Expositor's Bible: The Book of Jeremiah, Chapters XXI.-LII.

by W. H. Bennett

[CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE]

In the present stage of investigation of Old Testament Chronology, absolute accuracy cannot be claimed for such a table as the following. Hardly any, if any, of these dates are supported by a general consensus of opinion. On the other hand, the range of variation is, for the most part, not more than three or four years, and the table will furnish an approximately accurate idea of sequences and synchronisms. In other respects also the data admit of alternative interpretations, and the course of events is partly a matter of theory—hence the occasional insertion of (?).

CLASSICAL SYNCHRONISMS	JUDAH AND JEREMIAH	ASSYRIA	EGYPT
Traditional date of the foundation of Rome, 753	MANASSEH (?)
		Esarhaddon, 681 Assurbanipal, 668
			XXVIth Dynasty Psammetichus I., 666
	Jeremiah born, probably between 655 and 645 AMON, 640 JOSIAH, 638
	Jeremiah's call in the 13th year of Josiah, 626 Scythian inroad into Western Asia	Last kings of Assyria, number and names uncertain, 626-607-6	Psammetichus besieges Ashdod for twenty-nine years
	Habakkuk Zephaniah Publication of Deuteronomy, 621	BABYLON. Nabopolassar, 626
	Josiah slain at Megiddo, 608 JEHOAHAZ, 608 (xxii. 10-12, Ch. I.) Deposed by Necho, who appoints JEHOIAKIM, 608 (xxii. 13-19, xxxvi. 30, 31, VI.) Jeremiah predicts ruin of Judah and is tried for blasphemy (xxvi., II.)	FALL OF NINEVEH, 607-6	Necho, 612
	FOURTH YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM, 605-4	BATTLE OF CARCHEMISH (xlvi., XVII.)
	Nebuchadnezzar[1] advances into Syria, is suddenly recalled to Babylon—before subduing Judah (?)	Nebuchadnezzar, 604
	Baruch writes Jeremiah's prophecies in a roll, which is read successively to the people, the nobles, and Jehoiakim, and destroyed by the king (xxxvi., III.; xlv., V.)
	Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah (?), the Rechabites take refuge in Jerusalem (?), the Jews rebuked by their example (xxxv., IV.)
	Jehoiakim submits to Nebuchadnezzar, revolts after three years, is attacked by various "bands," but dies before Nebuchadnezzar arrives
	JEHOIACHIN, 597 (xxii. 20-30, VII.) Continues revolt, but surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar on hisarrival; is deposed and carried to Babylon with many of his subjects. Nebuchadnezzar appoints
	ZEDEKIAH, 596		Psammetichus II., 596
	Jeremiah attempts to keep Zedekiah loyal to Nebuchadnezzar, and contends with priests and prophets who support Egyptian party (xxiii., xxiv., VIII.)	Ezekial
Solon's legislation, 594	Proposed confederation against Nebuchadnezzar denounced by Jeremiah, but supported by Hananiah; proposal abandoned; Hananiah dies (xxvii., xxviii., IX.), 593-2
	Controversy by letter with hostile prophets at Babylon (xxix., X.)
	Judah revolts, encouraged by Hophra. Jerusalem is beseiged by Chaldeans. There bing no prospect of relief by Egypt, Jeremiah regains his influence and pledges the people by covenant to release their slaves.
	On the news of Hophra's advance, the Chaldeans raise the siege; the Egyptian party again become supreme and annul the covenant (xxi. 1-10, xxxiv., xxxvii. 1-10, XI.)
	Jeremiah attempts to leave the city, is arrested and imprisoned
	Hophra retreats into Egypt and the Chaldeans renew the siege (xxxvii. 11-21, xxxviii., xxxix. 15-18, XII.)
	While imprisoned Jeremiah buys his kinsman's inheritance (xxxii., XXX.)
	DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, 586	Siege of Tyre
	Jeremiah remains for a month a prisoner amongst the other captives. Nebuzaradan arrives; arranges for deportation of bulk of population; appoints Gedaliah governor of residue; releases Jeremiah, who elects to join Gedaliah at Mizpah. Gedaliah murdered. Jeremioah carried off, but rescued by Johanan (xxxix.-xli., lii., XIII.)
	Johanan, in spite of Jeremiah's protest, goes down to Egypt and takes Jeremiah with him (xlii., xliii., XIV.)
	Jews in Egypt hold festival in honour of Queen of Heaven. Ineffectual protest of Jeremiah (xliv., XV.)		Amasis, 570
		Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt, (?) 568
		Evil-Merodach, 561
Pistratus, 560-527	Release of Jehoiachin
	CYRUS CONQUERS BABYLON AND GIVES THE JEWS PERMISSION TO RETURN, 538

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[CONTENTS]

	page
PREFACE	[v]
INDEX OF CHAPTERS	[vii]
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE	[ix]
BOOK I
PERSONAL UTTERANCES AND NARRATIVES
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY: JEHOAHAZ. xxii. 10-12	[3]
"Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: butweep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return nomore."—xxii, 10
CHAPTER II
A TRIAL FOR HERESY. xxvi.: cf. vii.-x.	[10]
"When Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all thatJehovah had commanded him to speak unto all the people,the priests and the prophets and all the people laid holdon him, saying, Thou shalt surely die."—xxvi. 8
CHAPTER III
THE ROLL. xxxvi.	[28]
"Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee."—xxxvi. 2
CHAPTER IV
THE RECHABITES. xxxv.	[44]
"Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man tostand before Me for ever."—xxxv. 19
CHAPTER V
BARUCH. xlv.	[54]
"Thy life will I give unto thee for a prey."—xlv. 5
CHAPTER VI
THE JUDGMENT ON JEHOIAKIM. xxii. 13-19, xxxvi. 30, 31	[63]
"Jehoiakim ... slew him (Uriah) with the sword,and cast his dead body into the graves of the commonpeople."—xxvi. 23 "Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim,... He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawnand cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem."—xxii. 18, 19 Jehoiakim ... did that which was evil in the sightof Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.—2Kings xxiii. 36, 37
CHAPTER V
BARUCH. xlv.	[54]
"Thy life will I give unto thee for a prey."—xlv. 5
CHAPTER VII
JEHOIACHIN. xxii. 20-30	[80]
"A despised broken vessel."—xxii. 28 "A young lion. And he went up and down among thelions, he became a young lion and he learned to catchthe prey, he devoured men."—Ezek. xix. 5, 6 "Jehoiachin ... did evil in the sight of Jehovah, accordingto all that his father had done."—2 Kings xxiv. 8, 9
CHAPTER VIII
BAD SHEPHERDS AND FALSE PROPHETS. xxiii.; xxiv.	[96]
"Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter thesheep of My pasture!"—xxii. 1 "Of what avail is straw instead of grain?... Is notMy word like fire, ... like a hammer that shattereth therocks?"—xxiii. 28, 29
CHAPTER IX
HANANIAH. xxvii., xxviii.	[115]
"Hear now, Hananiah; Jehovah hath not sent thee, butthou makest this people to trust in a lie."—xxviii. 15
CHAPTER X
CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EXILES. xxix.	[131]
"Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and Ahab, whomthe king of Babylon roasted in the fire."—xxix. 22
CHAPTER XI
A BROKEN COVENANT. xxi. 1-10, xxxiv.; xxxvii. 1-10	[141]
"All the princes and people ... changed their mindsand reduced to bondage again all the slaves whom they hadset free."—xxxiv. 10, 11
CHAPTER XII
JEREMIAH'S IMPRISONMENT. xxxvii. 11-21, xxxviii.,xxxix. 15-18	[155]
"Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the daythat Jerusalem was taken."—xxxviii. 28
CHAPTER XIII
GEDALIAH. xxxix.-xli., lii.	[172]
"Then arose Ishmael ben Nethaniah, and the ten menthat were with him, and smote with the sword and slewGedaliah ben Ahikam ben Shaphan, whom the king ofBabylon had made king over the land."—xli. 2
CHAPTER XIV
THE DESCENT INTO EGYPT. xlii., xliii.	[187]
"They came into the land of Egypt, for they obeyed notthe voice of Jehovah."—xliii. 7
CHAPTER XV
THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN. xliv.	[197]
"Since we left off burning incense and offering libationsto the Queen of Heaven, we have been in want of everything,and have been consumed by the sword and thefamine."—xliv. 18
BOOK II
PROPHECIES CONCERNING FOREIGN NATIONS
CHAPTER XVI
JEHOVAH AND THE NATIONS. xxv. 15-38	[211]
"Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations."—xxv. 31
CHAPTER XVII
EGYPT. xliii. 8-13, xliv. 30, xlvi.	[220]
"I will visit Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, withtheir gods and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them thattrust in him."—xlvi. 25
CHAPTER XVIII
THE PHILISTINES. xlvii.	[230]
"O sword of Jehovah, how long will it be ere thou bequiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard; rest, and be still."—xlvii. 6
CHAPTER XIX
MOAB. xlviii.	[234]
"Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, becausehe hath magnified himself against Jehovah."—xlviii. 42 "Chemosh said to me, Go, take Nebo against Israel ...and I took it ... and I took from it the vessels of Jehovah,and offered them before Chemosh."—Moabite Stone. "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in thelatter days."—xlviii. 47
CHAPTER XX
AMMON. xlix. 1-6	[242]
"Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why thendoth Moloch possess Gad, and his people dwell in the citiesthereof?"—xlix. 1
CHAPTER XXI
EDOM. xlix. 7-22	[243]
"Bozrah shall become an astonishment, a reproach, awaste, and a curse."—xlix. 13
CHAPTER XXII
DAMASCUS. xlix. 23-27	[248]
"I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shalldevour the palaces of Benhadad."—xlix. 27
CHAPTER XXIII
KEDAR AND HAZOR. xlix. 28-33	[251]
"Concerning Kedar, and the kingdoms of Hazor whichNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote."—xlix. 28
CHAPTER XXIV
ELAM. xlix. 34-39	[255]
"I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might."—xlix. 35
CHAPTER XXV
BABYLON. l., li.	[258]
"Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is brokenin pieces."—l. 2
BOOK III
JEREMIAH'S TEACHING CONCERNING ISRAEL AND JUDAH
CHAPTER XXVI
INTRODUCTORY	[267]
"I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and theyshall be My people."—xxxi. 1
CHAPTER XXVII
SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CORRUPTION	[270]
"Very bad figs, ... too bad to be eaten."—xxiv. 2, 8,xxix. 17
CHAPTER XXVIII
PERSISTENT APOSTASY	[283]
"They have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah their God,and worshipped other gods, and served them."—xxii. 9 "Every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his heart."—xxiii. 17
CHAPTER XXIX
RUIN. xxii. 1-9, xxvi. 14	[295]
"The sword, the pestilence, and the famine."—xxi, 9 andpassim. "Terror on every side."—vi. 25, xx. 10, xlvi. 5, xlix. 29;also as proper name, MAGOR-MISSABIB, xx. 3
CHAPTER XXX
RESTORATION—I. THE SYMBOL. xxxii.	[308]
"And I bought the field of Hanameel."—xxxii. 9
CHAPTER XXXI
RESTORATION—II. THE NEW ISRAEL. xxiii. 3-8, xxiv.6, 7, xxx., xxxi., xxxiii.	[319]
"In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shalldwell safely: and this is the name whereby she shall becalled, Jehovah our Righteousness."—xxxiii. 16
CHAPTER XXXII
RESTORATION—III. REUNION. xxxi.	[329]
"I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judahwith the seed of man, and with the seed of beast."—xxxi. 27
CHAPTER XXXIII
RESTORATION—IV. THE NEW COVENANT. xxxi. 31-38:cf. Hebrews viii.	[346]
"I will make a new covenant with the house of Israeland the house of Judah."—xxxi. 31
CHAPTER XXXIV
RESTORATION—V. REVIEW. xxx.-xxxiii.	[357]
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER XXXV
JEREMIAH AND CHRIST	[367]
"Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet fromamongst thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shallye hearken."—Deut. xviii. 15 "Jesus ... asked His disciples, saying, Who do mensay that the Son of Man is? And they said, Some sayJohn the Baptist; some, Elijah: and others, Jeremiah, orone of the prophets."—Matt. xvi. 13, 14

"Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more."—xxii, 10

"When Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak unto all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, Thou shalt surely die."—xxvi. 8