should have to conclude that the latter king reigned not eleven but twelve yea.re. The following table, which is at any rate based on a critical use of the sometimes discorclant data, is taken from Professor H. Brandes' ' The Royal Successions of Judah and Israel according to the Biblical Narratives and the Cuneiform Inscriptions' :- ».c. 641 (spring) First year of Josiah. ».c. 611 (spring) Thirty-first year of Josiah, e.c. 610 (autumn) Jehoahaz. ».c. 609 (spring) First year of Jehoiakim. B,C. 599 (spring Eleventh year of Jehoiakim. e.c. 598-7 (winter) Jehoiachin. Beginning of the Captivity. e.o. 597 (summer) Zedekiah appointed king. e.c. 596 (spring) First year of Zedekiah. n.c. 586 (spring) Eleventh yenr of Zcdckiah. Fall of the king<lom of Judah. THE
BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. EXPOSITION.
CHAPTER L in Anathoth. So Vulgate; Septua.g,o.t, how- ever (followed by Payne Smith), makes the AN ACCOUNT OF THE CALL A..'ID CoNSECRA• relative refer to Jeremiah(~, 1Ccx'Trp1m). But TION OF JEREMIAH TO THE PBOPHETlO in this case would 11ot the phrase have bee11 OFFICE, FOLLOWED BY Two EXPRESSIVE "Jeremiah the priest," etc. (comp. Ezek. i. 1)? Ano.thoth wo.s one of the priestly SYMBOLS OF THE MATTERS WHICH HE llAS cities (Josh. x.xi. 18); it lay on or near the TO ANNOUNCE. great northern road (Isa. x. 30), a.nd has Vera. 1-8.-There are some indica.tions been identified by Dr. Robinson (so also by Lieutenant Conder) with 'A.nil.ta., situated tha.t the original form of the heo.ding has on a ridge, an hour o.nd e. quarter north- been somewhat modified. Notice (1) tha.t north-east from Jerusalem. the words with which ver. 2 opens a.re iden- Ver. 3.-Unto the end of the eleventh tical with one of Jeremio.h's cho.ra.cteristic year, etc. The limit is accurate with regar<l formulm for introducing a. prophecy (comp. to eh. i.-x.xxix. 'fhe later prophecies have a superscription of their OW!l (see eh. xl. 1). eh. xiv. 1; xlvi. l; xlvii. l; xlix. 84); and In the fifth month (comp. eh. lli. 12, 27). notice (2) the awkward connection of vers. Vera. 4-19.-The call of Jeremiah. 1 a.nd 2, a.nd 2 a.nd 3 respectively. (The Sep- Ver. 4.-Unto me. For the change of tuagint has endeo.voured to effo.ce this a.wk- person, comp. Ezek. i 4. wa.rdness in pa.rt, a.nd is so far unfaithful to Ver. 5.-Knew thee; i.e. took notice of thee; virtually equivalent to selected the,; the original record, but probably preserves (comp. Gen. xxxiL 6; Amos iii. 2; Isu.. au earlier form of the opening words, .,1, lviii. 3; Ps. oxliv. 8). Observe, the pre- (,ijµ.cx 'TOV 0eoii). It is a. rea.soue.ble conjec- <lcstino.tion of individuals is a familiar idea ture tha.t the pa.esa.ge originally rnn thus: in the Old Testo.me11t (comp. Isa. xlv. -l; " The word of the LORD whioh ea.me to Jere- xlix. 1 ; Ps. c:uxix. 16). It was also mie.h in the de.ye of Josie.h," etc.; vers. 1 fomilia.r to the Assyrians: Ki.ng Assurba.- nipa.l declares at the opening of bis 'Anna.ls• e.nd 3 being added Inter, which involved that the gods " in the body of his mother o. ch11nge in the construction. have ma.de (him) to rule Assyria.." Familiar, Ver. 1.-The words of Jeremiah. This too, to the great family of religious reformers. introductory formula. only occurs here cmd For, o.s Dean Milma.n has truly observed, in Amos i. 1. The editor of Jeremiah a.nd of "No Pelu.gian ever has or ever will work a A.mos deserts the usual phrase(" burden" or religious revolution. He who is destined "utterance," "vision,"" the word of the LoRD for such a work must have 11, full conviction which came," etc.) in order to give fuller that God is a.oting directly, immediately, information concerning the origin of the consciously, and therefore with irresiatiblw. prophetic writers (but see on ver. 2). On the power, upon him and through him. ... He- name J eremia.h, o.nd 011 the position ooou- who is uot predestined, who does not de- pied by Hilkie.h,seo Introduction. That were clare, who does not believe himself predes- HREIUAD, n 2 THE IlOOK OF TITE PROPIIET JEllEMIAII. [CH, I, 1-19,