The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 334

best wny of making this interpretation shown in indivichml instirncc's. For the plausible. fulfilment, sco 2 l{ings xxiv. 15. After a Ver. 6.-After many days. To allow time reign of three months, the young prince ond for 1he npron to become rotten. his mother were carried to Babylon. And to Ver. 7.-I went ... and digged. The the queen j rather, and to the queen-mother apron, then. had been covered with a thick (literally, the mistress). It will be noticed lavcr of earth. 0 that, except iu two cases, the names of the Yers. S-11.-Explanation of the symbol. mothers of the reigning kings of Judah ue Could there be a greater humiliation for scrupulously mentioned in the Books of Jndah and Jerusalem than to be compared Kings. This and the title of "mistress" to a rotting linen apron? The hard things are indications of the high rank they enjoyed said of this evil people in Yer. 10 must of in the social system. In the case of Asa, eonrse be understood with the limitations we are told that he removed his mother, indicated in the n.)te on eh. ix. I 5, 16, llfanchah, from her position as "mistress," lmaginationsh:mld (as usual) be stubbornness. or queen-mother, on account of her idolatry The explanation in ver. 11 is a strong argu- (1 Kings xv. 13). The political value of ment for the rendering "apron" (see above, the station is strikingly shown by the ease on ver. l). with which Athaliah, ns queen-mother, Vcrs. 12-14.-Here another symbol is usurped the supreme authority (2 Kings introduced-a symbolic phrase rather than xi.). From an historical point of view, a symbolic action. The first symbol referred the "queen-mother" of the Jews is a most to the people as a whole; the second repre- in te1·esting personage; she is a relil' of the sents the fate of the individual members of primitive age in which relationship wns the people. The words, Thus sa.ith the Lord reckoned with rega!'d to the mother (~o with God of Israel, are omitted in the Septuagint, the Accadians, Etruscans, Finns, et0. 1. It and certainly the form of the following should be added, however, that once ', 1iz. 1 phrase seems hardly ~orthy of so solemn au Kings xi. 19) the same title, " mistress;• ie introduction. Every bottle. It is an earth- applied to the queen-consort. Humble your- enware bottle, or pitcher, which seems from selves, sit down; rather, sit down in abase- vcr. 13 to be meant (comp. Isa. xxx. 14), ment; i.e. take the station suitable for your though the Septuagint renders here a<T1<os, abased circumstances (comp. Isa. xlvii. 1). The kings that Bit upon David's throne; Your principalities ; rather, your liead- rather, thaJ sit for David upon his throne; i.e. ornaments. as David's heira and successors. The plural Ver, 19.-The rendering of the Authorized "kings" is to include all the kings who Version is substantially right, as the events reigned during the final period of impending referred to are obviously future. The tense, ruin. With drunkenness. The effect of the however, in the Hebrew, is the pel'fect-viz. "wine-cup of (the Divine] fury" (eh. xxv. that of prophetic certitude. Jeremiah sees 15). D&Eh them one against another. This it all in prophetic vision, as if it were actually is merely the development of the figure of tnking place. The cities of the south j i.e. the pitchers; not a prediction of civil war. of the dry, southern country of Judah, called The pitchers, when cast down, must of course the Negeb-shall be [are] shut up-i.e. fall together into pieces. blocked up with ruins (as Isa. xxiv. 10)- Vera. 15-19.-An admonition to seize and none shall open them (openeth them), upon the only means of escape. because all Judah will have been carried Ver. 16.-Give glory, etc. Let your tribute captive, (For fulfilment, see eh. xxxiv. 7.) to your King be that of humble submission Vere. 20, 21.-The captivity being still (io to his will The precise application of the spite of the perfect tense) a thing of the phrase must be derived from the context future, the prophet can seek to awaken the (comp. Josh. vii. 19; Mal. iL 2). Upon the oonscienco of the careless under-shepherd by dark mountains; rather, upon mountains of showing how self-caused is his (or rather tu;ilight. A "mountain" is an image of a her) punishment. great obstacle (ZecJ,. iv. 7 j Matt. xxi. 21). Ver. 20.-Lift up your eyes. The verb is As Judah is walking along, the hitherto fem. sing., the pronoun (in suffix form) masc. even tenor of his way gives place to hugo plu.,-a clear indication that the person mountains wrapt in an impenetrable dusk, addressed is a collective. Probably the over which he will stumble and fall if he "daughter of Zion" is intended, which, in does not repent in time. a certain sense, might be called the "shep• Ver. 17.-Should all admonitions be In herd" or leader of the rest of the nation. vain, Jeremiah will return (like Samuel, I From the north. Again this horror of the Sam. xv. 35) and give vent to bis sorrowful north as the source of calamity (see on eh. emotion. The Lord's flock. Jehovah is i. 14). likened to a shepherd (comp. Zech. x. 3). Ver. 21.-What wilt thou sa.y, etc.? The Ver. 18.-The extent of the calamity rendering of the verse is uncertain, though cu. xm. 1-27.] THE BOOK 01" THE PROPHET JEHKMIAH.