The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 370

EXPOSITION. kinds ; literally, fami1ies; Le. kinds of CHAPTER XV. things. The first-mentioned has reference Vers. 1-9.-Second rejection of Jere- to the living; the remaining ones to the miah's intercession; e.wfulness of the im- unburied corpses (eh. xiv. 16; xi.Jt. 7; pending jndgment. ::u:xiv. 20). To tear; rather, to drag along. Ver. 1.-Thongh :Moses e.nd Samuel, eto. Ver. 4.-Ce.use them to be removed into; It is e. mere supposition which is here me.de; rather, make !hem a shuddering un!o. Bo in there is no e.llusion to e.ny popular view of the Deuteronomio curses for disobedience the intercession of saints (see my note on (Deut. ll.Xviii. 25). Is:i.. !xiii 16). If even a. Moses or a Samuel Ver. 5.-For who sbll have pity 1 or, for would intercede in vain, the case of the who can have pity, etc.? (the imperfeot iu its J ude.hites must indeed be desperate. For potential sense). 'fhe horror which will these were the nearest of all the prophets to seize upon the specto.tors will effectuo.lly J ehove.h, and repeatedly prayed their people preclude pity. Who shall go aside l As out of grievous calamity (comp. Pa. xcix. 6). one turns e.side to co.11 at II house. So Gau. Jeremiah had already sought to intercede xix. 2 (literally, turn aside, not "turn in"). for J,is people (see on eh. vii. 16). Ca.et them Ver. 6.-Will I stretch ; literally, I out of my sight; rather, Dismiss them from ,tretched-tba perfect of prophetic certitude my presence. The people a.re represented as (so in next verse). I am weary with repent- praying or sacrificing in the fore courts of the ing; i.e. with recalling my (conditional) temple. sentence of punishment (see on eh. xviii. Ver. 2.-Such as are for death, eto. ; a 1-10). sternly ironical a.newer. Death, sword, Ver. 7.-The go.tee of the land. The famine, captivity, lie in wait for them in phrase might meo.n either the cities in every possible road. " De:i.th " here means general (comp. Micah v. 5; Isa.. iii. 26) or " pestilence" ( comp. " the black death" in the fortresses commanding the entro.noe into the Middle Ages), o.e in eh. xviii. 21; Job the land (comp. No.h. iii. 13). The oontexl XXl'ii. 15. Similar combinations of evils decides in favour of the latter view. Ewo.ld's occur in eh. xliii. 11 ; Ezek. xiv. 21; xxxiii. explanation, ''borders of tile earth" (i.e. the 27. most clisto.nt countries), seems less naturnl. Ver. 3.-Appoint; i.e. give full power to I will bereave them, etc. 'fhe proper object 1.lic,m as my vicegerents (eh. i. 10). Four of the vetb is my JIOOple (persouillcit n~ cJJI. xv. 1-21.j 'l'llE DOOK 0~' 1'HE PROPllET JEREMIAll. 373