Jeremiah 29:19

_BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT HEARKENED TO MY WORDS, SAITH THE LORD, WHICH I SENT UNTO THEM BY MY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS, RISING UP EARLY AND SENDING THEM; BUT YE WOULD NOT HEAR, SAITH THE LORD._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

The Prophet, after having denounced God’s judgment on those who remained in their own country as well as on the exiles, subjoins this reason, because they _hearkened not _to the word of the Lord; and this was a most grievous sin. Though ignorance is no excuse before God, for those who are without the Law must perish; yet the servant who knew his Lord’s will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. And the more abundant God’s grace is in calling us to the right way of salvation, the more base is our ingratitude when we close our ears and disregard the concern and care which he manifests for our salvation. Let us then know that nothing is less tolerable than the rejection of the prophetic word. And we must notice what follows, _which I sent them by my servants the prophets _The Jews might have otherwise objected and said, that they did not intend to be rebellious against God, but...

8-19 Let men beware how they call those prophets whom they choose after their own fancies, and how they consider their fancies and dreams to be revelations from God. False prophets flatter people in their sins, because they love to be flattered; and they speak smoothly to their prophets, that their prophets may speak smoothly to them. God promises that they should return after seventy years were accomplished. By this it appears, that the seventy years of the captivity are not to be reckoned from the last captivity, but the first. It will be the bringing to pass of God's good word to them. This shall form God's purposes. We often do not know our own minds, but the Lord is never at an uncertainty. We are sometimes ready to fear that God's designs are all against us; but as to his own people, even that which seems evil, is for good. He will give them, not the expectations of their fears, o...

These verses are not in the Septuagint. But the text of the Septuagint is here throughout so brief and confused as to be explicable only on the supposition, that it represents what was left behind in Egypt when Jeremiah died, copied probably with extreme haste, and with no opportunity of careful collation afterward. On the other hand the Hebrew text represents no hurried transcript, but the original manuscript, and is especially trustworthy in the case of these letters sent to Babylon (see also Jeremiah 51), because the originals of them would be available for collation with the text preserved by Jeremiah himself. The verses were probably intended to allay excitement in Babylon consequent upon the knowledge that the representatives of various kings were assembled at that very time at Jerusalem to form a coalition against Babylon...

EXPOSITION Despised and rejected at home, Jeremiah turned his thoughts to those distant brethren in captivity, whom he had already likened to "good figs, very good" (Jeremiah 24:3, Jeremiah 24:5). He had heard with sorrow that they could not readily submit to their altered circumstances; Judah, with its consecrated associations, was still too near to them in spirit. Probably a rumor of the expected confederacy (Jeremiah 27:3) had troubled their minds, and the discontent was increased by the pernicious discourses of prophets and sooth sayers similar to that Hananiah of whom we have just heard. Two of these in particular are mentioned, and a terrible fate is held out to them. The appendix (verses 24-32) de

BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT HEARKENED TO MY WORDS, SAITH THE LORD,.... Which were spoken to them by the prophets; not hearkening to them, but despising them, were the same as not hearkening to him, and despising him; contempt of God, and his word, was the cause of their ruin; see 2 Chronicles 36:15; WHICH I SENT UNTO THEM BY MY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS; such as Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, and others: RISING UP EARLY, AND SENDING [THEM]; which denotes the frequency of their mission; the diligent care of God towards them; and his earnest solicitude for their welfare; and the plenty of means they were favoured with; all which were aggravations of their sin: BUT YE WOULD NOT HEAR, SAITH THE LORD; the words of the Lord by his prophets; the counsel and admonitions he gave them; but pursued their own ways and counsels, and listened

JEREMIAH 29. THE FUTURE OF THE EXILES IN BABYLON (_c_. 595). Jeremiah sends a letter by royal messengers to tell the exiles in Babylon to settle down there for a lengthy stay, and not to be deceived by those who say otherwise (Jeremiah 29:1). After seventy years (see on Jeremiah 25:11), they shall be restored in accordance with Yahweh's declared purpose (Jeremiah 24:4) and goodwill (Jeremiah 29:1). At this point, an insertion seems to have been made in the original letter. Most of 14 (after I will be found of you) is rightly omitted in LXX; the reference to all the nations does not suit the destination of this particula

UNTO THEM. Some codices, with four early printed editions, read "unto you". RISING UP EARLY, &C. See note on Jeremiah 7:13....

The impending fate of Zedekiah and his people. Cp. Jeremiah 24:8-10....

5. _Refutation of the false prophets in Babylon_ (Jeremiah 29:15-20) TRANSLATION (15) Because you have said, The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon(16) Surely, thus says the LORD unto the king who sits upon the throne of David, and unto all the people who dwell in this city, your brethren who did not go out with you into captivity(17) Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I am about to send against them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like rotten figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten. (18) And I will pursue them with sword, famine and pestilence; and I will make them an object of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse, an astonishment, a hissing and a reproach among all nations where I have driven them, (19) because they did not hearken unto MY words (oracle of the LORD) when I earnestly and persistently sent My se