III. The result of the interposition. Jeremiah was hidden and preserved because his work was. cot yet done. His words had to be put down in writing ; and it is interesting to notice that the second copy was an improvement on the first. All that was in the first was also in the second, and many like words were added. God never does wonders for the mere sake of doing wonders. When he hides his servants, or delivers them from prison, it is soon made manifest that he had a purpose in view. We have to remember this in reading such a book as the Acts of the Apostles. Stephen is left to be stoned to death, while Peter has an angel to take him out of prison. The fact was Stephen had the greatest work of his life to do in the hour of his death. " Man is immortal till bis work is done." Whatsoever God has clearly given us to do, we must go on with it boldly, yet prudently, sure that he will take care of ui who hid Jeremiah in the hoiu oi his danger. — \.
EXPOSITION.
OHAPTEB XXXVn.
Nothing worthy of relation appean to have happened to Jeremiah till the latter period of the reign of Zedekiah. The first two verses of this chapter form the transi- tion. The embassy to Jeremiah mentioned in ver. 3 took plaoe after the temporary withdrawal of the Chaldeans from Jeru- salem.
Ver. 1. — Ooniah; i.t. Jehoiaobin (see on en. zxii. 24). Whom Nebuchadrezzar , . . made king. Zedekiah, not Jehoiachin, ii referred to (see 2 Kings xxiv. 17).
Ver. 8. — And Zedekiah the king sent. This was Zedekiah's second embassy to Jeremiah. Uih request on the former
occasion hsid been for a prophecy; on the present it was for an "efl'ectual fervent prayer," such as Hezekiah's embassy asked of Isaiah (Isa. xxxvii. 6). But the issue was to be very different from that in the case of Sennacherib's invasion I Jehucal. The same man appears in ch. xxxviii. 1, among those who brought about the im- prisonment of Jeremiah. Zephaniah. The high priest's deputy, mentioned again in oh. xxi. 1 ; xxix. 25 ; lii. 21.
Ver. 4. — Now Jeremiah came in and went out, etc. Had he been a prisoner, an em- bassy of high officials could not, with pro- priety, have been sent to him (comp. ver. 17 • ch. xxxviii. 14).
Ver. 5.— Then Pharaoh's army, etc.; rather, And Pliaraoh'i army had, etc. ; as a further description of the ciroumstanoes
OH. xxxTii. 1— 2Lj THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEREMIAH.
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nnder which the embaesy was sent. The withdrawal of the Chalrleans seemed to offer B gleam of hope. The Pharaoh referred to was the Hophra of the Jews, the Aprlcs of Herodotus, the Uah-ab-ra of the monuments. His interference was useless ; indeed, Ho- plira was one of the most unfortunate of the Egyptian kings (see oh. xliv. 30).
Ver. 10. — Even if tlie Jews had defeated the whole Chaldean army, and there re- mained but a group of torely wounded men, these in their weakness would be enabled to carry out God's sure purpose. But wounded men hardly brings out the force of the Hebrew ; the word rendered " men " is emphatic, and expresses paucity of numbers, and that rendered " wounded " is, literally, pierced through.
Ver. 11. — Fotfear of, etc. ; rather, hteame of.
Ver. 12. — Ab Boon as communication with the outside world was possible, Jeremiah took the opportunity of going to his native coun- try, to obtain something or other which he coidd only obtain "thence." TheAutliorized Version says that his object was to separate himself thence. But (1) the rendering is linguistically untenable; and (2) the as- sumed object is incongruous with the cii- cumstances and character of Jeremiah, who was neither inclined to seek safety in isola- tion nor had any motive at present for doing so. The only safe rendering is, to claim hit thare thenee. Whether there was just then a teallotment of communal lands must be left undecided ; this would, how- ever, be the most plausible hypothesis, if we could be sure that the present was a sabbatical year. The additional words, in the midst of the people, would then acquire a special significance. The " people " would be the representatives of families who liad an equal right to allotments with Jeremiah.
Ter. 13. — The gate of Benjamin ; i.e. the gate looking northwards towards Benjamin (comp. ch. XX. 2 ; xxxviii. 7 ; Zech. xiv. 10). It appears to be the same as the gate of Ephraim (2 Kings xiv. 13 ; Neh. viii. 16). ThonfaUest away, etc. Perhaps an allusion to Jeremiah's declaration (ch. xxi. 9) that " he that falleth away to the Chaldeans . . . he shall live."
Ver. 15. — The prinoes were wroth with Jeremiah. Aa Graf has pointed out, the
prinoes, who had evinced their respect foi Jeremiah on former occasions (oh. xxvi., xxxvi.), had prob Jily shared the captivity o) Jehoiachiii ; Zedekiah's "princes" would be of a lower origin and type, and ready (like the judges in the French "terror") to accept any charge against an unpopular person without proper examination. The honse of Jonathan the scribe. "Scribe," i.e. one of the secretaries of state. The house of Jonathan seems to have been specially adapted for a prison, as the next verse shows. Cliaidin, the old traveller, remarljs, "The Eastern prisons are not
Eublic buildings erected for that purpose, ut a part of the house in which the- criminal judges dwell. As the governor and provost of a town, or the captain of the watcli, imprison such as are accused in their own houses, they set apart a canton of them for that purpose when tliey are put into these offices, and clionse for the jailor thi^ most proper person tliey can find of their domestics " (Ohardin).
Ver. 16. — Into the dungeon, and into the cabins. The former word undoubtedly im- plies an undergriiund exenvaiion. The latter is of more uncertain signification. It most probably means " vaults; " but it may mean " curved posts "— sometliing analogous to stocks (see on ch. xx. 2).
Ver. 17. — Meantime the Chaldean army has returned, and reinvested the city. Zedekiah, in his anxiety, sends for Jere- miah privately to his palace. Thou shalt be delivered, eto. (comp. oh. xxxii. 3, 4 ; xxxiv. 2, 3).
Ver. 21. — Court of the prison; rather, eourt of the watch (as ch. xxxii. 2). A piece of bread ; literally, o circle (i.e. round cake) of bread. This is mentioned elsewhere in descriptions of poverty (1 Sam. ii. 36; Prov. vi. 26); but as the anciiiit Oriental bread was not our delicate white bread, it was a real "itaff of life." The Syrian peasants still eat cakes of coarse meal, of about the thickness of parchment, and equal in size to a large plate (Orelli's 'Travels'). The bakers' street. Probably the several trades were confined to special quarters and streets. In Cairo each trade has still its own bazaar (saddlers, carpets, hardware, goldsmiths, sweetmeats, etc.).
HOMILETICS.
"Vers, 1 — 3. — Prayer without obedience. Though Zedekiah will giye no heed to the