성경 주석서

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. — De rebus retentionum - that is, concerning the drought or dearth by restraint of necessary rain and moisture - unde frugum raritas, annonae caritas, fames, from which the shortage of grain made the year’s produce expensive, resulting in famine; whereupon followed a famine, as there doth also a "famine of the Word," where the divine influences are restrained. Junius rendereth it, Super verbis cohibitionum, concerning the words of cohibitions; that is, saith he, concerning the prayers made by the prophet and other good people for the diverting of God’s judgments, publicly denounced.

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Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

Judah mourneth. — The prophet’s pitiful complaint, bitterly bewailing the common calamity, and labouring thereby to bring them to a sense of the true cause of it, their sins. See 2 Samuel 21:1 . See Trapp on " 2 Samuel 21:1 "

And the cry of Jerusalem is gone up, — sc., To heaven, for removal of this judgment. Compare Jeremiah 36:9 ; Jeremiah 14:12 .

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And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, [and] found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

And their nobles. — Who would be sure to have it if it were to be had.

Sent their little ones. — Their boys, as they used to call their menial servants of the younger sort. See Matthew 14:2 . See Trapp on " Matthew 14:2 "

To the waters. — Such as were the waters of Siloe, which only fountain, saith Jerome, Jerusalem maketh use of so long as it lasteth.

To the pits, — Or, Cisterns. Jeremiah 2:13

They covered their heads. — As close mourners do still.

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Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

Because the ground is chapt. — As our hearts also are and will be, when the heaven doth not hear the earth. as Hosea 2:21 It hath been before observed, that in the use of the ordinances, if we open our shells (our souls), the heaven will drop the fruitful dew of grace to the making of pearls of good works and solid virtue.

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Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook [it], because there was no grass.

Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it. — The loving hind; Proverbs 5:19 Alioqui studiosa sui partus, Plin., lib. viii. cap. 32. that is otherwise so exceeding chary and careful of her young.

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And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because [there was] no grass.

And the wild asses. — Secretes alias vagae libidinis in silvis, that usually course up and down the woods, and can bear hunger and thirst a long while together. Plin., lib. x. cap. 72.

Snuffed up the wind like dragons. — Quorum est vehementissima spiratio ac sorbitio; who, in defect of water, can continue long by drawing in the air, as Aristotle Lib. De mirab auscult. likewise testifieth of the goats in Cephalonia, that they drink not for various days together, but instead thereof gape and suck in the fresh air.

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O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou [it] for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us. — Though our guilty consciences bring in large rolls of indictment written against us within and without, and spread before thee.

Do it for thy name’s sake. — Heb., Do. A short but pithy petition. So Jeremiah 14:9 , "Leave us not."

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O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man [that] turneth aside to tarry for a night?

O the Hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof. — In prayer, to pitch upon such of God’s attributes as wherein we may see an answer, is a high point of heavenly wisdom.

Why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land? — As a stranger at home, and as one that is loath to be too busy in aliena republica, in a foreign land where he hath least to do.

That turneth aside. — Into some diversorium - inn.

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