Jeremiah 16

God forbids the prophet the use of such rejoicings as were. customary at marriage-festivals, and likewise.the so-. lemnitics practised at funerals: intimating, that in times of the utmost distraction, such as were coming upon the Jews, all the solemn rites both of joy and mourning r should cease. Yet, withal, he adds a promise to them of such a restoration, as shall be more wonderful than their deliverance out of Egypt.

Jeremiah 16:2

JL HOU shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons nor daughters in this place. Fruitfulness was promised as a blessing under the law, (Dcut. xxviii. 4.) but ceased to be so in such difficult times as were coming upon the Jewish nation: for parents could not promise to themselves any comfort in their children, who must be exposed to the many miseries that attend a hostile invasion, and a conquering army. -

Jeremiah 16:4

They shall die of grievous deatlis, &c. By sword and by famine, as it follows. (Compare viii. 2. xv. 2, 3.)

Jeremiah 16:5

For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, &c. Or, of a mourning -feast, as the margin reads; such as were the TrtplStiirva among the Greeks, and parentalia among the Romans. (Sec ver. 7.) For Fhave taken away peace from this people, &c] As they arc not the object of my compassions; so neither ought they to be of the pity of others. They arc to be esteemed as so many criminals or malefactors, at whose funerals men do not use to pay the common respects which are due to the deceased.. r,:

Jeremiah 16:6

Neither shall men lament for them. Men’s thoughts shall be wholly taken up with bewailing themselves: their own calamities shall be so great, it shall make them not concerned for the misfortunes of others.. Nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.] Seethe note upon xli. 5., The law did expressly forbid making any cuttings in the flesh at funeral obsequies. (See Lev. xix. 28. Deut. xiv. 1.) Notwithstanding which prohibition, this practice seems to have been taken up by;the Jews, among other heathenish customs. Shaving of the head was a usual expression of mourning. (See vii. 29.)

Jeremiah 16:7

Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, &c. According to this translation, the phrase alludes to another expression of immoderate grief, Avhich consisted in tearing ttie flesh with their nails:;; • t “Unguibus ora soror foedans,” as Virgil describes it. But, according to the marginal reading the sense is, Neither shall men break [bread] /or them; alluding to the mourning-feast mentioned ver. 5. (See likewise Ezek. xxiv. 17. Hos. ix. 4. Tobit iv. 17.)

Jeremiah 16:9

For I will cause to cease out of this place— the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. In the time of a ge-. neral desolation all the solemn seasons of mirth and gladness shall cease, as well public as private. The solemn feasts* which were always observed with great expressions of joy, (see Deut. xvi. 11. 14. Isa. xxx. 29.) as well as nuptial solemnities, and other private occasions of rejoicing. (Compare vii. 34. xxv. 10. Hos. ii. 11.),

Jeremiah 16:10

Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this, great evil against ns?. Sea v. 19. •

Jeremiah 16:11

And ye have done worse than your fathers. See the note on vii. 26.,’.,

Jeremiah 16:12

And there ye shall serve other gods, day and night. The opportunities of frequenting the public worship of the true God shall be taken from you, as a just judgment upon you for your neglect of his service in.your own country; and you shall be exposed to the peril of committing idolatry; and being, seduced by. the. Chaldeans to the worship of their idols. (Compare Deut. iv. 28. xxviii. 36. 1 Sam. xxvi. 19.) Mr. Mcde expounds the words of their serving other gods, in a political sense; i.e. serving those nations who worshipped other gods. (See his Apostacy of the latter Times, par. i. b. iii. chap. 16.) ^he ChaJ dee paraphrase explains the phrase to the same purpose, Ye shall serve those people that worship idols day and night.

Jeremiah 16:14

Therefore,behold, the days come, saith the Lord, &c. The particle laken, translated therefore, sometimes signifies nevertheless, or yet surely; see the note on Isa. xxx. 18. and so it is translated v. 2. of this prophecy; which sense agrees best with the scope of this place, and connects this verse with the words foregoing. So it should be rendered likewise, xxx. 16. xxxii. 36. Concerning the import of the promise made here and in the following verse, see the notes upon xxiii. 7, 8.

Jeremiah 16:16

Beholdj I will send for many fishers, and they shallfish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them. Enemies and oppressors are

Jeremiah 16:19

Therefore thus saith tlie Lord, If thou wilt return, J will bring thee again [or restore thee. , and thou shalt stand before me.] To these complaints of the prophet, God returns an answer, the import of which is as followeth; These misgivings of mind are a sort of renouncing the prophetical office: if thou wilt therefore return to thy duty, saith God, I rail restore thee to that station thou hast in a.manner deserted, and thou shalt still attend upon me, as my servant and messenger. (See the note upon ver. 1*) And if thou wilt take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth.] If thou encourage the good, and reprove the wicked, thou wilt answer the character of a true prophet, whose office it is to utter the words that God puts into his mouth, without adding thereto, or diminishing from them. • (See Exod. iv. 16.) Whereas the false prophets made the wicked more presumptuous, and discouraged the righteous. (See Ezek.xiii.22. xxii. 26.) The expression alludes to that charge given to the priests, to distinguish carefully between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean, (Lev. x. 10.) Let them return to thee; but return not thou to them.’] Do not thou comply with their humour, or study to soothe them up in their wickedness: but rather endeavour, by wholesome reproofs, to turn them from the error of their ways..

Jeremiah 16:20

And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall, &c. If thou wilt faithfully discharge thy duty according to these directions, I will certainly fulfil the promise I made to thee, when I first called thee to the prophetical office, (i. 18, 19.)