*H The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias, saying:
Ver. 1. The, &c. He continues his discourse, (v. 15.) or rather addresses the people, when Josias renewed the covenant. 2 Par. xxxiv. 29. Lev. xxvi. Deut. xxvii. C.
*H Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying: Hear ye my voice, and do all things that I command you: and you shall be my people, and I will be your God:
Ver. 4. Fathers. God chooses his people for obedience, not for kindred, &c. S. Jer. W.
*H That I may accomplish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. And I answered and said: Amen, O Lord.
Ver. 5. Amen. Sept. "So be it." H. — Thou hast fulfilled thy engagements.
*H And the Lord said to me: Proclaim aloud all these words in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear ye the words of the covenant, and do them:
Ver. 6. Cities, or to those who come thence to the temple, that all may know.
*H For protesting I conjured your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt even to this day: rising early I conjured them, and said: Hearken ye to my voice:
Ver. 7. For. This and the next verse have not been read by Sept.; (C.) but only "and they did not comply." Grabe supplies the rest. H.
*H And they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear: but walked every one in the perverseness of his own wicked heart: and I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.
Ver. 8. Brought; or "will bring," seems preferable. What does the history of God's people till the captivity exhibit, but scenes of disorder and of succeeding misery? C.
*H And the Lord said to me: A conspiracy is found among the men of Juda, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Ver. 9. Conspiracy. They are leagued together to do evil, with all earnestness. S. Jer.
*H They are returned to the former iniquities of their fathers, who refused to hear my words: so these likewise have gone after strange gods, to serve them: the house of Israel, and the house of Juda have made void my covenant, which I made with their fathers.
Ver. 10. To them, for a long time. Yet they must not despair, or have recourse to idols, (v. 12.) or witches. 1 K. xxviii.
*H For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda: and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem thou hast set up altars of confusion, altars to offer sacrifice to Baalim.
Ver. 13. Confusion. Thus he contemptuously denotes Baalim. C. iii. 24. C. — Various idols were objects of adoration, (H.) so that no city or street, perhaps not any house, was pure. C. vii. 18. and xliv. 17. Is. lxv. 11. Ezec. xvi. 25.
*H What is the meaning that my beloved hath wrought much wickedness in my house? shall the holy flesh take away from thee thy crimes, in which thou hast boasted?
Ver. 15. Beloved, dilectus. Heb. and Sept. have the fem. Chal. "people." They presumptuously thought that they would be freed from all their abominations, by partaking of the sacrifices. C. — But the offerings of such are not accepted. M. — The flesh is holy, but is of no service to the obstinate sinner. W.
*H The Lord called thy name, a plentiful olive tree, fair, fruitful, and beautiful: at the noise of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and the branches thereof are burnt.
Ver. 16. Burnt, by lightning. The olive was a most useful and beautiful tree.
*H But thou, O Lord, hast shewn me, and I have known: then thou shewedst me their doings.
Ver. 18. Shewedst me. He insinuates that something more than what appears must be understood. Theod. — All Christians explain what follows of Jesus Christ, (S. Jer. W.) whom Jeremias prefigured in his sufferings. C. — "Let us follow the rule which shews that all the prophets did most things for a type of our Lord and Saviour; and what was now done by Jeremias, foreshewed what would happen to our Lord." S. Jer.
*H And I was as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim: and I knew not that they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living, and let his name be remembered no more.
Ver. 19. Meek: pet lamb. The Arabs still keep one in their houses. 2 K. xii. 3. Bochart ii. 46. C. — Knew. I acted as if I had been ignorant. M. — Yet Christ foretold his sufferings. Mat. xx. 18. &c. W. — Bread. Christ, the bread of life, was nailed to the disgraceful wood. S. Jer. S. Greg. Mor. iii. 12. — They threaten to beat him, (De Dieu) or to mix a poisonous wood with his food. C. M. — Some Jews had corrupted this text in S. Justin's time. D.
*H But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, who judgest justly, and triest the reins and the hearts, let me see thy revenge on them: for to thee have I revealed my cause.
Ver. 20. Sabaoth. That is, of hosts or armies; a name frequently given to God, in the Scriptures. — Thy revenge. This was rather a prediction of what was to happen, with an approbation of the divine justice, than an imprecation. Ch. — He speaks of the impenitent, (S. Jer.) and wishes they may be converted.
*H Therefore thus saith the Lord to the men of Anathoth, who seek thy life, and say: Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and thou shalt not die in our hands.
Ver. 21. Life. What precedes, was spoken concerning the prophet, though it regarded Christ also in a proper but more elevated sense. C.
*H And there shall be no remains of them: for I will bring in evil upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their visitation.
Ver. 23. Remains. All these priests shall perish. Ps. xxxvi. 28. H. — He speaks of the wicked, as a remnant was still left. C. iv. Is. x. W.