Jeremiah 22:17

But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. BUT THINE - as opposed to thy father Josiah....

Here the Prophet expresses more clearly how much Jehoiakim differed from Josiah his father. He indeed shews that he was wholly unlike him, because Josiah had endeavored to observe what was equitable, while he set all his thoughts on fraud, plunder, and cruelty; for by the _eye _and the _heart _he means all the faculties of his soul and body. One of the main senses of the body, as it is well known, is the sight. Hence the Prophet includes here whatever is external and internal in men, when he says, _thine eye, _that is, all thy bodily senses are set on covetousness, and also _thine heart, _that is, all thy thoughts, feelings, designs, meditations, and purposes are employed in the same way. He intimates, in short, that Jehoiakim was corrupt both in body and mind, so that having cast aside every fear of God, he abandoned himself to avarice as well as to plunder and all acts of oppression. _...

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...

COVETOUSNESS - literally, gain. Besides exacting forced labor Jehoiakim, to procure the necessary means for the vast expenses he incurred, put innocent people to death on various pretexts, and escheated their property....

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,...

BUT THINE EYES AND THINE HEART [ARE] NOT BUT FOR THY COVETOUSNESS,.... He was wholly intent upon gratifying that lust; his heart was meditating, contriving, and forming schemes for that purpose; and his eyes were looking out here and there for proper objects and opportunities to exercise it: AND FOR TO SHED INNOCENT BLOOD; in order to get their money, goods, and possessions into his hands; avarice often leads to murder: AND FOR OPPRESSION, AND FOR VIOLENCE, TO DO [IT]; by making incursions, and seizing upon the properties of men, and converting them to his own use; so true it is, that covetousness, or the love of money, is the root of all evil, 1 Timothy 6:10....

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 ...

BUT THINE EYES: or, Verily, thou hast neither eyes nor heart save for, &c....

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