서론
Jeremiah 21 Introduction
简体中文
英文原文
With the last verse of Jeremiah 20 ended the scroll of Jehoiakim: with the first verse of Jeremiah 21:1-14 begins a digest of various prophecies Jeremiah 21-24 addressed to Zedekiah in his ninth year, and called Zedekiah's scroll. The occasion of this prophecy was the embassy sent by Zedekiah to Jeremiah, asking his prayers when the Chaldaean army was advancing upon Jerusalem. So clearly did the prophet foresee the result that he could give the king no hope. His answer, contained in the scroll, divides itself into two parts, in the first Jeremiah 20-22, the prophet reviews the conduct of the royal house: in the second Jeremiah 23:9-40, that of the priests and prophets; closing with a vision Jeremiah 24:1-10 in which he shows the pitiable condition of Zedekiah and his people.
1
Jeremiah 21:1
简体中文
西底家差遣这一使团，等于承认耶利米在国中所居的地位，正如以赛亚当年在希西家手下所居的一样（2 Kings 19:2）。巴施户珥和西番雅属于主张凭借武力抵抗尼布甲尼撒的那一派。
英文原文
By sending this embassy Zedekiah acknowledged that Jeremiah held the same position in the kingdom which Isaiah had held under Hezekiah 2 Kings 19:2. Pashur and Zephaniah belonged to the party who were for resisting Nebuchadnezzar by force of arms.
2
Jeremiah 21:2
简体中文
「尼布甲尼撒」 - “Nebuchadrezzar” 是比 “Nebuchadnezzar” 更准确的名字拼写。
「照他一切奇妙的作为」 - 王和他的使者们期望得到的，是类似以赛亚从前所给的那种回答（Isaiah 37:6）。
英文原文
Nebuchadrezzar - A more correct way of spelling the name than Nebuchadnezzar.
According to all his wondrous works - The king and his envoys expected some such answer as Isaiah had given on a former occasion Isaiah 37:6.
4
Jeremiah 21:4
简体中文
「在城外」 - 这几个词应当与「你们用以争战的」一语相连而读。
英文原文
Without the walls - These words are to be joined to wherewith ye fight.
6
Jeremiah 21:6
简体中文
「大瘟疫」 - 这是人与牲畜在狭小空间内过度拥挤、一切卫生规制完全被忽视的结果。
英文原文
A great pestilence - As the result of the excessive crowding of men and animals in a confined space with all sanitary regulations utterly neglected.
8
Jeremiah 21:8
简体中文
可参较页边所列的参考经文；但此处摆出的选择是：要么投奔敌人而得保全性命，要么在城墙之内死于饥荒、瘟疫和刀剑。
英文原文
Compare the marginal reference; but here the alternative is a life saved by desertion to the enemy, or a death by famine, pestilence, and the sword within the walls.
9
Jeremiah 21:9
简体中文
「出去归降迦勒底人的」 - 这无异于劝人叛逃；若出自寻常人之口，便是叛逆之罪。但先知们乃是以高于君王的权柄说话，并且屡屡以干脆果断之势干预政治事务。参较 Matthew 24:16-18。
「掠物」 - 指本非己有、却在危险之中一把抓住、急忙携走的物件。犹太人也当如此看待自己的性命，视之为超过自己应得的东西，急忙抢救出来，安置在迦勒底营中，如同置于安全之地。
英文原文
He that ... falleth to the Chaldeans - This was to counsel desertion, and would have been treason in an ordinary man: but the prophets Spoke with an authority above that even of the king, and constantly interfered in political matters with summary decisiveness. Compare Matthew 24:16-18.
A prey - Something not a man's own, upon which he seizes in the midst of danger, and hurries away with it. So must the Jews hurry away with their lives as something more than they had a right to, and place them in the Chaldaean camp as in a place of safety.
11
Jeremiah 21:11
简体中文
更宜译作「至于犹大王室，你们要听」。「说」字应略去。这些话不是给先知的命令，而是他一篇讲论的开场；这篇讲论一直延续到 Jeremiah 23:8 的末了。王和他的臣仆应当听的，是自约雅敬登基以来神向王室所传一切信息的要旨。
英文原文
Rather, And as to the royal house of Judah, Hear ye. Omit say. The words are no command to the prophet, but form his introduction to the discourse which extends to the end of Jeremiah 23:8. The king and his officers are to hear the gist of all the messages sent to the royal house since the accession of Jehoiakim.
12
Jeremiah 21:12
简体中文
「施行审判」 - 古时司法行政由王亲自执行，因此百姓的福祉在很大程度上系于王的个人品质（参看 2 Samuel 15:4）。又因「欺压人的」通常是某个有权有势的贵族，所以确保群体中软弱的成员不受冤屈，尤其成为王的职责。
英文原文
Execute judgment - As the administration of justice was performed in old time in person, the weal of the people depended to a great degree upon the personal qualities of the king (see 2 Samuel 15:4). And as "the oppressor" was generally some powerful noble, it was especially the king's duty to see that the weaker members of the community were not wronged.
13
Jeremiah 21:13
简体中文
「居民」 - 是阴性词，因为耶路撒冷的居民总是被拟人化为一位妇人，即锡安的女子。「和」字应略去。耶路撒冷既是谷，又是磐石（Jeremiah 17:3）。这里描写百姓因自己的城固若金汤而自夸。
英文原文
Inhabitant - is feminine, the population of Jerusalem being always personified as a woman, the daughter of Zion. Omit and. Jerusalem is at once a valley and a rock Jeremiah 17:3. The people are described as priding themselves on the impregnability of their city.
14
Jeremiah 21:14
简体中文
「树林」——这在犹太人心目中唤起一切宏伟庄严之物的意念。
英文原文
The forest - This suggested to the Jew the idea of everything grand and stately.
约雅敬书卷止于 Jeremiah 20 的末节；从 Jeremiah 21:1-14 的首节起，开始了对各类预言（Jeremiah 21-24）的辑录，它们是向在位第九年的西底家所传，故称西底家书卷。这段预言的缘起，是迦勒底大军进逼耶路撒冷时，西底家差遣使者去见耶利米，请他代祷。先知如此清楚地预见了结局，以致无法给王任何指望。他载于书卷的答复分为两部分：第一部分（Jeremiah 20-22），先知回顾王室的行为；第二部分（Jeremiah 23:9-40），回顾祭司和先知的行为；末了以一个异象（Jeremiah 24:1-10）作结，在其中他指明西底家和他百姓的可悲境况。