Jeremiah 44
DOYLY— for then had we plenty of victuals, &c.] They compare their former condition before the invasion of Judea, and the siege of Jerusalem, with their present state: and argue from the fallacious topick of worldly prosperity, that then they must needs have been in the right. W. Lowth.
Ver. 3. — the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow;] The sorrow, which I felt for the threatenings denounced against my country and religion, is increased by my own troubles, being sought after by the king’s command in order to be put to death. See chap. xxxvi. 26. W. Louth.
Jeremiah 44:4
- — that which I have built will I break down, &c.] The land and people, which have so long flourished under the peculiar care of my providence, I resolve now
Jeremiah 44:19
- And when we burned incense &c.] These are the words of the women, who were the most zealous promoters of this idolatry: see ver. 15. W. Lowth.
— without our men?] By the law of Moses, the men had an independent power of binding themselves by any religious vow or obligation; but the vows of the women were not binding, without the knowledge and consent of their fathers and husbands; but, if the father or husband knew of the vow, and did not signify his dissent at the time, his consent was presumed, and the vow stood firm and irrevocable, Numb. xxx. 1—16. This appeal therefore to the concurrence of their men must be considered as coming from the female part of the assembly only, who thereby appear to declare, that, since they were thus authorized by those, who alone had a legal right to control them, they should not submit to any other restraint upon their inclination. Dr. Blayney.
Jeremiah 44:22
- So that the Lord could no longer bear, &c.] God’s patience is elsewhere said to be wearied out by men’s continued provocations: see Isa. vii. 13; xliii. 24; Mal. ii. 17. W. Lowth.
Before CHRIST 587. Or, husbands? The destruction of Pharaoh. Jeremiah comforteth Baruch. Before CHRIST 587.
your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
Jeremiah 44:26
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— my name shall no more be named &c.] These Jews seem to have joined the worship of the true God with that of idols, as the Samaritans did before them, 2 Kings xvii. 33. Thereupon God declares, He will not receive any such polluted worship at their hands; (compare Ezek. xx. 39;) nor suffer his name any longer to be profaned by such hypocrites, but will consume them by a sudden and general destruction; or will deliver them up to impentence and utter apostasy. W. Louth.
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— I will give Pharaoh-hophra into the hand of his enemies, &c. Pharaoh was a common name to all the kings of Egypt. As the predecessor of this king was called Pharaoh-nechoh, by way of distinction, 2 Kings xxii. 29; so this king was called Pharaoh hoplins, or Apries, as Herodotus calls him. W. Louth. Ezekiel represents him as an arrogant impious prince, as “the great dragon” or crocodile, “that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself,” Ezek. xxiv. 3; and agreeably to this, Herodotus informs us that Apries proudly and wickedly boasted of “having established his kingdom so surely, that it was not in the power of any god to dispossess him of it.” However Jeremiah here foretold, that he should be taken and slain by his enemies: and accordingly he was taken and strangled by Amasis, who
Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.
Before CHRIST 589. ### CHAP. XLV.