The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 457

EXPOSITION. . CHAPTER XX. protection of Jehovah: a suitable se(}nel to the narrative which goes before, even if not Ver.1.-'i'he continuation of the preceding originally written to occupy this position narrative. Pashlll' the son of Immer. This (see general Introduction). man belonged to the sixteenth of the sacer- Ver. 7.-Thou hast deceived me, etc.; dotal families or classes (1 Chron. xxiv.14). rather,. thou didst e7:tice me, and I let myself :Another of the same name is reforted to in be entwed. J erem1ah refers to the hesita- oh. xxi. 1 (see note). The one here men- tion he originally felt to acceplin" the tioned was "chief overseer" (there were prophetic office (eh. i.), The verh does several inferior overseers, 2 Chron. xxxi. not mean " to deceive," bn t " to entice" 13): the eminence of the position appears (so rendered in ver. 10, Authorized Version), from the fact that , Zephaniah; Paslmr's or" allure." The same word is used in that successor ( eh. xxix. 26), is second. only to remarkable narrative of "the spirit" who the high priest (eh .. Iii. 24). Heard that offered to "entice" (Authorized Version, to Jeremiah prophesied; rather, heard Jeremiah "persuade") Ahab to " go up and fa.II at prophesying. Ramoth-Gilead" (1 Kings xxii. 21). In Ver. 2.-Pashur, being charged with the Ezekiel, too, the same case is supposed as police of the temple,· smites Jeremiah, i.e. possible of Jehovah's "enticing" a prophet causes stripes to be given him (a legal (Ezek. xv. 9). The expression implies that punishment, Deut. xxv. 3: comp. 2 Cor. all events are, in some sense, caused by x:i. 24), and then orders him to be put into God, even.those which are, or appear to be, the stooks; literally, that which di-storts- injlll'ions to the individnal. W e.s Goethe some instrument of punishment which held thinking of this passage when he wrote the the body· in a bent or. crooked position words, "Wen Gott betriigt, ist wohl be- ( comp. eh. xxix. 26). The "stocks" were trogen"? Applying the words in a sometimes kept in a special house (2 Chron. Christian sense, we Illl\Y say (with F. W. xvi. 10): these mentioned here,.. however, Robertson) that God teaches us by our apparently stood in publig, at the high---or illusions. Thou art stronger than I, and rather, upper-gate of Benjamin, wliioh was hast prevailed; rather, thou didst take hold by-or, at-the house of the Lord. The on me, and didst prevail. The expression gate, then, was one of tho temple gates, o.nd is like "Jehovah spake thus to me with 11 is called "the upper" to distinguish it from grasp of the hand" (Isa. viii. II). one of the city gates which bore the same Ver. 8.-For since I spake, I cried out, name (oh. xxxvii. 13; xx.xviii. 7). It is etc.; rather, For as often as I speak, I must presumably the same which is called "the shout; I must cry, Violence a11d spoil; I can new gate of the Lord's house" (eh. xxvi. 10; take up no other tone but tho.t of indign1mt xxxvi. 10), 118 having been comparatively denunciation, no other theme but tho.t of lately built (2 Kiugs xv. 35), the acts of injustice constantly committee! Ver. 3.,-Symbolic change of no.me. Not (not merely, nor indeed chiefly, ago.inst the . . . lashlll', but l\lagor-missabib ; i.e. terror prophet himself). Was made; rather, is ,on every side. There is probably no o.llusion made. to the (by no meo.ns obvious) etymology of Ver. 9.-Then I said, eto.; ro.ther, An,! Pashur, Jeremiah simply means to say when I say, I will not malce mention of him, that Pashur would one day become an etc., then it becometh (i.e. I o.m conscious of object of general horror (see on ver. 10). 11 feeling) in my heart as a buming fire shllt Ver. 5.-The strength; rather, the slorlJ8. up in my bones ; and I weary myself to hold The labours; rather, the fmits of labour; it in, but cannot. The prophet bWi repeatedly i.e. the profits. been tempted to withdro.w from the painful Ver. 6.-Comp. tho prophecy against duty, but his other and higher self (comp. Shebno. (Isa. xxii. 18). Since we find, in 'Old Self and Now Self' in the • Lyra eh. xxix. 26, Pnshlll''s office occupied by .Apostolica ') overpowers these lower cro.v- another, it is probe.hie that the prediction ings for peo.co and quiet. The fire was fulfilled by the captivity of P11Shur with of the Divine 'wro.th o.gainst sin burns so Jehoie.chin. To wb,om thou hast prophesied fiercely within him that he cannot help lies ( comp. oh. xiv. 13). •Pe.shur, then, resuming his work. claimed to be II prophet. Ver. 10.-For I heard, etc.; rather, For I Vera. 7-13.-A lyrio passage, expressing liave 11eard the whispering of many ; there is the conflict in the prophet's mind'owingtothe terror on every side. Inform (say they), and mookery and the slander which his preach- let us inform against him. 'fhis gives us ing has bl'Ought upon him, and at the same the reason for his momentary inclinations time his confidence of viotory through the to silence, He was surrounded by bitt6r 4.64 THE IlOOK OF THE PltoPHET JEREMIAH, [on. xx. 1-Hl.