The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 217

wise and the divinely appointed teachers (" ••. them that shall inherit them") than of the people. To this J eremin.h replies, not on ver. 12; (2) that ver. 10 is deficient in (as the Authorized Version renders) Lo, symmetry; and (3) that the deviations from oertainly in vain made he it, etc.; but, Yea, eh. vi. 13-15 sometimes loosen the con- bellold I for a lie hath it 'Wrought-the lying nection of the clanses, sometimes sink into pen o/ the scnoes (so Authorized Version, the colloquial stylo. The argumc,nt8 seem margin). Soferim (scribes) is the term to be inconclusive. Jeremiah is apt to proper to all those who prnctised the a.rt of = repeat himself ( Grof referd to ver. 14 eh. wriLing (sefeT); it included, therefore, pre- = = iv. 5; ver. 15 eh. xiv. 19; eh. v. 0 v. 29, sumably at least, most, if not all, of the = = ix. 8; eh. vii. 16 xi. 14; eh. I. 41--43 vi. priests and prophets of whom Jeremiah = 22-24; eh. I. 44-46 xlix. Hl-21); and speaks. There are indications enough that the element which is common to this para- the Hebrew literature was not entil·ely con- graph o.nd to eh. vi. 12-15 seems equally fined to those whom we look up to as the appropriate in both connections. It should inspired writers, and it is perfectly credible be added, however, that the cautious and that the formalist priests and false prophets reverent Bleek has come to the same con- should have availed themselves of the pen clusion o.s Hitzig. To them that shall as e. means of giving greater currency to inherit them; rather, to them that shall tal,e their teaoiling. Jeremiah warns his hearers possession of them, i.e. by violence. to distrust a literature which is in the ser- Ver. 13--eh. ix. 1.-Furtlier description vice of false religious principles-a warning of the judgment; grief of Jeremiah. wilicil prophets in the wider sense of the Ver. 13.-TherQ shall be no grapes, etc.; term (' The Liberty of Prophesyings ') still rather, there are no grapes . . . and the leaf have but too much occasion to repeat. [It is u faded. It is the actual condition of right, however, to mention another gram- things w!.ich the prophet describes. Else- matically possible rendering, whicil is where Judah is compared tu a vine with adopted by those who suppose toriih in the bad grapes (eh. ii. 21); here the vine does preceding cl!Luse to mean the Mosaio Law : not even pretend to bear fruit. Another " Yea, behold, the lying pen of the scribes figure is that of a barren fig tree ( corn p. bath made (it) into a lie;" i.e. the profes- l\le.tt. xxi. 19). And the tilings thll.t I have sional interpreters of the Scriptures called given them, Gtc.; rather, and I gave them scribes have, by their groundless comments that which they transgresa (viz. laws). The and inferences, made tho Scriptures (espe- constructlm, ilowernr, which this rendering cially the noblest part, the Law) into a implies id not perfectly natural, though lie, so that it has ceased to represent the supported by most of the ancient versions Divine will and teaching. Thti objections (except the Septue.gint, which omits tho to this a.re: (1) the necessity of supplying words), and it is better to alter a singlu an objeot to the verb-the object would vowel-point, and render, "Aud I will give hardly have been omitted where its omission them to those who sho.U pass over them." renders the meaning of tile clause so doubt- The phrase to pass away is constantly used ful; (2) that this view attributes to the of an invading host; e.g. Isll., viii. 7; Dan. word so/Mm a meaning which only became xi. 10, 40. prevalent in the time of Ezra (comp. Ezra Ver. 14.-Why do we Bit still 1 The vii. 6, 11 ). ] prophet tro.Ill!ports us by n stroke of ilis pen Ver. 9.-The wise men are ashamed. It into the midst of Iha fulfilment of ilis is the perfect of prophetic certitude, equiva- prophecy. 'fhe peoplo of the country lent to "the wise men sho.ll certainly be districts are represented as urging each ashamed." And why? Evidently because otiler to flight. True, it is the resource of they have not foreseen the co.lctmities im- despair. No defenocd oities cnn defend pending over their no.tion. They have thom against tho judgruent of Jehovah. preo.ched, "Peace, peace ; when thoro was Let us be silent; rather, let us perisl,; no peo.ce" (ver. 11); and hence they find liternlly, let IJ8 be put to silence. Hnth put themselves "to.ken" in tile grip of a relent- ns to silence; rathor, hath caused U8 to less power from which there is no escape. perish; i.e. ho.th decreed our destruction. What wisdom; literally, wiadom of what t Water of ge.11; a phmso chumcteristio of our i.e. in respect of what? prophet (seo eh, ix. H; xxiii. 15). It is fl Vere. 10-12.-Thcso verses oro almost little dillieult to find a rondcriug which the same as eh. vi. 12-15 ; tbo dilferencos shall suit all the passages in whirh rosl& aro in ver. 10. They are omitted in the (go.II) is mentione,l. In Dent. xxxii. 33 Septuagint, and Hitzig regards them as an (and so Job xx. IG) it is clearly used for interpofotion, ot nny rato from the point "venom" in general; and yet in vc-r. 32 of where the present passage coincides verbally tho so.me oho.pier it obviously mcnns o. with its pnro.llel. His groun<ls nro: (1) that plant. Anotiler general application of the vcr. 13 follows more naturally on ver. 10 a torm seems to have been to bitterness in 216 TllE BOOK OF 'i'HE PHOl'l:I'.ttT JEHBMIAli. [oll. vtn. 1-22.