Jeremiah · Chapter 33

Verse 1. Moreover the word of the Lord] This was in the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah, Jeremiah being still shut up in prison: but he was now in the court of the prison, where the elders and the king’s officers, &c., might consult him with the greater ease; for they continued to inquire, foolishly thinking, that if he would but prophesy good things, that these must come, or that he had sufficient power with God to induce him to alter his mind,—destroy the Chaldeans, and deliver the city.

Verse 1. The word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time — See note on Jeremiah 32:2. Jeremiah being forced out of the temple, God follows him to the prison, and there reveals his mind to him once and again. The wickedness of the Jews in persecuting the prophet could not make God’s promises of no effect respecting mercy to be shown to the people after the captivity; which promises, though made before, are here confirmed a second time.

THE HAPPINESS OF THE RETURNING EXILES, 1-14.

1. While he — Jeremiah. Was yet shut up — Implying the close connexion of this chapter with the preceding.

V. 2. The Lord-The maker thereof, of Jerusalem, or of these promises, his name is Jehovah; he hath a sufficiency in himself to make good his word.

Verse 2. Thus saith the Lord the Maker thereof] hc[ osah, the doer of it. That is, he who is to perform that which he is now about to promise. Thus translated by Dahler.—Voici ce que dit l’Eternel, qui fait ce qu’il a dit.— “Thus saith the Lord, who doth that which he hath said.” The word Jehovah, not Lord, should be used in all such places as this.

Verse 2. Thus saith the Lord, the maker thereof — That is, as many interpreters understand it, of the city of Jerusalem, a figure of that church spoken of before: see Jeremiah 32:36, 44, compared with the 4th, 6th, and 9th verses of this chapter. Blaney, however, renders the clause, Thus saith Jehovah the doer of it, Jehovah the framer of it, who also disposeth it, considering the pronoun it as referring to the thing which God here says he is about to do.

2. Maker… formed… establish — The logical order is preserved, but there is a progress from extent to intensity of meaning. The Lord is his name — This appeal to the import of the name Jehovah suggests the stability of his word and the perpetuity of his covenant. The pronouns in this verse, thereof and it, are used impersonally, and mean that which results from the action of the verbs.

Verse 3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee] To me alone it belongs to reveal what is future; and the stupendous things which are now coming are known only to myself. These idolaters go to their gods to get information relative to the issue of the present commotions; but there is no light in them. Ask thou, O Jeremiah, and I will tell thee the great and mighty things which even thou knowest not.

Verse 3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee — An expression manifesting God’s favour and loving kindness; that he was ready to comply with the first intimations of his servant’s desires. Compare Jeremiah 29:12. God, by thus directing his discourse to Jeremiah, not only signified his kindness toward him, but likewise the affection he still bore to his people, for, whom this prophet so earnestly interceded, and whose welfare he had so much at heart. And show thee great and mighty things — That is, give thee a clear and full prospect of them. Hebrew, twrxbw twldg, great and abstruse, or, hidden things, as some render the words; which thou knowest not — And canst not know without further revelation, meaning, probably, not only what related to the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, but likewise the blessings to be conferred upon them in the times of the Messiah.

Verse 3. Call to me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things. What a gracious promise in the time of war and siege, and impending extremities. God even now would have delivered them, had they turned to him with their whole heart: Jeremiah 36:3. But if the city must fall, the remnant are consoled with the double promise of a return and of glory above conception, all of which proceeds from Christ Jesus, the ever-flourishing branch of David’s house.

3. Mighty things — Literally, things fortified, that is, inaccessible, hard to be found out. Ewald conjectures, that in the original word one letter, nun, (n,) has been changed into another, beth, (b.) If this be true (which is by no means necessary) the reading would be hidden.

Verse 4. Thus saith the Lord] This is a new confirmation of what has already been said, viz., The city shall fall, a number of the inhabitants shall perish, the rest shall be carried into captivity; but the nation shall be preserved, and the people return from their captivity.

Verses 4, 5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the houses of this city — Not excepting those of the kings of Judah, thrown down by the mounts — Namely, by the battering engines placed upon the mounts, which were raised against the walls of the city; and by the sword — By the violence of war. The Hebrew word generally rendered sword may mean any instrument of iron, and particularly such as were used in demolishing any building. It is rendered a mattock by our translators, 2 Chronicles 24:6, and axes, Ezekiel 26:9. They come to fight with the Chaldeans — Most interpreters understand this as spoken of the Jews sallying forth against the Chaldeans, to beat them off from the siege, which they attempted to do in vain, and to their own destruction, only thus filling the houses of Jerusalem with the dead bodies of their men, who died of the wounds received from the Chaldeans in making those sallies. And the verse is thought to come in by way of parenthesis, between the fourth and sixth, to show that at present God would not prosper any efforts that were made for the defence of the city, though he would restore it hereafter to its former splendour.

4. By the mounts, and by the sword — Literally, against, or on account of. The houses had been pulled down to strengthen the walls of the city and repair the breaches. Swords are here mentioned as being the leading, and so the most representative, weapon of offensive warfare.

V. 5. They-The Jews sally out and fight with their enemies, but to no purpose, but to fill their houses with their own dead bodies, whom I will cause in my anger to be slain.

Verses 4, 5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the houses of this city — Not excepting those of the kings of Judah, thrown down by the mounts — Namely, by the battering engines placed upon the mounts, which were raised against the walls of the city; and by the sword — By the violence of war. The Hebrew word generally rendered sword may mean any instrument of iron, and particularly such as were used in demolishing any building. It is rendered a mattock by our translators, 2 Chronicles 24:6, and axes, Ezekiel 26:9. They come to fight with the Chaldeans — Most interpreters understand this as spoken of the Jews sallying forth against the Chaldeans, to beat them off from the siege, which they attempted to do in vain, and to their own destruction, only thus filling the houses of Jerusalem with the dead bodies of their men, who died of the wounds received from the Chaldeans in making those sallies. And the verse is thought to come in by way of parenthesis, between the fourth and sixth, to show that at present God would not prosper any efforts that were made for the defence of the city, though he would restore it hereafter to its former splendour.

5. They come to fight, etc. — This sentence is very enigmatical, and has occasioned many conjectural emendations of the text. But all such violent solutions of difficulties are to be rejected. We may take into thought the possibility of textual change, but have no right to postulate such change. The best explanation these puzzling words admit of is, They (the people) come to fight with the Chaldeans, but (the result is,) to fill the houses with the dead bodies of the slain, etc.

V. 6. I will cure-The miserable disturbed state of a nation being compared to wounds and sickness, the restoring of it to a peaceable prosperous state is fitly called its health and cure. I will bring them again to a quiet and peaceable state in which they shall abide many days.

Verse 6. Behold I will bring it health and cure] hkra aruchah, an extensive plaister; or, as we phrase it, a plaister as large as the sore. I will repair the losses of families by numerous births, and bless the land with fertility.

Verses 6-8. Behold, I will bring it health and cure — The latter part of this verse expounds the former: for, by health and cure, the prophet means peace and truth, or, stability. Blaney renders it, I will make it, namely, the city or state perfectly sound and whole. The disturbed and calamitous state of the nation being compared to wounds and sickness, (see Jeremiah 8:21, 22, and 30:17,) the restoring of it to a peaceful and prosperous state is fitly called its health and cure. And will build them as at the first — When they, by repentance, do their first works, God will, by their restoration, manifest toward them his ancient mercies and loving-kindnesses. He will not only cause their captivity to return, as is expressed, in plain words, in the former clause, but will re-establish them in the possession of their civil and religious privileges, and hereby promote both their virtue and happiness. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity — I will make them pious and holy, as well as virtuous and happy; and I will pardon all their iniquities — Will not impute their past sins any longer to them as I have done, but will remit the further punishments to which for sin they were liable.

6. I will bring it health and cure — Literally, I will apply to it a bandage and healing, that is, a healing bandage. The language following sets forth the idea more fully: I will cure them, and will reveal, etc.

Verse 7. The captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel] This must respect the latter times, for the ten tribes did not return with the Jews at the termination of the seventy years.

Verses 6-8. Behold, I will bring it health and cure — The latter part of this verse expounds the former: for, by health and cure, the prophet means peace and truth, or, stability. Blaney renders it, I will make it, namely, the city or state perfectly sound and whole. The disturbed and calamitous state of the nation being compared to wounds and sickness, (see Jeremiah 8:21, 22, and 30:17,) the restoring of it to a peaceful and prosperous state is fitly called its health and cure. And will build them as at the first — When they, by repentance, do their first works, God will, by their restoration, manifest toward them his ancient mercies and loving-kindnesses. He will not only cause their captivity to return, as is expressed, in plain words, in the former clause, but will re-establish them in the possession of their civil and religious privileges, and hereby promote both their virtue and happiness. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity — I will make them pious and holy, as well as virtuous and happy; and I will pardon all their iniquities — Will not impute their past sins any longer to them as I have done, but will remit the further punishments to which for sin they were liable.

7. Cause… to return — I will reverse it, and restore the old freedom and prosperity.

Verse 8. I will cleanse them] These promises of pardon and holiness must be referred to their state under the Gospel, when they shall have received Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Verses 6-8. Behold, I will bring it health and cure — The latter part of this verse expounds the former: for, by health and cure, the prophet means peace and truth, or, stability. Blaney renders it, I will make it, namely, the city or state perfectly sound and whole. The disturbed and calamitous state of the nation being compared to wounds and sickness, (see Jeremiah 8:21, 22, and 30:17,) the restoring of it to a peaceful and prosperous state is fitly called its health and cure. And will build them as at the first — When they, by repentance, do their first works, God will, by their restoration, manifest toward them his ancient mercies and loving-kindnesses. He will not only cause their captivity to return, as is expressed, in plain words, in the former clause, but will re-establish them in the possession of their civil and religious privileges, and hereby promote both their virtue and happiness. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity — I will make them pious and holy, as well as virtuous and happy; and I will pardon all their iniquities — Will not impute their past sins any longer to them as I have done, but will remit the further punishments to which for sin they were liable.

Ver. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have transgressed against me. Idolatry has been their leading sin; but on their return, no idol should exist in the land. The promise extends also to the times of the new covenant: Jeremiah 33:33.

8. Will cleanse — Transcendent grace! He not only remits the punishment, but removes the sin.

V. 9. They shalt fear-And not only so but shall fear to engage against a nation so beloved and favoured by me.

Verse 9. They shall fear and tremble] The surrounding nations shall be persuaded that it is the hand of the Almighty that has wrought this change in your behalf; and shall fear to molest you, and tremble lest they should incur the displeasure of your God by doing you any kind of evil.

Verse 9. And it shall be to me a praise and an honour — Jerusalem thus rebuilt, and Judah thus re-established, shall be to my glory before all the nations. In other words, it is foretold here that God’s especial providence over the Jews, in restoring their city and temple, and re-establishing them in their own land, should be taken notice of by the heathen world, and should cause them to give glory to that God whom the Jews worshipped: see Ezra 1:2, and 6:12. Or, as the words may imply, This renewed nation shall be as much a reputation to religion as formerly they were a reproach to it. This promise, however, has been much more signally fulfilled in the Christian Church, to which the heathen resorted, as to the seat and temple of truth, than it has yet been in the Jewish. And they shall fear and tremble for the goodness that I do unto it — These surprising effects of my goodness shall produce an astonishment like that which arises from fear. Or, the meaning is, They shall fear to engage against a nation so beloved and favoured by me, Exodus 15:14-16.

9. It — The city. Shall fear and tremble — Because of the overwhelming revelation of that God “who doeth his pleasure in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.”

Verses 10, 11. Again there shall be heard in this place which ye say shall be desolate — See note on Jeremiah 32:43; the voice of joy and the voice of gladness — The contrary to what takes place in the times of captivity and desolation. The voice of them that shall say, Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good, &c. — We read, (Ezra 3:11,) that those who returned from captivity used this very hymn. And of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord — Such as was wont to be offered upon any great deliverance. See Leviticus 7:12; Psalm 107:22, and 116:17. The Hebrew, hdwt µyabm, is literally, of them that bring praise, or, thanksgiving, there being nothing for the word sacrifice. This, however, is called by St. Paul, the sacrifice of praise, even the fruit of our lips, (Hebrews 13:15,) to distinguish it from the oblations commanded by the law, which consisted of the fruits of the ground, or of the flock and herd. The sum of this verse is, that those who were carried into captivity should return, and, upon their return, should be in their former state as to civil transactions, marrying and giving in marriage; and, as to religion, should publicly praise the Lord with holy and spiritual joy, as they had been wont to do in the best and most prosperous times of their commonwealth, which was fulfilled, as we see, Nehemiah 12:27-40.

10. In this place — In this land — Judea. Which ye say shall be desolate — Rather, of which ye say it is desolate.

Verse 11. The voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts] That is, the voice of the Levites in the sacred service: intimating that the temple should be rebuilt, and the public service restored.

Verses 10, 11. Again there shall be heard in this place which ye say shall be desolate — See note on Jeremiah 32:43; the voice of joy and the voice of gladness — The contrary to what takes place in the times of captivity and desolation. The voice of them that shall say, Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good, &c. — We read, (Ezra 3:11,) that those who returned from captivity used this very hymn. And of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord — Such as was wont to be offered upon any great deliverance. See Leviticus 7:12; Psalm 107:22, and 116:17. The Hebrew, hdwt µyabm, is literally, of them that bring praise, or, thanksgiving, there being nothing for the word sacrifice. This, however, is called by St. Paul, the sacrifice of praise, even the fruit of our lips, (Hebrews 13:15,) to distinguish it from the oblations commanded by the law, which consisted of the fruits of the ground, or of the flock and herd. The sum of this verse is, that those who were carried into captivity should return, and, upon their return, should be in their former state as to civil transactions, marrying and giving in marriage; and, as to religion, should publicly praise the Lord with holy and spiritual joy, as they had been wont to do in the best and most prosperous times of their commonwealth, which was fulfilled, as we see, Nehemiah 12:27-40.

11. The voice of joy, etc. — The fulness and emphasis of this promise is indicated by the wave after wave of parallelism which flows in upon us. Praise the Lord, etc. — This phraseology seems to be quoted here as liturgical; the regular and universal formula of praise and thanksgiving. As at the first — I will restore the land to the condition it had before the captivity.

V. 12. Is desolate-That is, a great part of which is, and the other part shall soon be desolate.

Verse 12. A habitation of shepherds] See on Jeremiah 31:12.

Verses 12, 13. Again in this place shall be a habitation for shepherds, &c. — See Jeremiah 50:19; Isaiah 65:10. In those places which were desolate, without man and beast, there should be flocks and herds of sheep and goats, which the shepherds should take care of as in former times. And in the cities of Judah shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them — Namely, so as to keep account of them, as they were wont to do, both morning and evening in those countries. Virgil alludes to the same custom, when he says, Ecl. 3., Bisque die numerant ambo pecus, alter et hædos; Twice each day they count my goats and sheep. See Leviticus 27:32, where cbvj tjt, passing under the rod, means their being numbered, the shepherds striking every sheep with his rod, or crook, as it passed out of the fold, and so counting them; and the expression here made use of, hnwm ydy l[, under the hand of him that numbers them, seems to signify the same thing.

12. Causing their flocks to lie down — A graphic feature of pastoral life, suggesting peace and tranquillity.

V. 13. Shall pass-So as to keep tally of them, as they were wont to do both morning and evening in those countries.

Verses 12, 13. Again in this place shall be a habitation for shepherds, &c. — See Jeremiah 50:19; Isaiah 65:10. In those places which were desolate, without man and beast, there should be flocks and herds of sheep and goats, which the shepherds should take care of as in former times. And in the cities of Judah shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them — Namely, so as to keep account of them, as they were wont to do, both morning and evening in those countries. Virgil alludes to the same custom, when he says, Ecl. 3., Bisque die numerant ambo pecus, alter et hædos; Twice each day they count my goats and sheep. See Leviticus 27:32, where cbvj tjt, passing under the rod, means their being numbered, the shepherds striking every sheep with his rod, or crook, as it passed out of the fold, and so counting them; and the expression here made use of, hnwm ydy l[, under the hand of him that numbers them, seems to signify the same thing.

13. Under the hands of him that telleth them — That is, who counts the sheep as they are put out to pasture, and again as they are brought back to the fold.

CHRIST THE BRANCH — THE FULFILMENT OF BOTH THE KINGLY AND THE

Verse 14. Behold the days come] See Jeremiah 52:5; 31:31. That good thing which I have promised] By my prophets: for those who have predicted the captivity have also foretold its conclusion, though not in such express terms as Jeremiah did. See Hosea 1:10, &c.; Hosea 2:15, &c.; Hosea 6:11, &c.; Amos 9:14, &c., and Jeremiah 3:12, &c. The end of the captivity has been foretold by Micah, Micah 7:9, &c.; Zephaniah, Zephaniah 3:10, &c.; and by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 16:15; 23:3; 29:10; 32:37. The Targum explains verses 14, 15, and 16 of the Messiah.

Verses 14-16. Behold, the days come that I will perform that good thing, &c. — The Lord’s word is not yea and nay: he cannot lie, or repent. There shall come a time when he will verify every good word which he hath spoken to, or concerning, his people. In those days will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David — The kings they had hitherto had of the line of David were most of them unrighteous men; but God here promises that after the captivity they should have a branch of David that would execute judgment and righteousness in the land, for the protection and government of those that feared him. If this passage point at all to Zerubbabel, who was a good man, a descendant of David, and, though not a king, a ruler of the Jews, after their return from Babylon, and who governed with equity and not as Jehoiakim had done; yet it can only refer to him as a type of the Messiah, the branch out of the stem of Jesse, Isaiah 11:1; the branch of the Lord that was to be beautiful and glorious, Isaiah 4:2; and the righteous branch that was to be raised up unto David, as he is described Jeremiah 23:5, a passage exactly similar to this, and undoubtedly meant of the same person. See the notes on these passages. In those days shall Judah be saved, &c. — If, a temporal salvation be here at all intended, it must be, not that which the Jews enjoyed for a short season under the government of Zerubbabel, a deliverance and protection from, or security against their enemies, which was very imperfect, and frequently interrupted; but that more perfect salvation, peace, and prosperity, which they shall enjoy in the latter days, after their conversion to Christianity, and restoration to their own land, according to the predictions contained in this and the three preceding chapters. But a spiritual and eternal salvation undoubtedly is chiefly intended here, as well as in the parallel passage, Jeremiah 23:6. And this is the name wherewith ye shall be called, The Lord our righteousness — According to this reading it is here foretold, that the name which properly belongs to the Messiah shall be given to Jerusalem, that is, to the church; “to signify,” says Lowth, “that it is in a peculiar manner dedicated to him, he having chosen it for the place of his residence, (see Ezekiel 48:35,) and that all the righteousness of the faithful, both their justification and sanctification, is derived from him. this seems,” adds he, “to be the genuine sense of the words, as may appear to any that will compare the original phrase here, hl arqy, with Isaiah 62:4, 12, where it is said of Zion, Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, or, my delight is in her, and sought out, a city not forsaken. Nor is there any greater impropriety in giving the name Jehovah to a city, than in calling an altar Jehovah-nissi, that is, Jehovah my banner, (Exodus 17:15,) and Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah peace, (Judges 6:24,) in token that the Lord was the author of those mercies of which the said altars were designed to be monuments. So the servants of God are described as having his name written upon their foreheads, Revelation 3:12; 14:1; but several interpreters, particularly Huetius, and our learned Bishop Pearson, (in his Exposition of the Creed, p. 165,) render the words thus: He that shall call her [to be his peculiar people] is the Lord our righteousness.” Thus also Dr. Waterland and others. But Blaney, who renders the last clause of Jeremiah 23:6, This is the name by which Jehovah shall call him, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, translates this, And this is he whom Jehovah shall call OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, judging that the h in hl, rendered her, is not the feminine pronoun affix, but the masculine, after the Chaldee form.

Ver. 14. Behold the days come—that I will perform that good thing which I have promised, in all the succession of promises concerning the Saviour. Isaiah 9:6. Haggai 2:5.

THE HAPPINESS OF THE RETURNING EXILES, 1-14.

1. While he — Jeremiah. Was yet shut up — Implying the close connexion of this chapter with the preceding.

V. 15. The branch-The kings they had hitherto had of the line of David, were most of them unrighteous men, but God promises that after the captivity, they should have a branch of David who would execute judgment and righteousness in the land, for the protection and government of those that feared him.

Verses 14-16. Behold, the days come that I will perform that good thing, &c. — The Lord’s word is not yea and nay: he cannot lie, or repent. There shall come a time when he will verify every good word which he hath spoken to, or concerning, his people. In those days will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David — The kings they had hitherto had of the line of David were most of them unrighteous men; but God here promises that after the captivity they should have a branch of David that would execute judgment and righteousness in the land, for the protection and government of those that feared him. If this passage point at all to Zerubbabel, who was a good man, a descendant of David, and, though not a king, a ruler of the Jews, after their return from Babylon, and who governed with equity and not as Jehoiakim had done; yet it can only refer to him as a type of the Messiah, the branch out of the stem of Jesse, Isaiah 11:1; the branch of the Lord that was to be beautiful and glorious, Isaiah 4:2; and the righteous branch that was to be raised up unto David, as he is described Jeremiah 23:5, a passage exactly similar to this, and undoubtedly meant of the same person. See the notes on these passages. In those days shall Judah be saved, &c. — If, a temporal salvation be here at all intended, it must be, not that which the Jews enjoyed for a short season under the government of Zerubbabel, a deliverance and protection from, or security against their enemies, which was very imperfect, and frequently interrupted; but that more perfect salvation, peace, and prosperity, which they shall enjoy in the latter days, after their conversion to Christianity, and restoration to their own land, according to the predictions contained in this and the three preceding chapters. But a spiritual and eternal salvation undoubtedly is chiefly intended here, as well as in the parallel passage, Jeremiah 23:6. And this is the name wherewith ye shall be called, The Lord our righteousness — According to this reading it is here foretold, that the name which properly belongs to the Messiah shall be given to Jerusalem, that is, to the church; “to signify,” says Lowth, “that it is in a peculiar manner dedicated to him, he having chosen it for the place of his residence, (see Ezekiel 48:35,) and that all the righteousness of the faithful, both their justification and sanctification, is derived from him. this seems,” adds he, “to be the genuine sense of the words, as may appear to any that will compare the original phrase here, hl arqy, with Isaiah 62:4, 12, where it is said of Zion, Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, or, my delight is in her, and sought out, a city not forsaken. Nor is there any greater impropriety in giving the name Jehovah to a city, than in calling an altar Jehovah-nissi, that is, Jehovah my banner, (Exodus 17:15,) and Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah peace, (Judges 6:24,) in token that the Lord was the author of those mercies of which the said altars were designed to be monuments. So the servants of God are described as having his name written upon their foreheads, Revelation 3:12; 14:1; but several interpreters, particularly Huetius, and our learned Bishop Pearson, (in his Exposition of the Creed, p. 165,) render the words thus: He that shall call her [to be his peculiar people] is the Lord our righteousness.” Thus also Dr. Waterland and others. But Blaney, who renders the last clause of Jeremiah 23:6, This is the name by which Jehovah shall call him, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, translates this, And this is he whom Jehovah shall call OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, judging that the h in hl, rendered her, is not the feminine pronoun affix, but the masculine, after the Chaldee form.

Ver. 15. At that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David. The Chaldaic reads, the Messiah, whom the prophet had seen promised under the figure of a branch ever-flourishing with beauty in the church. Isaiah 4:2. 11:1.

PRIESTLY IDEAS, 15-18.

15, 16. These verses are substantially a repetition of Jeremiah 23:5, 6, with several changes, most of which, however, are of no real significance. But in one important feature this passage is different. It is here stated that the city shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. This suggests the real oneness between the personal life-source, the Messiah, and the channel through which this life flows forth to the nations.

V. 16. Saved-It is the opinion of some that a spiritual salvation and security is promised under these expressions, but by the most and best interpreters, a temporal salvation. This was typical of that spiritual and eternal salvation which is promised to the true Israel of God; as their rest in Canaan typified that rest which remaineth for the people of God. The Lord our righteousness-There is no such name any where given, either to the Jewish or Christian church, as the Lord our righteousness, but the full import of that name is spoken of Christ, Isaiah 45:23, which text is applied to Christ, Romans 14:11 Philippians 2:10.

Verse 16. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.] See what has been said on Jeremiah 23:6, (see Clarke “Jeremiah 23:6”,) which is generally supposed to be a strictly parallel passage: but they are very different, and I doubt whether they mean exactly the same thing. As to our translation here, it is ignorant, and almost impious; it says that Jerusalem, for that is the antecedent, shall be called The Lord our Righteousness. The pronoun hl lah, which is translated her, is the masculine affix, in the Chaldaic form, which frequently occurs; and Dr. Blayney translates, “And this is He whom Jehovah shall call our righteousness,” or Justification. Perhaps there is a sense which these words will bear far more congenial to the scope of the place. I will give the original, as before: wnqdx hwhy hl arqy rva hzw vezeh asher yikra lah, Yehovah tsidkenu, “And this one who shall call to her is the Lord our Justification;” that is, the salvation of the Jews shall take place when Jesus Christ is proclaimed to them as their Justifier, and they receive him as such. Instead of hl lah, her or him, Chaldaice, the Vulgate, Chaldee, and Syriac have read wl lo, him, less ambiguously; and this reading is supported by one or two MSS. This emendation renders the passage here more conformable to that in Jeremiah 23:6; but if the translation above be admitted, all embarrassment is gone.

One of my own MSS. has hl loh, with the masculine points, and no mappik on the h he; and for tsidkenu has wnyqdx tsidkeynu, the contracted plural form, our righteousness: but this may be a mistake. The passages in this and the twenty-third chapter were not, I am satisfied, intended to express the same thing. I suppose that above refers to the preaching or proclaiming Christ crucified to the Jews, when the time shall arrive in which they shall be incorporated with the Gentile Church. Dahler translates this as he did that in Jeremiah 23:6, which is a perfect oversight: but paraphrastic renderings are too often introduced by this learned foreigner.

Verses 14-16. Behold, the days come that I will perform that good thing, &c. — The Lord’s word is not yea and nay: he cannot lie, or repent. There shall come a time when he will verify every good word which he hath spoken to, or concerning, his people. In those days will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David — The kings they had hitherto had of the line of David were most of them unrighteous men; but God here promises that after the captivity they should have a branch of David that would execute judgment and righteousness in the land, for the protection and government of those that feared him. If this passage point at all to Zerubbabel, who was a good man, a descendant of David, and, though not a king, a ruler of the Jews, after their return from Babylon, and who governed with equity and not as Jehoiakim had done; yet it can only refer to him as a type of the Messiah, the branch out of the stem of Jesse, Isaiah 11:1; the branch of the Lord that was to be beautiful and glorious, Isaiah 4:2; and the righteous branch that was to be raised up unto David, as he is described Jeremiah 23:5, a passage exactly similar to this, and undoubtedly meant of the same person. See the notes on these passages. In those days shall Judah be saved, &c. — If, a temporal salvation be here at all intended, it must be, not that which the Jews enjoyed for a short season under the government of Zerubbabel, a deliverance and protection from, or security against their enemies, which was very imperfect, and frequently interrupted; but that more perfect salvation, peace, and prosperity, which they shall enjoy in the latter days, after their conversion to Christianity, and restoration to their own land, according to the predictions contained in this and the three preceding chapters. But a spiritual and eternal salvation undoubtedly is chiefly intended here, as well as in the parallel passage, Jeremiah 23:6. And this is the name wherewith ye shall be called, The Lord our righteousness — According to this reading it is here foretold, that the name which properly belongs to the Messiah shall be given to Jerusalem, that is, to the church; “to signify,” says Lowth, “that it is in a peculiar manner dedicated to him, he having chosen it for the place of his residence, (see Ezekiel 48:35,) and that all the righteousness of the faithful, both their justification and sanctification, is derived from him. this seems,” adds he, “to be the genuine sense of the words, as may appear to any that will compare the original phrase here, hl arqy, with Isaiah 62:4, 12, where it is said of Zion, Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, or, my delight is in her, and sought out, a city not forsaken. Nor is there any greater impropriety in giving the name Jehovah to a city, than in calling an altar Jehovah-nissi, that is, Jehovah my banner, (Exodus 17:15,) and Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah peace, (Judges 6:24,) in token that the Lord was the author of those mercies of which the said altars were designed to be monuments. So the servants of God are described as having his name written upon their foreheads, Revelation 3:12; 14:1; but several interpreters, particularly Huetius, and our learned Bishop Pearson, (in his Exposition of the Creed, p. 165,) render the words thus: He that shall call her [to be his peculiar people] is the Lord our righteousness.” Thus also Dr. Waterland and others. But Blaney, who renders the last clause of Jeremiah 23:6, This is the name by which Jehovah shall call him, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, translates this, And this is he whom Jehovah shall call OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, judging that the h in hl, rendered her, is not the feminine pronoun affix, but the masculine, after the Chaldee form.

Ver. 16. This is the name wherewith he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. The prophets mostly used a sacred brevity when speaking of the Messiah; and their brevity is not obscurity but reverence. The subject, in regard of the branch, the person, and David, is the same as in Jeremiah 23:6: he is the Saviour of Judah. Dahler reads as in chap. 23.; and he understands the sense to be the same. Cocceius reads, et hic, qui vocabit illam, Jehovah justitia nostra; or et hoc, quod vocabitur, &c., which is equivalent to, Zion or Jerusalem shall call him, or this which is called, the Lord our righteousness. The ancient Versions, like Dahler, repeat the reading of Jeremiah 23:6.

Our Arians are here again hard at work. “One is satisfied that the text in Jeremiah 23:6, and here, were not intended to express the same thing!” As to the quibble about the affix, whether hah her, or lo him, since the Chaldaic understands the text of Christ, it ought not to disturb the sense of the ancients. All must admit that the gender in Hebrew is frequently changed; and by consequence, that the old Versions give us the true sense, and to the utter confusion of Blaney who will read, Jehovah shall call him our righteousness.

PRIESTLY IDEAS, 15-18.

15, 16. These verses are substantially a repetition of Jeremiah 23:5, 6, with several changes, most of which, however, are of no real significance. But in one important feature this passage is different. It is here stated that the city shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. This suggests the real oneness between the personal life-source, the Messiah, and the channel through which this life flows forth to the nations.

V. 17. David-That is, apparently a promise relating to Christ, for David’s line had failed long since, had it not been continued in Christ, whose kingdom is and shall be an everlasting kingdom.

Verses 17, 18. For thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man, &c. — It is very evident that the prophecies in these verses were not fulfilled in the Jews after the Babylonish captivity; for, from that time to the coming of Christ, David was without a successor of his family sitting upon the throne of Judah or Israel. Nor have they been fulfilled in them since, for, from the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans to the present time, they have neither had a king nor a regular priesthood belonging to their nation. There can therefore be no doubt that Jeremiah here foretels the kingdom of the Messiah, and the priesthood, or ministry rather, to be established by him, by which a pure and spiritual oblation should be offered in every place where a church should be formed for him, (see Malachi 1:11,) and not at Jerusalem and in Judea only. “As the Jewish priesthood, in the family of Aaron, is extinct, and hath been exercised neither in Jerusalem nor in any other place for seventeen centuries, it follows,” says Calmet, “that these promises can respect only the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ, exercised by himself, and by his ministers, in the Christian Church from the beginning, and which shall continue to the end of time.” Nor is it unusual for God in the Old Testament to express promises relating to, and to be fulfilled under, the gospel, by terms proper to the Old Testament. See Isaiah 19:19; 56:7; 66:23. And as the prophets often describe the Christian worship by representations taken from the temple service, so the apostles prove the rights and privileges belonging to the ministers of the gospel from the prerogatives given to the Jewish priesthood. See Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 9:13, 14.

Ver. 17. David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. Christ is here understood, who reigns as king and priest for ever in the church. So Zacharias understood these texts. Luke 1:68.

17, 18. David shall never want a man — And yet in such passages as Jeremiah 22:30, and 30:21, the failure of the Davidic kingdom seems to be definitely predicted; and this prediction, as a matter of fact, was exactly fulfilled. No king, after Zedekiah, of the Davidic line ever sat upon the throne. The explanation of this apparent incongruity is this: the real reign of David was perpetuated in Christ. His kingdom was a permanent reality. The stream of its life might, for a time, disappear beneath the surface; yet in Christ it would break forth in exhaustless fulness. So, also, of the Levitical priesthood. Its offerings might be interrupted, but these types would be fulfilled in the permanent priesthood of Jesus Christ. GOD’S PERPETUAL COVENANT, 19-26.

V. 18. A man-That is, a ministry to abide in the church to the end of the world, nor is it unusual for God in the Old Testament to express promises to be fulfilled under the gospel by expressions proper to the Old Testament.

Verse 18. Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man] This is a repetition of the promise made to Phinehas, Numbers 25:13.

Verses 17, 18. For thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man, &c. — It is very evident that the prophecies in these verses were not fulfilled in the Jews after the Babylonish captivity; for, from that time to the coming of Christ, David was without a successor of his family sitting upon the throne of Judah or Israel. Nor have they been fulfilled in them since, for, from the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans to the present time, they have neither had a king nor a regular priesthood belonging to their nation. There can therefore be no doubt that Jeremiah here foretels the kingdom of the Messiah, and the priesthood, or ministry rather, to be established by him, by which a pure and spiritual oblation should be offered in every place where a church should be formed for him, (see Malachi 1:11,) and not at Jerusalem and in Judea only. “As the Jewish priesthood, in the family of Aaron, is extinct, and hath been exercised neither in Jerusalem nor in any other place for seventeen centuries, it follows,” says Calmet, “that these promises can respect only the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ, exercised by himself, and by his ministers, in the Christian Church from the beginning, and which shall continue to the end of time.” Nor is it unusual for God in the Old Testament to express promises relating to, and to be fulfilled under, the gospel, by terms proper to the Old Testament. See Isaiah 19:19; 56:7; 66:23. And as the prophets often describe the Christian worship by representations taken from the temple service, so the apostles prove the rights and privileges belonging to the ministers of the gospel from the prerogatives given to the Jewish priesthood. See Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 9:13, 14.

17, 18. David shall never want a man — And yet in such passages as Jeremiah 22:30, and 30:21, the failure of the Davidic kingdom seems to be definitely predicted; and this prediction, as a matter of fact, was exactly fulfilled. No king, after Zedekiah, of the Davidic line ever sat upon the throne. The explanation of this apparent incongruity is this: the real reign of David was perpetuated in Christ. His kingdom was a permanent reality. The stream of its life might, for a time, disappear beneath the surface; yet in Christ it would break forth in exhaustless fulness. So, also, of the Levitical priesthood. Its offerings might be interrupted, but these types would be fulfilled in the permanent priesthood of Jesus Christ. GOD’S PERPETUAL COVENANT, 19-26.

V. 20. My covenant-The same with the ordinances mentioned, Jeremiah 31:35. God’s law established in the course of natural causes, by virtue of which the day and night, orderly succeed one another. The succession of the gospel ministry in the church of God to abide for ever, shall be as certain as the succession of darkness and light.

Verse 20. If ye can break my covenant of the day] See Clarke’s note on “Jeremiah 31:36”.

Verses 20, 21. If you can break my covenant of the day and of the night — Called the ordinances of the day and night, Jeremiah 31:35, 36. Then may also my covenant be broken with David and with the Levites — A promise this, that the kingdom of Christ and a Christian ministry shall continue in the church to the end of time. And as his kingdom shall have no end, (Luke 1:32, 33,) the words may also be construed as extending to the eternal state, in which, as Christ shall reign in glory for ever, so his saints shall be priests unto God, and reign for ever with him.

20. My covenant of the day, etc. — An appeal to the changeless and irresistible ongoing of nature, the innumerable host of stars, and the immeasurable quantity of the sand, as symbols of the stability and exhaustlessness of the divine resources. The stability of the physical universe leads to the stability of God’s higher kingdom; and its wonderful extent and variety suggest the infinite and all-comprehending character of the divine plans.

Verses 20, 21. If you can break my covenant of the day and of the night — Called the ordinances of the day and night, Jeremiah 31:35, 36. Then may also my covenant be broken with David and with the Levites — A promise this, that the kingdom of Christ and a Christian ministry shall continue in the church to the end of time. And as his kingdom shall have no end, (Luke 1:32, 33,) the words may also be construed as extending to the eternal state, in which, as Christ shall reign in glory for ever, so his saints shall be priests unto God, and reign for ever with him.

V. 22. Of David-Christ is himself called David, whose seed and whose Levites are multiplied in the multiplying of Christians and of faithful ministers under the gospel, which are the things here promised.

Verse 22. So will I multiply the seed of David] This must be understood of the spiritual David, Jesus Christ, and his progeny, genuine Christians. The two families which God chose for the priesthood, that of Aaron and Phinehas, or, on its being taken away from him, that of Ithamar, 1 Samuel 2:35, are both extinct. Nor has the office of high priest, or priest of any kind offering sacrifice, been exercised among the Jews for nearly eighteen hundred years; therefore what is said here of the priesthood must refer to the spiritual priesthood, at the head of which is Jesus Christ.

Verse 22. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, &c. — The former promise respected the stability, this the enlargement of the church, the members of which are here termed the seed of David, as they are elsewhere often called the seed of Abraham, being the imitators of the faith of Abraham and David. Or they may be termed the seed of David, because they are the seed of Christ, who is sometimes called David in the writings of the prophets, (see Jeremiah 30:9,) and whose seed and whose Levites are multiplied in the multiplying of Christians and of faithful ministers under the gospel, which are the blessings here promised.

V. 24. The two families-The families of David and Aaron. Despised-Spoken scornfully of my people, as if they should never be a nation more, having rulers of themselves, and a ministry.

Verse 24. The two families which the Lord hath chosen] Some think these refer to the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah; but they never can be considered as two distinct families, being of one and the same race. Others think that the families of Jacob and David are intended; but neither were these distinct. If the two families which had the priesthood be not meant, then the regal family of David, and the sacerdotal family of Jacob through Levi, may be designed. See Jeremiah 33:26. Following the spiritual interpretation, neither the regal nor sacerdotal family has failed; for Jesus is a King and a Priest, and all true believers in him are kings and priests unto God and the Lamb. And the highest King that ever reigned is He who is the seed of David, King of kings and Lord of lords, who has all power in heaven and in earth.

JEREMIAH

Verses 24-26. The two families which the Lord hath chosen — “It is plain from verse 26,” says Blaney,” that the two families here meant are those of Jacob and David, though some have supposed the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, others the royal and sacerdotal families of David and Levi, to be intended.” He hath even cast them off — The words are spoken by those unbelieving Jews who thought God would never restore them to their former condition, nor give them again a king of the seed of David, thus indirectly accusing him of a breach of promise. Thus they have despised my people, &c. — Thus, saith God, they have spoken in a reproachful and degrading manner of my people, as if they should never be a nation again, having rulers of themselves and a ministry. If my covenant be not with day and night, &c. — If I have not appointed the vicissitudes of day and night, and of summer and winter, upon which the seasons of the year and the fruitfulness of the earth depend; then will I cast away the seed of Jacob — Then will I finally, and for ever, abandon the body of the Jews and Israelites; and David my servant — Namely, the seed of David, all persons lineally descended from him, so that none of them shall ever hereafter reign over Israel and Judah. The sum of these verses is plainly this, that a restoration of them to their own land should as certainly succeed their captivity as the day succeeds the night, or summer follows winter. God had as certainly ordained the one as the other, and, would as certainly have mercy on his people as he would certainly continue the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. And in showing this mercy he would take care that one of the seed of David should be their ruler: which has been, and still more fully shall be, fulfilled in the Messiah, who shall always as certainly govern his church, whether consisting of converted Jews or Gentiles, as there will always be a church on earth to be governed.

Ver. 24. The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off. twjpvmh hammishepachoth, which cannot denote less than kingdoms; by consequence the kingdom of Judah, and the kingdom of Israel are here understood. To guess at families does but embarrass criticism.

24. What this people — The Jews. Two families — Israel and Judah. Have despised my people — In that they have denied them their true and proper character as the covenant people of God.

Verses 24-26. The two families which the Lord hath chosen — “It is plain from verse 26,” says Blaney,” that the two families here meant are those of Jacob and David, though some have supposed the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, others the royal and sacerdotal families of David and Levi, to be intended.” He hath even cast them off — The words are spoken by those unbelieving Jews who thought God would never restore them to their former condition, nor give them again a king of the seed of David, thus indirectly accusing him of a breach of promise. Thus they have despised my people, &c. — Thus, saith God, they have spoken in a reproachful and degrading manner of my people, as if they should never be a nation again, having rulers of themselves and a ministry. If my covenant be not with day and night, &c. — If I have not appointed the vicissitudes of day and night, and of summer and winter, upon which the seasons of the year and the fruitfulness of the earth depend; then will I cast away the seed of Jacob — Then will I finally, and for ever, abandon the body of the Jews and Israelites; and David my servant — Namely, the seed of David, all persons lineally descended from him, so that none of them shall ever hereafter reign over Israel and Judah. The sum of these verses is plainly this, that a restoration of them to their own land should as certainly succeed their captivity as the day succeeds the night, or summer follows winter. God had as certainly ordained the one as the other, and, would as certainly have mercy on his people as he would certainly continue the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. And in showing this mercy he would take care that one of the seed of David should be their ruler: which has been, and still more fully shall be, fulfilled in the Messiah, who shall always as certainly govern his church, whether consisting of converted Jews or Gentiles, as there will always be a church on earth to be governed.

25. If my covenant be not with day and night — The repetition ofthis appeal to the established laws of nature shows the warmth and emphasis of the passage.

Verses 24-26. The two families which the Lord hath chosen — “It is plain from verse 26,” says Blaney,” that the two families here meant are those of Jacob and David, though some have supposed the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, others the royal and sacerdotal families of David and Levi, to be intended.” He hath even cast them off — The words are spoken by those unbelieving Jews who thought God would never restore them to their former condition, nor give them again a king of the seed of David, thus indirectly accusing him of a breach of promise. Thus they have despised my people, &c. — Thus, saith God, they have spoken in a reproachful and degrading manner of my people, as if they should never be a nation again, having rulers of themselves and a ministry. If my covenant be not with day and night, &c. — If I have not appointed the vicissitudes of day and night, and of summer and winter, upon which the seasons of the year and the fruitfulness of the earth depend; then will I cast away the seed of Jacob — Then will I finally, and for ever, abandon the body of the Jews and Israelites; and David my servant — Namely, the seed of David, all persons lineally descended from him, so that none of them shall ever hereafter reign over Israel and Judah. The sum of these verses is plainly this, that a restoration of them to their own land should as certainly succeed their captivity as the day succeeds the night, or summer follows winter. God had as certainly ordained the one as the other, and, would as certainly have mercy on his people as he would certainly continue the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. And in showing this mercy he would take care that one of the seed of David should be their ruler: which has been, and still more fully shall be, fulfilled in the Messiah, who shall always as certainly govern his church, whether consisting of converted Jews or Gentiles, as there will always be a church on earth to be governed.