The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 373

lcllcrs ha.ving been partly effaced and then J eremiah's expression here. The " words " miarnad, uftc,r which" not" was prefixed to or revelations, of J ehomh are regarded ;. muko sense. However this may be, the having an objective existence in the ideal present reading is unintelligible, if we com- worl<l of which God is the light, and ns p~re Isa. Iii. 3, where Jehovah declares that "descending" from thence (comp. Isa. ix. 8) his people were sold for nothing, i.e. were into the consciousness of the prophet. So given up entirely to the enemy, without any Ezek. iii. I, "Eat that thou findest." I did compensating advantage to Jehovah. And eat them ; I assimilated them, as ii were that for all thy sins, even, etc. ; literally, (comp. Ezek. ii. 8 ; iii. 3). I a.m called by and in all thy sins and in all thy borders. thy no.me; literally, thy name hath been (or, The lcxt is certainly difficult. Externally had been) called upon me; i.e. I have (or, a. parallelism exists between the two halvea had) been specially dedicated to thy service. cf the clause, aud one is therefore tempted The phrase is often used of Israel (see on to render literally. As this will not make eh. xiv. !J), nnd, as here applied, intimates sense, however, we a.re forced either to that a faithful prophet was, as it were, the render as the Authorized Versi.on, or to embodied ideal of a.n Israelite. suppose that the text is not accurately Ver. 17.-In the assembly of the mockers; preserrnd. The parallel passage has a. rather, of the laughers. The serious thoughts different hut not a more intelligible read- a.rising out of his sacred office restrained ing. Ewa.Id omits "and" in both halves of him from taking part in the festive meet- the clause, which slightly diminishes the ings to which his youth wonld natnra.lly nwkwa.rdness. And I will make thee to incline him (comp. on eh. xvi. 2). Because pa.ss, , etc. The natural rendering of the of thy hand. The Hand of Jehovah is a Hebrew is, " And I will make thine ene- figurative expression for the self-revealing mies to pass," etc., which clearly cannot be and irresistible power of Jehovah; it is, the prophet's meaning. The pa.rallel pas- therefore,equivalent to the Arm of Jehovah sage (eh. xvii. 4) has, "And I will make (Isa. liii. 1), but is used in preference with thee to serve thine enemies," etc. ; nnd so regard to the divinely ordained actions and the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Targuni, words of the prophets. Thus we a.re told, and many manllBcripts here. For a. :fire is in the accounts of Elijah and Elisha, that kindled in mine anger; a reminiscence of "the hand of the Lord came upon" them Dent. xxxii. 22, suggesting that the judg- (1 Kings xviii. -16; 2 Kings iii. 15). Such mcnt described in the Song of Moses is a phrase was probably nt first descriptive of about to fall upon Judoh. a. completely passive ecstatic state, and was Ver. 15.-0 Lord, thou lmowest, etc. retained when ecstasies hod become rare, The prophet rene,ws his complaints. God's with a. somewhat lnxer meaning. Isaiah uses omniscience is the thought which comforts a. similar expression but once (viii. 11) ; him (comp. oh. xvii. 6; xviii. 23; Ps. lxix. 19). Exekiel, however, who appears to have been Dut he desires some visible proof of God's unusually filled witl1 the OYcrpowering continued co.re for his scrvout. Visit me, thought of the supernatural world, is con- equivalent to" be attentive to my wants"- stantly mentioning "the hnnd of Jehovuh" ou onthropomorphic expression for the opero- (see Ezek. i. 3 ; iii. 22; xxxvii. I ; und cspe- tion of Providence. Take me not away in ciolly iii.14; viii. 3). We may infer from this thy long-suffering ; i.e. "suffer not my per- vuriotion in the pmctice of inspired writers secutors to destroy me through the long- that, though symbolic,11, untbropornorphic suffering which thou displo.yeet towards language is not always equnlly necessary in them." "Take owa.y," viz. my life (comp. speaking of Divine things, yet it cannot bo Ezek. xxxiii. 4, " If the sword come ond entirely dispensed with, even by the most take him a.way"). Rebuke; rather, reproaeh; gifted and spiritual teo.ohers. Thon hast comp. Ps. lxix. 7 (Pa. lxix. is in the style of filled me with indignation; rather, thou hod,Jt Jeremiah, and, as Delitzsch remarks, suits filled me. J ereminh wns too full of his his circumstances better thnn those of Divine message to indulge in imprnctica.ble Dovid). sentimentalities. There wos no thought of Ver. 16.-Thy words were found. Jere- self when Jeremioh received his mission, miah here describes his first reception of a. nor any bitterness towards those who op- Divine revelotion. Truth is like "treasure posed him. His "indignotion" woe thnt of hid in 11 field ; " he a.lone who seeks it with Jehovoh, whose simple instl'ument he w,1s nn unprejudiced mind oa.n "find" it. But (comp. ob. vi. 11, "I a.m full of the fw·y of there ore some things which no" searching'' the Lord"). of the intellect can "find" (Job xi 7: Ver. 18.-Why ia my pa.in perpetual 1 One xxxvii. 23; Eccles. iii. 11; viii. 17); yet by who could honestly spook of himself in 11 special revelation they may be "found" terms such ae those of vers. 16, 17, eoemed by God's "spokesmen," or prophets. 'fhis to hove a special claim on the Divine pl'O• is the train of thought which underlies tection. But Jeremie.h's hr,pes hove been 376 TUE DOOK 01<' 'l'trn PROPHET JEREMIAH. [en. xv.1-21.