XXXIII. (1-3) THE SECOND TIME, WHILE HE WAS YET SHUT UP. — The discourse that follows belongs to the same period as the preceding chapter, and presents the same general characteristics. Its connexion with the operations of the siege to which Jerusalem was exposed will be traced in Jeremiah 33:4. As... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING THE HOUSES OF THIS CITY... — The words point to the incident which was the occasion of the prophecy. The houses referred to had either been destroyed by the invaders, or, more probably, by the besieged, in order to erect a counter-work against the “mounts” which the Chaldæans had set agai... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY COME TO FIGHT WITH THE CHALDEANS... — The Hebrew construction is participial, and has the force expressed in English by “they” used indefinitely. The prophet sees, as it were, a _sortie_ of the besieged, but it is doomed to failure, and the houses of the city are filled with those who were slai... [ Continue Reading ]
HEALTH AND CURE... — The first word is, as in Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 30:17, the bandage, or “plaister,” which was prominent in the therapeutics of the East. It is possible that both words may have been spoken in direct contrast with the pestilence which was ravaging the city (Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremia... [ Continue Reading ]
I... WILL BUILD... I WILL CLEANSE... I WILL PARDON... — The vision of the return of the exiles and of a restored city, prominent in Jeremiah 31:38, is not allowed to overshadow the yet more glorious vision of spiritual blessings of purity and pardon.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL BE TO ME A NAME OF JOY... — The thought presents two aspects in its bearing on the outlying nations. On the one hand, they shall sing the praises of the restored city; on the other, they shall fear and tremble before its greatness, as showing that it was under the protection of the Lord of... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN THERE SHALL BE HEARD IN THIS PLACE. — The promise of restoration is repeated with a more local distinctness. “This place” is probably, as in Jeremiah 42:18, Jerusalem. The “streets” are, more strictly, the “open places,” the “bazaars,” or even the “outskirts” of the city, which were deserted d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VOICE OF JOY, AND THE VOICE OF GLADNESS... — The words gain greater emphasis as being those which the prophet had himself used (Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9; Jeremiah 25:10) in foretelling the desolation of the city. He points, as it were, by implication to the fulfilment of the one prediction,... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN IN THIS PLACE. — The “place” includes, as in Jeremiah 33:10, “the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem.” The “habitation” for shepherds is translated sometimes by “sheepcote” (1 Chronicles 17:7; 2 Samuel 7:8), sometimes by “fold” (Isaiah 65:10; Ezekiel 34:14), sometimes by “dwelling” o... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD... — The words are manifestly a conscious reproduction of Jeremiah 23:5. In “I have promised” we may indeed trace a distinct reference to that passage. Once more “the Branch of righteousness” (Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1) — the coming heir of the throne of David, th... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE NAME WHEREWITH SHE SHALL BE CALLED, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. — It will be noticed that, while this reproduces the language of Jeremiah 23:6, it does so with a remarkable difference. There the title, “The Lord our Righteousness,” is given to the future King, and the passage has accordi... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID SHALL NEVER WANT A MAN... — The words are hardly more than a repetition of promises like those of 2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Kings 2:4; Psalms 89:29; Psalms 89:36, but it is here repeated under very different circumstances. Then it had been given when the line of David was in all the freshness of its st... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES WANT A MAN... — Here again we have a promise which received a fulfilment other than that which the words appeared to imply, and which doubtless was in the prophet’s thoughts. The Levitical priesthood passed away (Hebrews 7:11), but Christ was made a Priest after... [ Continue Reading ]
(19-22) AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO JEREMIAH, SAYING... — The new introduction here and in Jeremiah 33:23 indicates a fresh message borne in on the prophet’s mind after an interval of time. In substance it repeats the promise of Jeremiah 33:17, but it reproduces them with yet greater solemnit... [ Continue Reading ]
(24-26) CONSIDEREST THOU NOT WHAT THIS PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN... — The words that follow have been regarded by many commentators as the taunt of the heathen nations — Chaldæans, Egyptians, Edomites, and others — as they beheld what seemed to them the entire downfall of the kingly and the priestly orders... [ Continue Reading ]