Jeremiah 11

Jeremiah 11:5

5. — Then answered I, and said, So be it, O Lord.] The Prophet confirms the words of this curse, according to the form prescribed in Deut. xxvii. 28; and thereby approves the justice of it. W. Louth. 9. — A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, &c.] The men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have banded together and conspired wilfully in evil, and have resolved to encourage each other in wickedness. Bp. Holl. 11. — though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.] Their destruction was irreversible upon supposition of their continuance in their evil ways, which God foresaw they would do. W. Louth.

Jeremiah 11:13

13. — shameful thing.] See notes at chap. iii. 24. and upon the men of Anathoth, for conspiring to kill Jeremiah. Before CHRIST about 668. f Chap. 7. 16. & 11. 11. g Isa. 1. 11. &c. is to my betured to my house? thy evil is.

Jeremiah 11:15

15. What hath my beloved to do in mine house, &c.] What have the Jews, once my beloved people, to do in my house, saith God, seeing they have committed spiritual fornication with many idols; and those sacrifices, which now they pretend to offer, are not holy oblations, but profane and common flesh? Yes, O my people, thou art come to that height of impiety, as that thou rejoicest in evil. Bp. Hall.

— the holy flesh is passed from thee? The flesh of thy sacrifices, which thou offerest up unto me, as an atonement for thy sins, doth not at all profit thee, being polluted and rendered unacceptable to me, through those many and great sins, in which thou continuest without remorse, and even takest a pride in committing them: see chap. vi; and compare Hag. ii. 12—14. W. Lowth.

Jeremiah 11:16

16. The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, &c.] St. Paul plainly alludes to this verse, Rom. xi. 17. The Jewish nation, in its flourishing state, is sometimes compared to a vine, sometimes to an olive tree, chiefly because of the fruits of good works, which God might justly expect from them, after all the care and pains He had bestowed upon them, to make them thrive and fructify. See Ps. hi. 8. W. Lowth.

— with the noise of a great tumult] These words signify the confused murmur of the Chaldean army, coming tumultuously to desolate Jerusalem and its dependencies with fire and sword. Dr. Blayney.

Jeremiah 11:18

18. And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, &c.] This relates to the evil designs of the men of Anathoth against the Prophet, which, he saith, God had revealed to him. See the following verses. W. Lowth.

Jeremiah 11:19

19. — Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, &c.] Let us not only burn his prophecies, but kill the man: let us despatch him from off the earth. Bp. Hall.

and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

Jeremiah 11:20

20. — let me see thy vengeance on them: &c.] O God, I do not desire it in any malice to them, or thirst of revenge, but in a holy zeal for thy glory: being by Thee so directed, and committing my cause to Thee, I pray for a sight of thy just retribution to them. Bp. Hall.

Jeremiah 11:23

23. — the year of their visitation.] When I will visit their sins upon them: see chap. xxiii. 12; xlvi. 21; xlviii. 44; l. 27. The words “year” and “day” often signify a set or determined time. See Isa. lxi. 2. W. Lowth.

Chap. XII. The Prophet here ventures freely, though with professions of confidence in the Divine justice, to expostulate with God concerning the prosperity of wicked men in general; whose punishment he solicits, attesting the mischiefs that were continually brought on the land by their unrestrained wickedness, ver. 1—4. In reply he is forewarned to expect, that, in proportion to the power of his enemies, his own personal grievances would naturally increase; whilst the distractions of the state and the unkindness of his kinsfolks, precluded him all hopes of either publick or private redress, ver. 5, 6. But God expressly challenges the national calamities as the result of his own special determination and judgment. He had discarded his people for their malicious behaviour towards Him, and they were therefore given up to the outrage and devastation of fierce and merciless invaders, ver. 7—13. At last He promises them a restoration in future, and threatens punishment upon their heathen neighbours who had oppressed them; but with this reservation, that such of these, as would come over to his established worship, He would receive and incorporate into his Church; but the unbelieving part should be utterly extirpated. Dr. Blayney.

Ver. 1. Righteous art thou, O Lord, &c.] Though I Before CHRIST about 668. b I Sam. 16. 7. I Chron. 28. 9. Ps. 7. 9. ch. 17. 10. & 20. 12. Rev. 2. 23. upon. God lamenteth the desolation of his heritage. Before CHRIST about 608. retain the case with thee. a Jonah 21. 7. Ps. 37. 1. & 75. 3. Hab. 1. 4. go on. b Ps. 17. 3. thee. c Ps. 107. 34. d Chap. 9. 4. cried after thee fully.

doubt not of thy justice and holiness, yet suffer me to argue with Thee concerning the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous: a dispensation, which hath in all ages been made an objection against Providence, and upon that account been a stumbling-block even to good men: see Job xii. 6; xxi. 7, &c.; Ps. xxxvii. and lxxiii. W. Lowth.