Bible Commentaries

Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the ^a court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak to them; diminish not a word:

(a) That is, in that place of the temple to which the people resort out of all Judah to sacrifice.

(b) To the intent that they should pretend no ignorance, as in (Acts 20:27).

It may be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may ^c repent of the evil, which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings.

(c) {See (Jeremiah 7:12) }

Then will I make this house like ^d Shiloh, and will make this city ^e a curse to all the nations of the earth.

(d) {See (Jeremiah 7:12) }

(e) So that when they would curse any, they will say, "God do to you as to Jerusalem."

Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ^f This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

(f) Because of God's promises to the temple, (Psalm 132:14) that he would forever remain there, hypocrites thought this temple could never perish and therefore thought it blasphemy to speak against it, (Matthew 26:61) ; (Acts 6:13) not considering that this was meant of the Church where God will remain forever.

When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entrance of the ^g new gate of the LORD'S [house].

(g) So called, because it was repaired by Jotham, (2 Kings 15:35).

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD ^h sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

(h) He both shows the cause of his doings plainly and also threatens them that nothing would help, though they should put him to death, but heap greater vengeance on their heads.

Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed [like] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the ⁱ house as the high places of the forest.

(i) That is, of the House of the Lord, that is, Zion, and these examples the godly alleged to deliver Jeremiah out of the priests hands, whose rage else would not have been satisfied but by his death.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? did he not fear the LORD, and beseech the LORD, and the LORD repented of the ^k evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

(k) So that the city was not destroyed, but by a miracle was delivered out of the hands of Sennacherib.

And Jehoiakim the king ^l sent men into Egypt, [namely], Elnathan the son of Achbor, and [certain] men with him into Egypt.

(l) Here is declared the fury of tyrants who cannot stand to hear God's word declared but persecute the ministers of it, and yet in the end they prevail nothing but provoke God' judgments so much more.

And they brought forth Urijah from Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and ^m cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people.

(m) As in the first Hezekiah's example is to be followed, so in this other Jehoiakim's act it to be abhorred: for God's plague descended on him and his household.

Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam ⁿ the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

(n) Which declares that nothing could have appeased their fury if God had not moved this noble man to stand valiantly in his defense.