Jeremiah 21:6

_AND I WILL SMITE THE INHABITANTS OF THIS CITY, BOTH MAN AND BEAST: THEY SHALL DIE OF A GREAT PESTILENCE._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

Jeremiah goes on with the same discourse, even that God had resolved to destroy Jerusalem and the people, at least for a time. But he points out here what he intended to do, even that he would consume them by pestilence and famine, as long as they continued in the city; as though he had said, “Though these Chaldeans may not immediately take the city by means of a siege, yet its destruction shall be worse, for famine shall rage within and consume them.” We now perceive the design of the Prophet. But we must keep in mind what I reminded you of yesterday, — that God assumes to himself what might have been ascribed to the Chaldeans, for he makes himself the author of all these calamities; _I will smite, _he says, _the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; by a great pestilence shall they die _This was the first kind of punishment; before the enemy rushed into the city the pestilence...

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 21:6. _THEY SHALL DIE OF A GREAT PESTILENCE._] The _sword_ may appear to be that of _man_, though I have given the Chaldeans their commission; but the _pestilence_ shall appear to be the immediate act of GOD....

A GREAT PESTILENCE - As the result of the excessive crowding of men and animals in a confined space with all sanitary regulations utterly neglected....

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

AND I WILL SMITE THE INHABITANTS OF THIS CITY,.... With one or other of his arrows after mentioned: or, "them that abide in this city" o; that do not go out of it, and surrender themselves to the king of Babylon; see Jeremiah 21:9; BOTH MAN AND BEAST; the latter for the sin of the former; particularly such beasts as were fit for food are meant, whereby the famine would be increased, and so the greater destruction of men: THEY SHALL DIE OF A GREAT PESTILENCE; both man and beast; a disease which comes immediately from the hand of God; hence Hippocrates used to call it το θειον, "the divine disease": here it denotes a very uncommon one, which should sweep away large numbers; called great, both for quality, or the nature of it, and for the quantity of persons that died of it. o את יושבי העיר "manentes in hac urbe", Gataker....

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

MAN. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14....