Jeremiah 8

The prophet upbraids the obstinacy and incorrigibleness of the people, and bewaileth the grievous judgments which God hath pronounced against them in general, against those of a high degree, as well as such as are of a meaner condition. Ver. Ij JiLTthat time, they shall bring out the bones of the Mngs^of Judah, &c] When the city shall be taken, and exposed to the rage of the Chaldean army, they shall break * open the monuments of kings, princes, and great men, hoping to find some treasure there; as Josephus tells us, that immense riches were deposited in David’s sepulchre -by his son Solomon, which were never taken away till Hircanus’s time. (See Antiq. lib. vii. cap. ult.) far gone in wickedness, as not to be touched with some remorse for their evil doings, and make some general resolutions of amendment. Whereas this people are guilty of one perpetual apostacy, as if they could deceive God by their hypocritical pretences, without making any steps towards a reformation. Some explain the fourth verse to this sense: Are they so far plunged in sins and the miseries consequent thereto, that there is no hopes of their recovery out of their present ill state? If they will turn to God, wall not he immediately be pacified, and return to them? According to which exposition, the verb shiib, wiiich is repeated, is taken in the same sense in both parts of the latter sentence: otherwise it must be taken in two contrary senses. Taking the words in this sense, God’s answer follows in the next verse, Butivhy then is this people, &c. and so the particle maduang is to be rendered, ver. 19.

Jeremiah 8:2

Tliey shall not be gathered nor buried, &c. The bones’which shall be thus scattered about, shall hot be gathered or laid up in their sepulchres. The word asaph is commonly used of men’s being laid in the sepulchres of theirancestors, which is elsewhere expressed, by being gathered unto their people. In this sense it is joined with being buried here, and xxv. 33. see likewise Job xxviL 19. Not to enjoy the common rights of burial, is spoken of as an aggravation of men’s calamities. (Sec xxii. 19. xxxvi. 30. Eccles. vi. 3. Isa. xiv. 19, 20.)

Jeremiah 8:3

And death shall be chosen rather than life. This denotes the extremity of misery: when men have no comfort left wherewith to alleviate their misfortunes, or make their life tolerable. (See Rev. ix. 6.) Of this evil family.] See i. 15. Ver..4, 5. Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, (compare iii. 19.) and not return? why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? &c] An expostulation implying that men arc seldom so #

Jeremiah 8:5

By a perpetual backsliding.* See the note upon Mi. 24. ■ .

Jeremiah 8:6

1 hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright. God is represented as waiting that he may be gracious to his people, (Isa. xxx. 18.) and by his long-suffering giving men time and space for repentance. * (2 Pet. iii. 9.)’„ Every one turned to his course, as a horse rusheth into the battle.] Without any consideration or fear of approaching danger. -£.; rx

Jeremiah 8:7

Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweih her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, &c. These birds know, by natural instinct; the seasons when to return to places of their former abode: whereas this people never think of returning to God.’ The holy writers send men to brute creatures for instruction, thereby to upbraid their stupidity. (See Isa. i. 3. Prov. vi. 6.)

Jeremiah 8:8

How say ye, We are wise, and the lata of God is with us? &c. It is to no purpose to boast of your wisdom and skill in the knowledge of God’s law, if yoa do not govern your lives by its directions; otherwise it was written.and delivered to you in vain. (Compare Rom. ii. 17, &c.) The pen of the scribe is in vain,] The title of scribe, as applied to the skill of transcribing or interpreting the law, is first given to Ezra, (Ezra vi. G.) who was not merely a copier of the law, but likewise an explainer of the difficulties of it. (See \Nehem, viii. 9. 13.) As it is likely none made it their business to write copies of the law, but those who ^vvere well versed in the study of it, which would best secure them from committing mistakes in their copies; from hence the word signifies, in the New Testament, those who were learned in explaining the law, and answering the difficulties arising, concerning the sense of it. The Greek word T/ya/ifxarevg, signifies a learned man, Ecclus..x. 5. xxxviii. 24. and is so translated by our interpreters in the Jatter of these two places. And the Chaldee paraphrase often interprets the Hebrew word nabi, prophet, by the Chaldee saphar, a scribe.. The expression in the text may relate to the answers which those who were skilful in expounding the law gave in writing, when they were consulted in any difficult case. (Compare xviii. 18.)

Jeremiah 8:9

The wise men are dismayed, they are ashamed and taken. The politicians arc disappointed in every enterprise they undertake; and their ill success is an evident proof, that the fear of God, and governing ourselves by his word, is the truest wisdom.

Jeremiah 8:10

] Sec vi. 12-^15 And their fields to them that shall inherit theni:.* Or, possess them; for the word inherit is sometimes taken for any sort of possession. (See Psal. lxxxii. 8.) So Israel is called the Lord’s inheritance, x. 16. and elsewhere.

Jeremiah 8:13

Time shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade. As both leaves and fruit wither and fade, when a tree.is blasted or killed; so I will utterly deprive this people of all the blessings I had given them, those which are for use as well as those which are for ornament..

Jeremiah 8:14

Let us enter into the defenccd cities; and let us be silent there, &c. This seems to be spoken in the person of the.people, who lived in open towns and villages, exhorting one another to repair to Jerusalem, and other fortified places, to seek for quiet and refuge there. Whereas the. prophet had before (vi. 1.) exhorted the inhabitants of Jerusalem to flee even from thence. To this the prophet replies, in the following part of the verse, That God had, indeed, put them to silence in another sense than they meant; that is, he had taken away all their strength, and left them to be destroyed by their enemies; for so to put to silence often signifies: see’ xlvii. 5. Ii. 6. Isa. xv. 1. Hos. x. 7. Obad. ver. 5. where the word is rendered cut off, in pur Bibles. And hath given us water of gall to drink.’] A bitter cup means a severe judgment; which is often expressed by the cup of God’s ivrath, or displeasure. (See xxv. 15.. 17. ix. 15. xxiii. 15.). j

Jeremiah 8:15

We looked for peace. We were willing to believe the false prophets, who foretold prosperous times. (See iv. 10. xiv. 13.).

Jeremiah 8:16

The snorting of his horses teas heard from Dan. The Chaldean army marched into Judea through the tribe of Dan. (See iv. 25.) The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones.] Abbirau, which. is here translated strong ones, signifies horses in several places: (see xlvii. 3. Judg. v. 22.) and so it is understood here by the LXX.

Jeremiah 8:17

For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed. Such enemies as ryou shall not be able to soften by any entreaties you can ♦use. It is a received opinion, and that attested by many travellers, and other writers, that there are. methods.of charming venomous creatures, that they shall not bite nor hurt those that come near them. The expression here al-’ Judes to that tradition, as the words of the Psalmist do, Psal. Iviii. 5. • •

Jeremiah 8:18

When I would comfort myself against sorrow, &c. When I w r ould apply comfort to myself, my heart.misgives me, I find great reason for my fears, and none for my hopes.

Jeremiah 8:19

Tlie voice of the cry of the daughter of my peo pie, because of them that dwell in afar country.* If we follow this translation, the w r ords must be understood of the Jews lamenting their condition, because of the Chaldeans that were coming from a far country, to invade and destroy them. But I think the words may be rendered more agreeably to the Hebrew thus, The voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off. [Compare Isa. xxxiii. 17. where the phrase in the original is the same.] So that the “prophet represents the doleful complaints of the Jews, under a state of captivity, as if God had quite forstikcn and