Jeremiah 33

nial ordinances contained in it, is sometimes called an everlasting covenant; (see Gen* xvii. 13. Lev. xxiv.; 8. Isa. xxiv. 5.) Berith olam in the Hebrew; because those* ordinances were to continue for a long succession of time, called olam in that language, (see the note upon xxv* 9.) and to last till the new olam, or age of the Messias, called aiwv fiiXkov, the age, or world to conte, Heb. ii. 5. vi. 5. But when this expression is applied to the gospel-covenant, there is a peculiar emphasis contained in it, implying that it should never fa** abolished, or give way to any other dispensation, (SecJer. 1. 5. Isa. lv. 3. compared with Psal. lxxxix. 34, 35.) And I will put my fear into their hearts,"] They shall all know me, xxxi. 34. and shall be all taught of the Lord, Isa. liv, 13. (See the notes upon those places.) Ver. 41/ And I will rejoice over them to do them good."] I will take pleasure in doing them good, according to my promise, Deut. xxx. 9. whereas before, the Lord rejoiced over them to destroy them, Dcut xxviii. G3. which God is never said to do, but when men have filled up the measure of their iniquities. (See the note upon Isa. i. 24.) And I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole soul.] With a true and lasting affection. (Compare xxiv. 6. xxxi. 28. Amos ix. 15.) God renews his promises of restoring the Jewish nation, and repeats the same gracious assurances thereof, which he gives them in the two foregoing chapters; the com- 4 plction of which is to be expected under the kingdom. of the Messias: whose coming is plainly foretold at the fifteenth and sixteenth verses of this chapter.

Jeremiah 33:1

rrHILST lie was yet shut up in the court of the. prison. See xxxii; 2.

Jeremiah 33:2

Tlius saith the Lord, the maker thereof . u e. Of the city Jerusalem, a figure of that church, spoken of before. (See xxxii. 36. 44. compared with the fourth; sixth, and ninth verses of this chapter.)

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto me, and I will answer ttieel.* An expression betokening God’s favour and loving-kindness:* that he is ready to comply with the first intimationsof hisservant’s desires. (Compare xxix. 12. Psal. xci. 15. Isa. Ixv. 24.) As, on the contrary, God’s rejecting men is expressed by his refusing to answer when they call, (Pro v. i. 21.) God’s thus directing his discourse to Jeremiah, doth not only denote his kindness towards the prophet, but likewise implies the affection he still bore to his people/ for whom the prophet did so’ earnestly intercede, and whoso welfare ho had so much at heart. And shew thee great things which thou khowest not.] Not only what relates to the return of thy people from the Babylonish captivity, but likewise the blessings to be conferred upon them in the times of the Messias.

Jeremiah 33:4

Which are thrown down by the mounts. By the battering engines placed upon the mounts, that are raised against the walls of the city. (See xxii. 24.) And by the sword.] By the violence of war. But the Hebrew word is sometimes taken for such instruments as aro used in demolishing any building. Accordingly, it is rendered a mattock by out translators, 2 Ghfon. xxxiV; 6. Seo likewise Ezek. xxvi. 9.* where it is translated axes.

Jeremiah 33:5

They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies, &c. To fill them, i. e. the houses mentioned ver. 4. This verse comes in by way of parenthesis, between the fourth and sixth, to shew, that at present God will not prosper auy efforts which are made’ for the defence of the; city, though he will restore it hereafter to its former splendour.- Lud. de Diou renders the* words thus, The Chaldeans come to fight, and to fill, &c/‘and he proves, by several instances, that the Hebrew parti– cle eth sometimes goes before a nominative case: a plain instance of which syntax is to be seen, xxxvi. 22. (See* likewise Noldius’s Concordance, p. 121.)

Jeremiah 33:6

Behold, I will bring it health and cure. 1 will restore this placet© its former prosperity, and deliver it out of that calamitous state, into which the sins of the inhabitants have brought it. (Compare xxx. 12, 13. 17.) J

Jeremiah 33:7

And I will cause the captivity of Judah^ and the captivity of Israel, to return. See the note on xxx. 3. And I will build them as at the first.] Compare xxiv. 6.- xxxi. 4. 28. xlii. 10.

Jeremiah 33:8

And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, &c. I will not impute their sins any longer to them, but remit the punishments I have inflicted upon them for their iniquities. The word cleanse may be here taken in a legal sense for acquitting or pronouncing clean, as tlio word istranslated, Levi xiii. 28. In the same sense, the Greok verbs f Aym£w and Ka£ap#w (which answer to the Hebrew tahafi in the text) are used by St. Paul and St. John, for taking away the guilt of sin. (See Heb. itf. 13, 14. x. 14. 29. xiii. 12. 1 John i. 7. 9.) The whole verse" implies that general promise of pardon of sins; which* ifc elsewhere spoken of, as* the peculiar blessing of the gospel. (Compare xxxi. 34. Ezek. xxxvi. 25.)

Jeremiah 33:9

And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth:. God’s especial providence over the Jews, in restoring their city arid temple, shall be taken notice of by the heathen World, and make them give glbry to that God whom they worship. (Sec Ezra i. 2. vi. 12.) To the samo sense God is said to make Jerusalem a praise in the earth, (Isa. Ixii. 7.) t\ e. the subject of men’s praise and admiration, the glory of which redounds to God, who is her protector. This promise is more signally fulfilled in the Christian chiirch,- wriichtho heathens resorted to, as the seat and tcmplo of truth* (Sec Isa. ii. 3. Zcch. viii. 21. 23.) And they shall fear and tremble for all tto goodness—

Jeremiah 33:15

TJien Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, ivilt thou not surely put me to death?) The prophet had so much experience of tho unsteadiness of the king’s temper, of his backwardness in following good counsel, and want of courage to stand by those that durst adviso him well, that he might with good reason resolve not to venture his life to serve a man that was in a manner incapable of being directed. And although God had shewed him what would be the effect of his advice, if it were followed, (ver. 17.) yet it doth not appear that he had commanded him to make this known to Zedekiah. And if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?] The latter part of the sentence may be translated without an interrogation, thou tvilt not hearken %mto me. So the prophet might well conclude from his former behaviour. (See xxxvii. 2.) If we follow our English translation, the sense is the same as if the words were rendered, Wilt thou hearken unto me? Noldius observes, in his Concordance, p. 256. that the negative interrogation halo, is sometimes equivalent to an affirmative: of which he gives this example, (I Kings i. 11.) “Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba, saying — Hast thou not heard that Adonijah doth reign?” Where the sense is the same as if he had said, Hast thou heard? See a like instance, Zech. iv. 13. This observation will help to explain that difficult place in Job, (iv. 6.) “Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?” So interpreters generally render the words: but the sense would be much plainer, if we translate them, Is this thy fear? &c. i. e. Are thy great pretences to piety, and thy assurance of God’s favour, of so little force, that they cannot afford thee any support in thy troubles? To this sense the Vulgar Latin translates the verse, Ubi est timor tnus, fort Undo tua, &c. Ver. 1G. As the Lord liveth, who made us this soirfJ] i.e. The Author of our life and being, and may he preserve it or take it away as I speak truth or falsehood. For suchlike oaths had always some good or ill wish understood to go along with them; like that form of asseveration, 2Kings ii. 2. " As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth f or, As I wish thy soul may live: for so the expression may be translated.

Jeremiah 33:17

If thou wilt assuredly go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes. Those mentioned xxxix. 3. and submit thyself to them. [Then shall thy soul live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire.] It has been before observed, that the judgments denounced against Jerusalem were not irreversible. See the note upon iv. 28. xvii. 25.]

Jeremiah 33:18

And thou shalt not escape out of their hand. See xxxix. 5.

Jeremiah 33:19

And they mock me. When I am in the power of the Chaldeans, I fear that they will treat me with scorn and contempt, without any regard to my royal character. This he said as conscious to himself, that he had broken that oath of homage and fidelity he had before given to the king of Babylon, so that he might justly be treated as a man of no faith or honour. (Sec the note on xxxvii. 5.)

Jeremiah 33:20

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord. God foresees all possible events, and what will be the different success of the several counsels men propose to themselves.

Jeremiah 33:21

This is the word that the Lord hath shewed me. Namely, that both the king and city shall be delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans. (See ver. 18.)

Jeremiah 33:22

All the women that are left in the king of Judaic s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes. The king’s wives, his daughters, and the other women that belong to the king’s court and family, shall become a prey to the chief officers of the king of Babylon’s army. (See xli. 10. xliii. 6.) And those women shall say, Tliy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee; thy feet are sunk in the mire.] These very women shall then reproach thee for having suffered thyself to be ensnared by the ill advice of thy friends, and brought under insuperable difficulties. And they are turned away back.] Even thy friends, who advised theo not to submit to the Chaldeans, will forsake thee in thy distress, and take the first opportunity of going over to them.

Jeremiah 33:24

Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die. Keep what hath passed between us secret, and I will keep my promise to thee of preserving thy life. (See ver. 1G.) Ver. 2G. I presented my supplication to the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.] Jeremiah had been formerly kept prisoner there, (xxxvii. 15.) But the last time he was imprisoned, was in the dungeon of Hammelech (ver. 6. of this chapter); a place which at this time might, perhaps, be put to some other use.

And he told them according to all the words that the king had commanded. He told them part of the truth, but not all, concealing from them the advice he had given the king, with relation to the questions he had proposed to him.

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison. See xxxix. 21.

Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, &c. Compare xxxi. 28.."

And fields shall be bought in this land. So that it was not without good reason that I sent Hanameel unto thee, ver. 8. Whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast, &c] Words spoken by the Jews, by way of despair, as if they had no hopes that their land should ever be inhabited again.

In the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, &c. ~ See the notes on xvii. 26. For I ivill cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord.] The return of their captivity under Cyrus shall be an earnest of those greater blessings I will-bestow upon them at their general restoration. (Compare ver. 37.41. xxxiii.7. 26.)