Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Jeremiah · Chapter 38 – Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXVIII.
JEremiah abiding in the Court of the prison, where the King caused him to be put, continued freely to prophesie of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the people, if they would not yield to the King of Babylon, but of safety to them that yielded, as he had done long before, Chap. 21. 9. yet not so long, as Calvin by mistake would have it, who saith, that it was above twenty years before that the Prophetspake thus; for Ch. 21. 1. it is said to have been in Zedekiah his time, when Nebuchadnezzar made war against him, and therefore most probably in the ninth year of Zedekiah, Chap. 39. 2 Kings 25. when Nebuchadnezzar came first to besiege Jerusalem, before his departing at the hearing of the Egyptians coming; after which it is most probable, that he was now come again to renew the siege, which from the first to the last was not above one year and six moneths; and therefore it was but little above a year agoe since Ieremiah first spake thus. But now most probably he renewing the same Prophecie in the eares of all that came unto him into the Court of the prison; and the Princes hearing of it, some of them who are here named, go to the King, and accuse Vers. 1.Ieremiah as an enemy to the State, saying, that he was worthy for this to dye. And it is indeed an hainous thing for any Subject to perswade any of his fellow Subjects to fall from his King to his enemies, and therefore he that doth it, is worthy to dye. This is true ordinarily; but for a Prophet, as Ieremiah was, set up by God above Kings, to declare his purpose against them, and to shew them the way of escaping, it was necessary to speak thus; and if Ieremiah had not, the greatest of all had before threatned to slay him, Chap. 1. 17. And therefore it was in him so far from being a crime, that he deserved to be hearkened unto by the King and Princes, and to have been well rewarded for his faithfulnesse. But example is not from hence to be taken by the ordinary Ministers of Gods Word in any case to perswade the people to fall from their own King to another, or to any that go out as enemies against him and his Kingdome. When these Princes had accused Ieremiah to the King, he tels them, That the King could do nothing Vers. 5.against them; and therefore he saith, That he was in their hands, not that it ought so to be, for the King is supream, and all others even Princes are subject to him. But Zedekiah for his wickednesse, and his Princes also for theirs, were now left of God, and so all things grew into confusion. Yet it appeareth, that he held his Supremacy still; because that having left Ieremiah to his Princes, and they dealing so outragiously by him as to put him into a miery Dungeon, where he was in danger of soon dying miserably; when he heard of it, he sent and took him out, and placed him where he had been before; neither did the Princes herein oppose him, as the following part of the Chapter sheweth.
Then Ebedmelech an Ethiopian went to the King sitting in the gate of Benjamin. Vers. 7.This is a thing greatly to be noted, that there was not one Prince or other of the Jewish Nation, that was moved at the cruelty used against the Prophet of God; onelyonly a stranger being an Eunuch in the Kings house, was affected at it, and sought his deliverance, which tended to the utter disgracing of the Jewes, who bare themselves upon this, that they were the holy seed, and Gods peculiar people; all others being base and vile in comparison of them; yet now one Ethiopian had more piety towards the man of God in him, than they all. And his love and piety is the more commended by this, that he shewed himself thus for Ieremiah against the Princes, that were of so great power, and so openly, not speaking to the King for him privately in his house, but openly, when he sate upon the judgement seat in the Gate; for there were the Tribunals commonly amongst the Jewes. So that he was without fear of the Princes, and of the envy of the people, who almost all hated Ieremiah, in doing this. But God, who stirred him up to it was with him so, that he prevailed with the King, although standing in a we of the Princes, as appeared before. Yet now he is also moved with compassion, and bids him take with him thirty men, and go, and pull Ieremiah out of the Dangeon; which he did accordingly, not fearing a greater power, that the Princes could easily have made against him, and so took him out in the best manner that he could devise. A notable example, teaching us Note. wherein true Religion standeth, viz. in love, and doing for those that are in misery: as also the Samatitan is by our Lord brought for an example, who had compassion Luke. 10. 30.on the wounded man, when as not one Jew; no, not a Priest or Levite would shew him any pity. Again, note for our incouragement in doing good, Note. that when humane reason shewed him so many difficulties, for which it might seem impossible for him to effect this, as the power of the Princes with the King, the hatred and danger that he should incur by attempting it, and the enmity of all the Jews in the Gate, before whom he must speak, if ever, because otherwise it might be too late, Ieremiah being dead with hunger, cold, and the noisomnesse of the place; yet he, all these notwithstanding, attempted it, and prevailed to his everlasting fame, and obtaining great favour with the Lord, as we may see Chap. 39. 15.
Again note, that God hath the Kings heart in his hand, and turneth it as the Note. rivers of water; he was before so pusillanimous, that he durst do nothing, although he had some compassion towards the Prophet in him: but now he taketh courage to send a power, whereby to deliver him, that we may never cease praying for our King, that God would turn his heart, when it is set upon any evill way.
Lastly note, that one man, even contemptible and obscue may sometime be Note. an instrument of great good, if he takes courage to attempt it when need requires, that none may be faint-hearted about things so necessary, but put on to speak, although he may seem to himself the most unfit amongst many more, and so he may incur the danger of his life; which is also further exemplified in Ester. King Solomon saith, that this man was a servant of the Kings, as the word Ebedmelech signifieth; and that this was not his proper name; and whereas it is K. Solomon.rendred, The Ethiopian, he renders it, The Servant of the King, the Ethiopian, in the genitive Case, as if the King, and not he, were called the Ethiopian, or Blackamore, for his black and foul manners: as Amos 7 9 it is said to the Jews, Are yee not the Children of Ethiopians to me? But there is no need here to flee to any such Exposition, but to take it a… our Expositors generally do, Ebedmelech the Ethiopian. For the word Eunu…h, it was spoken of before, Chap. 29. 2. Courtiers, that waited upon the King and Queen in their Chamber, were according to the common custome of other Nations called Eunuchs, that is, gelded men, whom they served so, that they might without suspition attend upon Queens, and Kings Concubines: but of the Israelites it was not lawfull to geld any, Deut. 23 1. But this man might be an Eunuch indeed, as the word signifieth, because he was a stranger; and that even in Israel there were many such, we may gather from Isa. 56. 4. of whom Kings and Princes served themselves, being brought from other parts, and sold unto them.
This Ethiopian is by Ambrose made a figure of the Gentiles, black by sin, who lifted up Christ, figured out by Ieremiah, when the Jewes had cast him as Ambrose. The Allegory.it were into the Dungeon, and made him stick in the mire, by their calumnies and cruell usage of him; for then the Gentiles believed in him, and extolled him as their Lord, and most mighty Saviour and Redeemer. And whereas old rags are taken by Ebedmelech, that Ieremiah might put them under his armes, when he was by Ropes to be drawn out of the mire, that he might not be hurt; so saith Gregory, by old examples of the faithfull, that patiently suffered grievous things, Gregor. Mor.we ought to comfort other faithfull persons now, as Paul doth Heb. 11.
Then the King sent and took Jeremiah to him into the third entry of the Lords house. That is, saith R. David and Vatablus, to the third gate, which was right Vers. 14. R. David. Vatabl. Lyra. Dionys.over against the Kings house, although Lyra and Dionysius understand the third Court, for there were three, first of the women, second of men, third of Priests; the first seemeth to be best. Here the King secretly asked Jeremiah again, as he had done Chap. 37. 17. and he not being terrified by all that had been done to him, saith the same that he had before done, exhorting the King to yield to the Caldees: a notable example to be followed by all Gods Ministers, and finally the King chargeth him not to let the Princes know what he said unto him, but to tell them only that he petitioned the King that he might not return to Jonathans house to die there.
But in the way to this, v. 19. The King said to Jeremiah, when he moved him Vers. 19.to yeeld, that he feared the Jews already revolted to the Caldees, lest, if he yielded, he should be delivered into their hands, and be made a mocking or laughing stock. For such is the condition of Subjects, as Calvin noteth, towards their Calvin. Note.King, when they have once broken their faith to him by going to another, joyning to fight against him, that conceiving their fault to be unpardonable, they are unwilling ever to be reconciled to him any more; and therefore they carry themselves ever after towards him, as enemies, abusing him, if he cometh into their power they care not how; but against this Jeremiah secureth him in the name of the Lord. And vers. 22. The women shall say, Thy friends, Vers. 22.Hebr. Thy men of peace; That is, Thy Counsellours pretending to seek thy peace and good, have infatuated to hold out, Till thy feet stick in the mire, and be turned backward, that is, in the mire of misery, and thou beest turned from the successe, and safety hoped for by doing according to their counsell, the clean contrary befalling thee, as vers. 23. plainly sheweth. Then the conference being ended betwixt the King and the Prophet, he adviseth him to conceal what communication had been betwixt them, only willing him to say, that he made request unto him, that he might not be sent again into the house Vers. 25.of Jonathan, of the prison wherein see before Chap. 37. and Jeremiah, when the Princes came about him to ask, did accordingly. See here the miserable Note. case that Kings bring themselves into by their sins, for Zedekiah becomes therefore of a King only an image of a King, all the power being in his Princes, and he being overawed by them, so that he durst not either do or speak any thing, that might displease them, that every King may take warning, and live in the fear of God, and obedience to his Laws, as Deut. 1…. for so their Subjects shall be made to fear and obey them, otherwise they shall be brought to that condition, that they shall fear their Subjects, as Zedekiah did. And if any King hath overseen himself, so that he is now fallen into such misery, his only way to get out again, is to lie down and patiently to bear it, as the scourge of God, as Jeremiah exhorted him to do by yielding himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and as Jechoniah had done, and therefore was finally exalted 2 King. 25. And as Lupus Bishop of Rome, in the dayes of Attila the King of the Goths is said to have done, when he came against Rome, for the Bishop going out of the City to meet him, asked, What he was: the King answered, Flagellum Dei, The Scourge of God; he replied, Come in then thou scourge of God, and we shall patiently bear the strokes, so setting open to him the gates of the City, into which he entring went thorow it and out again, not doing any hurt unto it, or the inhabitants thereof. For Jeremiah his concealing all other things, but his Petition to the King, it may seem blame-worthy in the Prophet, so much to dissemble, and it is in him taxed by Calvin, but others better, rather justifie him, as having thus petitioned the King, although it be not related, and so he said nothing but the truth, not being bound to reveal other secrets unto them. And if he made not this Petition now, yet he did it very lately, Chap. 37. 20. and it was a good providence of God that the Princes would herein rest satisfied, seeing it stood not with reason that the King should send for him only, that he might offer a Petition unto him, but for some other end.
And he was there till Jerusalem was taken Hebr. It was accordingly, Jerusalem Vers. 28.was taken; for the words are foreign It was according to that, that is, which Jeremiah had spoken from the Lord. And these words are put by the Septuagint to the beginning of the next, as making way to the History there.
CHAP. XXXIX.
IN this Chapter for ten verses is set forth the same History with that 2 Kin. 25. and therefore I spare to say any thing more upon it in this place. Only vers. Vers. 3.3. a thing not there recounted is set down, viz. that the Princes of the King of Babylon sat after their coming into the City in the middle gate, most probably to shew themselves masters of the City, that being a tribunall, where Judges that had the rule of the Land used to sit. Calvin thinketh, that they Calvin.stayed here only out of wariness, that their men might first go into all parts of the City to see whether it were empty, or any ambushes were secretly laid any where. Touching the middle Gate, it is to be understood, that Jerusalem was walled about with two wals, in either of which was a Gate, the second of which was opposite to the Gate of the Temple, and therefore is called the middle Gate. Here sat Neregal S…reser, which words signifie Praefectus thesaurorum. For Ser or Sir signifieth Master, and Otsar, Treasure: Semegarnabu, Praefectus unguentariorum, and Rabsares signifieth the same. Neregel was also Prince of the treasure, as the first Rabmeg, Princeps liquoris; Some will have them to be proper names of his Princes without respect to their offices.
It is said, That he gave the poor vineyards and fields the same day. 2 King. 25. Vers. 10.He left the poor to dresse the vineyards, &c. The meaning being the same, for he gave them these to husband for the King of Babylon, and out of them to pay him tribute. And the Scholastick History, according to Josephus, saith, That the Rechabites spoken of Chap. 35. were some of these, but the course of their life being expressed not to plant vineyards or to till the ground, makes for the contrary, yet it is probable that they were left, as a kinde of people given to contemplation, and poor, and so not to be feared to stirre up to any rebellion, and this agreeth with the promise of their father recounted Chap. 35. 7. and with that of the Lord v. 19. of the same Chapter.
Here is somewhat added, which was not before 2 King. 25. viz. the charge Vers. 11.given by Nebuchadnezzar to his steward Nebuzaradan touching Jeremiah, who thereupon took him out of prison, and delivered him to Gedaliah to carry him home, of which Gedaliah, 2 King. 25. it is said, that he was by Nebuchadnezzar made Governour of the Land. Now the promise made to Jeremiah, Chap. 15. 11. I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well, took effect to his comfort after his great and grievous sufferings so long a time, to the encouragement of every faithful Pastor, when he shall look at the end.
From hence to the end of the Chapter is a Prophecie of comfort to Ebedmelek; Vers. 14.of whose piety see before Chap. 38. he promiseth to him, whilst he was yet in the Court of the prison, that he should not die by the sword, as the Kings Princes, but that his life should be spared, because he trusted in the Lord, as did notably appear in his adventuring his life to life, the life of Jeremiab against the conspiracy of all the Princes. For he that doth thus sheweth agreat deal of confidence in God, and indeed he shall be in the way of safety, when all others are in danger of destruction, in confidence whereof to encourage us to adventure in the like case God hath caused this to be set forth in this place.