Jeremiah 9

The prophet presenteth his lamentation, vers.1, &c.and wish th to be absent from his people, because of the abominations that were common among them, as adultery, treachery, lying and deceit, 2, &c. Disobedience, and idolatry, 13, 14. Therefore God must and would punish them, and so fearfully waste them, as that it be sufficiently lamented, 7, 9, 10, &c. God dehorteth from vain confidence, and teacheth his people to trust in him alone, and to endeavour after that which pleaseth him, 23 and Lastly, be threateneth not onely the Jews, as abusers, but also the Gentiles round about, as despisersof circumcision, 25..

1. Oh, that mine head were water, [Hebr.who will give, &c. A manner of wishing in use among the Hebrew. So in the sequel. See Deut.5. On v.29.] and mine eye a spring vein of tears!then would i weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.

2. Oh, that i had in the wilderness a lodging place of way – faring men! [See Isa.24. On vers.20] then would i leave my people, and go from them : for they are all aldulterers, a treacherous company. [Hebr.or, assembly of treacherous ones. Oth. (on) the prohibitation day (that ously. See Levit 23. on vers.36.]

3. And they bend their tongue, (like) their bowe, for lies; [Hebr.tread, &c.as they do the foot – bowe when they bend it. Or, thus; They bend their tongue, their bowe is lies] they grow in the Land,but not for the truth : [Or, in the truth, or faith, faithfulnesse] for they proceed from wickedness, to wickednesse, [Compare Deut.29.19.with the annotat.above chapter 6.7] but they know not me, saith the LORD.

4. Take you heed, every one of his friends, and trsut not in any brother : for every brother doth nothing but deceive, [Hebr.treading down treadeth down; that is, oppresseth, deceiveth all manner of wayes, Genes.27.on vers. 36.and below chap.17. On vers.7] and every friend walketh (in) back – bitting. [Compare above chap 6.28.]

5. And they deal deceitfully, [Oth.mock, deride. See the use of the Hebrew word, Genes.31.7. 1 Kings 18:27. Job 31:9] every one with his friend, and speak not the truth; they teach their toung to speak lies, they weary themselves by dealing perversly

6. Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit : [These are the words of God to Jeremia. Of deceit; that is, of men, that deal most deceitfully : wherefore all thine admonition used among them are altogether in avain. Deceit, for Deceiver, see Job 35. on vers.13]

7. Therefore thus saith the LORD of Hosts; [See 1 Kings 18. on verse.15.] Behold, i will melt them, and try them : [By the fire of calamity, plagues and punishments: for they cannot otherwise be brought to the to the sense and feeling of their wickedness] for how should i do (other wise) in respect, of the Daughter of my people?

8. Their tongue is murdering arrow, [Oth, arrow stretched out, shot out, Compare Psal. 120.4. Prov.30.14.] it speaketh deceit : every one speaketh [Hebr.he speaketh; that is everyone , or, they speak] with his neighbour (of peace) with his mouth [Compare Psal.12.3.and 28.3.] but in his inmost (parts) [That is, in his heart] be layeth his snare. [Or, be layeth snares for him. Hebr. A snare]

9. Should i not visit them [With punishments. See Genes.21. On vers.1.] for these things, saith the LORD? And should not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10. I will lift up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the shepherds – huts, [Or, pastures, where the shepherds have their habitations or huts] of the wildernesse: for they are burnt down, [That is, it shall surely so come to passe: and so in the sequel] (so) that none passeth thorow, nither do men hear the voice of cattel; frm the fowls of the heaven uno the beasts, are they swerved away, gone away, [As above cha. 50.3.]

11. And i will make Jerusalem heaps (of stone,) an habitation of Dragons: [Compare below chap.10.22.] and i will make the ities of Juda a desolation, without an inhabitant.

12. Who is the wife man, that may understand this? [As if he had said, there are but very few such to be found among all the people, notwithstanding that i with other the servants of the Lord, do continually proclaim this by God command, against the seducings of false Prophets, who speak nothing but peace. See above vers. 8.11, 15.] and to whom hath the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may be publish [Or, declare] it ? Wherefore the Land is perish (and) burnt like a wilderness, that no man passeth thorow it.

13. And the LORD said; Because they have spoken my law, which i had before their face, and have not hearkened unto my voice, nor walked according unto it:

14. But have walked after the conceit of their (own) heart: [As above chap.3.17.] and after the Baals, [See Judg. 2. on v.11.] which their father had taught them:

15. Therefore thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, i will gave them water of gall to drink: i will feed this people [Hebr. I will feed them, this people] with worms [That is, send them bitter, and destroying calamities and plagues. See above chapter 8.14. Deut. 29. on vers. 18. and Psal. 69. on vers. 20]

16. And will scatter them among the heathen, [See Levit 26.33] whom they have not known, they nor their fathers: and i will send the sword after them, till shall have confirmed them. [as below, ch. 49.37]

17. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, consider it, and call he morning women, that they may come: [This hat respect to the custome of those times and places, that in timeof great morning they sent for Singing – men, and Singing – women, that could sing artificial lamentations, to provoke men to weeping. See 2 Chron.35.25. And Job 3:8. Ezech. 32.16. Amos 5:16. Matth.9.23. Mark 5:38.

18. And make hast, and lift up a wailing for us: that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eye-lids gush with water, [That is, that tears may run down, fall down, flow down, come down from our eyes in great abundance. So below, chao.13.17. And 14.17.]

19. For there is a avoice of wailing heard out of Zion: How are we destroyed! We are geatly comfounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have overturned our dwellings. Or because our dwellings have cast (us) out, or cast (us) away.]

20. Hear then the word of the LORD, ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailings, and everyone her companoin lamentations. [Hebr. Wailing, lamentation.]

21. For death is come up into our windowes, [Or, surely &c. and so the words of this verse may be a pattern or form of lamentation.] it is entred into our palaces, to cut off the little children [see of the Hebrew word Psal.8.on v.3from the City-Palaces , young men from the streets.

22. Speak, Yhus saith the LORD, yea, a carcase of man shall lie [so the Hebrew word, which commomly signifieth falling, is also else where taken for lying. See Deut.21.1. Judg.4.22. And 9. on vers.26. 1 Sam.31.8. 2 Chron.21.2. below, chap.51.4. Ezech.7,&c.]as dung upon the open field [Hebr.face of the field] and as sheave after the reaper, [Some ears of corn, which the reaper passeth by, and letteth fall, and looketh no more after them] which no man gathereth up. [or, and no man shall gather it in, take it up, take it away, to bury it, Compare above, chapter 8.2.]

23. Thus saith the LORD, let not a wise man glory in, [Or, of, for. So in thy sequel] his wisdome, neither let the strong men grow in strenght; let not a rich man glory in his reaches. [Compare, 1 Cor .1.31. 2 Cor.10.17.]

24. But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that Iam the LORD, doing loving kindnesse judgement and righteousness upon the earth: for in those things I have delight, saith the LORD.

25. Behold, the dayes come, saith the LORD, that I will make visitation [As above, v.9.] upon all circumcised ones with those that have the foreskin,[Hebr.with the fore-skin: that is, with the uncircumcised heathenish nations. Compare below, chap.25.. 17,18,19,20,&c. Some understand with, or in the fore-skin, such as ate circumcised according to the flesh onely, but are uncircumcised in heart, as I said of Israel in the next verse.]

26. Upon Egypt, [That is, the Egyptians, and so forth] and upon Juda, and upon Edom, and upon the children of Ammon, and upon Moab, and upon those that are shortened, or cut short at the corners, [Hebr.the corner; to wit, of their head; that is, those that are shaved round about at the corners of their head, as the Arabians were. Compare Levi.19.27. So below, ch.25.23. And 9.32. Oth. That lie in the utmost corner; that is, the heathenish nations (as some conceive) that dwell in the utmost corners of Canaan, in the east, south,or toward wildernesse:for all the heathen have the foreskinned] but all the house of Israel have the fore-skin of the heart. [that is, are uncircumcised in heart, though they be cir circumcised according to the body .see above, chap.4.on vers.4. Lev.26.41. Rom.2.28,29.]