The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 34

eort. " Seed" for " shoot," as in Isa.. xvi i. 11 her oooe.sion. ·, , , in her month; i.e. at tho (comp. ver. 10). The degenerate plant; pairing-time. rather, degenerate shoou (if at least the text Ver. 25.-Withhold thy foot, cto. Hitzig, is right). with unnecessary ingenuity, explains this Ver. 22.-Nitre docs not mean the sub• with reference to the fatiguing practices of l!ta.nce which now bears that nnme, but the heuthen cultus, comparing 1 Kings xviii. "nn.tron," f\ mineral alkali. deposited ou the 26, where" vain repetitions" of" Baa.I, Baal," shores and on the bed of certain lnkcs in and (as he thinks) ba.refoot religious dances, Egypt, especially those in the Widy Nat• are mentioned as parts of the worship of rO.n (the aneient Niiria, whence came so large Il11al. Umbreit'e view, however, is far more a store of precious Syriac manuscripts). In nt1t11ral. 11 God the true ·husband exhorts ancient times, this natron was collected to Israel not to run barefoot, o.nd with parched make lye from for washing purposes (comp. throat, like a shameless adulteress, after Prov. xxv. 20). Sope; rather, potash; the cor- strangers" (Payne Smith). There is no responding yegetable alkali (comp.Isa. i. 25). hope; i.e. the exhortation is in vain (so eh. Thine iniquity is marked. So Kimchi and xviii. 12). • Gescnins (through a doubtful etymology); Ver. 26.-Is . . , ashamed. • It is the per• but the Aramaic use of the word favours the feet of prophetic certitude. • • rendering stained, i.e. filthy. The word is Ver. 27.-And toa-atone,_etc. Btone('ebhen) in the participle, to indicate the permanence is feminine in Hebrew, and therefore ad• of the state (comp." Will all great Neptune's dressed o.s the mother.'· ocean wash this blood," etc.? •Macbeth'). Ver. 28.-According to the number of thy Ver. 23.-How oa.ust thou say, eto.? This llities, etc. A remarkable statement, and is not a mere rhetorice.l fiction equivalent one tha.t well illustrates the superfioial to "or if thon shouldst perha.ps sa.y," but character of Hez'ekiah's reformation. True, probably represents an objection really made Manasseh's reactionary reign had intervened, by the inbabitants of the kingdom of Judah. but his counter-movement would not have Their fault was not in neglecting the public been so successful had· it not been attended worship of Jehovah in his appointed temple, by the good wishes of tl1e people ; a.nd bnt in super,i.dding to this, idolatrons rites besides, the last yea.re of Me.ne.sseh; accord• inconsistent with the spiritual religion ing to the tradition in 2 Chron. xxxiii. taught by Jeremiah. The people did not, 12-16 were devoted to undoing the mis- it seems, regard this as tantamount to "fol- chief of his former life. The force of the lowing Baalim," just as some converts to prophet's word.a is strikingly brought out by Christianity in our own foreign missions M. Renan (he led an expedition to Phce- might exclaim age.inst being accused of niciR), who has shown that every district e.poste.cy, because they secretly carry on and every town had a cultns of its own, certain heathen practices. The prophet, which often only differed from the neigh• however, applies a more rigorous test to bouring cultus by words and titles (nomina, their conduct. Be.alim; the plural of Be.al, numina); comp. Be.al-Hamon, Baal-Hazor, used for "other gods" (eh. i. 16; comp. on etc. Dr. Payne Smith well expresses the Yer. 8). Thy way in the valley. The 'Dalley argument of Jeremiah: "When every city in this context can only be that of Hinnom has its special deity, surely among so many (see on eh. vii 31), which from the time there might be fo_und one able to help his of A.haz had been defiled with the rites worshippers." of "Maloch, horrid king" (see • Paradise Ver. 29.-Wherefore will ye plead with Lost,' i 392-396). Thou art a swift drome- me 1 How can ye be so brazen-faced as to d11.ry. Ewald would e.ttaeh this half of the attempt to justify yourselves? ,·erse to ver. 24; and there is something to Ver. 30.-He.ve I smitten your ohildron. be said for this plan. Swift dromedary is, The cities and towns of Judah are rnpre• properly speaking, in the Toce.tive. The sented as so many mothers, and the popu• ardour of the people for idolatry is expressed Iations as their children. It would, no by the comparison of it to the uncontrolle.ble doubt, be more natural to take "chi!<lren" instinct of brute beasts. The word rendered liternlly; but then we must read the verb "dromedary" is in the feminine gender; it in the next clause, " Ye have received;'' as means strictly the young she-camel which the Septuagint actually renders. In the has not yet had a foe.I. Traversing her former case the " smiting " will refer to all way■ ; rather, interlacing her ways; i.e. run• God's "sore judgments "-sword, .drought, ning backwards and forwards at the impulse famine, pestilence; in the lat,ter, to the loss of passion. of life in battle. Your own sword hath Ver. 24.-A wild ass, etc. The type of devoured your prophets (comp. 2 Chron. wildness and independence (comp. Gen. xvi. xxiv. 21 ; 2 Kings xxi.16). l\fonasseh's per- 12; Job xxxix. 5-8). '!'hat anuffeth up the secution (which extended, according to wir.d; to cool the heat of her passion. In Josephus, especially to the f>rophets) may RO• ou. n. 1-37.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 27