Westminster Annotations, Jeremiah · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Vers. 1. THey say, If a man put away his wife, &c.] Heb. Saying. Chap. 2. 1. or, Saying men say: that is, they use to say; or it is commonly said: as Chap. 23. 17. The like defective formes, See Isa. 59. 13. Chap 14. 5.
shall he return unto her again] According to the Law, Deut. 24. 1,-4.
shall not that land be greatly polluted] Or, should not that land be greatly polluted? Heb. in polluting be polluted. Would not such courses pollute the land? Lev. 18. 17, 18. Or, Is not this land excee…ingly polluted? Is it not so polluted with thy whoredoms? Vers 2. 9.
but] Or, Though. Heb. And. as Hos. 5. 2. Zech. 12. 3.
thou hast played the harlot with many lovers] Idols; and others, in whom thou trustedst, Chap. 2. 20, 33, 36.
yet return again to me] Yet, upon thy repentance, I will dispense with mine own law, and do that which man would not do; I will take thee again to me, Zech. 1. 3. Mal. 3. 7.
V. 2. List up thine eyes unto the high places] Chap. 2. 23.
see where thou hast not been lien with] No place almost is free from thy pollutions, Isa. 57. 5,-8. Chap. 2. 20. Vers. 6. 13.
in the wayes hast thou sat for them] As common harlots are wont to do, Gen. 38. 14. Ezek. 16. 24, 25▪
as the Arabian in the wildernesse] That lie in wait for passengers, to spoil them. Or, that watch their passing by, to trade and truck with them.
thou hast polluted the land, &c.] Chap. 16. 18.
V. 3. the showr…s have been with-holden] Deut. 28. 24. Chap. 9. 12.
and] Or, yet. Chap. 2. 35.
thou hadst a whores forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed] Thou didst grow shamelesse; and wouldest not repent, Chap. 5. 3. and 6. 15. & 8. 12. Amos 4. 7, 8. Zeph. 3. 5. and 6. 15.
V. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me] Or, Didst thou not from this time cried unto me? Diddest thou not yet all this while made shew of seeking to me: as if thou hadst still continued true and loiall to me? Chap. 2. 35. Isa. 48. 1, 2. & 58. 2. Or, wilt thou not at length yet seek unto me, for all thou hast been so grievously afflicted? Chap. 8. 4, 5. Isa. 1. 5. & 9. 12, 13.
My father] Lamenting, as a child to his Father offended, Chap. 31. 18. and calling me as I enjoyn thee to do. V…rs. 19.
thou art the guilde] Or, as a wife to her husband justly displeased, 1 Cor. 7. 11. calling on me in such tearms as I like and allow, Hos. 2. 16.
thou art the guide of my youth] Or, O thou the guide of my youth. the style given to the husband, Pro. 2. 17.
V. 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever] And, as my people are wont to complain unto me when some breach is between me and them, Psal. 77. 7,-9▪ & 85. 5. & 103. 9. Vers. 12.
thou hast spoken and done evill things as thou couldest] Or, thou hast spoken thus, but hast done evill things, as, or, what, or, when thou couldest: as Chap. 34 1. Isa. 29. 13. Chap. 12. 2. What thou hast spoken of thy desperate resolution; Chap. 2. 25. that thou makest good by thine actions, Chap. 8. 6. Or, Thus indeed thou hast sometime spoken: but hast persisted still in thy wicked courses as eagerly as ever, Isa. 58. 2, 3. Hos. 7. 14,-16.
in the dayes of Josiah] The people, even under that religious King, notwithstanding the outward reformation made by him so generall, 2 King. 23. 4,-20. yet continuing still inwardly wicked and irreligious, 2 King. 23. 26, 27. Vers. 10.
back-sliding Israel] The ten Tribes. Vers. 18.
she is gone up upon every high mountain &c.] Chap 2. 20.
V. 7. Turn thou unto me] Vers. 2. 2 King. 17. 13. Hos. 12. 6. and 14. 1.
she returned not] 2 King. 17. 14. Hos. 7. 16. & 11. 2, 5.
her treacherous sister] Ezek. 16. 46. & 23. 2, 4.
V. 8. And I saw when for all the causes whereby] Or, Now when I saw, that for all th…se causes, &c.] When I saw that there was no keeping of her any longer, she was so abominably defiled. Ezek. 23. 5,-8.
I had put her away] Or, I must put her away.
and given her a bill of divorce] Or, I then (as Chap. 1. 4.) gave her a bill of divorce. Isa. 50. 1. By giving up her people into the hand of the Assyrians, who carried them away captive, 2 King. 17. 6. Ezek. 23. 9.
yet] Or, and yet.
her treacherous sister Judah seared not] To run out into the same excesses; for which, she saw, what her sister had suffered, Ezek. 23. 11.
V. 9. it came to passe through the lightnesse of her whoredome] Or, notwithstanding the report, or, fame thereof, Chap. 4. 15. Though report of Israels notorious idolatry, and what had thereupon ensued, could not but come to her sister Judahs ear, dwelling so neer to her, Ezek. 16. 46.
that] Or, how. Chap. 2. 2.
she defiled the land] Vers. 1.
committed adultery with stones and with stocks] Chap. 2. 27.
V. 10. And yet for all this] Or, That yet even for all this. Though she had heard and seen all this in her sister, Vers. 7. 9.
hath not turned unto me with her whole heart] They returned in some sort for a time under Josiah, 2 King. 22. & 23. but were never throughly converted, as Josiah himself was, 2 King. 23. 25. nor inwardly reformed, as appeared by their sudden apostasie presently after his decease, 2 Chron 36. 14. See vers. 6.
but feignedly] Heb. in falshood. Psal. 78. 36, 37.
V. 11. back-sliding Israel hath justified her self more then treacherous Judah] Israel is nothing so bad as Judah, Ezek. 16. 47, 51, 52. & 23. 11.
her self] Heb. her soul. Chap 51. 14.
V. 12. proclaim these words toward the north] Towards Assyria and Media: Jer. 50. 3, 9. where the ten Tribes were in captivitie, 2 King. 17. 6.
Return thou back-sliding Israel] Vers. 14. Chap. 31. 22.
I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you] Heb. my face. Psal. 34. 16.
I am mercifull] Psal. 86. 15. & 103. 8, 9. Vers. 5.
V. 13. acknowledge thine iniquitie] Heb. know. Isa. 59. 12. or, take notice of. Chap. 2. 23.
that] Or, how. as vers. 9.
hast scattered thy wayes] There is no way almost, that thou hast not haunted, in trotting on pilgrimage to thine idols and favourites, Chap. 2. 23.
to the strangers] Chap. 2. 25.
under every green tree] Vers 6.
V. 14. Turn, O back-sliding children] Vers. 12.
I am married unto you] I am thy lawfull husband, Chap. 31. 32. and I will upon thy sincere and serious return, entertain thee again Vers. 1.
I will take you one of a citie, and two of a family] A small remnant of you, Isa. 24. 13. Rom. 9. 27. & 11. 5.
bring you to Zion] Isa. 56. 7. & 66. 20.
V. 15. I will give you pastours] Chap. 23. 4. Ezek. 34. 25. Ephes. 4. 11.
according to mine heart] Such as I like and approve of, 1 Sam. 13. 14. Act. 13. 22.
which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding] Either feed you with the spirituall food of sound knowledge and understanding of the truth: Ezek. 34. 2. Joh. 21. 15,-17. Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Or, rule you (as Chap. 23. 2.) skilfully and discreetly. Psal. 78. 72. 1 Pet. 3. 7.
V. 16. they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant, &c.] Either menat of Christs coming; when those shadowes and ceremonies were to cease, Joh. 1. 17. & 4. 23. Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1, 8, 9. Or, that, upon their restauration, they should not so trust to, and relie upon, these outward pledges of Gods presence, as formerly they had done, 1 Sam. 4. 3. Chap. 7. 4.
neither shall it come to mind] Heb. come upon the heart. Isa. 65. 17.
neither shall that be done any more] Or, shall it be magnified (as Deut. 32. 6. 1 Sam. 12. 6.) any more.
V. 17. they shall call Jerusalem] The Church: wherein God will be resident by his Spirit, to the worlds end, Matth. 28. 20. Joh. 14. 16, 17. Rev. 21. 3. & 22. 3.
the throne of the LORD] Chap. 17. 12.
all the nations shall be gathered unto it] Isa. 2. 2.
after the imagination] Or, stubbornnesse of their evill heart. Num. 15. 39. Isa. 57. 17. Chap. 7. 24.
V. 18. the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel] Or, to the house of Israel. The ten Tribes shall be reunited to the other two, Isa. 11. 13. and both joyn together in the true service of God; not go contrary wayes, as now they do, Ezek. 37. 16, 17, 19, &c.
come together out of the land of the north] The place of their captivitie, Vers. 12. Chap. 1. 13. & 31. 8.
to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers] Or, that I caused your fathers to possesse Psal. 44. 2, 3. & 78. 51. and 135. 12. & 136. 21, 22.
V. 19. How shall I put thee among the children] Or, How did I put thee, &c. Gods words, with admiration, relating, either what he had done formerly for them; and what thereupon he expected from them; Isa. 63. 8, 9. Or, what, notwithstanding their present estate, he would hereafter do for them; and on what condition they might expect it, Chap. 4. 1.
and give thee] Or, gave thee.
a pleasant land] Heb. land of desire. Psal. 106. 24. Zech. 7. 14.
a goodly heritage] Heb. an heritage of glory, or, beautie. Ezek. 20. 6. Dan. 8. 9.
Thou shalt call me, My father] Vers. 4. Psal. 89. 26.
shalt not turn away from me] Or, from following me. Deut. 7. 4. Heb. from after me. 1 Sam. 15. 11.
V. 20. as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband] Or, friend. Hos. 3. 1. Pro. 2. 17.
V. 21. A voyce] Of lamentation for their captivitie; or of mourning for their sinnes, Chap. 31. 18. Ezek. 7. 16. Zech. 12. 10.
was heard upon the high places] On the house-tops, as was usuall, in publike calamities, and solemn lamentations, Isa. 15. 3. & 22. 1. Chap. 7. 29. & 48. 38.
for they have perverted their way] Or, because, &c. as Isa. 59. 14. Vers. 25.
they have forgotten the LORD their God] Chap. 2. 32.
V. 22. Return ye back-sliding children] Vers. 14. Hos. 14. 1.
I will hea… your back-slidings] I will passe them by; and be fully reconciled again to you. Or, I will repair those ruines, and remove those evils, that by your revolt from me ye have brought upon your selves, Isa. 57. 18. Chap. 32. 40. Zech. 10. 6.
behold, we come unto thee] Spoken, either by God to his people, putting such words into their mouthes, as he would have them to use; Vers. 4, 5. Hos. 14. 2, 3. Or, in the person of Israel, to shame Judah for her backwardnesse: as 2 Sam. 19. 11, 12.
V. 23. Truly in vain] Heb. in, or, unto falshood, or, vanitie. Chap. 8. 8.
is salvation hoped for from the hills, &c.] From the idols that we worshipped there, Chap. 2. 20. Vers. 3. Or, from the aids, Psal. 60. 11. that we expected from beyond the hills, Psal. 121. 1, 2. Or, from the strength of our hills and forts, which we formerly trusted to, Chap. 5. 17. & 21. 13. Psal. 125. 2.
V. 24. For shame] Or, that shamefull thing, Chap, 11. 13. our shamefull idols: the cause of our ruine. Hos. 9. 10.
hath devoured the labour of our fathers] The wealth gotten by their industrie: as Psal. 128. 2. Isa. 45. 14. Chap. 5. 27. & 20. 5. Ezek. 23. 29. is consumed by Gods just judgement upon us for our idolatry, Chap. 5. 17.
V. 25. for we have sinned, &c.] Or, because. Chap. 6. 13. Vers. 21.
we and our fathers] They justifie not themselves; nor say, they will follow their fathers; as those, Chap. 44. 17. but condemn their wicked doings, and crave pardon of their sinnes, Ezr. 9. 7. Psal. 106. 6. Isa. 64. 6. Chap. 14. 20. Dan. 9. 16.
from our youth] Ever since we were first a nation, Isa. 48. 8. So Vers. 24. Chap. 2. 2. & 22. 21.