Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord] Still he voucheth his Author, for more authority ſake. And this is held to be his ſixteenth Sermon.
And all the Kingdoms of the earth of his dominion] For never any Monarch was maſter of the whole earth.
Ver. 2. Go and ſpeak unto Zedekiah] Tell him plainly what ſhall become of him and his, though thou be ſent to priſon for thy plain-dealing.
Ver. 3. And thou ſhalt not eſcape] Whatever vain hopes thou maiſt nouriſh, and although thou thinkeſt thou haſt a ſtake in ſtore, howſoever the world goes with the reſt. See chap. 32.4, 5.
Ver. 4. Yet hear the Word of the Lord] A word of comfort. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works, Pſal. 145.9. Out of his philanthropy he giveth this wicked Prince a mitigation of his juſt puniſhment, and a further time to repent: as Rev. 2.21. And poſſibly this goodneſſe of God might in time lead him to repentance, as Rom. 2.4.
Thou ſhalt not dye by the ſword] And yet Joſiah his Father (a far better man) did: ſo unſearchable are Gods Judgements, and his wayes paſt finding out.
Ver. 5. But thou ſhalt dye in peace] Yet not as his Father Joſiah did, in that peace of God, unleſſe he amended his manners: for he was reckoned among the naughty figs.
And with the burnings of thy fathers the former Kings] With the uſual ſolemnities, at the exequies of the better ſort of Kings: Nec una fuit veteribus ſepeliendi ratio. See. 2 Chron. 16.14. & 21.19. The Jews have a tradition, that Nebuchadnezzar, upon a feſtival day, cauſed him to be brought out of priſon; and ſo abuſed him before his Princes to make them ſport, that for ſhame and grief thereof he dyed ſoon after:Joſeph. Antiq. lib. 10. c. 11. and then Nebuchadnezzar, to make him ſome recompence, cauſed him to be honourably buried: ſuffering his quondam-ſubjects to burn ſweet odours, and to bewail his death.
Flanctús haec fuit …ormula juxta Seder-Olam, He…! quia mortuus eſt Rex Zede… …as b…bens faeces omnium aetatum: i. e. Luens peccata priorum ſaeculorum, interprete Genebrardo.And they will lament thee] The dues of the dead are, honorifice lugeri & honeſte ſepeliri, to be honourably lamented and laid up: which yet is not granted to all good men; but heaven makes amends.
For I have pronounced the word] Both the comminatory part of this meſſage and the conſolatory. But Zedekiah was ſo moved at the former, that he regarded not the latter.
Ver. 6. Then Jeremiah ſpake all theſe words] Never fearing what might follow. And he had no ſoner done but he was clapt up. See chap. 32.3.
Ver. 7. And againſt all the Cities of Judah which were left] Theſe were not many: for the Chaldaean conquerour, as an overflowing ſcourge, had paſſed through Judah, and gone over all, reaching even to the neck, as Iſa. 8.8.
Ver. 8. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord] Here beginneth a new Sermon, reckoned the ſeventeenth: And here ought to begin a new Chapter, ſaith Piſcator.
After that the King Zedekiah had made a Covenant] In their diſtreſſe they made ſome ſhews of remorſe, and ſome overtures of reformation. So did Pharaoh, Exod. 8.8, 15, 28, 32. & 9.28, 34. & 10.17, 20. And the Iſraelites of old, Judg. 10.15, 16. Pſal. 78.34, 35, 36. See the Notes there. Daemon languebat, &c. Pliny in one of his Epiſtles to one that deſired rules from him, how to order his life aright, I will, ſaid he, give you one rule that ſhall be inſtead of a thouſand: Ʋt tales eſſe perſeveremus ſani, quales nos futuros eſſe profitemur infirmi. i. e. That we continue to be as good in health, as we promiſe and begin to be when ſick.
Hic ſeptimus annus fuit typus aeternae liberationis poſt curriculum ſex dierum mundi ſex mille annorum.Ver. 9. That every man ſhould let his man ſervant] Should manumit, and diſmiſſe him at ſix years end, according to the Law, Exod. 21.1, 2. The ſeventh year was called the year of liberty; and then they were to let go their brethren that ſerved them: and this, in a thankful remembrance of their deliverance from the Egyptian ſervitude. But this they had neglected to doe: and now, to pacify Gods wrath, and to prevent, if it might be, the Chaldaeans cruelty, this courſe they took: and not altogether without ſucceſſe. For the ſeige was thereupon raiſed for a ſeaſon: and had they returned to God with all their heart, and with all their ſoul, who knows what might have been further done for them? But they did nothing leſſe: therefore came wrath upon them to the utmoſt.
Ver. 10. Then they obeyed and let them go] They ſeemed to be very good, as long as it laſted: See on ver. 8. So when God layes ſeige to men by ſickneſſe or otherwiſe, then Covenants are made, and kept for a while concerning the putting away of their ſins: but no ſooner doth God ſlack his wrath, but they retract their vows, and return to their wonted wickedneſſe; Aegrotus ſurgit, ſed pia vota jacent.
Ver. 11. But afterwards they turned and cauſed their ſervants] Coveteouſneſs prompting and pricking them on thereunto; for that is the root of all evil,Stimulante avaritia. 1 Tim. 6.10. The Chaldaeans had drawn off, to go, belike, to fight with the relief that was comeing out of Egypt, chap. 37.7, 11. and now theſe ſilly Jews thought themſelves out of the reach of Gods rod, perfidiouſly repealed their vows, reimbondaged their ſervants, and are therefore worthily threatened with a more cruel ſervitude to the Chaldaeans, for this their relapſe and breach of Covenant with God.Jun.
Ver. 12. Therefore the Word of the Lord] Of God the Son.
Came to Jeremiah from the Lord] From God the Father.
Ver. 13. I made a Covenant with your Fathers] Heb. I cut a Covenant. See v. 18.
Out of the houſe of bondmen] Such were you when there: why then ſhould you pull up the bridge before others, which your ſelves have gone over? make ſlaves of thoſe whom God had made free? Levit. 25.39, 42.
Ver. 14. At the end of ſeven years let ye go] He layeth before them Gods Law which they had tranſgreſſed, out of Exod. 21.2. Deut. 15.12. A Law ſo full of equity, humanity, and benignity, that the honeſter Heathens approved and obſerved it, as the Romans and Athenians: Only theſe latter had an action at Law (which they called foreign) for a Maſter againſt his ſervant ungrateful for his manumiſſion,Val. Max. l. 2. c. 1. and not doing his duty to his Maſter: for ſuch were again to be made bond-ſlaves, if the crime could be proved againſt them.
Ver. 15. And you were now turned] Being frighted into a temporary reformation: but all was in hypocriſy, as now well appeareth. Falling Stars were never but Meteors.
In proclaiming liberty every one to his neighbour] Your ſervants were your neighbours: and their fleſh as your fleſh, Neh. 5.5. and ſhould have been ſo conſidered. In the Law the ſervant paid the half-ſhekel as well as his Maſter. And in the Goſpel,Servus eſt domini ſui foreign. as there is neither Jew nor Greek, ſo neither bond not free, but all are one in Chriſt Jeſus, Gal. 3.28. whether he be Lord, or loſel.
And ye had made a Covenant before] And have not all done ſo in Baptiſm that Beerſheba or well of an oath?
Ver. 16. But ye turned] Exprobrat recidivum Judaeorum ſcelus qui ſcilicèt primam virtutem turpiter deluſerint & violarint. He upbraideth them, and deſervedly, with their Apoſtacy and perjury. Peter alſo thundereth againſt ſuch, 2 Pet. 2.
And polluted my name] ſc. By the violation of your ſolemn vow: ſo doth every profligate profeſſour, and ungirt Chriſtian.
Whom he had ſet at liberty at their pleaſure] Liberty is a deſirable and delectable commodity. Thoſe that live in Turky, Perſia, yea or but in France, &c. eſteem it ſo.
Ver. 17. Ye have not harkened unto me in proclaiming liberty] Ye have not done it, becauſe ye have not continued to do it: ye have loſt the things that you had wrought.
Behold I proclaim a liberty for you] God loves to retaliate. Here he abandoneth theſe Apoſtates to the plagues inſtanced. Let them uſe you at their pleaſure, ſaith God: I have no mercy for ſuch mercileſſe wretches: neither care I what becometh of you.
Ver. 18. That have tranſgreſſed my Covenant] His Covenant he calleth it by a weighty Emphaſis; becauſe about a buſineſſe by him commanded, and wherein he was engaged, not as a bare ſpectatour, but as a ſevere avenger of their perjury.Hom. Il. l. 3. Tul. de Invent. Liv. l. 1. Virg. Aeneid. 8. Hinc foedus à foedo animali diviſo.
When they cut the Calf in twain] To ſhew the correſpondency of wills whereunto the contracters did bind themſelves: and the puniſhment of diſſection or other violent death, whereunto they ſubmitted themſelves, in caſe they brake promiſe. The riſe of this rite in covenanting See Gen. 15.9, 10, 17. The Heathens uſed the like ceremony, as is to be ſeen in Homer, Cicero, Livy, Virgil; — & caeſa jungebant faedera porcâ. The Romans cut a ſow in twain: and when it was divided, the Faeciales or heralds gave one half to one party, and the other half to the other, and ſaid, So God divide you aſunder if you break this Covenant: and let God do this ſo much the more, as he is more able.
Ver. 19. The Princes of Judah] Theſe were moſt of them cut in pieces by the King of Babylon, as the calf had been.
Ver. 20. And their dead bodies] Chap. 7.33. & 16.4.
Ver. 21. Which are gone up from you] But will be upon you again ere long: they are but gone back to fetch bear, as it were. You have deceived you ſervants with a vain hope of liberty, and ſo you do now your ſelves. See chap. 37.8, 22.
Ver. 22. Behold I will command] i. e. By a ſecret inſtinct I will move.