Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Ver. 1. ANd it came to paſſe the ſame year] ſc. Wherein Jermiah ſpake to Zedekiah and the Prieſts, cap. 27 12.
In the beginning] In his firſt year; dividing his reign into three parts.
That Hananiah the ſon of Azur the Prophet] i. e. The pretended Prophet. Dictum foreign. A Prieſt he ſeemeth to have been by his Country Gibeon, Joſh. 21.13, 17. and a Prophet he taketh upon him to be, preacheth pleaſing things through flattery, and for filthy lucre, likely. He ſaw how ill Ʋriah and Jeremy had ſped by telling the truth: He reſolveth therefore upon another courſe. Theſe falſe Prophets would ever with the Squiril, build and have their holes open to the Sunny-ſide: ever keep in with the Princes, and pleaſe the people.
Ver. 2. Thus ſpeaketh the Lord of H…ſts, the God of Iſrael] Thus this wretch makes over-bold with that Nomen Majeſta…ivum, holy and reverend Name of God: whom he entileth alſo to his falſities with ſingular impudence, that he may paſſe for a Prophet of the Lord, when as the root of the matter was not in him.
Ver. 3. Within two full years] Jeremy had ſaid ſeventy: Hananiah (a man of prime authority, ſome ſay High-prieſt) within two years. This was ſome trial to good Jeremy to be thus confronted. Jeremy's diſcourſe was ſo much the more diſtaſted, becauſe he not only contradicted Hananiah and his complices, but alſo perſwaded Zedekiah to ſubmit to the King of Babylon, and afterwards to yield up the City: when as the Prophet Iſay, not long before, had diſſwaded Hezekiah from ſo doing.
Ver. 5. Then the Prophet Jeremiah ſaid] Without gall or guilt. Like the waters of Siloah at the foot of Sion. Iſa. 8 6. which run ſoftly; he made but ſmall noiſe, though he heard great words, and full of falſehood.
In the preſence of the Prieſts, and in the preſence of the people] Publikely he took him up (though mildly:) becauſe he had publickly offended. See Gal. 2.14. 1 Tim. 5.20.
Ver. 6. Amen, the Lord ſo do] q. d. I wiſh it may be ſo as thou ſayeſt, with all my heart, if God be ſo pleaſed. But I know that this is magis optabile quàm opinabile, rather to be wiſhed then hoped for. I could wiſh for my poor Countrymens ſake, to be found a falſe Prophet: but I ſee little likelyhood of it.
Ver. 7. Nevertheleſſe hear thou now] Audi quaeſo. Hear I pray thee: ſoft words, but hard arguments. See on Iſa. 5.3.
And in the ears of all the People] Whom I deſire to undeceive, and to adviſe for the beſt, whatever they think of me. Let them think what they will, modo impii ſilentii non arguar, as Luther once ſaid, ſo that I be not found guilty of a ſinful ſilence.
Ver. 8. The Prophets that have been before me, &c.] q.d. Committamus, Anania, nos tempori, &c. Let's be judged by our Peers, or rather by our Ancients: It hath been ever uſual with true Prophets, to declaim againſt the ſins of the times, and to proclaim divine vengeance if men amend not: But thou doeſt nothing leſſe then this: Ergo.
Vide Viſcat. … S…ol.And of evil] Or of famine, that greateſt evil of all the three, where it is extream.
Ver. 9. The Prophet which propheſieth of peace] As thou now doeſt, but time will confute thee, and event will ſhew thee to be a lyar. Two years time will be ſoon come up. &c. How many that have taken upon them to predict the very year and day of the laſt Judgement, have been thus confuted and confounded? See Deut. 18.22.
Ver. 10. Then Hananiah the Prophet took the yoke from off the Prophet Jeremiah's neck and brake it] This was a moſt inſolent and deſperate fact in Hananiah (but nihil eſt audacius illis Deprenſis) and a moſt dangerous temptation to the people to believe his prophecying. Such another bold beacham was Neſtorius the heretike; Aud…x erat, ſaith Zanchy, & magnae loquentiae, quâ unicâ fretus nihil non audebat, & quidom ſaepenumero foeliciter quod volebat, obtinebat: That is, bold he was and big-ſpoken; truſting whereunto, he durſt attempt any thing; and too too oft he effected alſo that which he attempted; ſo that he ſeduced for a while the good Emperour Theodoſius, and cauſed him to eject Cyril an Orthodox Biſhop;Zanch. Miſcell. epiſt. dedic. whom afterwards, upon better conſideration, he reſtored again to his place with greater honour; and condemned that hypocrite and heretike Neſtorius: of whom what became afterwards I wot not: but Hananiah died, as he well deſerved, for his thus daring to fight againſt God.
Ver. 11. And Hananiah ſpake in the preſence of all the people] This was Prophet-like indeed; firſt to teach by a ſign, and then to ſhew the ſenſe of it: But what maketh a parable in a fools mouth? Prov. 26.7. Excellent ſpeech becometh not a fool, Prov. 17.7. The people of Rome ſware to Carbo that they would not believe him though he ſware: ſo ſhould this people have dealt by Hananiah.
And the Prophet went his way] As weary and ſorry to hear and ſee ſuch groſſe illuſions: haud dubium factus ridiculo omni populo praeſenti, being well laughed at,Oecolamp. no doubt, by the ſeduced people: but he had been well inured to bear their buffoneries; beſides that, the bird in his boſom ſang ſweetly. He went his way,Conſcia mens recti famae mendacia r… det. ſaith One, as ſhunning contention, and providing for edification, which is not attained to by brawling and bitterneſſe.
Ver, 12. After that Hananiah had broken the yoke] Which he looked upon as an eye-ſore while it was whole: and a real contradiction to his falſe predictions.
Ver. 13. Thou haſt broken the yokes of wood] That were weaker and lighter;
—nunc graviora feres.
But thou ſhalt make for them yokes of Iron] Thou, Jeremy ſhalt, for a type of a cruel, hard and ſtrong bondage. Bonfinius writeth of the Hungarians, Hungar. rer. decad. 4. l. 9.that they are not to be handled gently, or kindly dealt with: ſed virgâ ferreâ in obſequo continenendes eſſe, but kept in order with a rod of Iron. Such were theſe refractory Jews; but they had enough of it ere God had done with them.
Ver. 14. For thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts] Here were right words (not as ver. 2. in labris nata, non in fibris) and therefore very forcible, Job 6.25.
I have put a yoke of Iron] See on ver. 13.
And have given him the beaſts] All ſhall be his: and he ſhall ſoveraign it over all, as the Lion doth over the beaſts of the field.
Ver. 15. Thou makeſt this people to truſt in a lye] Who loved to have it ſo, chap. 6. ult. and were therefore juſtly left to obduration and horrible deſtruction.
Ver. 16. Behold I will caſt thee] I will ſhortly lay thee low enough together with thy lordly looks, as D. Taylor Martyr once told Gardiner Biſhop of Wincheſter, who reviled him, and threatened him.
This year ſhalt thou dye] Than which thou hadſt better do any thing.
Ver. 17. So Hananiah dyed] Two moneths after this prediction, ver. 1. yet the people relented not, but perſiſted in their obſtinacy to the end. Such a ſward or rather hoof is grown over ſome mens hearts, as neither Miniſtry, nor miſery, nor miracle, nor mercy can poſſibly mollify.