Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Jeremiah · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
JEremiah writes Letters to the captivated Jews in Babylon, who were carried away with Iechoniah, 2 Kings 24. 12. and he sent them by Elasah, the son of Vers. 1.Shaphan. For having prophesyed Chap. 25. of a Captivity to continue seventy Vers. 3.years; but being herein opposed by Hananiah, a false Prophet, Chap. 28. he thought it necessary (lest they of the Captivity hearing thereof, should be stirred up to tumultuate against the State Wherein they lived, and to seek immediately a liberty of returning) to give them warning to be quiet, and patiently to bear their Exile, during their time set by the Lord, being comforted by the hope upon good ground to return then, and enjoy their own Countrey again. For the men by whom he wrote thus, they are said to be Embassadors sent by Zedekiah to King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him King, when he carried away Iehojakin into Babylon. Therefore being made King at his will, and being for this cause a Tributary unto him, and not knowing how long it would be his pleasure to continue him in this royall dignity, because he had with him Iehojakin, touching whom Hananiah had prophesied, that he should return again within two years, he thought it necessary to send unto him, to shew his obsequiousness, that his favour might still be towards him, to keep him still in his place, and Iehojakin there in prison. And upon this consideration he might well condescend, that his Messengers should carry Ieremiah his Letters to them of the Captivity, that hereby they might be moved quietly with their King to abide there, and not think yet of returning to his disturbance, that he might live all his dayes in this honour in peace. To this effect almost Calvin, and Lyra, Hugo, Tho. Aquinas add, that Calvin. Lyra. Hugo. T. Aquinas.these men were sent to Babylon with Tribute in the first year of Zedekiah his reign, which is not improbable. Some move a needless question here, Whether the Captives carried away anno 4th of Jehojakim be not here meant, giving sentence, that they are, and not those that were carried with Jehojakim. But we read not in the said fourth year of Iehojakim of any that were carried away, 2 Chron. 36.but onelyonly of Vessels of the house of the Lord, and of the King bound to be carried; but he was not at that time: Wherefore Ierom without question saith, That the Captives who are carried away with Jehojakim, are meant.
Pray to the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace. According Vers. 7.to this 1 Tim. 2. we are commanded to pray for Kings, that under them we may lead a godly life in all quietness and honesty, and yet the Kings were then Heathen, and enemies to Christians. Hereby we learn then, that the vices of Kings are not a Supersedeas to our obedience to them, but we must both be Note. subject notwithstanding, and ex animo pray to God for them, as the Saints of God constantly did in the Primitive Church; and not rebell against them, or plot their destruction, as Papists have impiously done sundry times. For in their peace, that is in the Kingdome wherein we live is in a prosperous estate, we fare the better, although the King be a Tyrant, because all things in time of peace and fruitfulness do more abound. Yet this was not true to the Jewes without limitation, but for the terme of seventy years; for this terme being expired, Babylon came into misery, and the time of the Jewes felicity for their deliverance by Cyrus subduing that State, came, as was promised: when these 70 years began and ended, is not agreed amongst Expositors; but of this see my Comment upon 2 Kings 25. 8.
Let not your Prophets or Diviners, that are in the midst of you, deceive you. Of Vers. 8.Prophets amongst others carried away from Jerusalem, see verse 1. These it seemeth, took upon them amongst those of the Captivity to promise a speedy return, as Hananiah did at Jerusalem; and of three of them the Prophet speaks verse 21. 24. by name, viz. Ahab, and Zedekiah, and Shemaiah, threatning them diversly.
Touching Ahab and Zedekiah, 'they did not onelyonly prophesy falsely in the name Vers. 21.of the Lord, but were also filthy Adulterers; and therefore Ieremiah threaneth them, that they should be judged accordingly, by being roasted in the fire. Some will have these two to be the two Elders, that accused Susanna and were found out by Daniel to be false Conspirators, and therefore suffered death by starving: Dan. 13.but both the manner of their death differing from the death of these two, and their Title Elders, but these Prophets were the contrary: and therefore Ierom rejects it as a Fable: For Nebuchadnezzar his putting of them to so cruell death, he might haply, as Calvin conjectureth, be incensed against them for seeking to stir up trouble amongst his people, by their prophesying of a speedy return: but for so much as even Heathens lead onelyonly by the light of nature, abominate the the foul sin of Adultry, it is to be held that the King was most exasperated hereby, as being the more abominable in them pretending greatest holilines, as being men that took upon them to be Prophets led by divine inspiration. And God doubtless had an over-ruling hand in it, to terrifie the more from such horrible wickednesses; and by the form of cursing taken up, hereupon to notifie Note. the foul conditions of false Prophets and Idolaters to all the world; as indeed Idolatry and Adultry go commonly together, as they come both under the same name of Adultery; whereof see for example Iezabel, and Maacha the mother of Asa; and the Nuns, Friers and Priests amongst the Idolatrous Papists.
Touching Shemaiah the Nehelamite, interpreted by Kimhi the Dreamer, as the word signifieth, it is said, that he had written against Ieremiah to Zephaniah, Vers. 24.and the other Priests, flatteringly telling him, that he was by God set up in the room of Iehojadah; of whom 2 Kings 11. 18. that by by his means Matthan the Priest of Baal was slain, to stir him up to doe the like by Ieremiah, as a false Prophet; whereas indeed he was not high-Priest, as Iehojadah had been; but the second Priest, 2 Kings 25. 18. For Seraias was the high-Priest: and he incites Zephaniah against Ieremiah, saying; For every one that is mad, to put him in the stocks. Whereby we may gather, that wicked men counted the Prophets of God mad, because they were strangely moved by the Spirit of God after the manner of arreptitij, that are rapt so, that they do madly, as Saul, when the Spirit came upon him, cast off his cloaths, 1 Sam. 19. 24. And according to this, 2 Kings 9. 11. one said to Iehu, touching a Prophet that came unto him to anoint him King, What said this mad fellow to thee? And herein sometimes false Prophets were like unto the true; and therefore the second to the high. Priest had authority given him to judge of such; and finding them false, to put them in stocks or prison, to be brought forth afterwards to be adjudged to death, if they were found false. And therefore Pashur, who was in this Office before, dealt thus by Ieremiah, Ch. 20. but most injuriously, and was therefore threatned, and it seems, because there was now another in that place, deposed. But Shemaiah would have had him to have done likewise; for which he also is threatned, verse 31. with the destruction both of himself and his posterity. And it is further said, that Shemiah wrote also to the Priests, that they might herein be assistant to Zephaniah, to which they were prone enough of themselves; as we may see in many other places, especially Chap. 26. 8.