading ]
_Many pastures have destroyed my vineyard Many eaters_, or _devourers_, as Dr. Waterland translates רעים רבים, by which the Chaldee Paraphrast understands the generals of the Chaldean army, an interpretation which seems to be justified by the two following verses: though some explain it of the ruler... [ Continue Reading ]
_The spoilers_ The Chaldean soldiers, described by the metaphor of _a full wind_ of the high places, Jeremiah 4:11, _are come upon all high places_ Have made themselves masters of all the natural fastnesses and artificial fortresses in the country. The prophet, as usual, speaks of a thing as already... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thus saith the Lord, against_, or _concerning, all mine evil neighbours_ By these are meant the _Moabites, Ammonites, Idumeans_, and _Philistines;_ against whom Jeremiah prophesies, chap. 47., 48., 49.; and Ezekiel, chap. 25. These are called _evil neighbours_, because of the spite and ill-will whi... [ Continue Reading ]
_If they will diligently learn the ways of my people_ If they will leave their idolatries, and learn of my people who lived among them to be worshippers of me the true God, and _to swear by my name, The Lord liveth_ That is, pay that homage, which they owe to the Divine Being, to me, the living and... [ Continue Reading ]