The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 506

future. A part of the people has been this people became false guinea, and those nlreo.dy scattered abroad. In eh. xxiv. 8, whom they led were lost men" (Isa. ix. 16). "those who dwell in• the land of Egypt'' How these evil shepherds "destroyed" the people we are not here told; but from eh. arc a section no less important than "those xxii. 3, 13, it is clear that sins of injustioe, wl10 remain in this land;" and the Babylo- ranging from oppressive exaction to mur- nian Capti-l'ity is an event only too certain der, are specially intended. Scatter; the to take plare (comp. Yer. 8). Unhappy captivities of the Jews being direotly owing Judah I for though not free from responsi- to the want of good government and teach- bility, it is the kings who are the prime ing. How could the prophets stem the tide of popular corruption, when the ruling authors of the calamity. Yet happyJudahl classes opposed their efforts ? The sheep of for " the days come" that e.n ideal king my pasture; or, the •heep of my pa•turing- shall arise, ei-en the promised Messiah. the "pastors" a.re J ehovah's under-shep- (Comp. Ezek. x=iY., which seems like e. herds. The figure is a favourite one, espe- deyc]opment of this section.) Some have cially with the psalmists of the school of Asaph (see Pa. Ix.xiv. 1; lxxvii. 20; lxxviii. represented the promises of this chapter as 52 (comp. 70-72); lxxi.x. 13; lxxx. 1). fulfilled in the return from Babylon, with Ver. 2.-The Lord God of Israel; strictly, perhaps the l\Iacce.bea.n glories in addition. Jehovah the God of Israel. This national The fulfilment would in this case correspond title of Jehovah suggests, in such a connec- but ill to the prediction; the context, too, is tion, that the crime of the kings is nothing short of sacrilege. Ye have scattered, etc.; equally opposed to it. For, as Hengstenberg i.e. been the cause of their scattering. Kave points ont, the" gathering" and ''bringing not visited them. "To visit" often, by a back" of Israel is in ver. 4 closely connected natural association of ideas, means "to give with the raising up of good shepherds; and, attention to." By an equally natural asso- according to ver. 5, that promise is to find ciation, it means "to fall upon, to punish." Hence, in the next clause, I will visit upon at any rate its culminating fulfilment in yon. We have the same comuiua.tion of David's "righteous Branch," the Messiah. meanings in Zech. x. 3. The mistake has been partly caused by a Ver. 3.-Pa.rallel passage, Ezek. :xxxiv. relnctance to increase the number of pro- 12-15. I will gather the remnant. For phecies still a wa.i ting their fulfilment, and the ill usage of foreign oppressors has sup- pletnentcd that of home tyrants, so that partly by the false supposition that the only a ''remnant" is left. And they shall events described mu.t take place simul- be fruitful and inorease, The fertility of taneously (against this view, see vers. 7, 8). the Jewish race in modern times has been Hengstenberg himself thinks that the ful- a frequent subject of observation, and Bllp• filment lies in the conversion of Israel to plies the best comment upon Jeremiah's prophecy. the gospel. " Cane.an had such a high value Ver. 4.-And I will set up shepherds; for Israel, not because it was its fatherland i.e. rulers, not necessarily kings (see on in the lower sense, but bee.a.use it we.a the next verse). Whioh shall feed them. For land of God, the place where his glory the evil shepherds " fed themselves, and fed dwelt." To be in Christ is to be in the not my flock" (Ezek. xuiv. 8). And they shall fear no more. Ezekiel ngain contri- true Cane.an. butes an essential feature to the description. Ver. 1.-Woe be unto the pastors, etc. I The neglect of the shepherds left the flock This "woe" is a pendant to the "woe" exposed to the ravages of wild beasts (Ezek. upon J ehoiakim in eh. x.xii.13. The original xxxiv. 8). Neither shall they be laokillg. furm of tLe verse sLows tbe strong feeling A speaking phrase. Too many of the sheep with which the prophet both wrote and had fallen down precipices or been carried spoke: "Woe I shepherds who destroy," eto. off Ly lions. Yet the context rather favours By "shepherds" J eremia.h means rather a blight ancl palroographically m~tural emen- the ci\'il than the spiritual authorities, dation of Hitzig, "Neither sh111l they be especially tile kings--,,-o,/L<VH ll.a.wv, as Bo- terrified." 'fhe Septuagint omits the wonl tner calls them. '!'his is, in fe.ct, the general altogether, which favours the supposition Old Testament application of tile term (see that they reacl as Hitzig would re11d, for on eh. ii. 8). That destroy. If it is true of all they 11re 11pt to condonse by omitting sy- sin that no one can calculate its issue~, this nonyms. _ is specially true of tho sins of rulers. De- Vere. 5,~6.-(Comp. the parallel passage, !irant Teges, plectuntur .Achivi; or, e.s an eh. xxxiii. 15, 16.) 111°p1re<l teacher puts it, "'l'lw leaqers qf Ver. 5,-]Jel)olcl, tbe !111111 OOJ1141, 'rh\l VM  cu. xxi11. 1-40.J THE BOOK OF TIIE PROPHE'r JEREMIAH.