The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah 21
Chapter XXI · Vol. III, p. 1256
1 Zedekiah sendeth to Jeremiah to inquire the event of Nebuchadrezzar's war. 3 Jeremiah foretelleth a calamitous siege and miserable captivity. 8 He counselleth the people to fall to the Chaldeans, 11 and upbraideth the king's house.
1 The aword1 which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah bsent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
B.C. cir. 590.
a ch.18.1,5; 16.1; 14.1; 13.1,3,8.
1 See note * below.
b ch.37.3; 38.1,14; 29.25; 52.24. 2 Ki.25.18.
* The message in this chapter has been confounded with that in ch. xxxvii., and as the narratives differ, they have been urged as contradictory. But the least attention will show that they relate to events clearly distinct. (1) Jeremiah had been imprisoned in the 'high gate of Benjamin,' by order of Pashur alone, and delivered the next day, ch. 20. 2, 3. (2) This message came to Jeremiah at the very commencement of the war, and of the siege of Jerusalem, ver. 2, 4, and only requested the prophet to 'inquire of the LORD.' (3) When the message in ch. xxxvii. was sent, the Chaldeans had continued the siege till the Egyptian army had come up against them, ch. 37. 5. (4) The request of that message was that the prophet should 'pray unto the Lord,' ver. 3. (5) Jeremiah was at that time free; and his subsequent imprisonment was not by Pashur, but by the princes; and not in the 'high gate of Benjamin,' but in the 'house of Jonathan the scribe,' ver. 15; and, finally, by order of Zedekiah, in the 'court of the prison,' ver. 21.—C.
2 Inquire,2 I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon cmaketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us daccording to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
2 Entreat, Ex.9.28. 1 Sa.7.8; 12.19. 1 Ki.13.6. 2 Ch.36.12. Ac.8.24. ch.37.3,7. Eze.14.4,5.
c ver.4. 2 Ki.25.1,2.
d 2 Ch.32.20,21. Is.59.1,2. Ps.44.1,2; xlviii. lxviii. lxxviii. cv.-cvii. cxxxvi. Eze.xx. Ne.ix.
3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:
4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, Ie will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and gI will assemble them into the midst of this city.
5 Andh I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
6 And iI will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
i ch.7.20; 36.29; 12.3,4. Eze.14.13,17. Zep.1.3. Ho.4.3. Is.24.1,6,18.
7 And afterward, saith the LORD, jI will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: kand he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; lhe shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.3
j ch.34.19,20,21; 37.17; 38.21-23; 39.4-7; 52.8-11,24-27. 2 Ki.xxv.
A.M. cir. 3414. B.C. cir. 590.
k De.28.50.
l ch.4.7,20; 5.16; 8.17; 12.3. La.5.12,13. 2 Ch.36.17. Is.47.6. Eze.9.5,6.
3 Zedekiah was carried into Babylon, where he died, ch.39.5.—C.
8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; nBehold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
n De.30.19. Is.1.19,20; 3.10,11. ch.38.17-23.
9 He that oabideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
o ch.25.9; 27.6; 38.2,17-23; 39.18; 45.5.
10 Forp I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD; qit shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
p Le.17.10; 20.3,5. ch.39.16; 44.11,27. Am.9.4. Eze.15.7.
q ch.25.9,17.27; 39.8; 52.13. 2 Ch.36.19.
12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD, rExecute5 judgment in the morning, and sdeliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, tlest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
r ch.22.3. Ps.101.8. Ex.18.13. Zec.7.9,10, with Ec.10.16. Zep.3.5.
5 Heb. Judge.
s Ps.72.4,12,13; 82.3,4. ch.22.3,16. Pr.24.11,12. Ro.13.4.
t See ch.4.4; 17.22. De.32.22. La.2.3,4; 4.11. Eze.20.47,48; 21.32; 22.18-23,31; 24.9-14.
13 Behold, uI am against thee, O 6inhabitant of the valley,7 and rock of the plain,8 saith the LORD; which say, vWho shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?
u ver.5; ch.23.30-32; 50.31; 51.25. Ps.76.7. Eze.13.8.
6 Heb. inhabitress, i.e. Jerusalem, Is.22.1. Ps.125.2.
7 'O thou inhabitant of the levelled hollow of a rock.'—Blayney.
8 'The valley here means some one of the valleys of Jerusalem. That in which there was the largest number of houses was the Tyropoeon, between Moriah and Zion. Probably it is here referred to. 'The rock of the plain' may mean the flat top of Zion.—P.
v Ob.3,4. ch.49.4,5,16. Mi.3.11. 2 Sa.5.6,7, or ch.7.4.
14 But I will punish9 you xaccording to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in ythe forest thereof, zand it shall devour all things round about it.1
9 Heb. visit upon.
x Pr.1.31. Is.3.10,11. ch.2.17,19; 4.18; 5.25.
y ch.22.7. Is.27.10,11; 37.24. Eze.20.46-48. Zec.11.1.
z 2 Ch.36.19.
1 The word 'forest' seems to be metaphorical, and may signify a dense mass of houses.—P.
Notes
Ver. 9. For a prey. As something snatched from the great 'spoilers'—the famine, the pestilence, and the sword. C.
Ver. 12. Execute judgment in the morning. Not in an evasive manner, but speedily; not by bribes, the ordinary course of eastern despotism, but by a faithful enforcement of the 'judgments' of God. C.
Ver. 14. Forest thereof. An allusion to the kindling of fires in forests by lightning, by the friction of branches in storms, by negligence, or by malice. C.
Reflections.—God often honours his ministers when they think that their days are consumed in shame. And they who would not take God's direction for deliverance from sin, would often gladly take it for escaping from trouble. But it is vain to hope that God will do that for us in our sin which he did for others in their integrity; or that anything will help us when he is our determined adversary; or that men will pity us when we have forfeited his compassion. An ignominious slavery, or a miserable death, is but a dreadful alternative. But it is best to give up the defence of our country when we can do nothing for its relief. It is but a disgrace for men to be descended of godly ancestors when they indulge themselves in impiety. When nations are in danger, princes ought without delay to reform themselves and their subjects: and ministers who faithfully admonish them to it, had need to be well furnished with faith and courage.