Jeremiah 23

&c.] This wonderful work of God’s, in restoring the Jewish nation after their dispersions all the world over, together with the bringing in of the fulness of the Gentiles, which will be also effected by these means, will so far exceed the miracles which He wrought in their deliverance out of Egypt, that this latter will not deserve to be compared or mentioned with the former. W. Louth. Meanwhile, the deliverance of Israel after the flesh is infinitely surpassed by the rescue of Israel after the spirit from a tyranny and bondage, with which the Egyptian is not worthy of being named. And the remembrance of the former is in great measure swallowed up and defaced by the abolition of those ceremonial rites and festivals; in the place of which have succeeded the two Christian sacraments, and our seasons of publick thanksgiving, as commemorations and perpetual monuments of this latter and better redemption. Dean Stanhope. 9. Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; The following head of prophecy, though probably delivered at the same time with the foregoing one, treats of a subject entirely different. Jeremiah testifies the horror he felt within him on contemplating the wickedness of the priests and prophets of Judah, and the vengeance which God was about to execute upon them for the corruption which had been diffused through the whole land, by the influence of their evil doctrines and example, ver. 9-15. He exhorts the people in the name of God, not to listen to the words of the prophets, who prophesied of peace when evil was determined, and would infallibly take place, as would in time appear; and charges those prophets with speaking of themselves, and not from the Divine commission, ver. 16-22. God asserts his omnipresence and ommiscence; and reproveeth the audaciousness of the false prophets, who affected to place their own idol dreams on a level with the all-powerful and efficacious word of Divine revelation; declaring Himself against the several species of those impostors, ver. 23-32. In fine, He requireth all sorts of persons to desist from an indecency in common use, of styling his word “a burden;” and threatens severely to punish those, who, in defiance of this command, should continue to cast such a slur upon it. Dr. Blayney. all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, &c.] The Prophets were sometimes struck with a dreadful apprehension of those judgments which they denounced upon others. See the note on chap. xv. 18; Isa. xv. 5; Hab. iii. 6. W. Louth.

right.] Or, “And their violence is evil,” as in the margin. Men abuse their power to the wronging and oppressing of their brethren, and add violence to the power they are possessed of, in order to compass their wicked designs. W. Lowth. 11. — in my house have I found their wickedness. See the note on chap. vii. 30. 13, 14. — I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; &c.] He compares the sins of the prophets of Samaria and of those of Jerusalem together, and pronounces the latter to be more enormous; because the prophets of Jerusalem pronounced their false prophecies in the name of the true God, and made Him responsible for all their impostures: the wickedness of their lives also reflected dishonour upon his name and religion. Compare chap. iii. 11. W. Lowth. 15. For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, &c.] As if the Prophet had said, Who among these false prophets can pretend to have the secret counsels of the Almighty communicated to him? Compare 1 Cor. ii. 16. W. Lowth.

Ver. 1. — two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord.] The vision represented two such baskets of figs, as used to be offered up for first-fruits at the temple. See Deut. xxvi. 2. W. Louth.

— the carpenters and smiths, The former is a general name for any handiersatsman, whether working in wood or in metal: it is probable that the latter word means properly the “armourers.” And it is reasonable to presume that the king of Babylon would be solicitous to carry off all these, with intent not only to employ them in his own service, but to prevent the Jews who were left behind, from furnishing themselves with arms in case of a revolt. Dr. Blayney.

Jeremiah 23:6

6. — I will build them, and not pull them down.] This may be understood both of the prosperous estate, which God would give them in the land of their captivity, and likewise contains a promise of restoring them and their posterity to their own country, chap. xxix. 10. W. Louth.

Jeremiah 23:7

7. And I will give them an heart to know me, &c.] Compare chap. xxix. 12, 13. To these first captives chiefly belong those blessings, which are promised to the Jews upon their return from captivity; such as were the knowledge and fear of God, and grace to live in obedience to his commandments: compare chap. xxx. 22; xxxi. 33; xxxii. 34, 39. These were accomplished in the times after the captivity, when the Jews adhered constantly to their religion, and were very careful not to fall into idolatry. W. Louth.

b Deut. 30. 6. ch. 32. 39. Exch. 11. 19. & 36. 26. 27. c Chap. 30. 22. & 31. 33. & 32. 38. d Chap. 29. 17.

Jeremiah 23:10

10. • for because of swearing the land mourneth;] However slightly some may think of taking God’s name in vain, it is a notorious fact, that all manner of crimes grow common and barefaced along with it: and therefore, in proportion as that increases among any people, they gradually ripen for destruction. Accordingly we find the Prophet here declaring expressly, that, “because of swearing the land mourneth.” And Hosea God’s fearful judgments against false prophets. Before CHRIST 599. Or. violence. their || course is evil, and their force is not right.

Jeremiah 23:19

19. Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord &c.] This is spoken metaphorically. See chap. iv. 11, 12. prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:20

20. The anger of the Lord shall not return, &c.] “It shall not return unto me void,” as we read in Isa. lv. 11. The expression is taken from a messenger, who comes back without executing his commission. W. Lowth. — in the latter days ye shall consider] At last ye shall by woeful experience find all this verified, and shall then be deeply affected by it. Bp. Holl.

Jeremiah 23:22

22. But if they had stood in my counsel, &c.] If they had received a commission and directions from me, and had delivered them accordingly to my people, they would have laboured to turn them back from their vicious courses. Bp. Holl. 23. Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can these false prophets think to impose upon me, or vent their own dreams in my name, and I not discover them? As if either distance or secrecy could place any thing out of the reach of my power and knowledge. W. Lowth. In these words are set forth three Divine perfections, to expose the folly of those wicked men who thought, or who acted as if they thought, that they could sin securely, and that God had no knowledge, and took no notice, of their ways. God therefore, by the mouth of his Prophet, declares that He is present in all places: “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” He declares, that no transactions can escape his inspection: “Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.” These two perfections are mentioned expressly. A third is plainly implied, namely, his irresistible power: for if a sinner, who thinks to con- Before CHRIST 599. b Chap. 6. 14. & 8. 11. Exch. 13. 10. Zech. 10. 2. Or. stubbornness.

Jeremiah 23:28

28. The prophet that hath a dream, &c.] Away with all fraud in this holy service: that prophet, which hath but dreamed, let him confess it is but a dream; and he that hath indeed a vision and word from me, let him deliver it as my message faithfully: for what hath this “chaff” of idle dreams to do with the pure grain of my visions and revelations? Bp. Hall. The difference between true prophecies and counterfeits is as evident as that between “the chaff” and “the wheat.” W. Lowth.

Jeremiah 23:29

29. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer] Like a “fire,” to dissolve and melt the hearts of relenting sinners; but like a strong “hammer,” to batter and break in pieces the rocky and flinty consciences of obstinate and hardened offenders. Witness Saul submitting to the reproof of Samuel, 1 Sam. xv. 24; the Ninevites repenting at the menaces of Jonas, Jonah iii. 5; Felix trembling at the reasoning of St. Paul, Acts xxiv. 25; and Ahab mourning, when Elijah telleth him of his sin, and forewarns him of his punishment, 1 Kings xxi. 29. That, which in the Epistle to the Hebrews is spoken, if I mistake not, of the essential Word of God, the second Person in the ever blessed Trinity, is also in an analogy true of the revealed word of God, the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles; Vol. II.

Jeremiah 23:30

30. — the prophets, — that steal my words] That fraudulently keep back the word of the Lord from the people; and that take from each other, by compact and agreement, those prophecies, which themselves have falsely devised, and unjustly ascribed to God. Bp. Hall.

Jeremiah 23:31

31. — that use their tongues, and say, &c.] Who, by their smooth tongues, persuade the people it is the word of the Lord which they deliver, when it is nothing but their own fancy. Bp. Hall.

Jeremiah 23:33

33. And when this people, &c.] The remaining part of this chapter is directed against those who called the word of God, spoken by the true Prophets, “a burden,” by way of reproach; meaning, that it always portended evil, and never good; a burden signifying a calamitous prophecy. Ahab intended to cast the same slur on the Prophet Micaiah, when he represented him as one that “never prophesied good concerning him, but evil,” 1 Kings xxii. 8. Dr. Blayney. The Jews quibbled on the word, which in the original has different senses. See the note on Isa. xiii. 1.

Jeremiah 23:36

36. — every man’s word shall be his burden; &c.] You shall be severely accountable for your loose and profane speeches, wherewith you deride and pervert the words and messages of God Himself. W. Lowth. The words of God were delivered with a salutary tendency to warn sinners of the danger of their situation, and to call them to repentance. Those therefore, who make a right use of them, will have no cause to complain; but

Jeremiah 23:39

39. — I will utterly forget you.] Rather, “I will take you up altogether;” “I will carry you away, or remove you,” as a burden; with a more striking and pertinent allusion to what was said in the foregoing verses. W. Louth, Dr. Blayney.

Chap. XXIV. This is one of those prophecies, which were delivered after the reign of Jehoiakim, and in the former or peaceable part of Zedekiah’s reign, before he renounced his allegiance to the king of Babylon: of those prophecies the following appears to be the most proper arrangement: chap. xxiv. xxix, xxx, xxxi. xxvii, xxviii.

We cannot be mistaken in placing this chapter at the very beginning of Zedekiah’s reign, within the first year at least, since the vision is dated from after the carrying away of Jeconiah and the people with him into captivity, as from an event which happened but a little before.

Under the type of good and bad figs, God represented to Jeremiah the different manner in which He should deal with the people that were carried away captive, and with those that were left behind; shewing his favour and kindness to the former in their restoration and re-establishment; but pursuing the latter with unrelenting judgments unto utter destruction. Dr. Blayney.

and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.