Jeremiah 21:4

Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL - those "wondrous works" () do not belong to you; God is faithful; it is you who forfeit the privileges of the covenant by unfaithfulness. 'God will always remain the God of Israel, though He destroy thee and thy people' (Calvin). I WILL TURN BACK THE WEAPONS - I will turn them to a very different use from what you intend them. You now with them, fight against the Chaldees "without the walls" (the Jewish defenders being as yet able to sally forth more freely, and defend the fountains outside the walls in the valley under Mount Zi...

He says, _Behold I, _etc.; it was said before, Nebuchadnezzar is come to make war with us: now he says, “I am God;” as though he had said, “Nebuchadnezzar may be conquered, he may change his counsel, he may leave you through weariness; but know ye that Nebuchadnezzar fights under my authority.” _Behold, _he says, I prohibit (for so ought מסכ to be rendered) _all the warlike instruments which are in your hands, and with which ye fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans; _as though he had said, “However furnished ye may be with weapons and forces, and whatever may be necessary to defend the city, I forbid the use of these weapons, that is, I will cause that they will avail you nothing.” Some, as I have said, render the word, “I will turn them against you.” But the meaning seems more suitable to the etymology of the word, when we say, that the weapons which the Jews had w...

1-10 When the siege had begun, Zedekiah sent to ask of Jeremiah respecting the event. In times of distress and danger, men often seek those to counsel and pray for them, whom, at other times, they despise and oppose; but they only seek deliverance from punishment. When professors continue in disobedience, presuming upon outward privileges, let them be told that the Lord will prosper his open enemies against them. As the king and his princes would not surrender, the people are exhorted to do so. No sinner on earth is left without a Refuge, who really desires one; but the way of life is humbling, it requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties....

Verse Jeremiah 21:4. _I WILL TURN BACK THE WEAPONS_] Every attempt you make to repel the Chaldeans shall be unsuccessful. _I WILL ASSEMBLE THEM INTO THE MIDST OF THIS CITY._] I will deliver the city into their hands....

WITHOUT THE WALLS - These words are to be joined to wherewith ye fight....

EXPOSITION The chapter falls into three parts, two of which seem to be in some sort of connection, while the third is isolated. First comes a warning to the messengers of Zedekiah of the unfortunate issue of the rebellion against Babylon; this is followed by a counsel to the people to give up their futile resistance, and "fall away" to the Chaldeans. The last four verses contain an exhortation to the "house of David" to fulfill their high duties with greater conscientiousness, for fear of the judgment which had already begun to take effect when the former part of this chapter was written. Compare Zedekiah's embassy to Jeremiah with that of Hezekiah to Isaiah on a similar emergency (Isaiah 37:2). JEREMIAH 21:1 PASHUR. A different Pashur from the one

THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Who had been, still was, and would be, Israel's God, even the God of such who are Israelites indeed; though he should, as he would, give up the present generation to ruin and destruction; they having by their sins forfeited his care and protection of them; and therefore it was in vain to hope for it from this character which they bore: BEHOLD, I WILL TURN BACK THE WEAPONS OF WAR THAT [ARE] IN YOUR HANDS; so that they should do no hurt to the enemy, but recoil upon themselves. The meaning is, that they should be useless and unserviceable; that they should neither be defensive to them, nor offensive to their enemies; but rather hurtful to themselves. It seems to suggest, as if they should fall out with one another; and, like the Midianites, turn their swords upon one another, and destroy each other: wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, an...

CHAPTER 21 The Prophetic Warning _ 1. Zedekiah's inquiry (Jeremiah 21:1) _ 2. Jehovah's answer through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 21:3) Jeremiah 21:1. It has been said that this chapter is historically misplaced and therefore must be considered an evidence of the composite authorship of this book. The Spirit of God for some reason unknown to us has put it in this place. Zedekiah sent unto Jeremiah Pashur (a different one from the Pashur in the preceding chapter) to inquire as to Nebuchadrezzar, the King of Babylon. This is of course Nebuchadnezzar. The form of his name found in Jeremiah is derived more correctly from the Babylonian, which is “Nabukudurri-usur.” Here the great king is mentio

THE OUTCOME OF THE SIEGE (588 B.C.). Zedekiah, apparently at an early stage of the siege of Jerusalem (whilst Jeremiah 37:3 refers to a similar, but later, incident) sends envoys, Pashhur (not the same as in Jeremiah 20:1) and Zephaniah (Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 37:3; Jeremiah 52:24), to ask the prophet if Yahweh will cause the besiegers to withdraw (go up, Jeremiah 34:21). Jeremiah replies that Yahweh is against Jerusalem, and will deliver king and pe

THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL. Jehovah the Elohim of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 11:3, and App-4. BEHOLD. Figure of speech. _Asterismos_. App-6....