against him ; rather, at often tu I ipakt against him; ie. as often as I pronounced sentence against Ephraim — such a sentence as is recorded in Isa. ix. 8 — 21 (where the future tenses should be perfects) and zxviii. 1 — 4. We must remember that, with God, to speak is to perform. Often as Jehovah punished Israel, he still remembered him in love — a love which was the pledge of his future restoration to favour upon his true repentance. I do earnestly remember; rather, 1 verily remembered. " To remem- ber " is the Old Testament term for provi- dential care (comp. Gen. viii. 1; xlz. 29). My bowels are troubled; literally, sounds moan (so Isa. xvi. 11 ; Ixiii. 15). Something analogous to the thrilling sensation of deep human grief is predicated of Jehovah. Such is the "humility" of the GJod of> revelation (Ps. xviii. 35 ; comp. Hos. xL 8).
Yer. 21. — Set thee up waymarki. The " virgin of Israel " is addressed. She ia directed to mark out the road for the return- ing exiles. The command is obviously rhe- torical in form ; the general sense is that the Israelites are to call to mind the road so familiar to their forefathers, though only known to themselves by tradition. The word rendered "way marks" occurs again in 2 Kings xzxiii. 17 and Ezek. xxxiz. 15. It apparently means a stone pillar, whioh might be used either as a waymark or a sepulchral monument. The high heapi seem to mean much the same thin^ ; " sign- posts" would be a better rendering. Set thine heart toward the highway ; rather, turn thy thoughts, etc., for the heart is here evidently the symbol of the intellectual rather than the moral life (comp. 1 Kings X. 2, and mauy other passages). A passage in the Psalms (Ixxxiv. 6) will occur to every one, in which a psalmist, longing at a distance for the services of tiie temple, pro- nounces blessed the man " in whose heart are the highways [to Zion];" here, it is true, " heart " has the double meaning of "mind "and " aff'ections," but "highway" has almost exactly the same sense as in the passage before us. To these thy oitieB. The unseen speaker is supposed to be in Palestine. Yer. 22.— How long wUt thou go about 1 We must suppose the Israelites to be he itat- ing whether to set out on tlieir journey or not They are now admonished to put away their rebellious reluctance, and a speoiu reason for this is added. The Lord hafh created — i.e. hath decreed to create — a new thing in the earth (or, tn the land) ; comp. Isa. xliii. 19 whioh suggests that a complete reversal of ordinary experience is indicated, as indeeil the word " create " of itself pro- pares us to expect. And what is this pro- mise grunted as a sign to reluctant Israel I ▲ woman shall oompaia a man; i.«. instead
ad. xxxL 1— 40.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH,
IS
of shyly keeping aloof, o; worse (ae hitherto), Israel, Jehovah's bride, shall, witli eager affection, press around her Divine husband. The phrase, however, ia extremely dirticult. Of other explanations, the most plausible philologically is that of Sohniirrer and Oesenius, " a woman shall protect a man " (comp. Deut. xxxii. 10). The part of a sentinel, pacing round and round his charge, seems most unfitted for a woman. When enemies are abroad, it is the men's natural duty to perform this part for the women. But in the coming age, the conntry sliull be so free from danger that the places of men and women may safely be reversed. But would a paradox of tliis kind be likely to be uttered in this connection ? Surely a clearer statement would be necessary to remove the reluctance of the Israelites. Vers. 19, 20 suggest that Ephraim needed reassurance as to the attitude of Jehuvah towards him. The promise of ver. 22, as explained above, would give precisely the needed strength and comfort. The ex|io&i- tion of St, Jerome and other Fathers, that the birth of Christ from a virgin is referred to, is altogether inadmissible, (1) because the nouns which form the subject and the predicate respectively indicate sex, not age, and the first in particular cannot be tortured so as to mean " virgin ; " and (2) there is no article to confine the reference to any particular persons.
Vers. 23—26. — But the prophet would not have Judah suppose that Ephraim has supplanted her; slie too shall be restored, and shall enjoy a happy pastoral and agri- cultural life.:
Ver. 23. — As yet ; rather, again (as ver. 1). Mountain of holiness. Does this mean simply Mount Zinn, or the whole highland country of Judah (comp. Isa. xi. 9) ? The former view is the safer ; it is by no means clear that ""mountain" in Isaiah or any- where else in the Old Testament means the Holy Land.
Ver. 2i. — The ideal of outward life ex- liibited by thfe prophets is still the agricul- tural and pastoral. Jeremiah puts this more forcibly than the Authorized Version represents. Instead of. And there shall dwell in Judah, etc., he says, And there shall dwell therein (viz. in the land) Judah and all his cities together as husbandmen, and they shall go about with flocks, i.e. they shall attend to their ancient pursuits without let or hindrance from invaders (comp. Isa. xxxii. 20). "Go about" (literally, break up) is tlie regular word for the periodical jour- nejing of the nomad life.
Vei , 25. — For Jehovah will have fulfilled every unsatisfied craving. I have satiated (literally, watered) means " I have decreed to satiate ; " it is the perfect of prophetic
certitude, which represents an event as already having taken place in the Divine counsels. Sorrowful; rather, languishing (see on ver. 12)
Ver. 26. — TTpon this I awaked, etc. Who the speaker ia here has been mncb debated. That Jehuvah is meant is not an admissible view. A weak believer may say complainingly, "Why sleepest thou? "but God himsi If cannot be represented under the image of a sleeper. There seems, however, to be no reason why the prophet should not have used this fonguage. The doubt is whether a real, physical sleep is meant, or merely an ecstatic condition resembling sleep. Hengstenberg decides for the latter. But there is no parallel for sleep in the sense of ecstasy, and, on the other hand, there is evidence enough for dreams as the channels of Divine revelation (Gen. xxxi. 10, 11; 1 Kings iii. 5; ix. 2; Joel ii. 28). As Naeeelsbach points out, tliia is the only nnqualiliedly comforting prophecy in the whole book, and may well have left a sweet savour in the prophet's memory. Stem, indeed, was the reality which the moment of his waking brought back to him.