The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 437

CHAPTER XVIII. destined to be a.II but oerte.inly saved, but I\S placed before a serious o.nd awful decision. This chapter is the introduction of e. (For different lessons derived from the group of prophecies (extending to eh. xxv.) same figm-e, see the-• Rabbi Ben Ezro.' of of vurious dates; their sequence he.s evidently Browning.) Egypt and Palestine were, us it seems, at one in the extreme simplicity not been determined by chronological con- of tile potter's art. Dr. Birch ho.a given us siderations. The prophet's first object is, au account of the Egyptiun potter o.t his perhaps, to refute the scoffing inquiry (eh. work, a.a he uppears in the pictorial xvii. 15), " What has become of tile representations a.t Beui Hassan (' Ancient [threatening] word of J ehovo.h?" e.nd to Pottery,' pp. 33-35), and Dr. Thomson has described the procedure of a potter in justify the glorious promise given o.t the modern Palestine . (' 'fhe - Le.nd. e.nd tbe conclusion of the last chapter. The fulfil- Book,' p. 520). The chief difference between ment of tllreatenings e.nd promises a.like is them seems to be that. in ]):gypt the wheel conditioned by the moral attituile of the was turned with .the left hand, e.nd • .tile people (comp. Ezek. xxxiii. 11). God, o.s vuse shaped with the .right, while in modern Palestine j;he wheel is turned with it were, holds them iu either he.nd, a.nd the foot. "Taking a lump in his hand," there is still time (conh-ast eh. xvi. 21) to says Dr. Thomson, "he placed 'it on the top choose the sweet o.nd ·1·eject the bitter by of the wheel (which revolves horizontally), sincerely turning io their_ true Friend. and smoothed it into a low cone, like the Unhappily the people misuses its day of upper end- of a. sugar-loaf; then thrusting his thumb into· the top of it, he opened a grace, and, instead of listening to God's hole down thI·ough the centre, und this he messenger, seeks to rid itself of him by constnntly. widened by pressing the edges persecution. Upon this, Jercmiall fa.lie of the revolving cone between his hands. again iut.o the tone of bitter complaint, and, As it enlarged and became thinner, he gave so far from interceding for his people, docs it whatever shape he pleased with the utmost co.se and expedition." It should be the ,ery opposite; on which painful e.nd observed that in .ver. 3 the "wheels," or mysterious phenomenon, see remarks in rather "two wheels," spoken of a.re l!imply general Introduction. the two round plates which forme\J tho Yers. 1-6.-'l'he simple and familiar horizontal lo.the· of the potter. craft of the potter becomes o. parable of Ver.· 4.-And the· vessel that he made, religious truth (comp. Isa. xxix. 16; :xlv. 9; etc.; rather, And whensoever the vessel ... l:xiv. 8; Ecclus xxxiii. 13; Rom, ix. 20; was marTed in the hand of the potter, ho nnd the account -0f man's creation in Gen. made it again another,vessel. ii. 7, which has doubtless given rise to tho Vere. 7, 8.-At what inste.nt,-etc.; rather, figure). God has the ~overoign right to do One instant I may speak . . . but if that ns he wills witil his own handiwo1·k; thus nation, against which 1 have spoken, tum much can be expressed by tile figure. But from tJ1eir evil, I repent of the evil that I the moral element in Jerewiah's teaching thought to do unto them. A similar render- stands outside this, viz. that the Divine ing for the next verse. action is governed, not by mere caprice, but Ver. 12.-And they so.id; mther, But they a regard for chnracler. "The thought is not go on saying (comp. Ezek. xxxiii. 17, 20). so much the arbitrariness as the patience of There is no hope. The rendering mo.y be Goel, who will briug men to b" who.t he easily misunderstood. ·The speo.kete nre would ha,·c tilem be in the end, as the pelter not, o.s wo might suppose, despondent a.bout eventually twists the clay to tho shape he their state o.nd prospects, but they seek to originally intended, stubborn as the clay check the troublesome preaoher by the may be." But whether Jeremiah meant the warning that he has no chance of succes~ lesson which Mr. Maurice deduces from his (so eh. ii. 25). Imagination; rather, stub- ~or~s may be gravdy doubted. lt is not of bornness (o.s constantly), 1nd1vi<luals 1hat tile prophet is thiukiug, Ver. 14.-WW n man leave the snow ot but of the nation, and not of the nation o.s Lebanon, vtc.? 'fhiij p[!sse.ge is unusually 011. xvm. 1-23,J 'fllE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEilEMfAII.