Jeremiah 9

OH that my head were Heb. who will give, &c. by way of enquiry, because the Hebrews do want the Imperative mood; the Prophet in this chapter principally bewailing his poor Country-mens Calamity, whom he therefore the daughter of his people, he expresseth the greatness and excess of his Sorrows by wishing that his brains were as it were dissolved into water, for the word is singular, as if he wished it were all one water, signifying plenty, and that his eyes might distil tears like a fountain, the same word in the Heb. for eye signifies a fountain; noting the continuance of it, not to be drawn dry, expressed by day and night, apprehending it a misery so great, as never sufficiently to be bewailed, see Luk. 19.41. waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the Or that are to be slain, viz. by the Babylonians a prophetical stile, as sure to be slain, as if they were slain already. slain of the daughter of my people.

Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of He proceeds in his Lamentation, which in the former verse he did by way of Compassion, in this in a way of Indignation, wishing for some retiring place or sorry shed, or night-Cottage; See on Isa. 24.20. though it were but some mean and sorry Hutt in the wilderness as David, Psal. 55.6, 7. such as might but she ter him from the injuries of the weather; LXX in some remotest station or corner, where he might not be an eye-witness of their Miseries to grieve him so at the heart, Psal. 119.136, 158. See 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. and where he might hope to find better entertainment from the savage beasts, than from his own Country-men. way-faring men: that I might leave my people, and go from them: for they be all i. e. For the most part, chap. 5.8. both properly, and metaphorically being full of all Idolatrous practices, or there is no integrity found among them. adulterers, an assembly of treacherous That deal per idiously with God and Man in all the concerns they are conversant about, Isa. 1.4. and though the word here for Assembly is most ordinarily used for an holy Assembly, Lev. 23.36. Num. 29.35. which causeth some to understand it of their being most vile, when they should be most devout; yet here it most natu lly signifies a kind of combination among them, as such that ave conspired one among another to act all manner of Villanies. men.

And they Heb. tread, because bowes are usually kneeled, or trod upon, when they are bent, chap. 50.14. and 51.3. bend their tongues like their y bow for i. e. All reproachful, false and noxious words to the damage of one another, and so bending may be preparing, framing and contriving that mischief which they purpose to vent with their tongues, Psal. 52.2, 3, 4. and 64.3. as bending is preparing the Bow to do execution with the Arrow lies: but they are not valiant for the Eq ity, Justice, they are as eager in wayes of falshood as men ingaged in war, but show no valour in maintaining the Truth. truth upon the i. e. No truth in the Earth in them, as we use to express our selves, or rather more genuinely in the land wherein they live, they have no Courage in what is good. earth for they proceed from evil to Either in kind, or in degree, they go on from bad to worse, 2 Tim. 3.13. which speaks little hopes of their Repentance the ground of all which is said here to be, their not knowing of God, as in the next clause, Judges 2.10, 11. 1 Sam. 2.12. the heart cannot work strongly after God, where there be but mean apprehensions of him. evil, and they know not me, says the LORD. Their Tongues are here compared to a Bow and lies to Arrows, because as a Bow shoots out Arrows, so does the Tongue words, Psal. 64.3.

Take ye heed every one of his Better rendred Friend or Companion as 2 Sam. 16, 17. and in the next verse showing, the general corruption will be so malignant, that one Friend will betray another, no faith in Friends. neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly Wholly given to it. Heb. Supplanting will supplant, or treading down, treadeth down; trampling them under their eet, noting their oppression, which they exercise all manner of wayes, as in the next verse, both by fraud, and force. Like the Interpretation, that Esau puts upon Jacob, Gen. 27.36. not only such as are near in Habitation, pretending neighbourhood and friendship, but near in relation, even a brother will circumvent, no respect to blood, arguing them to be monstrous in nature, putting off humanity. The word is here in allusion to Jacob who had his name from supplanting; a Metaphor taken from the sole of the foot, Gen. 25.26. supplant, and every neighbour will walk with Carrying Tales and Reports up and down whether true or false, to the disturbance of the peace of Neighbourhood, chap. 6.28. and against the Law of God, Lev. 19.16. slanders.

And they will Heb. mock or deride; they are Scoffers. deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have They have so framed their tongues to it by custome, and constant use, that lying is become so familiar to them, that they cannot leave it the same word is apply'd to the wild Ass, used or taught to the wilderness, chap. 2.24. and 13.23. taught their tongues to speak lies, and i weary themselves to commit iniquity. They use a great deal of Industry, Diligence and Contrivance in it, Psal. 7.14. Isa. 5.18. They spare for no Labour, and feel no weariness in it, whereby they are become expert.

Thine habitation is in the midst of This God speaks to the Prophet, either to inform him, that there is no hope of this peoples reformation, chap. 8.5. therefore he expresseth a deceitful people by the abstract, deceit, i. e. nothing among them, but deceit one to another; and Hypocrisie towards me, as Psal. 109.2. and vanity for vain men, Iob 35.13. or to caution, and advise him how to behave himself among such a people that he be very wary, he be not ensnared by them, chap. 12.6. deceit: through deceit they refuse to Either hoping to shift well enough by their several means, they think to use, chap. 8.5. they are careless of turning to me, or by hearkening to their false Prophets, who have all along deceived, them they obstinately reject my wayes, and Counsels, Psal. 36.1, 2, 3, 4. and 82.5. know me, says the LORD.

Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will melt them, and The same Metaphor used, chap. 6.29 try them by melting them, i. e. either I will try what lesser afflictions will do, before I do utterly destroy them, or rather, I will bring judgment upon them, the fire, and fury of the Chaldeans War, that shall clear away their dross from among them, and purge away those deceits, in which they trust, that the remnant may be purified. Dan. 11.35. as when the dross is separated from metals, the rest remains pure, see on Isa. 1.25. try them: for how shall I q. d. There is no remedy I have tried all other means, and they have been in effectual, my people will take no warning, they are grown to such an height of impiety, that I can do no less, though they are my people, Hos. 6.4. or God does expostulate with them, how can you expect, that I should treat you otherwise, that have so provoked me, and whose impieties have redounded so much to my dishonour. do for the daughter of my people?

Their tongue is as an Before ver. 3. it was compared to a bow, i. e. ready prepared, and furnished with materials contriving their wickedness, Psa. 11.2. and here to an arrow shot out, actually executing what they have designed, some translate it a murthering arrow. arrow shot out; it speaketh Never speaking what they mean, that thereby they may the easier deceive the credulous, a double tongue, speaking fair, when they mean to destroy, Psal. 55.21. as the next words explain it, intending to do the greatest mischief, when they speak fairest. deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in Heb. in midst of him, i. e. in his very in wards, with his whole heart he contrives mischief. heart he layeth his wait.

See chap. 5.9.29. Shall I not visit them for these things, says the LORD; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this.

For the mountains will I take up a weeping, and The Prophet having ver. 1. taken up a Lamentation for the slaughter of the People, he now reassumes it for the desolation of the whole land, every part of it being to be laid waste, see chap. 4.23, 26. and it either sets forth the greatness of his grief, that shall reach to the very mountains, as the words may be read, or rather, the cause of his mourning, because he presently adds for the habitations of the wilderness. wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burnt up, so that none can pass Plain or Valley as it often signifies, so the word is used, Isa. 63.13, 14. or pleasant plains; the Country of Iudea being mountainous, these Plains and Valleys were their chief places for Pastorage, which does greatly aggravate the Devastation, these shall be burnt up the Herbage so burnt, that it shall be left utterly barren like a parched Heath, verse 12. The Mountains shall not be able to secure them, nor the valleys to feed them. through them, neither can men hear the voice of the Either there being no path, the LXX render it on the paths of the wilderness, or none to pass to and fro, and so leave it desolate; or so parched, and wast, that none can pass through it, so far are they from being inhabited, chap. 2.6. cattel; both the fowls of the heavens, and the beast are fled, they are gone. There, where once all sort of Cattel and fowls in great plenty were wont to feed and graze, there is not so much as the chirping of a Bird, the bleating of a Sheep, or lowing of an Oxe to be heard. See chap. 23.10, 12, 13. and 50.3. they are said to be fled and gone, either the Enemy has swept away all, or they have forsaken the Land, because there was no food, Ier. 12.4. a figurative expression of an universal desolation.

And I will make Jerusalem Viz. Of Stones, and Rubbish. heaps, and a den of Noting a desolate place, not any longer fit for the habitation of mankind, as the next words do speak; but for hideous Beasts; as they had made use of the Temple for a Den of Thieves, chap. 7.11. The same also he afterwards threatens on Babylon her self, chap. 51.37. Dragons; and I will make the Cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

Who is the wise man, that may understand viz. The ground of all these evils, q. d. Is there not a wise man among you, that will concern himself, and search into the cause of all these threatned Judgments, which has provoked God to so great displeasure? See Hos. 14.9. It is a question that implies there is none, or very few that consider common Calamities in the causes of them, but rather say of Judgments it is a Chance, 1 Sam. 6.9. this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may a declare it, for what the land perisheth, and is burnt up like a wilderness, that none passeth through.

And the LORD says, Either this, and the next verse refers to the former, viz. because there are none can give the reason why the land perisheth, therefore God will; or else they refer to the 15 and 16 verses as showing the causes of those Judgments threatned, for either of the references do not alter the sense, see chap. 5.19. this verse contains negative Reasons. Because they have forsaken my He chargeth them with their Apostasie, and refusing to obey his precepts and conform their Conversation to them. law, which I set before Lest they should plead they were obscure and hard to be understood, therefore he tells them, he had made it plain to them, they could not be ignorant of it except it were out of wilfulness and obstinacy; the like expression, Deut. 11.32. them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein

But have walked after the Or stubborness and obstinacy, see chap. 7.24. imagination of their own heart, and after See chap. 2.23. the Prophet does not charge them with new crimes but with their tenacious sticking to their Idolatry. Baalim, which their See chap 7.18. it seems they may, partly thank their education for it, as well as their now natural perversness, hence we should learn to follow Gods Counsel in the Scriptures and not blindly follow our Fathers Counsel, Precepts, or Examples, or our own will which is the worst Guide. fathers taught them.

Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this This supplement even shows that it is spoken emphatically, though they be a people that presume to be my peculiar. people, with Worms, Dutch Annot. a plant to purifie and cleanse them, say some; but this does not seem to be spoken in favour to them; therefore rather some poisonous plant, which may agree to any other destructive herb, as well as Wormwood and this the Heb. word does intimate, to which purpose the water of Gall is mentioned in the next words, both joined together, Deut. 29.18. possibly the one pointing at their drink, the other at their bread, both metaphorically to be understood, of which see on chap. 8.14. wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

I will Either you shall wander up and down among strangers, like Cain's Curse; or rather, you shall have no friend abroad, but sold as so many Slaves from person to person. scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have Neither shall this serve their turn, but I will follow them with the sword, till they be destroyed, probably meant of those that might escape out of Ierusalem, and fly into Egypt, the Chaldean should pursue them thither, and either take, or slay them there, i. e. such of them as were appointed for destruction; for otherwise they were not all consumed, a full end was not to be made, as is promised chap. 5.10. known: and I will send a sword after m them, till I have consumed them. Part of the Curse threatned. Deut. 2.64.

Thus says the LORD of hosts; Either in how sad a condition you are, what circumstances you are under, or rather, bethink your selves what course to take, and therefore puts them upon mourning and bewailing their condition, intimated by the following expression. consider ye, and call for the mourning A sort of Persons, and principally women, as more apt for Passions in this kind, which they had among them, 2 Chron. 35.25. whose work it was, either to compose Funeral Elegies, or Panegyricks in Praise of the dead and to act them in some mournful manner, as tearing their hair, and beating their breasts, with other mourning postures, or to sing them in some doleful tone, thereby artificially to provoke, and excite both Passions and expressions of Grief in the Friends of the Deceased, rather wringing out Tears, than shedding them, in which probably they made greater seeming Lamentations, than those that did really mourn, as being most concerned; not that God calls upon them to do this as approving the formality, (tho' this foolish Custom had obtained in most Ages and Countries) any more, than other Customs that were made use of by way of Illustration; as the Olimpick Games, and possibly that practice mentioned, 1 Cor. 15.29. but makes use of it, as being customary either to excite them to, and put them upon true Repentance, or to convince them hereby, that they were not able themselves sufficiently to bewail so great calamities as were coming upon them, intimating hereby that he would give them occasion for the most unfeigned weeping and Lamentation. women, that they may come; and send for Such as are most skilful in it, Amos 5.16. Wisdom being taken for skil in any Arts as Exod. 31.3. and elsewhere. cunning women that they may come.

And let them make As by the calling for their Artificial Mourners, he did intimate the greatness of the Misery, that was coming upon them, that with all their Art they could not sufficiently bewail it; so here by making haste, he intimates the near approach of it, that it was even at the doors. haste, and take up a wailing Pitch upon some form of Mourning that may be suitable to our condition. for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eye-lids gush out with This and the former are each of them an hyperbolical expression, and yet are too little to bewail the greatness of the Judgment, which suits with the Prophets Lamentation, ver. 1. The Prophet would herein intimate that they that were so stupid, as to hear the Prophets denouncing their Judgments with dry eyes, though he wish'd them to have been fountains of tears, shall now suddenly feel, that they shall have cause enough to send for all the helps, not only real, but Artificial to stir up the Mournings. waters.

For a voice of wailing is heard out of i. e. Ierusalem, spoken in the present tense after the Prophetical stile, being a frequent way of the Prophets expressing the certainty of a thing. Zion, How are we How great is our Misery? or how come we to be in such a desolate condition? possibly expressions of the Artificial Mourners, or rather their real sense of it, now it is all too late. spoiled? We are greatly Wether this be the complaints of the country people forced to fly from their habitation to Ierusalem for shelter, or of Ierusalem it self, that could expect no less, it filled them with great consternation, that they who thought their houses should have continued for ever, because of Gods promise, Psal. 132.10, &c. must now forsake them, Lev. 18.25. Either their Persons carried out into Captivity, or have them utterly demolished by the Enemy. confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out *.

Or. therefore, i. e Yet hear the word of the Do not think I speak words out of my own mind, or fancy, but what I speak is from the Lord. LORD, O ye Either those hired women mentioned before, or rather the Women of the Land, for God would have it not a mercenary, but a real mourning; and he mentioneth Women, 1. To upbraid the men with their stupidity. 2. As being more apt to grieve, thereby to express the readiness, that he would have the Land to be in for mourning. 3. Because of the decay and want there would be of men, as is expressed in the next verse, by reason partly of the slaughter and partly of the Captivity, therefore here is mention of Women with reference to Children in the next verse, after whom their bowels would yern and daughters, either the Scholars of the mourning Women, or rather, with reference to young men, unto whom they might be given in Marriage. 4. Because the Femal Sex is least able to help themselves in a common calamity. Or. 5. Because they would be least solicitous, but would indulge their delicacies, pride, sloth, and wantonness, Isa. 32.9.11. women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her Heb. A Woman her Friend, namely that the grief might spread the farther and become deeper, for Affections and passions, of what kind soever are augmented by company; it notes how large, and universal the mourning should be, Amos 5.16. neighbour lamentation.

For death is come up The unavoidableness of the ruine is expressed metaphorically, Ezek. 21.14. chap. 6.5. most likely alluding to the violent, and universal storming of a City, chap. 5.10. wherein there is no respect had to Sex, Youth, or Age. Several other allusions see Assemb. Annot. The Chaldeans are here understood by death, as bringing death wherever they come, a metonymy of the Effect. into our windows, and is entred into our palaces, to cut off the children from without No safety within or without the Enemy shall cut off all, not only those at home, but even those, that are conversing or playing in the Streets, which most commonly Young men, and Children are chap. 6.11., and the young men from the streets.

lest they should think these things would never be, cease not to tell them from me, that they shall certainly come to pass, viz. what was said before, and what is said now in this verse (these words, speak, thus says the Lord, being best read in a Parenthesis.) Speak, thus says the LORD; even the Heb. A Carcase of a man, noting here and there a scattered carcase. carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open As Iezabel was, 2 King. 9.37. exposed to all contempt, strewed up and down on the superficies of the Earth. Heb. face of the Field, and be offensive by their stench to all that pass by, chap. 44.12. field, and as the handfull after the Either laid in heaps by death as the Harvest man does his cocks of Hay, or sheaves of Corn, or rather they shall be no more regarded, then a few scattered Ears that drop out of the Reapers hand, which either lye on the ground, and not eaten, or trod to dirt by Birds or Beasts; thus God would pour contempt upon them, which must needs be grievous to so proud a people as the Iews were. harvest man, and none shall gather None shall have so much respect to them, or compassion of them, as to afford burial, chap. 8.2. them.

¶ Thus says the LORD; Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his The Iews did glory in the counsel of their wise men, the strength of the Souldiers, and the wealth of their Cities, but here God takes them off from their vain confidences, that neither their Councels, and Policy, Eccl. 9.11. nor their Forces and Arms, Psal. 33.16, 17. nor their Wealth, or Riches, Prov. 11.4. Ezek. 7.19. should be able to deliver them from being either destroyed, or carried Captive by the Chaldaeans, in these, or some of these, men are apt to put their confidences, and neglect God their only succor in distress, and there he puts them upon that in the next verse. riches.

But let him that gloryeth glory in this, that he understandeth and Whether we make any curious distinction between understanding God, as if that be more speculative, whereby we rightly apprehend his nature; and knowing God as if that be more practical as directing the conversation, we need not here inquire, yet certainly both center in this, that we so know, and understand God as to trust in him, and depend on him alone in all conditions. knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving kindness, judgement and righteousness in the Kindness as it relates to his own people, Psal. 5.12. Iudgement with reference to his punishing the wicked, Righteousness namely as he deals justly and uprightly with both, Psal. 92.15. the meaning here I conceive, is to show Gods orderly governing and disposing of things in the World in his distributive justice, that all things are right and equal. earth: for in these things I Both in himself and others, Psal. 11.7. delight, says the LORD.

¶ Behold the days come says the LORD, that I will Viz. By the Babylonians. punish all them which are q. d. Do not think to insist upon your external priviledge of circumcision, that you are Abrahams natural Seed, and thereby distinguished from other nations, as you sometimes were wont to do of the Temple, that you had God in the midst of you. Do not think that shall priviledge you, for you shall see, it shall not be long ere I bring the Chaldaeans upon those other Nations, which either are circumcised in the Flesh as well as you, and upon you also who are uncircumcised in heart as well as they, or whether circumcision was lost as being cast off by them, and so they were indeed uncircumcised, God tells them they shall fare alike, hence in the next verse he ranks Iudah next to Aegypt among the other uncircumcised Nations, for he looks to the circumcision of the heart, not of the body, to inward Worship not outward only; therefore some read it the circ mcised in uncircumcision. circumcised, with the uncircumcised.

Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost Some refer this to the place of their habitation, as in corners, and remote parts of the wilderness, as it were separated from other Nations, and therefore might think themselves farthest remote from danger, but some rather choose to refer it to their manners, as in cutting the corners of their hair, which was forbidden the Iews, Lev. 19.27. The like description in chap. 25.23. corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are See the foregoing verse, God regards not the outward sign, but principally respects the circumcision of the heart, here ends that Sermon that began at chap. 7. uncircumcised in the heart.