Jeremiah 27:16

Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. YOUR PROPHETS ... PROPHESY ... BEHOLD, THE VESSELS OF THE LORD'S HOUSE SHALL NOW SHORTLY BE BROUGHT AGAIN FROM BABYLON. The "vessels" had been carried away to Babylon in the reign of Jeconiah (); also previously in that of Jehoiakim (2 Chronicles 36:5; )....

Jeremiah, as we have seen, did not deal privately with the king alone, for he did not separate him from the people; but as he had directed his words chiefly to him, he therefore expresses now what might have seemed obscure, that though he had begun with the king, he yet included all the Jews. It was indeed necessary to begin with the king, for we know that earthly kings think much of their own dignity, and that the whole people are dependent on their will. Hence Hosea condemned them, because they rendered a too willing obedience to royal edicts, and worshipped God according to what it pleased the king and his counsellors to dictate. (Hosea 5:11 : Micah 6:16.) As then the royal name served to dazzle the eyes of the simple, Jeremiah was bidden to address first the king himself; but he now shews that the priests and the people were included. It was indeed like

12-18 Jeremiah persuades the king of Judah to surrender to the king of Babylon. Is it their wisdom to submit to the heavy iron yoke of a cruel tyrant, that they may secure their lives; and is it not much more our wisdom to submit to the pleasant and easy yoke of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, that we may secure our souls? It were well if sinners would be afraid of the destruction threatened against all who will not have Christ to reign over them. Why should they die the second death, infinitely worse than that by sword and famine, when they may submit and live? And those who encourage sinners to go on in sinful ways, will perish with them....

Verse Jeremiah 27:16. _THE VESSELS OF THE LORD'S HOUSE_] Which had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar under the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah, 2 Chronicles 36:7. _SHALL NOW SHORTLY BE BROUGHT AGAIN_] This is a lie. They shall not be restored till I bring them up, Jeremiah 27:22, which was after the captivity, when they were sent back by Cyrus, the Lord inclining his heart to do it, Ezra 1:7; Ezra 7:19....

EXPOSITION This and the two following chapters are closely connected. They all relate to the early part of the reign of Zedekiah, and con-rain warnings arising out of the deepening gloom of the political horizon. It must, however, be noted that there is evidently some mistake in the first verse of Jeremiah 27:1, and also that the contents of Jeremiah 29:1 point to a somewhat earlier time than Jeremiah 27:1; Jeremiah 28:1 (viz. the first or second year of King Zedekiah). To understand the circumstances of Jeremiah 27:1;

ALSO I SPAKE TO THE PRIESTS, AND TO ALL THIS PEOPLE, SAYING,.... From the court he went to the temple, and spoke to the priests that were ministering there, and to all the people that were assembled for divine worship; either at the ordinary time of it, or at some one of the solemn feasts: this was a proper time and place to meet with the people and the priests; which latter especially had a concern in what he had to say concerning the vessels of the temple: THUS SAITH THE LORD, HEARKEN NOT TO THE WORDS OF YOUR PROPHETS THAT PROPHESY UNTO YOU: your false prophets, as the Targum: SAYING; as follows: BEHOLD, THE VESSELS OF THE LORD'S HOUSE SHALL NOW SHORTLY BE BROUGHT AGAIN FROM BABYLON; which were carried thither, both in the times of Jehoiakim, and of Jeconiah, 2 Chronicles 36:7; these the false prophets gave out would in a

CHAPTER 27 The Optimism of the False Prophets Contradicted _ 1. The call of Nebuchadnezzar to be the servant of God (Jeremiah 27:1) _ 2. The call to submit and to serve the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27:12) Jeremiah 27:1. It was in the earlier part of the reign of Zedekiah (Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 27:1 is a clerical error, see Jeremiah 27:3 and Jeremiah 27:12) that Jeremiah is commanded to make bonds and yokes to put them

THE WARNING TO ZEDEKIAH. Jeremiah also warns Zedekiah to the same effect (Jeremiah 27:12), and tells priests and people not to believe the prophets who promise an early return of the Temple vessels. Let the prophets rather pray that the vessels left by the Babylonians be not also carried off; for Yahweh intends to remove these also, that they may remain in Babylon until His appointed time. This warning was apparently successful; Zedekiah did not revolt until four or five years later. In order to quell the suspicions excited by the embassies of Jeremiah 27:3, he may have made the journey to Babylon mentioned in Jeremiah 51:59....

TO THE PRIESTS. Probably in the Temple. Compare Jeremiah 28:1. BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ THE VESSELS: which were taken away by Nebuchadnezzar in the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah (2 Kings 24:13. 2Ch 36:7, 2 Chronicles 36:10; Daniel 1:2)....

Speedy deliverance from Babylon is not to be hoped for These three Chapter s belong to the time of Zedekiah. The power of Babylon had already been demonstrated as to Judah. Some of the people had been carried captive, and the present king existed as such only upon sufferance. Under these circumstances the neighbouring nations were willing to make common cause with the Jews against their foe, while in Palestine there were still many who would not believe that the danger from Babylon was anything more than a passing one. In these three chs. therefore Jeremiah sets himself to correct the most pressing evil, namely this notion of the possibility of getting rid of the power which had become paramount in the Eastern world. In this ch. he addresses on the subject (Jeremiah 27:1) the neighbouring nations; (12 15) Zedekiah; (16 22) the priests and people concerning the false prophets; (in ch. 28...