성경 주석서

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

Then all the captains of the forces and Johanan. — Or, Even Johanan; he among the rest, and above the rest. Ille huic negotio non interfuit modo, sed etiam praefuit.

And Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah. — Brother, belike, to that Azariah, Jeremiah 43:2 a noble pair of brethren in evil.

And all the people. — Who follow their rulers; as in a beast the whole body followeth the head.

Drew near. — They came as clients use to do for counsel.

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And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, [even] for all this remnant; (for we are left [but] a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee. — Here they seem to humble themselves before Jeremiah the prophet; which, because King Zedekiah did not, he came to ruin. 2 Chronicles 36:12

And pray for us unto the Lord thy God. — Good words may be found even in a hellish mouth sometimes. Who would think but these men had spoken what they did unfeignedly, and from their very hearts? whenas it soon after appeared that all was no better than deep dissimulation. They had made their conclusion beforehand to go down to Egypt, only in a pretence of piety, and for greater credit, they would have had God’s approbation; which, since they cannot, they will go on with their design however, fall back, fall edge. O most hateful hypocrisy! O contumacy worthy of all men’s execration!

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That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

That the Lord thy God may show us the way. — But they had set themselves in the way to Egypt before they came with this request to the prophet: why went they else to Goruth Chimham, the road toward Egypt? Jeremiah 41:17 why were they also so peremptory, when they knew God’s mind to the contrary? Jeremiah 43:7

And the thing that we may do. — Good words all along; but those, we say, are light cheap: Quid vero verba quaero, facta cum videam? They were as forward to speak fair, as their ancestors were in the wilderness; but oh that there were a heart in this people, saith God, to do as they have said!

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Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard [you]; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

I have heard you; behold, I will pray. — The wisdom from above is persuasible, easy to be entreated, James 3:18 and good men are ready to every good work. Titus 3:1 Jeremiah hoped they might speak their whole hearts, and promiseth to do his best for them, both by praying and prophesying.

Whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare. — Sic veteres nihil ex se vel potuerunt, vel protulerunt. The prophets spake as they were inspired by the Spirit of truth. Christ spake nothing but what was consonant to the Holy Scriptures. The apostles delivered to the churches what they had received of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:23 Polycarp told the churches that he delivered nothing to them but what he had received of the apostles. Irenaeus, lib. iii.; Eccles. Hist., lib. iv. cap. 14.

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Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us. — Did these men know what it was so solemnly to swear a thing? Or were they stark atheists, thus to promise that with an oath which they never meant to perform?

“ At sperate Deum memorem fandi atque nefandi. ”

Their king, Zedekiah, paid dearly for his perjury to God and men.

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Whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, — i.e., Whether it please us or cross us. Veniat, veniat verbum Domini: et submittemus ei, sexcenta si nobis essent colla, said a good man once - that is, Let God’s Word come to us once and he shall be obeyed, whatever come of it. These in the text seem to say as much, but they say it only; neither was it much to be liked that they were so free of their promises, and all in their own strength, without any condition of help from heaven: as if the matter had been wholly in their own hands, and they had free will to whatsoever good purpose or practice.

“ O caecas mentes hominum! ”

“O the blind mind of men”

We will obey the voice of the Lord. — Yes, as far as a few good words will go.

“ Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest. ” - Ovid.

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And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

And it came to pass that after ten days. — So long God held his holy prophet in request; and so he doth still his best servants many times, thereby tying, as it were, the sacrifice to the horns of the altar. How impatient those wretched roysters were of such a delay, we may well imagine (the Chinese use to whip their gods when they will not hear and help them forthwith); but God held them off as unworthy of any answer, and seemed by his silence to say unto them, as in Ezekiel 20:3 , "Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord, I will not be inquired of by you."

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Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which [were] with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

And all the people, from the least unto the greatest. — For the Word of God belongeth to all of all sorts; and as the smaller fish bite first, so the poor are evangelized Matthew 11:5 when the richer stand off.

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