Jeremiah 22
DortGod sendeth the prophet to the court to tell them there what they had to do if they were meant to prosper verse 1 c forasmuch as they practiced the contrary he threateneth the kings house and Jerusalem with utter ruin and destruction 6. A prophesy concerning Sallum 10 Jojakim 13 Chonia 24.
1. Thus saith the Lord go down to the house of Juda and speak there this word
2. And say hear the word of the lord thou King of Judah that thou fittest upon the throne of David thou and thy servant and thy people that enter in by these gates.
3. Thus saith the Lord do judgment and justice [see 1 Kings 10 on verse 9] and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor [as above chapter 21.12] oppress not [or plague spoil not] the stranger the fatherless nor the widow [compare above chapter 7.6] do no violence [to them or to any man] neither shed the innocent blood in this place.
4. For if e shall do this thing [or this word] seriously [Heb doing shall do] then shall they enter in by the gates of his house Kings sitting upon the throne of David [that is David’s place] riding upon charets and upon horses he [the king that shall beat that time] and his servants and his people:
5. On the contrary if ye not hear theses words I have seen by myself saith the Lord that this house shall become desolation.
6. For thus saith the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah thou art a Gilead unto me [that is so blessed by me with all things that are desirable and pleasant as that thou art like unto the land of Gilead see Genesis 37:25 or as some thou shalt be unto me &c that I will so little pity or spare thee as I have done Gilead see 2Kings 15.29] an height of Libanon [so exalted in honor and dignity as the top of Libanon or the highest cedar that has stand upon it Heb. Head] but if I make thee not as a wilderness and cities not inhabited [an abrupt kind of speech must be used in making oaths see Deuteronomy 1 on verse 35.]
7. For I will hallow [that is separate ordain appoint prepare arm see Isaiah 13 on verse2 and compare above chapter 6 on verse 4] destroyers against thee everyone with his furniture they shall cut down thy choice of cedars [Heb. The choice of cedars is the sequel sheweth thy best and choiceth houses built of cedar-wood compare above chapter 21.14and below 14.15 and the phrase with Genesis 23:6] and cast them into the fire [or throw them down for the fire.]
8. Then many heathen [or nations] shall pass by this city and shall say every man to his neighbor wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city ? [See Deuteronomy 29:24 1 Kings 9:8.]
9. And they shall say [that is they shall answer] because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have bowed themselves down before other gods and served there.
10. Weep not for the dead neither bemoan him [namely good king Josiah who lately died in the battle against pharaoh Nacho and was greatly lamented by the people 2Kings 23.29 2 Chronicles 35:23,24 this king was taken away before the fearful desolations came as was foretold 2Kings 22.20] weep wholly [Heb. Weep weeping] ] for him that is gone away [to wit Iobas whom Pharaoh Necho had carried away captive into Egypt 2Kings 23.33,24 where he also died some apply this to king Joachim who was afterwards carried away captive into Babel and died there 2Kings 24.15 and 25.29 as also Zedekiah 2 Kings 25:7 and render in the go away but the following words are to be heeded [for he shall never return to see the land of his nativity.
11. For thus saith the Lord concerning Sallum the son of Josiah King of Judah [this Sallum is according to the opinion of some Joahas called also Jehoahas and Johanan the son of Josia see 2Kings 23.31 2 Chronicles 36:1,2 compare 2Kings 15.13 and 23.31 in 1 Chronicles 3:15 a forth son of Josiah is called by this name]who reigned instead of Josiah his father who went forth out of his place he shall never return thither again.
12. But he shall die in the place wither they have carried him away captive and ye shall see this land no more.
13. Wo unto him that builteth his house up righteousness [Heb. But not righteousness that is by no righteousness or without righteousness or ah or thou buildest &c this as also that which hath followeth hath respect to King Jojakim see below verse 18who was changed with pride excess injustice covetousness and tyranny] and his upper rooms by wrong [Heb. By not right]that useth his neighbors service [or serveth himself of his neighbor making use of his neighbor or that compelleth him to serve him compare below chapter 25.14 and 27.7 and 30.8 and 34.9] for naught and giveth him his wages [Heb properly work or labor that is wages work as Numbers 22:7 divinations or prediction for the wages with them see further Leviticus 19:13 Isaiah 49:4 Ezech 29.20.]
14. That saith I will built me a very high house [Heb. An house of measures that is exceedingly above measures high or great compare Numbers 13:32] and transparent upper rooms[wherein a man can have light and air enough and where the wind may blow through that is large lightsome] and he heweth him out windows and it is covered with cedar [his house is everywhere ceiled and floored with cedar beams and planks]and painted[Heb anointed or anointing that is he caused it to be painted colours or pictures]with red lead [or vermilion or purple blue some conceive that is properly indigo which is made of an Indian weed or some do ride growing Indian reed and is called Hebrew Scharschar from people in the Idies called Safuri from whence it may come the meaning is that he beatified his house with all kind of foreign rare and precious colours and pictures compare Ezech 23.14 where the very same Hebrew word is found oth. That retrench out from thence for himself my windows and which is ceiled with cedar and painteth with vermilion 7c meaning that Jojakim caused to be broke off from Gods house to accommodate his own building as much as he pleased causing it afterwards to be painted over with all manner of colours as that it could not be perceived.]
15. Shouldest thou reign [that is make thy kingdom strong and lasting against the threatening of God] because thou minglest thyself with cedar? [That is because thy strivest to surpass thy father in stateliness and bravery by cedar buildings] did not thy father [good King Josia as below verse 18] eat and drink [that is live quietly at ease and cheerfully see Ecclesiastic 3.13] and do judgment and justice [as above verse 3] and then it went well with him? [Heb. Then it was good or well to him so in the sequel compare Isaiah 3:10,11 where the Hebrew words signifying good and evil are likewise so used for faring well and ill.]
16. He judged the cause of miserable and the needy then it went well with him in not that to know me [that is an evidence and true knowledge of me]saith the Lord?
17. But thine eyes and thine heart are not but upon thy covetousness [or thy gain] and upon innocent blood is shed that an upon oppression and violence [Heb. Running as 2 Samuel 18:27 and consequently running upon understand it of violence assault trampling down bruising in pieces as here] to do them.
18. therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jojakim the son of Josiah the King of Judah they shall not bemoan him [or lament for his death [see Genesis 23on verse 2 and of Jojakins father 2 Chronicles 35:24, 25] ah my brother or ah sister [these are forms usual in lamenting for the dead] they shall not bemoan him ah Lord or ah his majesty!
19. He shall be buried with the burial of an ass [that is he shall be cast away unburied as an ass carcass] they shall drag him and cast him forth far from the gates of Jerusalem [without his land in Babel or by the way when he was carried to Babel compare 2Kings 24 on verse 6 and 2 Chronicles 36 on verse 6 below chapter 36.30.]
20. Go up to Libanon [thou daughter of my people that is the people of Judah] and cry[to the Assyrians for help this is spoken ironically as followeth] and lift up [Heb. Give] thy voice in Basan [these mountains Libanon and Basan lay in north and north-east of Canaan towards Assyria] cry also from the ferries [or passages [to wit of the rivers which they were to pass over for to go into Egypt that the Egyptians may come and help ye Hebrews Abarim which some take to be the mountain of Abarim whereof mention is made Numbers 33 on verse 47] but also thy lovers are broken [see above chapter 4 on verse 6] as if the Lord should say it is in vain for both the Assyrians and the Egyptians are subdued destroyed and made impotent by the king of Babel compare above chapter 2.36 Ezech 16.26,28and 23.7,8.]
21. I spake unto thee in thy great prosperity or quietness that is I gave thee warning when thou wast yet in prosperity] but thou sayest I will not hear [compare above chapter 5.23 and 7.23,24,25,26,27,28 and 11.7,8 and 13.10,11 and 16.12 and 17.23 and 18, 12 and 19.15] this is thy way [that is manner of doing see Genesis 6 on verse 12] from thy youth [ever since I took ye that to be my people and gave ye my laws] that thou obeyest not my voice.
22. The wind shall feed all the pastors [that is all thy spiritual rulers shall be confounded in their vain imaginations counsel and hopes which shall no more strengthen them then when a man thinketh to live by the wind compare Ecclesiastes on verse 14 Hosea 12:2 oth. eat up that is they shall vanish away like smoke without wind] and thy lovers [priest and false prophets with whom thou hast committed fornication] shall go into captivity then shalt thou surely be ashamed and confounded because of all thy wickedness.
23. Oh thou that dwellest in Libanon [that is thou that art stately and takest pride in thy buildings of cedar which thou fetchest from Libanon this seemeth principally to look at the kings house whereof in the sequel] and makest thy nest in the cedars how favored shalt thou be when pangs are come upon thee yea pain as of a woman in travel [as if the Lord should say no mercy or favor at all shall be shewed thee by the Babylonians but clean contrary as followeth : [oth. How gracious or acceptable shalt thou be or how wilt thou supplicate?]
24. As true as I live saith the Lord though Chonia [Heb. Chonjahu called also Jechonia 1 Chronicles 3:16 and Jojachim 2Kings 24.6,8] the son of Jojakim king of Judah were a seal-ring upon my right hand [that is never so lowly and comely a young men beautified and crowned by me with sundry blessings and benefits and of the seed of David wherefore they conceive that the succession would be undoubted and that they had no cause to fear any danger from Babel see the like phrase cant 8.6 Haggai 2:23] yet would I pluck thee from thence [this may be understood of Gods right hand or of Jerusalem from the kings court and from Judah in regard of his carrying away to Babel as followeth here god speaketh of Chonia himself .]
25. And I will give thee into them that seek thy soul [seek to take away thy life as often] and into the hand of them of whose face thou art afraid namely into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel and into the hand of Chaldeans.
26. And I will cast thee out and thy mother that bare thee into another land where ye were not born and there shall ye shall die.
27. And to the land whereunto their soul longeth [Heb. They lift up their soul that is whereunto they have a desire mind longing see deuteronomy24 on verse 15 return and Psalms 24 on verse 4 see below chapter 44.14] to return thither shall they not return .
28. Is then this man Chonia a despised scattered idolatrous image ?[or image that is despised and ought to be bitten in pieces so that the people are scattered abroad of the Hebrew word signifying an idol or idolatrous image see 1 Samuel 31 on verse 9 and 2 Samuel 5 on verse 21 that which is said here and in the following words is expounded by way of question as it were in the name of the people whereby the answer of God followeth it appeareth that he was much esteemed by reason of his comeliness]or is he a vessel wherein man have no pleasure ?[or wherein is no pleasant thing compare peter chapter 48.38 Hosea 8:8]wherefore are he and his seed [that is children which he might get or hath had as some do conclude from Matthew 1:12 though they succeeded him not in the kingdom as appeareth below verse 30]cast out ? Yea cast away into a land which they knew not?
29. O land, land, land! Hear the word of the Lord.
30. Thus saith the Lord write [set it down as a remembrance as a sure and irrevocable decree of the God]this same man [Chonia] childless [Heb. Quiet bereaved or the most bereaved to wit of posterity or successors as some or as others of the land and goods instead that they imagined that his seed should reign forever see hereof 1 Chronicles 3 on verse 16 the words of the verse are gods answer to the former question f the people]a man that shall not be prosperous in his days for there shall none of his seed be prosperous sitting upon the throne of David and ruling anymore in Judah some are of opinion that after the Babylonian captivity not Solomons but Nathans Solomon’s brother posterity had the government others conceive that Salathiel was his own true son by birth but that Zerrubabel that succeeded him after the Babylonian captivity was no more as a prince or governor as appeareth Haggai 1:1 and in the book of Ezra and no ways a king sitting upon the throne of David.]