Jeremiah 22:16

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. WAS NOT THIS TO KNOW ME - namely, to show by deeds that one knows God's will, as was the case with Josiah (cf. ; contrast )....

He more fully expresses what he had said, that Josiah lived usefully, and was honored and esteemed, for royal majesty shone forth in him. He then repeats in other words what he had said, but he did this for the sake of explanation. (53) _He undertook, _he says, _the cause, _or the quarrel, _of the poor and needy _There is here a part stated for the whole; for when any one deals kindly with the poor, he may yet plunder the wealth of the rich, which cannot be deemed right; but as the case most commonly is, that those who rule neglect the poor and helpless, the Prophet includes under one thing the whole duty of rulers, and says that King Josiah was upright, just, and equitable, that he not only abstained from wrongs, but also assisted the innocent whom he saw oppressed, and of his own accord interposed to prevent any to molest them. He then under one thing comprehends everything that belong...

10-19 Here is a sentence of death upon two kings, the wicked sons of a very pious father. Josiah was prevented from seeing the evil to come in this world, and removed to see the good to come in the other world; therefore, weep not for him, but for his son Shallum, who is likely to live and die a wretched captive. Dying saints may be justly envied, while living sinners are justly pitied. Here also is the doom of Jehoiakim. No doubt it is lawful for princes and great men to build, beautify, and furnish houses; but those who enlarge their houses, and make them sumptuous, need carefully to watch against the workings of vain-glory. He built his houses by unrighteousness, with money gotten unjustly. And he defrauded his workmen of their wages. God notices the wrong done by the greatest to poor servants and labourers, and will repay those in justice, who will not, in justice, pay those whom th...

EXPOSITION Jeremiah 22:1 and Jeremiah 23:1, are connected together by similarity of subject. The temporal and spiritual leaders of the people, who are mainly responsible for the national catastrophe, receive their merited castigation. Jeremiah 23:1 of Jeremiah 23:1; properly speaking, belong to Jeremiah 22:1.; thus we get a well-rounded discourse on the conduct of the kings, with four symmetrical parts or strophes—Jeremiah 22:1,...

HE JUDGED THE CAUSE OF THE POOR AND NEEDY,.... Who could not defend themselves against the rich and the mighty; he took their cause in hand, and, having heard it, determined it in their favour, and did them justice, as princes and civil magistrates ought to do: THEN [IT WAS] WELL [WITH HIM]; this is repeated, not only to show the certainty of it, but that it might be observed, and his example followed: [WAS] NOT THIS TO KNOW ME? SAITH THE LORD; it is not by words only, but by deeds, that men show that they know the Lord; for some in words profess to know him, who in works deny him; when princes do the duty of their office, they thereby declare that they know and own the Lord, by, and under whom, they reign; that they have the fear of him before their eyes; this is a practical knowledge of him, and is well pleasing to him. The Targum is, "is not this the knowledge with which I am well...

CONCERNING THE KINGS OF JUDAH (22:1-23:8) CHAPTER 22 _ 1. The message in the house of the king of Judah (Jeremiah 22:1) _ 2. Touching Shallum, the King of Judah (Jeremiah 22:11) 3. Concerning Jehoiakim and his fate (Jeremiah 22:13) 4. Concerning Coniah and his fate (Jeremiah 22:20) Jeremiah 22:1. What a figure Jeremiah was as he stood, obedient to the divine command, before the royal palace to deliver his God-given message! The door of mercy still is open. Let them execute judgmen

JEREMIAH 22:1 TO JEREMIAH 23:8. This section contains several distinct Jeremianic prophecies, relating to contemporary kings of Judah; they have been editorially collected, probably with some expansion. JEREMIAH 22:1. INTRODUCTION. The prophet is sent down to the palace (lower than the Temple, and on the S.) to declare judgment and justice as the condition of permanence in the royal line. He bewails in a dirge (Jeremiah 22:6 f.) the fall of the royal house, which is like that of well-wooded districts (Gilead, Lebanon) delivered over to the axe. The cause is the disloyalty of the city to Yahweh ...

HE: i.e. Josiah. JUDGED THE CAUSE. Figure of speech _Polyptoton._ Hebrew judged the judgment. Figure of speech _Erotesis_ by _Ellipsis_. "[Did he not] judge righteous judgment? "Figure of speech _Hendiadys,_ as in Jeremiah 22:3. POOR. wretched. Hebrew. _'anah._ See note on "poverty", Proverbs 6:11....

See introd. summary to section. It probably belongs to the early years of Jehoiakim, but see on Jeremiah 22:18....

2. _The folly of Jehoiakim_ (Jeremiah 22:13-23) TRANSLATION (13) Woe to him that builds his house with unrighteousness and his upper chambers with injustice; who makes his neighbor serve for nothing and does not give his wages to him; (14) who says, I will build for myself a roomy house, with spacious upper rooms, and cuts windows for it, paneling it with cedar, and painting it red. (15) Shall you continue to reign because you are striving earnestly to excel in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and establish justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. (16) He judged the cause of the poor and needy. Then it was well. Is not this what it means to know Me (oracle of the LORD)? (17) But your eyes and your heart are fixed solely upon your ill-gotten gain, and upon shedding innocent blood and upon practicing oppression and violence. (18) Therefore, t