The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah 22
Chapter XXII · Vol. III, pp. 1256–1259
1 He exhorteth to repentance, with promises and threats. 10 The judgment of Shallum, 13 of Jehoiakim, 20 and of Coniah.
2 And say, bHear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:
3 Thus saith the LORD, cExecute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
A.M. cir. 3399. B.C. cir. 605.
c ch.21.12; ver.17. Ex.23.6-9. De.16.18-20; 24.14; 25.1; 1.16,17. Le.19.15. 2 Sa.23.3. Ps.72.2,4,12-14; 82.3,4.
4 For dif ye do this thing indeed, ethen shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David,2 riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.
5 But gif ye will not hear these words, I swear hby myself, saith the LORD, that ithis house3 shall become a desolation.
g 2 Ch.7.19,22. Is.1.20; 3.11.
h He.6.12,13,17,18. Ge.22.16. Am.8.7; 6.8.
i ver.6; ch.26.6,9. Mi.3.12.
3 This palace of David and his successors (ver.1,4), including its inhabitants, the royal race of Judah (ver.6), and the entire city in which they reigned. See ch.17.25.—C.
6 For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah, Thou art 4Gilead5 unto me, and the head of Lebanon:6 yet surely jI will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.
4 Rich and stately, Nu.32.1. Ge.37.25. Ca.5.15. De.3.25. ch.21.13.
5 Gilead. The most fruitful and beautiful part of all Judea, see Mi.7.14; which character it still retains. See Buckingham's Travels.—C.
6 Lebanon. The loftiest mountain in the sight of Israel—an apt emblem of the family of David raised to the highest rank and power.—C.
j Ps.107.34. ch.21.14; 9.11; 4.20; 7.29,34; 26.6,9; 19.7,8,15; 25.9,10.
7 And kI will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; land they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
8 And nmany nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?
n De.29.24,25. 1 Ki.9.8,9. La.4.12. Da.9.7,11,12. ch.2.13,17,19,28; 4.18; 5.19,25; 9.12-16; 16.10-13.
9 Then they shall answer, oBecause they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
o 2 Ki.22.17. 2 Ch.34.25.
10 Weepp ye not for the dead,7 neither bemoan him; but weep sore for qhim that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
p Ec.4.2. Is.57.1. 2 Ki.22.20. 2 Ch.35.25. Is.57.12. ch.8.3. La.4.9. Ho.10.8. Lu.23.28.
7 Weep ye not for the dead—for Josiah your late beloved king (2 Ch.35.25. Zec.12.11), who is now at rest with God.—C.
q ver.11,12. 2 Ki.23.31-34; 24.15. Eze.19.4.
11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum8 the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place, He shall not return thither any more:
8 1 Ch.3.15, called Jehoahaz, 2 Ki.23.30-34. Eze.19.4.
12 But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.
13 Woe unto him9 that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;
14 That saith, rI will build me a wide house, and large1 chambers, and cutteth him out windows;2 and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
15 Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father3 eat and drink, and sdo judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?
3 Josiah, ver.18. Is.33.16. Ec.2.24; 5.18; 9.7-10; 10.17. Ps.128.2. 1 Co.10.31.
s 2 Ki.xxii. xxiii. 2 Ch.xxxiv. xxxv. Pr.16.12; 20.28; 29.4,14. Is.3.10.
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: twas not this to know me? saith the LORD.
t Jn.13.17. Ja.1.22,25. Mat.7.21,24, with ch.9.3. Ho.4.1,6.
17 But uthine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, vand for 4violence to do it.
18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, xThey shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister!5 they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
x ch.16.4,6; 34.5. Ps.78.64, with 9.17. 2 Ch.35.25. 1 Ki.13.30. 2 Sa.1.26; 3.33,38.
Fulfilled 599.
5 Ah sister! That is, addressing the lamentation to some of Jehoiakim's female relatives.—C.
19 Hey shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.6
* Or 'drawn and cast forth far beyond the gates of Jerusalem.' The Scriptures do not detail the time or manner of his death; and Josephus, Jerome, and Kimchi differ in their accounts; while others think he was carried to Babylon, where he lived in contempt, and died neglected—a lesson to the degenerate sons of worthy fathers, and a warning to all covetous, cruel, and oppressive rulers. Truly there is a God that judgeth in the earth, who is no respecter of persons; but who renders to both small and great according to their doings!—C.
y ch.36.30. Is.14.19,20, with 2 Ki.24.6. 2 Ch.36.6.
6 See note * in first column.
20 Go up to Lebanon7 and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages:8 for all thy lovers are destroyed.
† From the utmost 'borders' of the land; or 'cry to the (casual) passengers: for all thy lovers are destroyed;' their allies with whom they had conformed in idolatry, so committing a breach of their marriage covenant with Jehovah, Ho.2.2-5. C.——The word Abarim, here translated 'passages,' is a proper name. The mountain range of Abarim, one of whose peaks was Nebo, lay east of the Jordan opposite Jericho. Three great mountain ranges are thus referred to in this verse.—P.
7 Is.20.5; 30.1-6; 31.1-3. ch.2.18,36; 30.12-15. 2 Ki.24.7. Is.3.2,3,7. La.i.ii.iv. In vain ye will cry for help from your allies.
8 See note † in first column.
21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity;9 but zthou saidst, I will not hear: athis hath been thy manner from thy youth,1 that thou obeyedst not my voice.
9 Heb. prosperities.
z ch.2.31; 6.17; 7.23-28. Zec.7.11,12.
a ch.3.25; 32.30. De.9.7; 31.27. Is.48.8. Ps.lxxviii. cvi. Ju.ii. to 2 Ki.xxiv. Ezr.ix. Ne.ix. Da.ix.
1 Youth. Since the day of the exodus from Egypt.—C.
22 Theb wind2 shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then cshalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.
23 O inhabitant3 of Lebanon, that dmakest thy nest in the cedars, ehow gracious4 shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
3 Heb. inhabitress, i.e. Jerusalem.
d ch.21.13,14; ver.14,15.
e ch.4.31; 6.24; 30.6, or ch.3.21; 31.9; 50.4,5.
4 How gracious. How anxious to conciliate thy Judge, and to offer lip-service to thy God!—C.
24 As I live, saith the LORD, though 5Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were 6the signet upon my right hand,7 yet would I pluck thee thence;8
5 Jehoiachin, 2 Ki.24.6-15. ch.37.1. 1 Ch.3.16. Mat.1.12. ver.28.
6 Hag.2.23. Ca.8.6, i.e. very dear.
7 Though he encircled my finger as a ring, and bore my name engraven upon it.—C.
8 Thence. That is, even from my right hand; from the place of highest dignity.—C.
25 And I gwill give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
g ver.28. 2 Ki.24.10-15. 2 Ch.36.9,10. ch.21.7; 34.20.
26 And I will hcast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee,9 into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
h Is.22.17. ch.15.2,4.
9 'I will cast thee out' (Coniah, ver.24), 'and the mother that bare thee,' Nehushtan, as recorded, 2 Ki.24.15.—C.
28 Is this man Coniah ja despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, khe and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
j Ps.31.12; 60.8. ch.48.38. Ho.8.8. ch.2.14-17; 38.19,22.
k Mat.1.12. 2 Ki.25.27. ver.30. 1 Ch.3.17-24.
30 Thus saith the LORD, lWrite ye this man childless,3 a man that shall not prosper in his days: for nno man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
l Is.8.1; 30.9. ch.36.30; 30.2, with 1 Ch.3.17. Mat.1.11,12.
3 He had seven sons (ch.3.17,18), but no successor; in which sense he is called childless.—C.
n Ex.20.5. Is.14.20,21. ch.36.30.
Notes
Ver. 11. Shallum. This is another name for Jehoahaz, who succeeded Josiah, 2 Ki. 23. 30; 2 Ch. 36. 1: but who was deposed in three months, and carried into Egypt, where he died, 2 Ki. 23. 34. C.
Ver. 23. O inhabitant of Lebanon. An address to Jerusalem as gone up (ver. 20) to Lebanon to proclaim her destruction; and now compelled as it were to climb into the cedars, and make her hiding-place with the birds. C.
Reflections.—Ministers must be faithful and bold, and tell kings and courtiers of their sins, dangers, and duties, as well as others. It is only in keeping God's commandments that we can expect a great reward. He has always instruments duly prepared for destructive work as well as for building up. And men's sins are sometimes so plainly marked in their judgments, that even heathens can justify his procedure; for he never casts them off till they first cast off him. Dying saints may be justly envied, whilst living sinners are to be pitied. No education or example can change men's hearts; but it is a terrible aggravation of men's wickedness that it is contrary to their pious education. Proud and mischievous rebellion against God entails upon multitudes the most lasting shame and disgrace: nay, distinguished pride is generally followed by distinguished dishonour and misery, either in life or in death. It is extremely foolish to set our hearts upon that which can be easily taken from us, or made a curse to us. And none are more apt to appear mean, or to pretend piety under adversity, than those who boast highly amidst prosperity. It were well if what we suffer would bring us to a serious repentance. Sometimes persons are exalted even to thrones that God may pour the more public and lasting disgrace upon them and theirs. Nor need the greatest to be confident, since they know not what debasement and misery await them and their seed. But it is hard to awaken sinners lost in sensuality and earthly-mindedness. And how sovereign is God in making men fruitful or childless, honoured or dishonoured, as he thinks fit!