Westminster Annotations, Jeremiah · Chapter 23 – Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIII.
Vers. 1. VVO be unto the pastours] Princes, rulers, priests and prophets. Chap. 10. 21. and 22. 22. and 25. 34. & 50. 6. Ezek. 34. 2.
the sheep of my pasture] Or, my pasture sheep. Psal. 100. 3. Which I take speciall care; and have provided good pasture for. Psal. 23. 1, 2.
V. 2. against the pastours that feed my people] That rule them; and should feed them: but do nothing lesse. Ezek. 34. 2, 3.
I will visit upon you] Or, punish you for. Exod. 32. 34. I will visite you in wrath and judgement, for your not visiting them, that is, performing all good offices of help and relief to them, according to your dutie, Ezek. 34. 4, 8, 10. Matth. 25. 41, 43.
V. 3. I will gather the remnant of my flock, &c.] To comfort and confirme the faithfull, the Prophete telleth them still, that after the dispersion of his people, God yet will have a remnant to make him a Church, which he will gather and preserve, Isa. 1. 9. & 4. 3. & 6. 13. & 9. 21. Chap. 3. 14. & 12. 14. & 16. 15. & 31. 7. Ezek. 20. 40, 41. & 34. 11, 12. Mic. 2. 12.
V. 4. I will set up shepheards over them] Chap. 3. 15. Ezek. 34. 11, &c.
neither shall they be lacking] Or, missing Isa. 34. 16.
V. 5. Behold, the dayes come, &c.] Isa. 4. 2. & 40. 11. & 45. 8. Chap. 33. 14, 15. Dan. 9. 24. Joh. 1. 45.
a righteous branch] Christ, the true branch; in whom this was fulfilled, Isa. 11. 1. Zech. 3. 8.
a king shall reigne and prosper] Isa. 52. 13. & 53. 10.
and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth] Or, upon the earth. Chap. 31. 22. Matth. 6. 10. Or, in the la…d. Isa. 58. Vers. 8.
V. 6. In his dayes Judah shall be saved, &c.] Deut. 33. 28. Chap. 33. 16.
this is his name whereby he shall be called] Either Israel, whose righteousnesse Christ is: 1 Cor. 1. 30. and who is one with Christ: 1 Cor. 6. 17. & 12. 12. Or, Christ, who is the righteousnesse of his, Dan. 9. 24. 2 Cor. 5. 21.
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE] Or, The Lord is our righteousnesse. Isa. 45. 24. Heb. Jehovah tsidkenu. Chap. 33. 16.
V. 7. they shall no more say, The LORD liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, &c.] Isa. 43. 18. Chap. 16. 14, 15.
V. 9. Mine heart within me is broken, because of the prophets] The false-prophets, that deceive and delude the people, See Chap. 14. 13.
all my bones shake] Hab. 3. 16.
I am like a drunken man] Not able to stand on my legs; and at my wits end, Psal. 107. 27. Isa. 24. 20.
V. 10. the land is full of adulterers] Chap. 9. 2.
because of swearing] Or, cursing. or, the curse. Because of their oaths and perjuries, joyned commonly with execrations, Lev. 5. 1. Judg. 17. 2. Nehem. 10. 29. Or, by reason of Gods curse upon the land for sinne, Isa. 24. 6.
the pleasant places] Or, habitations; that is, habitable places: or, pastures, Joel 2. 22. Chap. 9. 10. & 12. 4.
of the wildernesse] Or, plain. I. am. 4. 19.
and their course is evill, and their force is not right] Or, yet (as Chap. 2. 25.) their violence (as Chap. 22. 17.) is evill, and their might (as Chap. 49. 35.) is not right. is not set upon, or imployed about, that which is right; but bent wholly to the contrarie: as Psal. 36. 4. Notwithstanding the curse of God upon the land, they runne on still in a violent course unto evill, and bend themselves with all their might thereunto, Chap. 5. 3. and 8. 6. & 9. 3.
V. 11. in my house have I found their wickednesse] My very Temple is full of their superstitions and Idolatries. 2 Chron. 36. 14. Chap. 7. 10. 11. Ezek. 7. 20.
V. 12. as slippery wayes in the darknesse] That they may fall; and not know how to recover themselves, Psal. 35. 6. Joh. 11. 10. 1 Joh. 2. 11.
the yeer of their visitation] Chap. 11. 23. & 48. 44.
V. 13. I have seen folly] Or, an absurd thing. Heb. unsavoury. Job 6. 6.
caused my people Israel to erre] Isa. 3. 12. & 9. 16. Chap. 18. 15. Vers. 32.
V. 14. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem] They that should have been better, Hos. 4. 15. and ought to have been warned, by what befell those of Samaria; and yet are worse then they. Chap. 3. 8.
an horrible thing] Or, filthinesse. Chap. 5. 30. & 29. 17.
walk in lies] Heb. a lie. or, falshood. Ver. 26.
they strengthen also the hands of evill doers] They confirme men in their wickednesse; and so keep them from repentance, Ezek. 13. 22.
they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah] How holy soever they may seem to others, I abhorre them, as I did those abominable cities, Isa. 1. 9. Ezek. 16. 46.
V. 15. I will feed them with wormwood] Chap. 8. 14. & 9. 15.
make them drink the water of gall] Or, juyce of h…mlock.
from the prophets of Jerusalem is prophanenesse, &c.] Or, hypocrisie. Vers. 11.
V. 16. they make you vain] Or, beguile you.
they speak a vision of their own heart] The devices of their own heads and hearts, Chap. 14. 14. Vers. 26.
V. 17. They say still] Heb. saying say. Exod. 21. 5.
Ye shall have peace] Chap. 6. 14. & 8. 11. Ezek. 13. 10. Zech. 10. 2.
that walketh after the imagination, &c.] Or, stubbornnesse. Chap. 16. 12. & 18. 12.
V. 18. who hath, &c.] Either the Prophets own speech concerning them; which of them hath God acquainted with any such purpose of his? Vers. 22. Job 15. 8. Or, of the false-prophets demanding how Jeremiah, or any other besides themselves, should come to know any such thing from God, as he, or they spake: as if themselves alone were acquainted with Gods privie counsels, and none could know them but from them: and so heartning the people against the menaces of Gods prophets. 1 King. 22. 24.
stood in the counsel of the LORD] Or, secret. Psal. 25. 14. As servants stand attending on great personages: and by that means sometime come to notice of their intentions, which from others are concealed, 1 King. 10. 8. Pro. 22. 29. Matth. 18. 10.
V. 19. a whirlwind of the LORD] Or, a mighty whirlwind. as Gen. 10. 9. Psal. 36. 6. See Chap. 30. 23.
is gone forth in fury] Or, fury is gone forth.
a grievous whirlwind] Or, pa…ning. Job 15. 20. or, continuing. Job 20. 21. Chap. 30. 23.
it shall fall] Or, rest. 2 Sam. 3. 29. Hos. 11. 6.
V. 20. The anger of the LORD shall not return] Chap. 30. 24.
in the latter dayes] Heb. posteritie of dayes. Chap. 48. 47.
ye shall consider it perfectly] Or, understand it fully. Heb. consider it, with understanding, or consideration. Ye shall then certainly know, that God hath sent me; and that his word by me is true, Ezek. 2. 5. & 6. 10.
V. 21. I have not sent these prophets] Chap. 14. 14. and 27. 15. and 29. 8, 9.
V. 22. if they had stood in my counsel] Had been admitted into so neer attendance with me, as to be made acquainted with my will and purpose, Vers. 18. 1 King. 22. 19.
and had caused my people to heare my words] Or, they would then have caused them, &c. They would have acquainted them with my word and will; and not taught them their own devices, nor told them their own dreams. Vers. 16. 25.
then they should have turned them from their evill way] Or, and have turned them, &c. They would have endevoured so to do; as my true and faithful prophets from time to time have done, Chap. 25. 3,-5.
V. 23. Am I a God at hand, and not a God afarre off] As well on earth, that seemeth farther off from me, Psal. 103. 11. Job 22. 12,-14. as in heaven, that seemeth neerer to me, as being the place of my speciall resiance, Psal. 115. 3.
V. 24. Can any hide himself in secret places, &c.] Psal. 139. 7, &c. Amos 9. 2, 3.
that I shall not see him] Do not I see your falshood and your wickednesse; howsoever ye cloake it, and wheresoever ye commit it. Pro. 15. 3. Job 34. 21, 22.
do not I fill heaven and earth] Am I not present every where? Pro. 15. 3. 1 King. 8. 27. Psal. 139. 7.
V. 25. I have dreamed] I have a Prophecie revealed to me from God by dream, Num. 12. 6.
V. 26. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesie lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart] Or, How long? (will they never leave this course? as Psal. 6. 3.) is it in the heart of them (is it their delight, as Psal. 37. 31. & 40. 8. or, are they desperately bent, as Isa. 63. 4.) to be prophets of lies, and of their own deceit full fancies? Vers. 16.
V. 27. to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams] This being Satans sleight, in raising up of false prophets, to withdraw people from God, Chap. 28. 16. & 29. 33.
which they tell every man to his neighbour] Or, one to another. Chap. 22. 8.
as their fathers have forgotten my name, for Baal] Judg. 3. 7. and 8. 33, 34.
V. 28. The prophet that hath a dream] Heb. with whom a dream is.
let him tell a dream] Let him tell it as his own phantasie; and not slander my word, make it a cloake to cover, or commend his lies.
speak my word faithfully] Dividing it aright, and applying it to that purpose, for which it was spoken: not mingling humane fancie, with it, as chaff with wheat, Ezek. 3. 17. Luk. 12. 42. 1 Cor. 2. 13. & 4. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 2. & 4. 10, 11.
what is the chaff to the wheat] Or, what hath the chaff to do with the wheat? Heb. what to the chaff with the wheat? The like phrase is, Hos. 14. 9. Joh. 2. 4. To what end should lies and fancies, that are no better then chaff, be mingled with my word, that should feed mens souls? Chap. 3. 15. Joh. 6. 27.
V. 29. I not my word like as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the rock i… pieces] Of a powerfull nature; to burn out drosse, and burn up stubble; to break stonie hearts, and to batter the obstinate to pieces, Chap. 5. 14. & 20. 9. Luk. 24. 32. Heb. 4. 12. 2 Cor. 2. 16. & 10. 4. 5.
a hammer] Chap. 50. 23.
V. 30. I am against the prophets] Deut. 18. 20. Chap. 14. 14, 15.
that steal my words every one from his neighbour] Or, one from another. Vers. 27. That conceal the truth from them; which they ought to teach them: Act. 20. 27. or, that work that again out of them, that the true prophets have taught them, Matth. 13. 19. Luk. 8. 12.
V. 31. that use their tongues] Or, that smooth their tongues. Heb. that take; or, as some, lick with their tongues. that speak pleasing things, Isa. 30. 10. Chap. 6. 14. & 8. 11. Mic. 2. 11.
V. 32. that prophesie false dreams] Heb. dreams of falshood. Isa. 32. 7.
cause my people to erre] Vers. 13.
by their lightnesse] Zeph. 3. 4.
yet I sent them not] Or, when I have not sent them.
therefore they shall not profit this people at all] Or, nor do they profit (Heb. profiting profit) this people at all. They do them no good, but much hurt by their false prophecies, and flatteries. Lam. 2. 14.
V. 33. What is the burden of the LORD] Because the Prophets oft began their Sermons with, The burden of the Lord, or the like, Isa. 13. & 15. &c. Mal. 1. 1. therefore the profane people would in mockerie demand of them, what new burden they had for them.
V. 34. I will even punish that man] Heb. visit upon. Vers. 2.
V. 35. every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother] Chap. 31. 34. Ver. 27. 28.
V. 36. the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more] Because the word was grown into contempt and derision among them, God would have it no more used by them; but would have them speak in another phrase, with due reverence both to his messengers and to their message. So Hos. 2. 16.
every mans word shall be his burden] That which they mock and contemn, shall befall them. Or, this their mockerie shall bring burden enough upon them; they shall pay full dearly for it, Chap. 5. 14,-15.
V. 39. I will utterly forget you] Heb. forgetting forget. Deut. 8. 19. Look no more after you; take no more care of you, for your good and behoof; then as if I had clean forgotten you. Hos. 4. 6.
and cast you out of my presence] As Psal. 89 39. 44.
V. 40. I will bring an everlasting reproch upon you, and a perpetuall shame] Heb. reproch of perpetuitie, and a shame of perpetuitie. Chap. 20. 11.
CHAP. XXIIII.
Vers. 1. AFter that] In the beginning of Zedekiahs reign, 2 King. 24. 17. See Chap. 27. 1. & 28. 1.
king of Babylon had carried away captive] 2 King. 24. 12, &c. 2 Chron. 36. 10. Chap. 29. 2.
Jechoniah] Called else-where Jehoiachin, 2 King. 24. 8. and Coniah, Chap. 22. 24.
V. 2. One basket had very good figs, &c.] Of the figs which he saw in the vision; the good resembled those that were already gone into captivitie under J…honiah; Vers. 5. the bad, those that yet remained under Zedekiah. Vers. 8.
which could not be eaten, they were so bad] Heb. shall not be eaten (as Chap. 2. 23. & 11. 12.) for badnesse. So Vers. 3. 8.
V. 5 I acknowledge them that are carried away captive] Heb. the captivitie. Psa. 126. 1. I take speciall notice of them, and own them, Psal 1. 6. & 37. 18. Joh. 10. 14. Matth. 7. 23.
for their good] Hence some gather, that God approved of his delivering up of himself unto Nebuchadnezzar, 2 King. 24. 12. as obeying the like command, to that Chap. 21. 8. But the plainer meaning is, that this was done by a speciall hand of God; and that for the good of those among them, that belonged unto God, Psal. 119. 67, 71. Rom. 8. 28. 1 Cor. 11. 30. 32.
V. 6. I will set mine eyes upon them] Psal. 33. 18. & 34. 15.
for good] Nehem. 5. 19. & 13. 31.
I will bring them again to this land] Chap. 12. 15. & 16. 15.
I will build them, &c.] Chap. 42. 10.
V. 7. I will give them an heart to know me] Intimating that man cannot know God to any purpose, untill God give him an understanding heart, 1 Joh. 5. 20. 2 Tim. 2. 7.
an heart, &c.] Deut. 30. 6. Chap. 32. 39. Ezek. 11. 19. & 36. 26, 27.
they shall be my people, and I will be their God] Chap. 30. 22. and 31. 33. & 32. 38.
they shall return unto me with their whole heart] Sincerely, and intirely; not fainedly and haltingly; as formerly they had done. Chap. 3. 10. & 29. 13. Psal. 119. 3.
V. 8. the evil figs, &c.] Vers. 2. Chap. 29. 17.
them that dwell in the land of Egypt] That shall fly, contrary to my command into Egypt, 2 King. 25. 26. Chap. 42. 15,-18. and 43. 4,—7. or, that have fled (as it is not unlikely that some had) already, Isa. 30. 2. & 31. 1.
V. 9. to be removed into all the kingdomes of the earth] Heb for removing; or, vexation. To be driven to and fro, Chap. 29. 18. & 34. 17. Or, to be vexed & molested, 2 Chron. 29. 8. Isa. 29. 18. Hab. 2. 7. See Lam. 1. 8. See Chap. 15. 4. Deut. 28. 25.
to be a reproch and a proverb] Heb. for, or, unto a reproch, and for, or, unto a proverb. Deut. 28. 37. 1 King. 9 7.
a taunt and a curse] Chap. 26. 6. & 29. 22.
V. 10. I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them] Chap. 14. 15. & 34. 17.