Jeremiah 13

Under the figures of a linen girdle, and bottles filled with wine, is set forth God’s rejection of the Jews, and the CIO severe judgments he would execute upon them for their. manifold sins. country, whenever they pleased. (See 2 Kings xvi. 7. 2Chron.xxviii. 20.) t

Jeremiah 13:1

fjrET thee a linen girdle, and put it on thy loins. See this figure explained, ver. 11. And put it not in water. ~] To represent the Je^vs in their corrupt state of nature, when they had nothing to recommend them to God’s grace and favour. (Compare Ezek. xvi. 4.)

Jeremiah 13:4

Arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the roc&.j God commanded the prophet to hide the girdle by the bank of Euphrates, to signify the Jews being carried captive over that river, called the water of Babylon, Psal. exxxvii. 1. Most commentators are of opinion, that this was performed by the prophet only in a vision; it not being probable that God should send him two such long journeys as are mentioned here and ver. 0. merely upon this. errand. (See a like instance, xxv. 17.) Several things are’ related in Scripture as actually done, which yet were only transacted in a vision; a Tcmarkable instance of which we read, Gen. xv. 5. where the text saith, that God brought Abraham forth abroad, and bid him tell the stars; and yet it appears by ver. 12. that the sun w T as not gone down. See this question at large discussed by the learned Dr. Pocock, in his Commentary upon the beginning of Hosea.

Jeremiah 13:9

After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah. I will bringdown their pride and’ stubbornness, (see ver. 15. 17.) by making them slaves and vassals to strangers. (Sec Lam. v. 5. 8. 13.) *

Jeremiah 13:11

For as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole Mouse of Israel, and the whole house of Judah. The covenant betwcen’God and his people is elsewhere represented by a marriagecontract; (see the note on ii. 2.) whereby the man is said to cleave to his wife, (Gen. ii. 24.) Tliat they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise.] That they might have the honour of being called by my name, and I might be glorified by their shewing forth my truth and praises to the world. (See xxxiii. 9.)‘Ver. 12. Every bottle shall be filled with wine.] God’s judgments are often represented under the figure of a cup full of intoxicating liquor. (See this metaphor atlaTge pursued, xxv. 15, &c.) To the same purpose God tells them here, that as they have all sinned, so shall every one have his share in the punishment. And they shall say vnto thee, Do we not certainly Jcnoiv that every -bottle shall be filled with wine?] God, that knew the profaneness of their hearts, foretells the reply they will make to this threatening, that, taking it in a literal sense, they will make a jest of it, as if the words were intended to encourage intemperance;* either they did not, or would not, understand the drift of them. (See vi. 10.)

Jeremiah 13:13

Behold, I will fill all ike inhabitants of this land — with drunkenness. See the note on xxv. 15, 16.

Jeremiah 13:14

And I will dash them one against another. I will confound and destroy them all, as earthen vessels are broken to pieces, when they are dashed one against another; The words allude to the earthen bottles which were to be filled with wine,* ver. 12. (Compare xix. 10, II. xlviii. 12.) I will not pity nor spare.] See iv. 28. [chap. xiii.

Jeremiah 13:15

Be not proud. See ver. 0. 17. Humble yourselves before God, and give glory to him; as it follows: Ver. 1G. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness.] Confess your faults, (compare Josh. vii. 19.) and humble yourselves under his mighty hand, before he bring upon you the night of affliction: light is the emblem of joy, and happy times are expressed by bright and pleasant days; as, on the contrary, troubles and calamities are represented by the night and darkness, when every thing looks melancholy and dismal. (See iv. 23. xv. 9. Isa. v. 30. viii. 22. Joel ii. 10. Amos viii. 9, 10.) And before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains.] Before the time come, wiien ye shall be forced to fly by night unto the mountains, for fear of your enemies. (See xvi. 1G. Psal. xi. 1. Ezek. vii. 1G. Matt. xxiv. 1G.)

Jeremiah 13:17

But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride. If ye resolve to harden yourselves against those messages I deliver to you from the mouth of God, I will then lay aside my public character, arid have nothing to do, but secretly to bewail your obstinacy and contempt of God’s word and threatenings.* (See ver. 10. 15.) Because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.] See ver. 20.

Jeremiah 13:18

Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down, &c. By the king and queen may probably be meant Jehoiachin and his mother, who was carried captive with him. (See xxii. 2G. 2 Kings xxiv. 12.) The prophet tells them they must both come, down from their high estate, and sit down upon the ground, or in the dust; u’ ei in a posture of mourning and lamentation. (See Lam. ii. 20. Isa. iii. 2G. xlvii.l.)

Jeremiah 13:19

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them. Shutting up signifies a state of bondage, and opening a state of liberty. (See Psal. xxxi. 8. Job xii. 14.) The verb sagar, here rendered shut up, is sometimes taken for delivering or giving up into the power of another; and is rendered in the Septuagint, by na/>aS«5w/i*. (See Deut. xxiii. 15. xxxii.30. 1 Sam. xxiii. 12. Job xvi. 11. Psal. lxxviii. 48.) Taking the words in either sense, they denote that the cities of Judah shall be given up into the enemies’ hand, and none shall* be able to rescue them. Judah is called the south, in opposition to Chaldea, expressed by the north in the next verse. (See i. 14.)

Jeremiah 13:20

Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beau tiful flock?.* The verbs and pronouns in the Hebrew here, and in the following verse, are of the feminine gender; which supposes the words to be directed to the Jewish state or government, represented under the figure of a woman. (See iv. 31. vi. 2.) The prophet demands, in a sarcastical manner, into what a miserable condition she hath brought the people committed to her charge; called the Lord’s flock, ver. 17. which were formerly in a prosper ous and flourishing condition. (Compare x. 21.)

Jeremiah 13:21

What wilt thou say when he sJiall punish thee?. “What wilt thou plead for thyself, cither for the excusing or mitigating thy punishment?. For thou hast taught them to be captains, and as cltkf over thee.] When Ahaz called in the assistance of Tiglathpileser against Rezin king of Syria, and made himself tributary to the king of Assyria, he taught the Assyrians how. they might become masters aud conquerors over his own

Jeremiah 13:22

And if thou say in thy heart, Wherefore come these things upon me?) See v. 19. For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. Thine enormous crimes deserve no less a punishment than that of captivity: when thou shalt be carried away into a strange country, stripped and bare, without any covering to thy nakedness; for such was the barbarous cruelty of conquerors towards their captives. (See Isa. iji. 17. xx. 4. xlvii. 3. Lam. i. 8. iv. 21. Nahum iii. 3,) The words likewise allude to the punishment, that used to be inflicted upon common harlots and adulteresses, which was to strip them naked and expose them to the eyes of the world: and thus God threateneth he will deal with Jerusalem, upon account of her spiritual fornication. (See Ezek. xvi. 37—39. Hos. ii. 10.)

Jeremiah 13:23

Can the Ethiopian change his skin?. The Hebrew word Ctish, which our translators render by Ethiopia, does often signify Arabia in Scripture: Ethiopia being by the ancient writers distinguished into the eastern, the same with Arabia, and western Ethiopia. (SeeLudolphus’s Comment, in lib. i. Histor. iEthiop. n. 19.) Boehart, indeed, maintains, that the word is.never used for Ethiopia, properly so called. (See his Phaleg. lib. iv. cap. 2. n. 238.) But this text is a good proof to the contrary, which may most probably be understood of the Africans, or Blackmoors, as they ate commonly called. The word Cush is likewise joined with the Lubims or Lybians, in other’ places, as 2 Chron. xii. 3. xvi. 8. Dan. xi. 43. and with Phut, another people of Africa. (See Jer. xlvi. 9. Ezek. xxx. 5.;xxxviii. 5. e Nahum iii.. 9.) In the same sense Cush must be understood, Esther i. 1. where Ahasuerus is said to reign from India to Cush, or Ethiopia; because.the words relate to the conquests of Egypt and Ethiopia by Cambyses; by whose victories, and the successful arms of Darius Hystaspes, the Persian empire was enlarged from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, (Compare that text with Dan. vi. 1.).’ TJienmay ye also do good, ivho are accustomed to do evil.] The words import, how extreme difficult it is to overcome ill habits* custom.being a second nature. For we are not to explain the words in a strict literal sense (because then it would have been to no purpose for the prophet to have exhorted the people to amendment), but only extepd their meaning so far as to denote that a moral change in habitual sinners is almost as impossible as a natural one. Thus our Saviour compares the difficulty of a rich man’s entering into the kingdom of God, to a natural impossibility, viz. to a.camel’s passing through the eye of a needle: (JVIatt.xix.24.).but yet qualifies the comparison, by adding, Wliat is impossible with men, is possible ivith God, i. e. God’s grace can surmount such difficulties as are impossible for nature to overcome; and thus we are to understand the text before us.

Jeremiah 13:25

77ris i$ thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me. Or, of thine inheritance, as the Chaldee paraphrase explains it; the expression is taken from the division of the land of Canaan, by line or measure. Because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.] In false gods, who cannot help men in their troubles. (See x.14.) \ vol. in.

Jeremiah 13:26

Therefore I will discover thy skirts, &c. Sec ver. 22. j *

Jeremiah 13:27

I have seen thine adulteries,’ and thy neighings, [compare v. 8. the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations.on the hills in the fields.’]- He resembles their violent inclination tb idolatry to the rage of lust. (Compare ii. 20. 23, 24. iii. 2. 6.) \