The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 372

or, thy loosing (shall be) for (thy good), troubled existence, aud the possibility thn~ nccording as we adopt tho reading of the his foes would ultimately succeed in crush- Hebrew text or that of tho margin, which ing him, which disquieted this consoientious differs in form as slightly as it is possible to but timid spokesman of Jehovo.h. Tho do. If we e.ooept the historical setting pro- Diviuo interlocutor has reminded him in posed by Gratz for this paragraph, the the preceding verse of the mercy which has rckrcnce will be to the "loosing" of Jere- been already extended to him, and now miah from his chains mentioned in eh. xl. 4. recalls to his recollection the encouraging The rendering given here is, however, only assurances given him in his inaugural vision o. probable one ; it is in conformity with the (eh. i. 18, 19). Render, therefore, Oan one Aramo.ic usage of the verb (the Targum uses break iron, northern iron, and bronze? The it in this sense in eh. xl. 4), and is supported steel of the Authorized Version is evidently a by its suitability to the context and, philo- slip. The Hebrew word is n'khiisheth, which logically, by the fact of the growing means sometimes (e.g. oh. vi. 2B; Dent. influence of Aramoic upon Hebrew. Ge- viii. 9; xxxiii. 25; Job xxviii. 2) copper, senins, io his aoxiety to keep close to the but more commonly bronze, since "copper native use of the root, produces a rendering unalloyed seems to have been but rarely (of the Hebrew marginal reading) which used after its alloys with ,tin became does not suit the context, viz. "I afflict thee known" (Professor Maskelyne): . "Steel" for (thy) good." Jeremiah does not com- would have been more fitl'.)iintroduoed ns plain of being afflicted by God, but that all the second of the three names ·of mete.ls. the world is against him ; Ewald, comparing "Northern iron" at once suggests the a differeot Aramaic verb to that appealed to Chalybes, famous in antiquity for their skill above, renders, "I strengthen thee," etc., in hardening iron, and, according to classical which is adopted by Keil, but does not ac- authors (e.g. Stephanus the geographer), the cord with the second half of the verse so well neighbours of the Tibareni, in the country as the rendering adopted. The Authorized adjoining the Euxine See., the Tibareni Version follows the Te.rgum, the Vulgate, being, of course, the people of Tuba), whom Aquila, Symmachus, Rashi, and Kimchi, Ezekiel mentions (xxvii. 13) as trafficking assuming that sherith is contracted from in vessels of bronze. Any Jew1 familiar sh'erith (as inl Chron.xii.3B),aod that "rem- with the wares of the bazaar, would at once nant" is equivalent to ."remnant of life." appreciate the force of such a question e.s But, though the sense is not unacceptable this. Even if iron could be broken, yet ( comp. vers. 20, 21 ), the form of expression surely not steel nor bronze. ThllS the verse is unnatural; we should have expected simply reaffirms the original promises to alduirith'lca, "thy latter end" (comp. Job J eremie.h, and prepares the way for vers. viii. 7). I will ca11Se the enemy to entreat 20, 21. thee well. This expression is e.s difficult as Vere. 13, 14.-Thy substanoe, eto. These the preceding, and our rendering of it will verses form e.n unlooked-for digression. The depend entirely on our view of the context. prophet has been in e. state of profound If "the enemy" means the Che.ldeans, melancholy, nnd the object of Jehovah is to the Authorized Version will be substantially rouse him from it. In vers. 11, 12, the most correct. Re.shi has already mentioned the encouraging assurances have been given view that the phrase alludes to Nebnzar- him. Suddenly comes the overwhelming ade.n's respectful inquiry a.a to the wishes declaration contained in vers. 13, 14. And of Jeremiah in eh. xJ. 2-5. In this case, when we look closely e.t these verses, two the literal rendering is, I will cau,e the points strike us, which make it difficult to enemy to meet thee ( as a friend); comp. Isa. conceive the.t Jeremiah intended them to xJ vii. 3; l.xi v. 4. But if " the enemy " stand here. First, their contents a.re not at means the Jews, then we must render, 1 all adapted to Jeremiah, and olearly belong will caUBe the enemy to supplicate thee, and to the people of Judah; and next, they a.re illustrate the phra.ee by the repeated appli- repeated, with some variations, in eh. xvii. cations of Zedekiah to the prophet (eh. xxi. I, 3, 4. It should also be observed that the 2 ; x.x.xvii. 3 ; :nxviii. 14), and the similar Septuagint (which omits eh. :xvii. 1-4) appeal of the "captains of the foroos," in only gives them here, which seems to indi- eh. xiii. 1-3. cate an early opinion the.t the passo.ge Ver.12.-Sha.ll iron break, etc.? Again an only ought to occur once in the Book of enigmatical saying. The rendering of the Jeremiah, though the Septuagint tronsle.tor Authorized Version assumes that by the failed to choose the right position for it. northern iron Jeremiah means the Baby- Without prioe ; literally, not for a price. Iri lonian empire. But the " breaking" of the the pare.llel passage there is another rend- Babylonian empire we.a not a subject which ing, "thy high places," which forms part of lay withio the thoughts of the prophet. It the next clause. Hitzig and Graf suppose wu not the fate of Babylon, but his own this to be the original reading, the Hebrew OH, xv.1-21.] 'l'llE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 375