INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 44 This chapter contains a sermon of Jeremiah's to the Jews in Egypt, reproving them for their idolatry there; their answer to it, expressing their resolution to continue in their idolatrous practices; and a denunciation of judgments upon them, of which a sign is given. The... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD WHICH CAME TO JEREMIAH CONCERNING ALL THE JEWS WHICH DWELL IN THE LAND OF EGYPT,.... Or, "unto all the Jews" t; the word came to him, that it might be delivered to them; or, "against all the Jews" u; they having gone into Egypt contrary to the will of God, and committing idolatry; and the w... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... In which manner the prophecies of this book are frequently prefaced; see Jeremiah 42:15; YE HAVE SEEN ALL THE EVIL THAT I HAVE BROUGHT UPON JERUSALEM, AND UPON ALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH; they saw it with their bodily eyes; they could not but serve... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE OF THEIR WICKEDNESS WHICH THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO PROVOKE ME TO ANGER,.... The cause of this desolation was the wickedness they were guilty of; whereby they provoked the anger of God to bring this destruction on them. Sin is always provoking unto God; and though it may not be done on purpose... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, I SENT UNTO YOU ALL MY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS,.... As many as he raised up, and employed in the work and service of prophesying; and these were many; and as many as they were, he sent them to them, one after another, to warn them of their sin and danger; but all to no purpose; which was a fu... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY HEARKENED NOT, NOR INCLINED THEIR EAR,.... To the prophets sent unto them; to God by the prophets; to the words of his mouth, particularly to the above pathetic expostulation with them; at least, if they heard the words said, they did not attend unto them; they had not such an effect upon t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE MY FURY AND MINE ANGER WAS POURED FORTH,.... Like melted metal, scalding lead, liquefied pitch, or anything of a bituminous and sulphurous nature, which spreads, is consuming, and very intolerable; see Jeremiah 42:18; AND WAS KINDLED IN THE CITIES OF JUDAH, AND IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE NOW THUS SAITH THE LORD, THE GOD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... The same epithets as before, Jeremiah 44:2; with an addition, that his words might carry more weight with them: WHEREFORE COMMIT YE [THIS] GREAT EVIL AGAINST YOUR SOULS; the sin of idolatry, which is a great evil; a sin aga... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT YE PROVOKE ME UNTO WRATH WITH THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS,.... Their sinful actions, particularly their idolatry, by worshipping images, the works of men's hands; and though it was the queen of heaven they worshipped, which their hands made not, yet it was before images they did that; besides, t... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE YE FORGOTTEN THE WICKEDNESS OF YOUR FATHERS,.... And what judgments it brought upon them; meaning not their more remote ancestors in the wilderness, and the idolatry they committed, and the punishment inflicted upon them for it; but more near, such who lived a little before the destruction of J... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE NOT HUMBLED [EVEN] UNTO THIS DAY,.... Not contrite under a sense of their sins, nor truly penitent for them; not humbled before God nor man, so as to acknowledge them, mourn over them, and forsake them. The Targum is, "they cease not unto this day;'' that is, from committing the same thin... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Because of these sins of idolatry, impenitence, and disobedience: I WILL SET MY FACE AGAINST YOU FOR EVIL; to bring the evil of punishment upon them, for the evil of sin committed by them: this the Lord determined with himself, and reso... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL TAKE THE REMNANT OF JUDAH,.... Such as remained of that tribe in the land of Judea after the captivity: and not all of them, but such THAT HAVE SET THEIR FACES TO GO INTO THE LAND OF EGYPT TO SOJOURN THERE: who were bent upon going thither, notwithstanding all the remonstrances made to t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WILL PUNISH THEM THAT DWELL IN THE LAND OF EGYPT,.... Or "visit"; in a way of wrath and vengeance; meaning not the native inhabitants of Egypt; though these should be punished, and in whose punishment the Jews would be involved; but here it means the Jews that dwelt in Egypt, who went thither... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT NONE OF THE REMNANT OF JUDAH,.... Which were left in the land of Judea after the captivity: WHICH ARE GONE INTO THE LAND OF EGYPT TO SOJOURN THERE, SHALL ESCAPE OR REMAIN; escape either the sword, or the famine, or the pestilence, or remain in the land of Egypt, or in the land of the living... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ALL THE MEN WHICH KNEW THAT THEIR WIRES HAD BURNT INCENSE UNTO OTHER GODS,.... Which was a rite God appointed to be used in his worship; and is here put for the whole of religious worship, which was given to idols by the Jewish women; this their husbands knew of, and winked at, and did not rest... [ Continue Reading ]
[AS FOR] THE WORD THAT THOU HAS, SPOKEN UNTO US IN THE NAME OF THE LORD,.... Which they did not believe that it came from the Lord, but was a device of the prophet's, and a lie, as in Jeremiah 43:2; and if it did come from the Lord, their impudence was risen to such a pitch, that they were determine... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY DO WHATSOEVER THING GOETH OUT OF OUR OWN MOUTH,.... And not what went out of the mouth of God, or his prophet: but whoever they had resolved on within themselves to do, and had declared with their mouths they would, or had vowed with their lips; so Abarbinel interprets it of a... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SINCE WE LEFT OFF TO BURN INCENSE TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,.... Or were restrained from it, as the Targum, through the force of the prophet's sermons, or by the authority of their governors: this Abarbinel thinks was in the times of Jehoiakim, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; but perhaps it only regards so... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE BURNT INCENSE TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, AND POURED OUT DRINK OFFERINGS UNTO HER,.... Which they owned they did, and which they were not ashamed of, and were determined to go on with; and were only sorry that they had at any time omitted such service: DID WE MAKE CAKES TO WORSHIP HER; or,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JEREMIAH SAID UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE,.... Immediately, being influenced, directed, and assisted by the Spirit of God; though what he says, in Jeremiah 44:21; he does not declare as coming from the Lord; but what was upon his mind, and was a full refutation of all that had been said: and which he d... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT INCENSE THAT YE BURNT IN THE CITIES OF JUDAH, AND IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM,.... To false gods, to the queen of heaven, to the host thereof: YE, AND YOUR FATHERS, YOUR KINGS, AND YOUR PRINCES, AND THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND; on which account they pleaded antiquity, authority, and the general con... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT THE LORD COULD NO LONGER FORBEAR,.... He did forbear a long time, and did not stir up all his wrath, but waited to see if these people would repent of their sins, and turn from them; during which time of his forbearance, things might be well with them, as they had said, and they enjoyed peac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BECAUSE YE HAVE BURNT INCENSE,.... Not to Jehovah, but to the queen of heaven; which they owned they did, and determined they would; asserting it was better with them when they did it than when they omitted it; for which reason the prophet particularly mentions it, and assigns it as the cause of... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER JEREMIAH SAID UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE, AND TO ALL THE WOMEN,.... To all the people in general, and to the women in particular, who had a principal concern in these idolatrous practices: HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD, ALL JUDAH THAT [ARE] IN THE LAND OF EGYPT; all of the tribe of Judah that were in... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Which is an usual preface to prophecies coming from him: SAYING; as follows: YE AND YOUR WIVES HAVE BOTH SPOKEN WITH YOUR MOUTHS, AND FULFILLED WITH YOUR HAND; they had said they would burn incense to the queen of heaven, and they had done it; t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE HEAR YE THE WORD OF THE LORD, ALL JUDAH THAT DWELL IN THE LAND OF EGYPT,.... Jeremiah 44:24; since you have made your vows, and will perform them, I will take an oath, and abide by it: BEHOLD, I HAVE SWORN BY MY GREAT NAME, SAITH THE LORD; by his name Jehovah, which is incommunicable, and... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I WILL WATCH OVER THEM FOR EVIL, AND NOT FOR GOOD,.... To bring the evil of punishment upon them, the particulars of which are after mentioned, and not the blessings of goodness, as formerly; and this he would be as careful and diligent to bring about, as one that watches all opportunities t... [ Continue Reading ]
YET A SMALL NUMBER THAT SHALL ESCAPE THE SWORD,.... The sword of the king of Babylon, and the other judgments, and which would be but very few; "men of number" k, as in the Hebrew text, which might easily be numbered; Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah, and some few righteous persons... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS [SHALL BE] A SIGN UNTO YOU, SAITH THE LORD, THAT I WILL PUNISH YOU IN THIS PLACE,.... In Egypt, as before threatened; and what follows is a confirming sign that so it would be; and which, when observed by some, gave the hint to them to make their escape; though others, being hardened in the... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, I WILL GIVE PHARAOHHOPHRA KING OF EGYPT,.... Pharaoh was a common name of the kings of Egypt, who usually had some surname, by which they were distinguished; and the surname of the then present king of Egypt was Hophra; whom the Septuagint and others call Vaphres; and, H... [ Continue Reading ]