This chapter is of the same argument with the former; and contains two things in it, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and the causes of it, which are intermixedly handled in it; a lively description is made of the notice of the approach of the enemy by blowing of trumpets and firing…

O ye children of Benjamin The tribe of Benjamin was with the tribe of Judah, and continued with that in the pure worship of God when the ten tribes revolted; and in the land of Israel, when they were carried captive; and besides, Jerusalem, at least part of it, was in the tribe of Benjamin, and…

I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. ] That dwells at home and lives in pleasure, and deliciously, in great peace and quietness, in entire ease and security, in no fear of enemies, or apprehension of danger; and so it describes the secure state of the Jews.

The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her Kings and their armies, as the Targum paraphrases it; kings and generals are compared to shepherds, and their armies to flocks, who are under their command and direction; here they design Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with his generals and…

Prepare ye war against her Not only proclaim it, but prepare themselves for it; get everything ready for the siege, and begin it. These are either the words of the Lord, calling upon the Chaldeans in his providence to act such a part against Jerusalem; or of the Chaldeans themselves, stirring up…

Arise, and let us go up by night Since they could not take the city at noon, and by day, as they expected, they propose to attempt it by night; they would lose no time, but proceed on, day and night, until they had accomplished their end; this shows how much they were resolved upon it, and that…

For thus hath the Lord of hosts said To the Chaldeans; for as it was the Lord that brought them out of their own country, and directed them to Jerusalem, and ordered them to prepare war against it; so they were as an army under his command, and he it was that ordered them to do this, and that, and…

As a fountain casteth out her waters In great abundance, and continually: so she casteth out her wickedness; this metaphor expresses the multitude of her sins, the frequent and constant commission of them, and the source and spring of them, the corrupt fountain of the heart; see (Matt. 12:34, Matt.

And be thou instructed, O Jerusalem Or “corrected” [[17]]; receive discipline or instructions by chastisements and corrections, return by repentance, that the evils threatened may not come: this shows the affection of the Lord to his people, notwithstanding all their sins; that their amendment, and…

Thus saith the Lord of hosts Finding that all his threatenings, admonitions, and expostulations, were in vain, he says of the Chaldeans, with respect to the Israelites, they shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine; by “the remnant of Israel” are meant the two tribes of Judah and…

To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? &c.] These are the words of the prophet, despairing of any success by his ministry; suggesting that the people were so universally depraved, that there were none that would hear him; that speaking to them was only beating the air, and…

Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord Either of zeal for the Lord, for the glory of his name, and the honour of his word; or rather of the prophecy of the Lord, as the Targum interprets it, concerning the wrath of God, that should come upon this people for their sins: I am weary with holding…

And their houses shall be turned unto others To strangers, to the Chaldeans; they shall be transferred unto them, come into their hands, and become their property: with their fields and wives together: not only their houses and lands shall be taken away from them, and put to the use of others, but…

For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them, &c.] From the least in age to the oldest among them; or rather, from persons of the lowest class of life, and in the meanest circumstances, to those that are in the highest places of trust and honour, and are in the greatest affluence of…

They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly That is, the false prophets and lying priests, who pretended to be physicians, and to heal the sickly and distempered state of the people; and they did do it, in their way, but not thoroughly; they did not search the wound to the…

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? &c.] This seems chiefly, and in the first place, to respect the false prophets and wicked priests; who when they committed idolatry, or any other sin, and led the people into the same by their doctrine and example, yet, when reproved for it,…

Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see These are the words of the Lord to the people, whom he would have judge for themselves, and not be blindly led by the false prophets and priests; directing them to do what men should, when they are in a place where two or more ways meet, and know…

Also I set watchmen over you That is, prophets, as Jarchi; true prophets, as Kimchi; such an one was Ezekiel, . The Targum interprets it teachers; such were the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel; and all faithful preachers of it, who teach men good doctrine and watch for their souls, give…

Therefore hear, ye nations Since the Jews refused to hearken to the word of the Lord, the Gentiles are called upon to hear it, as in (Acts 13:45, Acts 13:46) , this is a rebuke to the Jews, that the Gentiles would hear, when they would not: and know, O congregation; either of Israel, as the Targum…

Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, &c.] The people of the Jews; the evil of punishment, for the evil of sin committed by them; wherefore the earth, and the inhabitants of it, are called upon to bear witness to, the righteousness of such a procedure: even the fruit of their…

To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba In Persia or Arabia, from whence incense was brought, and perhaps the best; see , and yet the offering of this was of no esteem with God, when the words of the prophet, and the law of his mouth, were despised; see : and the sweet cane from a far…

Therefore thus saith the Lord Because of their immorality and hypocrisy, their contempt of his word, and confidence in legal rites and ceremonies: behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people; by which may be meant the judgments of God upon them, raising up enemies against them, and…

Thus saith the Lord, behold, a people cometh from the north country The Assyrians from Babylon, which lay north of Judea, as in (Jer. 1:14, Jer. 1:15) : and a great nation shall be raised; that is, by the Lord, who would stir them up to this undertaking.

They shall lay hold on bow and spear That is, everyone of them should be furnished with both these pieces of armour, that they might be able to fight near and afar off; they had bows to shoot arrows at a distance, and spears to strike with when near. The Targum renders it bows and shields.

We have heard the fame thereof Meaning not the prophet’s report then, but the rumour of the enemy’s coming from another quarter, at the time he was actually coming.

Go not forth into the field Either for pleasure, or for business; to take a walk in it for the air, or to till it, plough, sow, or reap; but keep within the city and its walls, there being danger: nor walk by the way; in the high road from Jerusalem, to any town or village near it: for the sword of…

O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth Either as a token of repentance for sin; so the king of Nineveh and his subjects did, to show their repentance, (Jonah 3:6, Jonah 3:8) or as a sign of mourning, for the calamities coming on them, and wallow thyself in ashes; or roll thyself in them,…

I have set thee for a tower Or “in” one [[3]]; in a watch tower, to look about and observe the actions of the people, their sins and transgressions, and reprove them for them; as well as to descry the enemy, and give notice of danger; see or, “for a trier”; since the word used comes from one which…

They are all grievous revolters From the right way of God and his worship: or, they are all revolters of revolters [[4]]; of all, the greatest revolters, the greatest sinners and transgressors, the most stubborn and disobedient; or sons of revolters; fathers and children are alike.

The bellows are burnt Which Kimchi interprets of the mouth and throat of the prophet, which, through reproving the people, were dried up, and become raucous and hoarse, and without any profit to them; and so the Targum, “lo, as the refiner’s blower, that is burnt in the midst of the fire, so the…

Reprobate silver shall men call them Or, “call ye them” [[8]], as the Targum; so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions; by whom are meant the Jews, who thought themselves of some account, as silver; being the seed of Abraham, and having the law, the covenant and promises, and service…