And it is all the more noticeable because Jeremiah himself had, in due course, to make predictions against Babylon. Why some of God's servants live long lives and some short ones is not a fortuitous matter ; there is always a reason, could we but see it, and sometimes, as in this instance, there is a glimmer of light upon the reason.
III. The pbophet'b destination. Nebuchadnezzar's order was that he should be treated as ho desired. We read that in the end " he dwelt among tlie people." Hence we may conclude that this was his desire. And where could a prophet better be ? Especially if he went among the poor of the people, toiling away in their vineyards and fields, and tried to inspire them with thfl prnmises of better times. " Dwelling among the people " is a very suggestive expression when applied to a man like Jeremiah, his office, his character, his experience, being such as they were. The people knew that he lived among them by his own free choice, preferring to share their hardship and poverty. As far as we can see, he might have enjoyed the luxuries oi Babylon ; but wUAt were these to a man like him ?— X.
Vers. 15 — 18. — Ebed-Meleeh'i lafety, mnd the secret of it. I. Ebed-Mblech's danger. He was a court ofQcial, and like all others connected with the court, in more danger than if he had been merely one of the multitude. He appears to have been in favour with the king, and all such would be put down by enemies as exciting the king to con- tinued resistance. That is, it would seem to Bbed-Melech so ; for why should he suppose that any one should be so specially interested in him as to describe his deeds exactly to the Chaldeans ?
II. Ebed-Meusoh** safety. 1. The usefulness of Jeremiah even a$ a prismier. Jnremiah cannot get out among the people, but there is sufficient mitigation of Ma imprisonment to make him useful to one man. Even in prisons Gud's servants find opportunities of doing good work for him — so Bunyan writes his ' Pilgrim's Progress. With peculiar joy Jeremiah must have delivered such a message to one who had been 80 kind to him. In this, too, we can trace a Divine arrangement. Surely God's delight is to give peculiar joys to such as are diligent in doing bis will. 2. Words of hope mrt always possible to individwds. There is no longer any chance for the nation ; as a nation it must be scattered and spoiled ; but every individual is treated according to his deserts. There is no reason to suppose that Jeremiah and nibed-Melech were the only individuals to whom God was spucially gracious, — it was necessary to mention them ; but in all ages there have been many special providences not mentioned.
III. The becbet op Ebed-Mblbch's safety. He had put his trust in Jehovah. What does this mean, seeing he is also described as being afraid ? We take it that the reference is to his deliverance of the prophet from the dungeon. He really was exercising a faith in God more than he was aware of at the time. In stretching out his hand to rescue the prophet he had got upon the rock of his own safety. In other words, he had shown his fa th by his works. A voice from the unseen had spoken and told him to get Jeremiah ont of the dungeon, and his consequent action had in it the essence of faith ; for he obeyed this voice from the unseen. God sees faith where we, with OUT prepossessions, would only too often be unable to discern it. — X,
EXPOS IT'lON.
OHAPTEB XL.
The first of a leries of chapters (xl. — zlv.) describing Jei«miah'i fortune* and ministry after the fall of Jerusalem.
Vers. 1 — 6. — The liberation of Jeremiah.
Yer. 1. — The word that oame to Jeremiah. The formula seems to announce a prophecy ; but no prophecy follows. It is not allow- able to suppose, with Eeil and others, that •• the word " describes the entire body of pro- phetic utterance in eh. xl. — xlv. (in spite of the &ct that ch. xliv. and xlv. have special
headings). The use would be unexampled ; and a prologue of forty verses (see oh. xlii 7) is equally contrary to prophetic analogy. Apparently the "word," or prophecy, which originally followed the heading has been lost or removed to some other place. Had let Mm go firom Bamah. Here is an appa- rent discrepancy with the account in oh. xxxix. 14. The brevity of the latter seenu to account for it No doubt the more pre- cise statement in our passage is to be fol- lowed. After the capture of the city, a number of captives, including Jeremiah, were probably conducted to Eimiah (tee on
w. XL. 1—16.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEliEMIAH.
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oh. zxzl. 15), where they had to wait for the royal decision as to tlieir fate. Jeremiah, however, had already been in custody in the "court of the watch," and the writer of ch. xxix. 14 simply omits the second stage of his captivity (ICeil). In chains. See ver. 4, " The chains wliich were upon thine hand."
Ver. 3. The lord hath brought it, etc. The colouriog of the speech is tliat of a Jewish propliet (comp. Isa. xxxvi. 10).
Ver. 5. — Now while he was not yet, etc. Tills rendering, however, seems against the Hebrew usage. Two renderings are open to us. 1. " But since one returneth not from Babylon, then go back to Gedaliah," etc. ; so Hitzig. 2. Taking ver. 5 as a continua- tion of " but if it secmeth ill to thee," etc., " forbear " (in ver. 4), and, supplying, " I have spoken the word," continue, " and it shall not be reverse^ ; yea, go back ; " so Graf, regarding tlie passage as an explana- tion ot the permiiiBJon to " forbear." A re- ward ; rather, a present.
Ver. 6. — To Mizpah. A place in the tribe of Benjamin, where Samuel judged, and where Saul wai elected king (1 Sam. vii. 15, 16; X. 17).
Vers. 7 — 12. — ^The Jewish fugitives resort to Gedaliah, who promises them protection as long as they are loyal to Babylon.
Ver. 7. — In the fields; rather, t» ihe field; i.e. in the open country, as opposed to the towns. Men, and women, and children. Old and worn-out men, helpless widows, and fatherless children. Koyal princesses were among them (ch. xli. 10).
Ver. 8. — Jonathan, This name is omitted in the puallel passage (2 Kings xxt. 23), and
by the Septuagint here. It may, of ooutm, be a corruption of Johanan, as Ewald sup- poses. If so, we must read " son " for " sons," with Septuagint. The Netophathite. Neto- phah was in the neighbourhood of Benja- min. The son of a Maachathite ; rutber, the Maachathite. Maachah was a Syrian dis- trict in the neighbourhood of Hermon (Deut. iii. 14; Josh. xii. 5). Jezaniahwas, therefore, a naturalized foreigner, like Doeg the Edoiiiite (Hitzig).