The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 508

so. that we must, it would seem, at any rate, Similar applications of forensic language rcJect the Messianic reference. But then are_ familiar, e.g." When tboy speak wilh how are we to explain the pronoun? It is their enemies in the gate" (Ps. cxxvii. 5). right to refer the pnrallel pronoun in oh. Vers. 7, 8.-This is another of Jeremiah's xxxiii. 16 to" Jerusalem," because the pro- repetitions (see eh. xvi. H, 15). Either the noun there is feminine, and evidently refora Septuagint transl:ttor or the copyist of the to a city, but it is not natural in our p(IS- Hebrew manuscript which he used appears sage to explain "his name" of "Israel," to have thought that the passage might, seeing that the subject of the noun in the therefore, be dispensed with. Iu the Sep- paral_lel line is, not Israel, but the Messiah. tuagint it is placed at the end of the chapter But 1s the text here correct? A. comparison (being pos~ihly supplied from another He- of the parallel psalms xiv. and liii., o.nd brew mo.nuscript), and the form given in of tho oorrespo11ding chapters in Samuel, this version to the close of ver. 6 ('lwu,~~" King~, and Chronicles, will show how ensily Iv -ro,s 1rpo<p11-ra.is, combining the opening errors made their way into duplicate copies words of ver. 9) shows that ver. !J followed of the same passage. Granting that we immediately upon ver. 6 in the Hebrew have such duplicate copies of this prophecy manuscript. in Jeremiah, there can be no doubt which V ers. 9-40.-These verses form a complete is the more original ; the form of eh. xxiii. 6 pl'Ophccy, the title of which Jeremiah him- has a difficulty from which eh. xxxiii. 16 is self supplies in the words, " Concerning the free-a difficulty of interpretation and a (false) prophets" (see below); comp. eh. xlvi. difficulty also of grammar. For, as Ewald 2; xlviii. I ; xlix. I, 7, 23, 28. It is true the has already pointed out(' 1Iebrew Grammar,' rendering of the Authorized Version (ver. 9), § 249 b), the contracted suffix is very rarely Mine heart within me is broken because attached to thesimpleimperfect,and theclear of the prophets, is not purely arbitrary; it style in which this section is written justifies is favoured by the exegetico.l tradition re- us in regarding auy unusual form with sus- presented by the Hebrew accents. But it picion. .. Israel" thus was probably written is not probable that two entirely different by mistake for "J erosalem," and this error co.uses should be given for the prophet's soon led to others-first, the omission of deep emotion (see the latter part of the "her," and then the prefixing of" his name" verse). Besides, " breo.k:ing of the hen.rt" is for clearness, and ( on the part of the authors nowhere a sign of anger (as Autho1•izcd of the points) the mispointing of the verb Version woulrl suggest), but either of grief (so as to include in the form the pronoun (see on eh. viii. 21), or, as the context im- "him"). It is some confirmation of this plies here, physical disturbance at the view tbnt tl,ere are several other passages solemn message of Jehovah (comp. eh. vi, in which the words "Israel" and "Jeru- 11 ; xx. 9). All my bones shake. It is a salem" appear to have been confounded (see very uncommon verb, occurring only twice preceding note). Read, therefore, ns in elsewhere (Gen. i. 2; Deut. xxxii. 11, in eh. xxxili. 16, And this is the name where- Piel). The words of his holiness; or, his with she shall be called. THE LORD OU Lt words of holiness; i.e. his holy wor,ls, the li.IGHTEOUSNESS; Hebrew, Yahveh (Je- words of the Holy One on the unholy doings hovah) Tsidkenii. The name is formed on of the false prophets. the analogy of other symbolic names, such ns Ver. 10.-The land is full of adulterers. El-elohe-Israel (Gen. xxxiii. 20), Jehovah- The false prophets connive nt flagrant im- Nissi(Exod. xvii.15),andespecially Jehovah- moralities, one of which is mentioned as a Shamme.h (Ezek. xlviii. 35), also a name of typico.1 sin. As to the nature of the adul- Jerusalem. These names are, in fact, sen- tery, see note on eh. v. 7. :Because of swear- tences; Jehovah-Shammah, for instance, ing; rnther, because of the. curse; the curse, means "The Lord (is) there;" and the namely, with which God punishes the guilty name in the present verse, "The Lord (is) earth (comp. Zech. v. 3; De.n. ix. 11; e.nd our Righteou~ness" (Hengstenberg's view especialJy Isa. xxiv. 6, where in the originnl mentioned a.hove seems less natural). It is there is a paronomasie. very similar to tbo.t singular that Zedekiah's name should come here). The land mourneth; a figurative EO near to that announced by the prophet. expression, suggested partly by the nsson- But there is still a difference between tilem. tmce of the word for "curse." Drought i.a Zedekiah mll8t mean "The Lord (is) wha.t is mea.nt (comp. eh. xii. 4; xiv. I, 2). righteousness,'' i.e. is ever faithful to his The pleasant plaoes of the wilderness ; revealed principles of action. But Jehovah- rather, the r,astures of the prairie-land Tsidkenii may be correctly para.phrased, (" wilderness ' suggests idens very a.lien to "The Lord is the author of our prosperity," the context). Their ooureo; literally, their or, more strictly, '' of the justification of our running (comp. eh. viii. 6). 'fhe su~ject is claims in the eight of our enemies" (comp. "the inhabitants of tho land." Thell foroe IBa. xiv. 24; l. 8; liv.17; lviii. 8; !xii. I, 2). is not right; rather, their might (or, heroism) cu. xxm. 1-40.) '!'HE IlOOK OF THE PROPIIE'r JEREMIAH. 615