Ver. 5. — The mountains of Samaria. " Sa- maria" is used, equally witli Ephraim, for the northern kingdom. Shall eat them as oommon things; rather, skull enjoy the fruit. The word, however, literally means shall profane them. The more common phrase, " shall eat the fruit," occurs in Isa. Ixv. 21, where the same promise is given. The law was that newly planted fruit trees should be left alone for three years ; that in the fourth year their fruit should be consecrated to Ood ; and that in the fifrh year tlieir fruit might be " profaned," i.e. devoted to ordinary uses (comp. Dent. xx. 6 ; xxviii. 30).
Ver. 6. — The termination of the schism between north and south will be shown by the anxiety of the Kphraimites (see on " Sa- maria," ver. 5) to take part with their brethren in thu festival of the new moon. It was tlie custom, at any rate in later times, to station watchmen at elevated points to give notice of thefirbt appearance of " the slender sickle, which shines so brightly in the clear Oriental heaven." Let us go up. . Not with reference to the physical elevatiun of Jerusalem, for the phrase, " to go up," is used of an army withdrawing from Jerusalem (ch. xxi. 2 ; xxxiv. 2i). This seems to indicate that the term was sometimes used in a weakened sense, to which parallels might easily be given. These words, '' Arise ye, and let us go up," etc., were, at a later period, the for- mula with »hich the leader of the pilgrims from any piirticuliir district summoned the members of his caravan to fall into the pro- cessinn.
Vers. 7 — 14. — The restoration of Israel; its bie:iseduess and joyousuess.
Ver. 7. — Sing with gladness, etc. It is not stated who are addresoed; but we may doubtless understand, from lea. Ixvi. 10, ** all ye who tove him," whether Jews or
Gentiles. The latter, too^ are Intereited in the restoration of Israel, because Israel is as it were a "priest" or mediator for the other nations (Isa. Ixi. 6). Among the chiei of the nations ; rather, because of the chief oj the nations. Israel is called the " chief of the nations " (so, with a cognate word for "chief," in Amos vi. 1) because Jehovah has " chosen " it as his peculium (to use the language of the Vulgate), Deut. vii. 6, and because no other nation " bath God so nigh unto them," and " hath statutes and judg- ments so righteous," as Israel (Deut. iv. 7, 8).
Ver. 8. — The weakest among the Israelites will share the blessings with the strongest, even the blind and the lame (comp. Isa. xxxiii. 23, " The lame take the prey "). Elsewhere we are told that, in the Messianic age, " the eyes of t: e blind shall see," and "the lame man shall leap as an hart" (Isa. XXXV. 5, 6). Shall return thither ; rather, hither; i.e. to Palestine, where Jeremiah writes this prophecy. The word for com- pany is kahal, the proper word in the Penta- teuch for the Israelitish national " congre- gation."
Ver. 9. — With weeping ; i.e. with a joy dashed with sorrow at the thought of the sin which has rendered such an interposition necessary (comp. ch. xxxi. 18). Cause them to walk by the rivers of waters. The reference here is primarily to the homeward journey of the exiles, which shall be free from the trials of the first Exudus, but not exclu sively (see on next verse). The question arises how this prediction is to be recon- ciled with facts. For, as Kimohi has remarked, we find no reference to miracles performed for the Jews who returned from Babylon. A twofold reply seems admissible We may say either that to those who enjoy a vivid sense of the favour and protection of God no trial is grievous, no circumstances exclude an under-current of joy (comp. Ps. xxiii ) ; or that the prophecy is still waiting for its complete fulfilment, Israel having still a great future reserved for it upon its recognition of the true Messiah. In a straight way; or, in an even way, i.e. one free from hindrances. Oomp. Ezra's prayer (Ezra viii. 21), and Ps. evil. 7, in both o( which passages " right " should probably be "even." Ephraim is my firstborn. It is doubted whether this simply means Uiat Ephraim (i.e. North Israel) ahull be in no respect inferior to Judiih— a strong form of expression being chosen, on account of the longer continuance of Ephraira's captivity : or whether it implies a restoration to the tribes of Joseph of (he prerogative conferred upon the sons of Joseph (1 Chron. v. 1, 2; oomp. Gen. xlviii. 15). The former view seems hardly consistent with the dignity of a prophetic writer. " Forms of expression."
OH. xm. 1—40.] THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEREMIAH.
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i.e. rhetorical plirases, may be admitted in poeticiil passages, but hardly in solemn prophetic revelations. It was true that Judah had •' prevailed above his brethren ; " but tlie original " gift of God " to Ephraim was " without repentance." With regard to the fulfilment of this prediction, we must remember that the remnant of the northern tribes whose faith was strong enough to induce thorn t" profit by the eilict of Cyrus, was smaller than that of the southern. Hence the outward signs of God's favour to Ephraim could not be bO great as thpy would have been hud the moral conditions of the fulfilment of the promise been more fully complied with.
Ver. 10.— The isles ; t.«. the distant countries of the West (see on ch. ii. 10). So great an event as the restoration of the chosen people would be of world-wide impor- tance. He that scattered Israel will gather him, etc. "The Israelites were the flock of Jehovah (Fs. Ixxvii. 20; Izxx. 1), but during the Captivity a scattered and mieer- ihle fl:x:k. Jeremiah says that his eye 'shall run down with tears, because the flock of Jehovah is carried away captive' (oh. xiii. 17). The change in the fortune! of the Jews is compared by the prophets to a shepherd's seeking his lost sheep, and feeding them again in green pastures (cli. xxxi. 10 ; 1. 19 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 11—16). The reference is not so much to the home- ward journey of the exiles as to the state of temporal and spiritual happiness in which they would find themselves on their return. The same figures occur in a psalm, where a reference to the retuin from exile is ex- cluded by the pre-exile date, ' ._ . . feed them also, and carry them for ever' (Pa. xxviii. 9)"(irom the writer's note on Isa. xl. 11).