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446 lines
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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Jeremiah XLIII].</TITLE>
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"This site is for those friends and family members who may or may not know Our Lord Jesus Christ, and if not, they may come to know Our Lord through His Prophets."> <meta name="author" content="Brian Duncalfe">
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"Prophecy, Rapture,hope,bible map,bible maps, God, tribulation,Second Coming,Christ,large print bible,commentary,complete">
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<body background="../sueback.jpg" bgproperties="fixed" >
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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<h3><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank">Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page</a>
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</h3>
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</center>
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<TR>
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<TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP">
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC24042.HTM">Previous</A>]
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[<A HREF="MHC24044.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1712)
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</TD></TR></TABLE>
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>J E R E M I A H.</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XLIII.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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Jeremiah had faithfully delivered his message from God in the foregoing
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chapter, and the case was made so very plain by it that one would have
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thought there needed no more words about it; but we find it quite
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otherwise. Here is,
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I. The people's contempt of this message; they denied it to be the word
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of God
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:1-3">ver. 1-3</A>)
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and then made no difficulty of going directly contrary to it. Into
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Egypt they went, and took Jeremiah himself along with them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:4-7">ver. 4-7</A>.
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II. God's pursuit of them with another message, foretelling the king of
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Babylon's pursuit of them into Egypt,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:8-13">ver. 8-13</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Jer43_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The People's Insolent Reply.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 588.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And it came to pass, <I>that</I> when Jeremiah had made an end of
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speaking unto all the people all the words of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> their God,
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for which the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> their God had sent him to them, <I>even</I> all
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these words,
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2 Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son
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of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou
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speakest falsely: the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> our God hath not sent thee to say, Go
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not into Egypt to sojourn there:
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3 But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for
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to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put
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us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.
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4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the
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forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, to
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dwell in the land of Judah.
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5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the
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forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from
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all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land
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of Judah;
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6 <I>Even</I> men, and women, and children, and the king's
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daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the
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guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of
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Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
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7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the
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voice of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>: thus came they <I>even</I> to Tahpanhes.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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What God said to the builders of Babel may be truly said of this people
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that Jeremiah is now dealing with: <I>Now nothing will be restrained
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from them which they have imagined to do,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+11:6">Gen. xi. 6</A>.
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They have a fancy for Egypt, and to Egypt they will go, whatever God
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himself says to the contrary. Jeremiah made them hear all he had to
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say, though he saw them uneasy at it; it was what the Lord their God
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had sent him to speak to them, and they shall have it all. And now let
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us see what they have to say to it.</P>
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<P>
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I. They deny it to be a message from God: <I>Johanan, and all the proud
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men, said to Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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See here,
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1. What was the cause of their disobedience--it was pride; only by
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that comes contention both with God and man. They were <I>proud
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men</I> that gave the lie to the prophet. They could not bear the
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contradiction of their sentiments and the control of their designs, no,
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not by the divine wisdom, by the divine will itself. Pharaoh said,
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<I>Who is the Lord, that I should obey him?</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+5:2">Exod. v. 2</A>.
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The proud unhumbled heart of man is one of the most daring enemies God
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has on this side hell.
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2. What was the colour for their disobedience. They would not
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acknowledge it to be the word of God: <I>The Lord hath not sent
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thee</I> on this errand to us. Either they were not convinced that what
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was said came from God or (which I rather think) though they were
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convinced of it they would not own it. The light shone strongly in
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their face, but they either shut their eyes against it or would not
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confess that they saw it. Note, The reason why men deny the scriptures
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to be the word of God is because they are resolved not to conform to
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scripture-rules, and so an obstinate infidelity is made the sorry
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subterfuge of a wilful disobedience. If God had spoken to them by an
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angel, or as he did from Mount Sinai, they would have said that it was
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a delusion. Had they not consulted Jeremiah as a prophet? Had he not
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waited to receive instructions from God what to say to them? Had not
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what he said all the usual marks of prophecy upon it? Was not the
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prophet himself embarked in the same bottom with them? What interests
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could he have separate from theirs? Had he not always approved himself
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an Israelite indeed? And had not God proved him a prophet indeed? Had
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any of his words ever fallen to the ground? Why, truly, they had some
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good thoughts of Jeremiah, but they suggest
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>),
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<I>Baruch sets thee on against us.</I> A likely thing, that Baruch
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should be in a plot to <I>deliver them into the hands of the
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Chaldeans;</I> and what would he get by that? If Jeremiah and he had
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been so well affected to the Chaldeans as they would represent them,
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they would have gone away at first with Nebuzaradan, when he courted
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them, to Babylon, and not have staid to take their lot with this
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despised ungrateful remnant. But the best services are no fences
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against malice and slander. Or, if Baruch had been so ill disposed,
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could they think Jeremiah would be so influenced by him as to make
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God's name an authority to patronise so villainous a purpose? Note,
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Those that are resolved to contradict the great ends of the ministry
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are industrious to bring a bad name upon it. When men will persist in
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sin they represent those that would turn them from it as designing men
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for themselves, nay, as ill-designing men against their neighbours. It
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is well for persons who are thus misrepresented that their witness is
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in heaven and their record on high.</P>
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<P>
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II. They determine to go to Egypt notwithstanding. They resolve not to
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<I>dwell in the land of Judah,</I> as God had ordered them
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>),
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but to go themselves with one consent and to take all that they had
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under their power along with them to Egypt. Those that came <I>from
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all the nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of
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Judah,</I> out of a sincere affection to that land, they would not
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leave to their liberty, but forced them to go with them into Egypt
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>),
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<I>men, women, and children</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>),
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a long journey into a strange country, an idolatrous country, a country
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that had never been kind of faithful to Israel; yet thither they would
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go, though they deserted their own land and threw themselves out of
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God's protection. It is the folly of men that they know not when they
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are well off, and often ruin themselves by endeavouring to better
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themselves; and it is the pride of great men to force those they have
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under their power to follow them, though ever so much against their
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duty and interest. These proud men compelled even Jeremiah the prophet
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and Baruch his scribe to go along with them to Egypt; they carried them
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away as prisoners, partly to punish them (and a greater punishment they
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could not inflict upon them than to force them against their
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consciences; theirs is the worst of tyranny who say to men's souls,
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even to good men's souls, <I>Bow down, that we may go over</I>), partly
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to put some reputation upon themselves and their own way. Though the
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prophets were under a force, they would make the world believe that
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they were voluntary in going along with them; and who could have blamed
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them for acting contrary to the word of the Lord if the prophets
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themselves had acted so? They <I>came to Tahpanhes,</I> a famous city
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of Egypt (so called from a queen of that name,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ki+11:19">1 Kings xi. 19</A>),
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the same with <I>Hanes</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+30:4">Isa. xxx. 4</A>);
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it was now the metropolis, for Pharaoh's house was there,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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No place could serve these proud men to settle in but the royal city
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and near the court, so little mindful were they of Joseph's wisdom, who
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would have his brethren settle in Goshen. If they had had the spirit of
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Israelites, they would have chosen rather to dwell in the wilderness of
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Judah than in the most pompous populous cities of Egypt.</P>
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<A NAME="Jer43_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer43_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Jeremiah's Prophecies in Egypt.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 588.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>8 Then came the word of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes,
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saying,
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9 Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in
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the brick-kiln, which <I>is</I> at the entry of Pharaoh's house in
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Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;
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10 And say unto them, Thus saith the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> of hosts, the God of
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Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of
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Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones
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that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over
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them.
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11 And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, <I>and
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deliver</I> such <I>as are</I> for death to death; and such <I>as are</I> for
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captivity to captivity; and such <I>as are</I> for the sword to the
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sword.
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12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt;
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and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he
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shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth
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on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.
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13 He shall break also the images of Beth-shemesh, that <I>is</I> in
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the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians
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shall he burn with fire.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We have here, as also in the next chapter, Jeremiah prophesying in
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Egypt. Jeremiah was now in Tahpanhes, for there his lords and masters
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were; he was there among idolatrous Egyptians and treacherous
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Israelites; but there,
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1. He received <I>the word of the Lord;</I> it <I>came to him.</I> God
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can find his people, with the visits of his grace, wherever they are;
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and, when his ministers are bound, yet the word of the Lord is not
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bound. The spirit of prophecy was not confined to the land of Israel.
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When Jeremiah went into Egypt, not out of choice, but by constraint,
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God withdrew not his wonted favour from him.
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2. What he received of the Lord he delivered to the people. Wherever we
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are we must endeavour to do good, for that is our business in this
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world. Now we find two messages which Jeremiah was appointed and
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entrusted to deliver when he was in Egypt. We may suppose that he
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rendered what services he could to his countrymen in Egypt, at least as
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far as they would be acceptable, in performing the ordinary duties of a
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prophet, praying for them and instructing and comforting them; but only
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two messages of his, which he had received immediately from God, are
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recorded, one in this chapter, relating to Egypt itself and foretelling
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its destruction, the other in the next chapter, relating to the Jews in
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Egypt. God had told them before that if they went into Egypt the sword
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they feared should follow them; here he tells them further that the
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sword of Nebuchadnezzar, which they were in a particular manner afraid
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of, should follow them.</P>
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<P>
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I. This is foretold by a sign. Jeremiah must take <I>great stones,</I>
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such as are used for foundations, and <I>lay them in the clay of
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the</I> furnace, or <I>brick-kiln,</I> which is in <I>the open way,</I>
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or <I>beside the way</I> that leads <I>to Pharaoh's house</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>),
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some remarkable place in view of the royal palace. Egypt was famous for
|
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brick-kilns, witness the slavery of the Israelites there, whom they
|
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forced to make bricks
|
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+5:7">Exod. v. 7</A>),
|
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which perhaps was now remembered against them. The foundation of
|
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Egypt's desolation was laid in those brick-kilns, in <I>that clay.</I>
|
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This he must do, not in the sight of the Egyptians (they knew not
|
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|
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Jeremiah's character), but <I>in the sight of the men of Judah</I> to
|
||
|
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whom he was sent, that, since he could not prevent their going into
|
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|
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Egypt, he might bring them to repent of their going.</P>
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<P>
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II. It is foretold in express words, as express as can be,
|
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|
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|
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|
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1. That the king, the present king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, the very
|
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|
|
same that had been employed in the destruction of Jerusalem, should
|
||
|
|
come in person against the land of Egypt, should make himself master
|
||
|
|
even of this royal city, by the same token that he should <I>set his
|
||
|
|
throne</I> in that very place where <I>these stones</I> were laid,
|
||
|
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|
||
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
|
||
|
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|
||
|
|
This minute circumstance is particularly foretold, that, when it was
|
||
|
|
accomplished, they might be put in mind of the prophecy and confirmed
|
||
|
|
in their belief of the extent and certainly of the divine prescience,
|
||
|
|
to which the smallest and most contingent events are evident. God calls
|
||
|
|
Nebuchadnezzar his servant, because herein he executed God's will,
|
||
|
|
accomplished his purposes, and was instrumental to carry on his
|
||
|
|
designs. Note, The world's princes are God's servants and he makes what
|
||
|
|
use he pleases of them, and even those that know him not, nor aim at
|
||
|
|
his honour, are the tools which his providence makes use of.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
2. That he should destroy many of the Egyptians, and have them all at
|
||
|
|
his mercy
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:11"><I>v.</I> 11</A>):
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<I>He shall smite the land of Egypt;</I> and, though it has been always
|
||
|
|
a warlike nation, yet none shall be able to make head against him, but
|
||
|
|
whom he will he shall slay, and by what sort of death he will, whether
|
||
|
|
pestilence (for that is here meant by <I>death,</I> as
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+15:2"><I>ch.</I> xv. 2</A>)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
by shutting them up in places infected, or by the sword of war or
|
||
|
|
justice, in cold blood or hot. And whom he will he shall save alive and
|
||
|
|
carry into <I>captivity.</I> The Jews, by going into Egypt, brought the
|
||
|
|
Chaldeans thither, and so did but ill repay those that entertained
|
||
|
|
them. Those who promised to protect Israel from the king of Babylon
|
||
|
|
exposed themselves to him.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
3. That he shall destroy the idols of Egypt, both the temples and the
|
||
|
|
images of their gods
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>):
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<I>He shall burn, the houses of the gods of Egypt,</I> but it shall be
|
||
|
|
with a fire of God's kindling; the fire of God's wrath fastens upon
|
||
|
|
them, and then he burns some of them and carries others captive,
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+46:1">Isa. xlvi. 1</A>.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<I>Beth-shemesh,</I> or <I>the house of the sun,</I> was so called from
|
||
|
|
a temple there built to the sun, where at certain times there was a
|
||
|
|
general meeting of the worshippers of the sun. The statues or standing
|
||
|
|
images there he shall <I>break in pieces</I>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:13"><I>v.</I> 13</A>)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
and carry away the rich materials of them. It intimates that he should
|
||
|
|
lay all waste when even the temple and the images should not escape the
|
||
|
|
fury of the victorious army. The king of Babylon was himself a great
|
||
|
|
idolater and a patron of idolatry; he had his temples and images in
|
||
|
|
honour of the sun as well as the Egyptians; and yet he is employed to
|
||
|
|
destroy the idols of Egypt. Thus God sometimes makes one wicked man, or
|
||
|
|
wicked nation, a scourge and plague to another.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
4. That he shall make himself master of the land of Egypt, and none
|
||
|
|
shall be able to plead its cause or avenge its quarrel
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+43:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>):
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<I>He shall array himself with the rich spoils of the land of
|
||
|
|
Egypt,</I> both beautify and fortify himself with them. He shall array
|
||
|
|
himself with them as ornaments and as armour; and this, though it shall
|
||
|
|
be a rich and heavy booty, being expert in war, and expeditious, he
|
||
|
|
shall slip on with as much ease and in as little time, in comparison,
|
||
|
|
<I>as a shepherd slips on his garment,</I> when he goes to turn out his
|
||
|
|
sheep in a morning. And being loaded with the wealth of many other
|
||
|
|
nations, the fruits of his conquests, he shall make no more of the
|
||
|
|
spoils of the land of Egypt than of a shepherd's coat. And when he has
|
||
|
|
taken what he pleases (as Benhadad threatened to do,
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ki+20:6">1 Kings xx. 6</A>)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
he shall <I>go forth in peace,</I> without any molestation given him,
|
||
|
|
or any precipitation for fear of it, so effectually reduced shall the
|
||
|
|
land of Egypt be. This destruction of Egypt by the king of Babylon is
|
||
|
|
foretold,
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eze+29:19,30:10">Ezek. xxix. 19 and xxx. 10</A>.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Babylon lay at a great distance from Egypt, and yet thence the
|
||
|
|
destruction of Egypt comes; for God can make those judgments strike
|
||
|
|
home which are far-fetched.</P>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
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