falem g. £ Zedekiah was ſet up by the King of Babylon, in ſtead of Jehojatn, whom the King of Babylon, had carried into Babylon, Zedekiah ( as is uſuil in thoſe caſes,and as it appeareth,Ezek:17:16 ) had taken an Oath of Allegiance to the King of Babylon, bur brake it, and the Co- ' venant which he made with him, wer: 16. and'ver: 15. rebelled againſt him, and ſent bus Ambaſſadour unto Egypt for Horſes, and much People. Now the King of Egypt came:in Perſon no more after the great O- verthrow given him, in Cerchemiſh,by the River Euphrates, of which we read, Chap. 46. 2, which was thirteen or or fourteen years be- fore this ; yet he ſent an Army at Z:dekials requeſt to relieve bin,
_ *Chapo2g. - 25. & 52. 34,
= 4 #.
a* this time beſieged by the Armies or the King of Babzlov, The Chaldeans that were in the Siege of Jeruſalem hearing of it, raiſed the Stege for atime, during which time ( probably) it was that Zeackia) ſent to the Prophet to pray for them.
6 Then came the word of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah, ſaying,
7 Thus faith the LORD, the God of Ifrael, Thus ſhall ye ſay to the king of Judah that ſent you unto me, to enquire of me h, Behold Pharaoh's army which is come forth to help you, ſhall return tro Egypt, into their own land z.
h The word Enquire let us know that Zedekiah did not ſend to the Prophet only to pray for him, but to enquire of God what the iſſue would be of the future contingency ; it may be more defireous to know that, than that Jeremiah ſhould intercede with God for them.
z: The Prophet tells them from God that the King of Ezyp!'s army
ſhould do them no ſervice, it is expounded Ezek 17 179. He ſhould
x0t make for him in the war, by cafting up mounts, and building forts, to
cut off many perſons. Probably the Egyptian Army upon the ſight of
the ſtrengrh of the Chaldeans, and the weak and impotent ſtare of
the Fews, were diſcouraged, and would not adventure to fighe
them, but by and by returned to their own Land.
8 And the Chaldeans ſhall come again, and fight a-
gainſt this city, and take it, and burn it with fire,
9 Thus faith the LORD, Deceive not your + ſelves + He,
ſaying the Chaldeans ſhall ſurely depart from us, for Souls, C |
they ſhall not depart.
1o For though ye had ſmitten the whole army of the
Chaldeans, that fight againſt you, and there remaineq
Chap. XXXV1
T but wounded men amongſt them : get ſhould they { Heb- riſe up every man in his tent, and burn this city with theagh
fire &
& The ſubſtance of the Anſwer returned by the Prophet t King is this, That whereas they pleaſed themſelves Vick ab that the Babylonian Army now withdrawn to meet with the Army of the Egyp:ians would return no more to the Siege, it was a Dream He'aſſares them from God they ſhould return, beſiege the City, and take it, and burn it, and therefore they did but deceive theme ſelves to think otherwiſe ; though they were gone, yet it was bur fora very ſhorttime, He farther aſſures them, that the potency or Impotency of the Chaldesns was inconſiderable ; for if their whole Army were made up of wounded men, or if they could prevail fo far as to wound all their Souldiers, or thruſt them through, ( as the Word is tranſlated, Chap: 5 1.4. } yet they ſhould do the Work. When God is reſolved upon an Effe&, the Inſtruments are very little to be regarded. Ir is not the Arm of fleſh, but the Power of God which is in that caſe alone to be conſidered.
11 < Andit came to paſs, that when the army © the Chaldeans was | broken up from Jeruſalem for fear t Heb: of Pharaoh's army. vw 12 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jeruſalem to ' g0 into the land of Benjamin, || to ſeparate himſelf [|Or, top thence in the midſt of the people /, away from 1 PMN The Word we tranſlate ſeparate ſignifieth to divide, ſof. **1nths
. e ten, or make ſlippery, which hath made interpreters vary in the Ex- avs ag
poſition of it, But the general uſe of ir, eſpecially in Pihcl, ( the n. conjugation in which it is here uſed ) being to ſignific a diving or ſeparating ; and the latter fignification being ſecondary, it ſeemeth moſt reaſonably here tranſlated to ſeparate, or ro withdraw : Jere- miah had no farther Revelation from God, which he was under an obligation to communicate ; and knowing the City would ſudden- ly be taken, and that he could be no farther uſeful ro the People, taking advantage of the withdrawing of the Chaldean Army, re. ſolves to provide for himſelf, deſigning to go to his own Country to Anathoth, which was in the Land of B:»jamin ; and becauſe he was a noted Perſon, who might probably be ſtopt ( as he was ) if known, he attemprs to lip out in the crowd of People that were going out : This ſeemeth to me the moſt probable ſence.
13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin », a captain of the ward was there, whoſe name was Irijah, © the ſon of Shelemiah. the fon of Hananiah », and he took Jeremiah the prophet, ſaying, thou falleſt away
to the Chaldeans.
m The Gate of Benjamin was ſome Gate that looked toward the Inheritance of that Tribe: Or where thoſe uſed to go out wha went that way, we read of it, Chap: 37.7.. » This man was a Cap= tain of the Guard that was ſet to watch atthe Gates, to keep Peo- ple from going out, or at leaſt ſome Perſons ; for it ſhould ſeem by Jeremiak's endeavour to go out in the crowd; they ſuffered many to go out, as is uſual in Sieges, when V:Qtuals grow ſcarcez and though the Chaldeans were at preſent gone, yet they were not out of fear of their coming back. This Captain apprehends Jeremiah, as one who was about to deſert the City, and tall off to the Chal. deans, That Hananiah the Grand-father of this 1rijah, was the falſe Prophet we read of, Chap: 28. who died according to Jeremiah's P:ophecy, and this his -Grand-child apprended Jorem/ah in ſome revenge of his Grandefather, is but uncertainly gueſſed. But Jere- miah's {o frequent propheſying that the Chaldeans ſhould take rhe City, expoſed him to this ſuſpicion probably.
14 Then ſaid Jeremiah, #t :s Þ falſe, I fall not away t H:b-
falſbod & |
to the Chaldeans s : But he hearkened not unto him, OT. Je.
ſo Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the prin-