Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 42
CHAP. XLII.
Ver. 1. THen all the Captains of the forces and Johanan] Or, even Johanan; he among the reſt and above the reſt. Ille huic negotio non interfuit modo ſed etiam praefuit.
And Jezaniah the ſon of Hoſhajah] Brother, belike, to that Azariah, chap. 43.2. a noble pair of brethren in evil.
And all the people] Who follow their Rulers: as in a beaſt the whole body followeth the head.
Drew near] They came, as clients uſe to do for learned counſel.
Ver. 2. Let we beſeech thee, our ſupplication be accepted before thee] Here they ſeem to humble themſelves before Jeremiah the Prophet: which becauſe King Zedekiah did not, he came to ruine, 2 Chron. 26.12.
And pray for us unto the Lord thy God] Good words may be found even in hell-mouth, ſometimes. Who would think but theſe men had ſpoken, what they did, unfainedly, and from their very hearts? when as it ſoon after appeared, that all was no better then deep diſſimulation. They had made their concluſion aforehand to go down to Egypt: only in a pre…ence of piety, and for greater credit, they would have had Gods approbation: which ſith they cannot, they will on with their deſign howſoever, fall back, fall edge. O moſt hateful hypocriſy! O contumacy worthy of all mens execration!
Ver. 3. That the Lord thy God may ſhew us the way] But they had ſet themſelves in the way to Egypt, before they came with this requeſt to the Prophet: why went they elſe to Geruth Chimham, the rode toward Egypt, chap. 41.17. why were they alſo ſo peremptory, when they knew Gods mind to the contrary? chap. 43.
And the thing that we may do] Good words all along: but thoſe (we ſay) are light cheap: Quid vero verba quaero, facta cum videam? they were as forward to ſpeak fair, as their anceſtours were in the wilderneſſe: but oh that there were a heart in this people, ſaith God, to do as they have ſaid!
Ver. 4. I have heard you: behold I will pray] The wiſdom from above is perſwaſible, eaſie to be intreated, Jam. 3. ult. and good men are ready to every good work, Tit. 3.1. Jeremy hoped they might ſpeak their whole hearts, and promiſeth to do his beſt for them, both by praying and prophecying.
Whatſoever thing the Lord ſhall anſwer you, I will declare] Sic veteres nihil ex ſe vel potuerunt, vel protulerunt. The Prophets ſpake as they were inſpired by the Spirit of truth. Chriſt ſpake nothing but what was conſonant to the holy Scriptures. The Apoſtles delivered to the Churches what they had received of the Lord,Irenaeus lib. 3. Eccleſ. hiſt. lib. 4. cap. 14. 1 Cor. 11.23. Polycarp told the Churches that he delivered nothing to them, but what he had received of the Apoſtles, &c.
Ver. 5. The Lord be a true and faithful witneſſe between us] Did theſe men know what it was ſo ſolemnly to ſwear a thing? Or were they ſtark Atheiſts, thus to promiſe that with an oath, which they never meant to perform? At sperate Deum memorem fandi atque nefandi. Their King Zedekiah paid dear for his perjury to God and men.
Ver. 6. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil] i. e. Whether it pleaſe us, or croſſe us: Veniat, veniat verbum Domini: & ſubmittemus ei, ſexcenta ſi nobis eſſent colla, ſaid a good man once: that is, Let Gods Word come to us once, and he ſhall be obeyed, whatever come of it. Theſe in the text ſeem to ſay as much; but they ſay it only: neither was it much to be liked, that they were ſo free of their promiſes, and all in their own ſtrength, without any condition of help from heaven: as if the matter had been wholly in their own hands, and they had had free-will to whatſoever good purpoſe or practice.
O coecas mentes hominum!
We will obey the voyce of the Lord] Yes, as far as a few good words will go.
Pollicitis dives quilibet eſſe poteſt.Ovid.
Ver. 7. And it came to paſſe, that after ten dayes] So long God held his holy Prophet in requeſt: and ſo he doth ſtill his beſt ſervants many times, thereby tying, as it were, the ſacrifice to the hornes of the Altar. How impatient thoſe wretched Royſters were of ſuch a delay, we may well imagine (the Chinois uſe to whip their gods, when they will not hear and help them forthwith) but God held them off as unworthy of any anſwer, and ſeemed by his ſilence to ſay unto them, as Ezek. 20.3. Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, ſaith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
Ver. 8. And all the people from the leaſt unto the greateſt] For the Word of God belongeth to all, of all ſorts: and as the leſſer fiſhes bite ſooneſt, ſo the poor are Goſpellized, Mat. 11.5. when the richer ſtand out.
Ver. 9. Ʋnto whom ye ſent me to preſent your ſupplication] Heb. to make your ſupplication fall in his preſence. This I have not ceaſed to do ever ſince, but had no anſwer till now: and it may be that now you may the better regard it. Cito data cito vileſcunt.
Ver. 10. Then will I build you] Promittitur felicitatio; parabola ab architectura & agricultura deſumpta. God promiſeth to bleſſe and ſettle them, by a two fold ſimilitude, uſed alſo by the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 3.9. ye are Gods husbandry, ye are Gods building. See chap. 24.6.
For I repent me of the evil] A term taken from men, Gen. 6.6. though repentance in men is a change of the will: but repentance in God is only the willing of a change: mutatio rei, non Dei. See chap. 18.8.
Ver. 11. Fear not the King of Babylon] See on chap. 41.18.
For I am with you to ſave you] Not only to protect you from the Babylonian; but alſo to encline his heart to clemency toward you, ver. 12.
Ver. 12. And I will ſhew mercyes unto you] Tender mercyes; ſuch as proceed from the bowels, and of a parent, nay a mother. This was more then all the reſt.
Ver. 13. But if ye ſay We will not dwell in this land] Becauſe more barren then Egypt: and beſides beſet with many and mighty enemies.
Neither obey the voyce of the Lord your God] Which you ought to do, whatever come of it: ſith rebellion is as witchcraft, 1 Sam. 15.
Ver. 14. Saying no: but we will go into the land of Egypt] Infamous for idolatry, luxury, and the oppreſſion of your Anceſtours there: beſides Gods expreſſe prohibition, Deut. 17.16. and commination of it, as the laſt and greateſt plague, The Lord ſhall bring thee into Egypt, Deut. 28.68.
And there will we dwell] The Prophet now, by their looks, or ſome other way, perceived their purpoſe ſo do do, whatever they had promiſed, ver. 5, 6.
Ver. 15. If ye wholly ſet you faces] As now I ſee you do: and ſhall therefore tell you what to truſt unto, with the froward God will wreſtle, Pſal. 18.26.
Ver. 16. Then it ſhall come to paſſe that the ſword which ye feared ſhall overtake you there] Categorice intonat Propheta. God hath long hands; neither can wicked men anywhere live out of the reach of his rod.
And the famine whereof ye were afraid] Egypt was very fertile, the granary of the world: and yet God could cauſe a famine there: he hath treaſures of plagues for ſinners, and can never be exhauſted.
Ver. 17. They ſhall dye by the ſword, by the famine, and by the peſtilence] Three threats, anſwerable to thoſe three promiſes, ver. 10, 11, 12. in caſe of their obedience.Metaph. à metallis.
Ver. 8. As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth] ſc. Like ſcalding lead, or burning bell-metal, which runeth fiercely, ſpreadeth far, and burneth extreamly.
Ʋpon the inhabitants of Jeruſalem] Out of which fire I have late pulled you as a brand, the ſmell thereof is yet upon your clothes as it were: Cavete.
Ver. 19. Go ye not into Egypt] Be ruled, or you will rue it, when you have learned their evil manners, and ſhall periſh in their puniſhments. It is better for you to be in cold irons at Babylon, then to ſerve idols in Egypt at never ſo much liberty. Your fathers brought a golden calf thence: Jeroboam brought two.
Ver. 20. For ye diſſembled in your hearts] Heb. ye ſeduced in your ſouls, or in your minds. The Vulgar hath it, you deceived your ſouls, and not God; by playing faſt and looſe with him: by dealing with him ac ſi puer eſſet, ſcurra, vel morio.
Ver. 21. But ye have not obeyed the voyce of the Lord] Nay you take a clean contrary courſe: as if ye would deſpitefully ſpit in the face of heaven, and wreſtle a fall with the Almighty.
Ver. 22. Now therefore know certainly that ye ſhall dye] In running from death ye ſhall but run to it, as Jonas did.
Quo fugis Encelade? quaſcun que acceſſeris oras,
Sub Jove ſemper eris.—