Jeremiah 8
DortA furthur prophecy, concerning the future justly deserved reproach and distresse of the Jews, as well dead as alive, v.i, etc. And updraiding of their continual brutish impenitency, (with a disgracing of them by the example of the brute beasts) sottish and false boasting of wisdom, wresting of the law, falsehood, scornful flatteries and imudency of the false Prophets and Priests, general transgression, and idolatry: all which God will severely pnnish by the Babylonians, 4. Whereas the Prophes mourneth and Lamenteth bitterly, 18.
1. At that time, saith the LORD, they [To wit, the Babylonians] shall bring out the bones of the Kings of Juda, and the bones of their Princes, and the bones of the Priests, and the bones of the inhabitants of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves.
2. And they shall spread them aroad before the Sun, and before the Moon, and before all the host of heaven; whom [To wit, the Sun, Moon, etc.] they have loved, and whom they have served, [See above chapter 7.18. and below chap 19.3.] and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sougth, [Or, asked counsel of] and before whom they have bowed down them selves : they [To wit, the aforefatd bones] shall not be gathered , nor burted ; they shall be gahered, nor burted; they shall be for dung upon the earth. [Hebr. Upon the face of the earth; that is, in the open countrey.]
3. And death shall be chosen before life, [That is, they shall rather wish to be dead, than to live. Comapare Revelation 9:6.] by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family. In all the places of them that remain, whether i shall have driven them, saith the LORD of Hosts. [See 1 Kings 18. 0 vers. 15.]
4. Moreover, say unto them; Thus saith the LORD : shall men [Heb. Shall they; to wit, men : so in the following words, shall be, &c.] fall, and not rise again? Shall man turn away and not return ? [That is, there is surely none so void of reason, as that he would not willingly rise again when he fallen, and would not gladly return into the right way, when he gone astray]
5. Why (then) doth this people at Jerusalem slide back, with an everlasting ick sliding? [O, strong, passing thorow, ever proceving, infinite everlasting back-sliding; that is, an exceeding obstinate back – sliding. Of the Hebrew word, see Psal 4. on vers.1 and 13 on vers. 2.]
6. I listened and hearkened, they speak that which is not right; there is no man , that repenteth him of his wickedness, saying, What have i done? Every one turneth him about to his course, as an outragious horse [That hunteth, neigheth, breaketh through, and runneth every where thorow, like a water – flood, from whence the Hebrew word is properly used: So the Scripture likewife compareth the neighing of an horse unto thunder, Job 39:22.] to the battel.
7. Even a stork on the Heaven, [Heb. In the Heaven; that is, in the air] knoweth her appointed times, and a turtle – dove, and crane, and swallow, abserve the time of their coming : [Or, a stork knoweth by the heaven, &c. That is, by the condition and change of aite. These brute creatures know by natural instinct, which they have from God, what is for their good. Comapare Isai.1 3.] but my people know not to judgement of the LORD. [Heed not that which is prescribed unto them by God in his word. Oth. The judgement of the LORD, which by all marks and token they might percieve, that God intended to bring upon them, if they did not repent]
8. How do ye say then, We are wife, and the Law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly, in vain [Heb. For lying;that is, in vain. See 1 Sam.25.21. Or, for faksehood, falsely] worketh the false pen of Scribes. [They that ought to understand and expound the Law aright, use mere falsehood. See 1 Sam 25.21. or, for falsehood pen of the Scribes. [They that ought to understand and expound the Law aright, use mere faslehood. See Ezra 7. on.v.6. These are delivery rendered, but all comes to one sense and meaning, to wit, that they wrote in vain many things concerning the Law of God, seeing they abused all to folsehood and lies, and did not in the least according to it, nor taught others to do so. Compare Matth.23.13. Luke 11:52. Rom.2.1, &c.]
9. The wife men [The Scribes, that falsly boasted of thier wisdom, as is said in the former verse] are ashamed, affrigthed, and taken : [Oth, have (These) wife men made (any one) ashemed? Were (the men) frighted and taken? To wit, by their reproofs, so that they repentend of their wickedness?] Behold, thay have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom [Hebr.(things) wisdom] should they have then?
10. Therefore wll i give thier wives unto others, their fields to (other) possessors: [Compare above,c 6.12.] for from the least unto the greuest, every one of them practiseth covetousners : from the Prophet unto the Priest every one of them committeth falsehood. [See the same words, that are recorded here and in the following verses, unto vers.13. Above chap.6.13,14,15. Savin fome alteration. See the annotat. There]
11. And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people in the lightest (manner,) saying, Peace, peace : nt there is no peace.
12. Are they ashamed, because they have [Or, when they have, &c,] committed abomination yea they are not in the least ashemed, and know not to blush : therefore they shall fall among them that fall, in the time of their visitation shall they stamble, saith the LORD.
13. I will surely snatch them away, [Of the Hebrew word, see Ps...6.on.v.9. Heb. Gathering i will gather them . Oth, devour, or confume,] saith the LORD : there are no gaps on the vine, nor figs on the fig – tree; yea the leaf is fallen off; [This may be fo understood, that they brought fouth no good works at all, yea had no shew or appearance of any. Comapare Isai.5.1, &c. Matth.21.19. Luke 13:6,&c. Or, (with other) it may be taken for the future general defolation of the Land : or, that, for a fore – going token thereof, it was all prefent already, fo with the fruits of the ground, and what there might yet remain, as that the enemy hence forward should take all quite away] and [Ot, for] (the commandments, which) i have given them, they transgresse them.[Oth, and (thd things,) that i have given them, (to wit, fruits of the ground, and other gifts) shall depart, or, passe away from them, or, i had given them indeedto them, (but) they shall depart from them]
14. Why do we sit still ? [They are the words of the distressed and fleeing people] assemble your selves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, [Hebr, cities of defence,Comapare below, chap.4 5.] and be silent there : [Waiting for help, or, deliverance, as some take it, having, respect unto following verse : or, that we may be quite there] Surely the LORD our God hath cause us to be silent, [So that we have nothing to say to all these plagues, as we were wronged. They are the Prophets words, wherein he answereth the words of the people, deriding ( as fome conceive) the vain hope of the Jews] and and given us water of gall to drink, [That is, fent us bitter and deadly calamity. See Psal 69. on vers.22. So below cha.9.15 and 23.15.] because we have sinned against the LORD.
15. Men look for peace, but there is no good : [Or, we look, they look : wait (freely) whereas, etc. All to one sense]for a time of healing, [See Psal.20.on vers 3. These and the like phrases are oppoted to others, that make mentionof hurt, strips, wounds, &c.] but behold, there is terrour.
16. The snorting of his [The King Babels] horses it head from Dan : [See above chap.4. On vers.15.] the whole Land trembleth at the sound of the neighings of his strong ones : [This may be understood eithe of the shouting of the strong champions of his army, or of his neighing of hisstrong horses] and they come, that they may eat up the Land, and the fulness thereof, [That is, all that dwell therein.
17. For behold, i send serpents, cockatries among you, against which (there) is no charming : [The most hurtfulenemies that are, the Chaldeans, whose power and crueltyye shall not bable to turn away, or escape. They are the words of God. See of the word charming, Psa.58. On vers. 6.] they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
18. My freshing is in,[Or, with] sorrow : mine heart is faint in me. [That is, when i should refresh, and strengthen my nature with meat, drink, or sleep, the sorrow overwhelmeth me. Oth, when i would refresh, strengthen my self against sorrow, then mine heart is, &c. To one sense. The Prophet demeaneth himself, as if he saw the future calamity present before his eyes]
19. Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people is from a very far countrey : [To wit, Babel, whither they should be carried captive. Oth. (shall be heard) because of (them that come) from a far countrey; to wit,the Chaldeans. Hebr.as if one should say, land, or, countrey of remotenedres] Is not the LORD then at Zion? Is not her King with her? [Is the promise then at an end (may some man say) which he hath made so often concerning Zion and his people?] Why have they provoked me anger [Or, incesed me] with their carved images, with vanities of strangers? [With the idolatries of strange heathenish nations or, with strenge Gods. See 2 Kings 17. on v.15. Hebr.of the strange, unkown, outlandish, (one) It is Gods answer to the former question]
20. To harvest is past, the summer is at an end : yet we are not delivered.
21. I am broken [Through heart grief, and inward sorrow. Comapare Psa. 51.on vers.19.] because of the breach [See above chap.4. On vers. 6.] of the Daugther of my people : i go in black, [As mourners use to do. See Psa.35. on vers.14.] astonishment hath taken hold on me.
22. Is there no balm in Gilead? [See Gen.37.25. and below chap 46.11. and 51.8.] is there no [Chirurgain, or Physician there?] As there was plenty of precious spice and oitments in Gilead, so that they were wont to be transported from thence into other countreys; so it seemeth that there were also skillful Physicians, or Chiruigians there. But some do apply these phrases by way of complaint of the spiritual means, whereby they should and ought to escape these miseries; to wit, true repentance, and following the good counsel of the faithful Prophets. Other understand it as derision of the vain means and remedies, whereby the people indevoured in vain to escape this mischeif. Both in good sense, but to the first fuiteth here very well the biginning of the next chapter] for, why is not the health [Or, healing] of the daughter of my people risen? [Or, why hath it not increased? Why is not my people healed, or cured, amended? See the same phrase, 2 Chro.24.13. Nehem.4.7. and below chap.30.13,17 .with the annotations]