Jeremiah 44

Jeremiah representeth before the eyes of the people in Egypt the former sins and punishments of Judah verse1c. he likewise prophesieth unto them their destruction in Egypt 11 the desperate obstinacy of the Jews against the prophesy 15 for which the prophesy grievously threateneth them the second time and for a token he foretelleth what shall befalleth the king of Egypt 20.

1. The word [namely of the Lord] that came unto Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt which dwell at Migdol[see Exodus 14:2] and at Tahphanes [as above chapter 43.7] at Noph [see Isaiah 19..13] and in the land of Patros [see Genesis 10 on verse14] saying:

2. Thus saith the Lord of hosts [see 1 Kings18 on verse 15] the God of Israel ye have seen all the evil [of punishment]that I have brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah and behold they are a desolation at this day and no man dwelleth in them:

3. Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger going to burn incense and to serve other Gods which they knew not they ye nor fathers.

4. and I sent unto all my servants the prophet being up early and sending [see above chapter 7 on verse 13] to say oh do not this abominable thing[Heb thing of abomination] that I hate.

5. But they hearkened not nor inclined their ears to turn from their wickedness that they should not burn incense unto other Gods.

6. Therefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth [compare above chapter 7.20 and 42.18]and hath burnt in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem so that they are become solitariness and a desolation as it is of this day.

7. And now thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel wherefore commit ye so great an evil [or guilt that is sin] against your souls [that is to your own destruction against yourselves against your lives &c compare Numbers 16 on verse 38]to cut off from you the man and the woman from little child and suckling [ see the Hebrew word Psalms 8 on verse3 out of the midst of Judah that ye may leave yourselves from remnant ? [all this implieth the Lord you will cause by this wickedness of yours you carry yourselves no otherwise then as if ye had a mind and a desire to bring these miseries upon ye so in the sequel compare above chapter 18 on verse 16.]

8. Provoking me to anger by the works of you hands burning incense unto other Gods in the land of Egypt wither ye are come to sojourn there that ye may cut yourselves off [or might cut off all remnant unto yourselves]that ye might be a curse and reproach among all the nations of the earth?

9. Have ye forgetten the wickedness[other evils that is plagues so in the sequel but compare the next verse]of your fathers and the wickedness of the kings of the Judah and the wickedness of their wives and their own wickedness’s of your wives which they [namely the fathers king &c] have committed in the land of Judah [otherwise the mischief which they to wit the enemies have exercised in your lands the evil that they have committed there] and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10. they are not yet contrite in heart[that is they are not softened nor brokened in heart they have heard no hearty sorrow and repentance nor sued for mercy see Psalms 51 on verse 19] neither have they feathered [compare Proverbs 28 on verse 14and above chapter 3.8] nor walked in my law nor in my statutes which I gave before your face and before the face of your fathers [that is which I clearly and quickly propounded unto you and to your fathers that ye may order your conversations accordingly.]

11. Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel behold I will set my face against ye for evil and to cut off all Judah [to wit mine angry face as if God should say as they obstinately set their face against all commandments so will I set my face against them for their destruction compare Leviticus 7 on verse 10 and Psalms 21 on verse10]

12. And I will take away the remnant of Judah that will set their faces to go into the land of Egypt [see above chapter 42 on verse 15] to sojourn there and they shall all be consumed in the land of Egypt they shall fall by the sword they shall be censed by the famine from the least unto the greatest they shall die by the sword and by the famine and they shall become a cursing [see above chapter 42 on verse 18] an astonishment and curse and reproach.

13. For I will visit them that dwell in the land of Egypt according as I have visited Jerusalem by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence.

14. So that the remnant of Judah which are come into the land of Egypt to sojourn there shall have none to remain nor to escape or remain [Hebrew none escaped or remaining as above chapter 42.17] to wit to return into the land of Judah as hither their soul longeth [Heb wither they left up their soul see above chapter 22 on verse 27] to return to dwell there but they shall not return thither saving those that shall escape [Heb the escaped ones to wit some few godly persons that were carried a against their will into Egypt or else whom it shall please God graciously to convert and let them remain that they may be witnesses of the truth of those prophesies compare below verse 28.]

15. Then all the men that knew their wives burnt incense unto their gods and all the women that stood by being a great company together with all the people that dwell in the land of Egypt in Patros answered Jeremiah saying :

16. As for the word that hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee.

17. But we will not do altogether [or certainly Hebrews doing do] all that [[Hebrew word thing matter] which is gone forth out of the mouth [that is we will perform our vows see Numbers 30:2 Judges 11:36 and below verse 25]burning incense Melecheth of heaven [see chapter 7 and the annotate on verse 18]an offering drink offerings unto her like as we have done we and our fathers our kings our princes in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem then we were satisfied with bread and were merry[Heb good that is merry see Judges 16 on verse 25] and saw no evil [that is no mischief or adversity befell us see above chapter 7 on verse 7.]

18. But from that time that we left off to burn incense of Melech of heaven and to offer drunk offer unto her we have wanted all things and we have been consumed by the sword or by the famine .

19. Also when we burn incense to Melecheth of heaven and offer drink offerings and do we make her pictured cakes[see above chapter 7 on verse 18] to represent her [to wit curiously and painfully the Hebrew word signifieth properly pain and sorrow from whence consequently idolatrous images have their name because they bring men to pain and sorrow see 1 Samuel 31 on verse 9 and 2 Samuel 5 on verse 21and moreover the word that is here used is taken for the picture curiously to form or frame an idol compare job 10 on verse 8 others to honor her also to move to grief trouble and consequently to compassion]and do we offer drink offering unto her without the will and consent or company and help our men as if that could excuse them but their man understand their lawful husband as verse 15.25]

20. Then spake Jeremiah unto all people to the men and to the women and to all the people that had answered him so [Heb or the word]saying:

21. the burning of incense which ye have burnt in the cities of Judah and in the street of Jerusalem and ye your fathers your kings your princes and the people in the land did not the Lord remember it and came it not up into his hearts / [that is did he not lay to heart so as that he hath punished you so sorely for it ? compare above chapter 7 on verse 31.]

22. So that the Lord could hear it no more because of the wickedness of your dealings because of the abominations which ye have committed therefore your land has become a desolation and astonishment[see above chapter 18 on verse 16]and a cure that no man dwelleth in it as it is at this day.

23. Because you have burnt incense and because ye have sinned against the Lord and have not been obedient unto the voice of the Lord and have not walked in hi law and in his statutes and in his testimonies therefore this evil hath happened unto ye as it is on this day.

24. Moreover Jeremiah saith unto all the people and unto all the women hear ye the word of the Lord all Judah that are in the land of Egypt :

25. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts the God of Israel saying as for ye and your wives they [your wives see above verse 16c.] have spoken with your mouth and ye have fulfilled with your hands [that is actually performed as if the Lord should say ye are agreed together in this business the one saith it the other doth it ye help one another others, ye and your wives ye have .] saying we will altogether keep[Heb. Performing perform doing do that is without default put in practice perform]our vows which have vowed burning incense to Melecheth of heaven an offering burnt-offering unto her now they [your wives] have fully confirmed perfectly established[Heb confirming confirm see above chapter 35.14 with the annotations]your vows perfectly and fully kept[Heb doing done] ratified your vows.

26. Therefore hear ye all the word of the Lord all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt behold I swear by my great name saith the Lord if my name shall anymore be named with the mouth of any man [see Job 12 on verse 10so in the next verse]of Judah in the land of Egypt that should say as true as the Lord liveth [an abrupt kind of speech very usual in oaths [see Deuteronomy 1 on verse 35.]

27. Behold I will watch [or be vigilant or wakeful see above chapter 1.11,12] over them for evil not for good and all the man [Heb all every men] of Judah that are in he land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword by the famine until they be at an end.

28. But they that escape from the sword [Heb. The escaped ones of the sword]shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah few in number [Heb. Man in number see Genesis34 on verse 30and compare above verse 14] and all the remnant of Judah that are come into the eland of Egypt [others were come meaning those that escape] to sojourn there shall know [that is find by experience perceive so in the next verse whose word shall stand mine or theirs [Heb of me or of them that is that which proceeded from me or that which proceeded from them.

29. And this [that is related in the following verse] shall be the token unto ye saith the Lord that I will visit ye [that is will punish ye see Genesis 21 on vesre1] in this place that ye may know that my words shall stand ]against ye for evil.

30. Thus saith the Lord behold I will give Pharaoh Hophra [called by the heathen writers Apries by other Vaphres this man was the grand child Pharaoh-Necho as Herodottus affirmeth in his second book] the king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of that eek hi soul [that seek to take away his life see Exodus 4 on verse 19 and 2 Samuel 4 on verse 8 and Herodotus writteth that he being vanquished by his own subject Amasis was the last delivered unto Egyptians that made an insulation against him and was strangled by them so conceive that this Apries caused Jeremiah to be killed peradventure because of this prophesy and at a request of these wicked Jews whom it may be delivered unto them to be stoned]like as I have given Zedekiah the King of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel his enemy and that sought his soul.