Jeremiah 16
DortGod commandeth the Prophet to have neither wife nor childe in Juda, neither to be present at mourning-feasts, nor at joyful banquets, to represent thereby unto the people the approaching misery, vers.1,&c .At relation of the sins, that were the cause of plagues ,10. Between these God adjoyneth a gracious promise of the deliverance of his people, 14. and after that proceedeth in his threatenings , and a relations of the causes thereof, 16. The Prophet comforteth himself , and comfoundeth the Jews, by the future calling and conversion of the Idolatrous Gentiles,19.
1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
2. Thou shall not take [That is, marry, see Gen.19 on vers.14.]thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons nor daughters in this place.[which thou mightest beget: whereby the misery of the times that were coming is represented.]
3. For thus saith theLORD concerning the sons, and concerning the daughters that are born in this place: and moreover concerning their fathers that beget them in this land.
4. They shall die painful deaths,[Hebr. Deaths of sickness, or, diseases, painfulness ;which may likewise be understood of deadly diseases.]they shall not be lamented, [Compare below chap.25.33.] nor buried, [Compare above chap.14.16.] they shall be as dung upon the earth;[compare above chap.9.22.] and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by the famine, and their dead bodies [Hebr.dead body; as below, verse 18. and above chap.7.33, etc.] shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
5. For thus saith the LORD; Enter not into the house of him thsat keepeth a mourning-feast,[Or, mourning steward, of him that hath the rule and managing of affairs in mourning-banquets, which feasts were ordained and kept for to mourn and grieve at the death of their friends, or to comfort one another that grieed for the losse of their friends by death, but they committed at in those feasts all manner of pride, wantoness, and excess, as may be gathered from Amos 6:7. where the like Hebrew word is used, and no where else in the Holy Scripture, for which it is also diversly translated. See further of the scope of this command, on vers.8. And compare Job 27:15. Psa.78.6. Ezech.2.22. Amos 6:10. Especially doth all this agree with that which God caused to be prophesied in Babylon unto the people of the Jews by the Prophet Ezechiel, and to be pourtrayed by a miracle the that Jerusalem was beseiged by Nebchadnezar, Ezech.24.] neither go into lament, nior be grieved for them: for I have taken away [Hebr. Properly gathered. See of the Hebr. Word,Psal. 26. vers.9.] peace from this people, saith the LORD, loving kindnesse, and mercies.
6. So that great and small shall die in this land, they shallnot be buried: neither shall men lament for them; [Hebr. They shall not lament for them; that is, men shall not lament for them, or they shall not be lamented. See Job.4 on v 19. So in the sequel] nor cut themselves, [To wit, in the flesh of their bodies, as Lev.19.27,28. And 21.5,6. Deuteronomy 14:1. for a token of mourning] nor make (themselves) bald for their sakes. [For the like end, after the manner of the heathen, which the Jews did imitate, contrary to Gods command. See Lev.21.5. and Deut.14.1. And compare below chapter 41.5. and 47.5 and 48.37.]
7. Neither shall men deal unto them in the mourning, meaning any bread; [that is, meat, (which jooynedd with the Hebrew verb, Isai. 58.7. Lament.4.4) whih friends and neighbours did use to send , or to carry into the house of mourning, or to the place where the friends met together at the mourninnng-banquet, to comfort and cheer up those that were sad and heavy, as followeth, eating and drinking with them. See Deut.26. On vers.14. Ezech.2.17,22. This doth very well agree with the sequel, where mention is made of drinking. Some understand it of the dividing, or, stretching out, wringing of the bands, which indeed was wont to be done in great mourning] to comfort any for one, that is dead: nor give them to drink out of the cup of consolation, for any ones father, or for any ones mother.
8. Go also into an house of feasting, to fit with them: to eat and drink. [Oth. house of drinking. Meaning where a merry feast, or great banquet is kept. As if God had said; Thou shalt have nothing to do with their sorrow or joy. From the former 5th verse, and the following 8th verse, some take both these commands to be as it were predictions of such a multitude of dead persons, and of such a general calamity , and with all of such a general calamity, and with all of such a curse of God, as that there shall be no minding time , nor leisure of mourning, or of rejoying.]
9. For thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place before your eyes, and in your dayes, the voice of the mirth, and the voice of gladnesse, [which was wont to be heard at joyful feasts and weddings] the voice of the Bridegroom, and the voice of the Bride. [Compare Isai.2.7.8 above chap.735. Nbbelow chapter 25.10. Ezech. 26.13.]
10. And it shall come to passe, when thou shall tell this people that all these words, and they (shall) say unto thee; doth the LORD pronounce all this great evil against us, and what is our offence , and what is our sin, which we have sinned against the LORD our God.
11. That thou shalt say unto them; Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other Gods, and served them, and bowed themselves down before them: but have forsaken me, and (have) not kept my law:
12. And ye have done worse then your fathers: [Hebr.have done evil, doing, or, more then,&c. Compare above chapter 7.26.] for behold, ye walk, everyone after the imagination of his (own) heart, [see above chap.3.on vers.17. And 9.1. and 13.10.] not to hearken unto me. [Compare above chap.11.10. and 13.10. below chap.17.23.]
13. Therefore will I cast you out of this Land, [see Deut.4.27. And 28.64,65.] into a Land, that ye have not known, [That is, have not seen; or wherein have not lived or conversed : for otherwise they knew well enough, that there was ba Land that was called Chaldea, or, Babel. So elsewhere often] ye, nor your fathers: and there shall ye serve other Gods, day and night; because I will not give you favour. [Or, where I, &c. Oth. as long long as I shall give you no favour .That is, until the time that I shall give you grace and favour in the eyes of king Cyrus, who shall release you, to return again to your own countrey, etc. Which favour [would not give unto you uder the rein of the former Kings of Babel. Compare Deut.28.65,66,67.]
14. Therefore [Compare Hos.2.13. With the annotat.] Behold, the dayes come, saith the LORD; that it shall no more be said [it shall no more be said; that is, not so much, nor feelingly as before: (compare the phrase with the above chap.3. on vers.36.Prov.8.on vers.10. Hos.6.on vers.6.) Partly, because the misery, which they should suffer from the Babylonians, should be far greater, and more cruel,(which God inculcateth and whetteth upon them in these 2 verses) then that which they had suffered from the Egyptians, and consequently this new deliverance, should be more glorious. Prtly also , because in this respect is likewise had to their future deliverance or redemption from the spiritual Babel, which uor saviour Christ would not onely bring tothe elect remnant of the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, whereof is clearly spoken in the last verses of this chapter: for which transcendent benefit, they should all of them serve and honour their Saviour, which is likewise intimated by the afore-mentioned of oath. Compare below chap.23.7,8. Isai.43.18,19,etc.] (as true as) the LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt:
15. But (as true as) the LORD liveth, that brought the children of Israel out of the land of the North, [Babel, and the spiritual captivity and misery thereby typified,] and from all the Lands, whither he hath driven them: for I will bring them again into their Land, that I gave unto their fathers.
16. Behold, I will send to many fishers, saith the LORD, they shall fish them: and after that I will send to my hunters, they hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, [That is, I will by my divine and righteous providence raise up enemies unto them, that shall deal with them as fishers are wont to deal with fish, and hunters with wilde beasts; that is hunt, hurt, catch, and carry away. Some understand here by the fishers, the Egyptians, that (living in a Country abounding with water) dealt much in fishing, Isai.19.8. See 2 Kings 23:29,33,etc. By the hunters, the Babylonians. Compare Genes.10.8,9. Others understand by both, the Babylonians. Compare Habak.1.14,15. Oth. I will send forth many, or great fishers, &c. Some understand this of this sending forth of the Apostles for the conversion of the Jews. Compare Ezek.47.9,10. with the annotat.] ye out of the clifts of the rocks. [That they may be nowhere secure, no not in such places, where otherwise men are commonly wont to hide themselves.]
17. For mine eyes are upon all their wayes; [I take notice of all their purposes and practises. It is spoken of God after the manner of men. Compare Job 34:21. Prov.5.21. Below chap 32.19. How such kind ofe of phrase is also used for good., see 1 Kings 8. on verse. 29.] they are not hid from my face, neither (is0 their iniquity, concealed from mine eyes.
18. Therefore will I first [Before I shew them the mecry, and favour, mentioned, vers.15.] recompense their iniquity, and their sin double, [That is, to the full; as Isai..40.2. Below chap.17.18.] because they have profaned Land: [Cannan. See Psal.68. On ver.10. Compare above chap.3.2.] they have filled mine inheritance with the dead bodies of their detestations and their abominations. [Hebr. dead body; as above vers.4. To wit, of men, whom they slew and offered unto Idols. See below chap.19.5. Ezech.16.20,21. Or (as some understand it) with all their Idols and idolatrous offerings, which stank in the sight and presence of God like a dead rotten carcase, because they were unlawful and idolatrous. See Lev.26.30. You may likewise compare herewith, Ezech.43.7.]
19. O LORD, thou art my force, and my strength, and my refuge in the day of distresse: unto thee shall the gentiles come forth from the ends of the earth, [The Prophet being grieved at the peoples abominations, and troubled at Gods sore judgements, raiseth himself up by his faith, and the certainty of Gods promises; as if he had said: Yet in all this I take thee for my God alone, and abhor all manner of Idolatory: and though thou therefore shouldst be constrained to cut off this people, and to remove them away out of thy presence, yet I know that thou wilt most gloriously fill up the room again, by the gracious and conversion of the Gentiles, who with the elect remnant of the Jews shall know and serve thee better, then this wicked people doth, as followeth] and say; surely our fathers have possessed hereditarily [Or, left for an inheritance] lying (and) vanity, [See above chap14. On vers.22. That is, have lived a very long time, successively, in ignorance of thetrue God, and in idolatory,and have taken comfort and delight, and left the same for an inheritance unto their children.] wherein there was nothing indeed, that profited.
20. Shall a man manke Gods unto himself? [This may be taken in geneal,as a detestation, and abhorring of all Idolatory whatsoever, both of Jews and Gentiles.] yet they are no Gods. [To wit, the Gods that are made; that is, Idols; as above chap.2.11. Or, (as some) whereas they themselves (To wit, men) are no Gods: As if the Prophet should say; It is the foolishest thing that can be, that a man that is indeed no God himself, should undertake to make a God.
21. Therefore behold, I will make known unto them [unto this Idolatrous people] at this time; I will make unto them my hand, and my mind: [That is, shew by my judgements, that I am the onely Almighty God] and they shall know, that my name is the LORD. [see Genes.2.on vers.4.]