Jeremiah 7

They persuaded themselves that God would not suffer the temple to be profaned by heathens, though themselves had profaned it by their hypocrisy and idolatry. In reply to this foolish presumption, the Lord, by his prophet, directs them to look at Shiloh, where his name was first recorded, and to profit by the fate of their sister kingdom of Israel, which had been ruined by the like vain confidence that they now indulged. “The great doctrines and precepts of the Scriptures should be proclaimed in the most public manner; and those who are employed in this service, must not fear the faces or respect the persons of men, whatever be their rank or office. Faithful preaching ought to attend on the administration of other sacred ordinances; that men may be warned not to rest in forms, and to beware of irreverence and hypocrisy.—No observances, creeds, or experiences, in which men glory and confide, will profit them; if they do not sincerely and thoroughly amend their ways and doings.

They may in various ways trust in lying words, and in the words of lying teachers, presuming themselves to be the people of God, and entitled to all the blessings of his covenant; whilst they neglect justice and equity, oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and widow, or commit other atrocious crimes: but if God would not suffer Israel to inhabit Canaan, when they thus abused their privileges; will he admit those into heaven who copy their example.”—T. Scott.

Notes on the verses

Chap. VII. Ver. 4. The temple of the Lord are these.—Compare (Matthew 24:2). Ver. 10. Which is called by my name.—See margin. See (1 Kings 8:29), &c. Ver. 18. The children gather wood, &c.—This verse has been cited as an instance of the zeal and activity of idolaters; men, women, and children, all employed. O that Christians were as zealous as the heathen!—The queen of heaven—or of the heavens. Some versions render it, “the hosts of heaven;” others, “the regency of the heavens;” but some copies read as in our margin. {Though several MSS. and editions have melechath, “workmanship,” instead of meecheth, “queen,” yet the latter reading seems the true one, as the LXX. in the parallel place, and the Vulgate uniformly, have “the queen of heaven;” by which there can be little doubt is meant the Moon.}—Ver. 21. Put your burnt-offerings unto your sacrifices—That is, take away both together, and eat them as food: what care I for them? Ver. 22. Concerning burnt-offerings, &c.—See margin. This passage has been brought to oppose the divine authority of the Jewish sacrifices. Many learned men have remarked, that it is an idiom of the Hebrew language, to affirm one thing and deny another, when the writer means only to give a strong preference of one before the other: thus (Hosea 6:6). “I will have mercy and not sacrifice;” i.e. I greatly prefer mercy before sacrifice. See Dr. S. Clarke’s Sermon on Government of Passion. Also Gataker, Blayney, Boothroyd, &c.

in loc. Doddridge in (Matthew 12:7). [Or rather, as the particle, al, also signifies, “for the sake of.” (See (Genesis 26:1). (Leviticus 4:3). (Lamentations 5:17). (Amos 1:36).) God certainly did speak to the people when he brought them out of Egypt, and gave them positive ordinances concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices; but he did not command these things purely on his own account, and merely for the sake of them, but as a means to lead the people to sincere obedience.]—Ver. 24. Went backward—That is, like a refractory heifer. (Hosea 4:16). Ver. 29 Cut off thy hair—a sign of deep mourning. See Isaiah xv. 2. (Jeremiah 16:6). Ver. 30. Abominations—That is, idols. Ver. 31. Tophet.—See note on (Isaiah 30:33).; xvi. 24.

Compare (Deuteronomy 13:81). Ver. 33. Fouls of the heaven—that is, birds of prey.—Fray—that is, drive. Chap. VIII. Ver. 1. The bones of the king of Judah.—The motive to this outrage is supposed to have been the hope of plunder, since it was customary to bury great treasures in the tombs of royalty, as Josephus informs us was the case with David’s. But we have no account of his tomb being opened before the times of Archelaus and Herod the Great.—{This was no mine: a practice at the sacking of cities; and it was the highest expression of hatred and “And her great founder’s hallowed ashes spurn, That slept uninjured in the sacred urn.”—Francis.}—Bagster. Ver. 4. Moreover thou shalt say, &c.—[Blayney Dacigsd observes, that the change of speakers here requires to be carefully attended to.

The prophet first, in the name of God, reproves the people, and threatens them with grievous calamities, v. 4—13. Then, apostrophizing his countrymen, he advises them to retire with him to some fortified city, ver. 14—16. God then threatens to bring foes against them that are irresistible, ver. 17. The prophet next commiserates the daughter of his people, who is heard bewailing her forlorn case: whilst the voice of God breaks in upon her complaints, and shows that all this ruin is brought upon her by her infidelities, v. 18—20. The prophet regrets that her wound not been healed, and laments over her slain, v. 21—ch. 9. 1.]—Bagster.—Shall they fall and not arise again?—That is, shall they persist in their apostacy, and not accept the merciful invitation to return?

Ver. 6. Every one turned to his course.—Blayney, “Every one that turneth away, runneth on full speed.” Ver. 7. Yea, the stork, &c.—[Rather, “and the swallow, and the crane,” &c.: for the first word sis, is rendered swallow by the LXX., Symmachus (in (Isaiah 38:14).), and Vulgate: and Bochart, who assigns the note of this bird for the reason of its name, says, that the Italians about Venice call it zésil’a, and its twittering, zisillare. The second word agur, is rendered a crane by the Targumist; who is followed by the Rabbins, and the most learned Christian interpreters; and Bochart thinks it is so called from its cry; observing, that the names of this bird in several languages, are formed by onomatopoeia.]—Bagster.

These migratory birds, who all know their time of return to their country, are brought forward to shame these people, who know not when to return to God. Ver. 8. In vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.—See margin. That is, God made the law in vain, and the scribes copy it in vain, if men will not regard it. So Gataker. See Hosea viii. 12. Ver. 14. Water of gall.—See margin.—Blayney, “Of hemlock.” So our translators render it, Hosea x. 4. (Amos 6:12). Ver. 15. We looked.—Blayney, “Look” for peace; but no good came.—Blayney, “There is no good.” Ver. 16. Snorting of horses.—[Grotius observes after Jerome, that Nebuchadnezzar, having subdued Phoenicia, passed through Dan, in his way to Jerusalem.]—Bagster.—Of his strong ones.—(Of his war-horses.

This is a fine image: so terrible was the united neighings of the cavalry of the Babylonians, that the reverberation of the air caused the ground to tremble.]—B. Ver. 17. Cockatrices.—Blayney, “Basilisks.” See note, (Proverbs 23:32). Ver. 19. Behold the voice of the cry, &c.—(The country of them that are afar off.)—Bagster.—“From a far country.” Blayney. The words because of, &c. are properly omitted. Ver. 22. Is there no balm in Gilead?—This balm, (or balsam,) according to Bruce, is a native of Abyssinia. Josephus says, it was first brought to Judea by the Queen of Sheba; but Bruce thinks it was imported 1000 years before. Taylor’s Scrip. Index. Bochart, however, thinks it nothing but the resin of the Terebinth, or turpentine tree, well known to have healing virtues, and a native of Gilead.

See (Genesis 37:25).