Lange Commentary - Jeremiah 52:31 - 52:34

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Lange Commentary - Jeremiah 52:31 - 52:34


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5. THE FAVORABLE TURN IN THE FATE OF JEHOIACHIN

Jer_52:31-34

31And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up 32the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, and spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were 33with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments: and he did continually 34eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion [the day’s requirements] until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

To this section there is an almost exactly corresponding one in 2 Kings 25 (27–30). The differences are unessential: instead of the twenty-fifth day, 2 Ki. 25:31 has the twenty-seventh (comp Jer_52:25, where the reverse is the case), so that one is tempted to think that one of the two authors has interchanged these two passages; (comp. also rems, on Jer_52:12). For other differences comp. the Textual Notes.—The expression to lift up the head, is found also in Gen_40:13 coll. 19 and 20, and designates the elevation of one who is prostrate. Comp. the expression in another sense in Exo_30:12; Num_1:2, etc.; Psa_83:3.—In the first year of his reign. It was evidently an act of grace, which Evil-merodach performed on the occasion of his ascending the throne. May not the influence of Daniel and other highly esteemed Jews at the Babylonian court have operated in favor of the imprisoned king?—Out of prison. Comp. rems. on Jer_37:4.—Above the throne. This expression does not mean that Jehoiachin received a seat on the same level, but surpassing the others in height, but that his seat stood higher up than the others, i.e., that he could sit nearer to the king. Whether the others were princes constantly or transiently present, may be left undecided. Perhaps both.—His diet, àֲøֻçָä (comp. Jer_40:6), evidently comprehends all that Jehoiachin needed for himself and household, besides the food which he had at the royal table. The accumulation of expressions, indicating that Jehoiachin continued without interruption to the end of his life to enjoy royal honors, shows that this fact gave great satisfaction to the author.—On the chronological relations, comp. Niebuhr, Ass. u. Babel., S. 87 sqq.; Duncker, Gesch d. Alterth, L, S. 864, 5. —The ascension of the throne by Evil-merodach occurred in the year B. C., 561. It is not absolutely impossible that Jeremiah was still alive at this time. Supposing that he began his ministry at the age of twenty, he would be then about eighty-six. Comp. the dates in Jer_23:3, and Jer_52:31. It is also not impossible that he received in Egypt the news of Jehoiachin’s exaltation. But this notice includes not only the liberation of the ex-king, but his death (Jer_52:33-34). Thus vanishes all probability of Jeremiah’s being its author, as well as from the consideration that the notice, if proceeding from Jeremiah, must have been found in another place, and not at the close of this supplement, evidently compiled by a later hand.

Footnotes:

Jer_52:31.—2 Kings 25 for îַìְëֻúåֹ has îָìְëåֹ ; åַéֹöֵà àֹúåֹ is wanting; for äַëְּìּéà it reads ëֶּìֶà , instead of ìְëִñֵּà îִּîַּòַì more simply îֵòַì ëִּñֵּà ; further ùִׁðָּà for ùִׁðָּä (Jer_52:33); for ìְôָðָéå úָּîִéã the same words reversed, for îֶåֶêְ áָּáֶּì (Jer_52:34) merely äַîֶּìֶêְ ; the words òַã éåֹí îåֹçåֹ are entirely wanting in 2 Kings. All these alterations indicate that the author of 2 Kings 25 endeavored to give an, in his opinion, improved text.

Jer_52:33.— ùִׁðָּä is the Hebrew, ùִׁðָּà (2 Kings 25) the later Aramaic form. Comp. Olsh., § 233, Anm., and § 246, b Anm.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. “Docemur hoc capite, quod comminationes divinæ rum sint de pelvi fulgura, quodque Deus pro misericordia sua infinita calamitates a se immissas mitigare plerumque soleat, si seria interveniat pœnitentia.” Förster.

2. On Jer_52:1-3. “From this we see why God sometimes places ungodly rulers over a country, who cast it to destruction. It is done on account of the rulers’ and the people’s sins, that they may draw down the well merited punishment, as Sirach says. On account of violence, injustice and avarice, a kingdom passes from one nation to another (Jer_10:8). So also says king Solomon. Because of the sins of a nation occur many changes of rulers, but for the sake of the people who are intelligent and reasonable, the State is prolonged (Pro_28:2).” Wurtemb. Summarien.

3. On Jer_52:4. “God allows many slight and mild punishments to come as warnings, till at last comes the finishing stroke. This is a witness to the divine long-suffering (Rom_2:4).” Cramer.

4. On Jer_52:6. “The fact that in this siege compassionate women had to kill and eat their own children (Lam_4:10) is a reminder that by bodily hunger God would punish; 1. satiation and disgust towards His holy word and soul-food; 2. the terrible offering up of children to Moloch; 3. the loose discipline of children.” Cramer.

5. On Jer_52:7. “No fortress can protect the ungodly, even though they had their nest in the clouds.” Cramer.

6. On Jer_52:8. “An example of faithless, perjured men of war. But as Zedekiah broke his oath to the king at Babylon, he was paid back in the same coin.” Cramer. “His people forsook the poor king Zedekiah on his flight and he was captured, from which we see that great men cannot depend on their body-guard; these flee in time of need, and leave their masters in the lurch. The surest and best protection is when we have the holy angels for our guard … This angelic protection is, however, to be obtained and preserved by faith and godliness, but is lost by unbelief and ungodly conduct.” Wurtemb. Summ.

7. On Jer_52:9-11. The punishment of perjury. “Ubi monemur, quod fides hosti, etiam barbaro, qualis hodie Turca, a Christianis data, mimine violanda.” Förster.

8. On Jer_52:9. sqq. “God had shown Zedekiah by Jeremiah a way in which he could escape the calamity. But because he forsook the Lord and would not follow it, the others were only leaky cisterns (Jer_2:13). For woe to the rebellious who take counsel without the Lord (Isa_30:1). This is useful for an instance against the holy by works, who reject God’s way of escaping the Devil; when they devise other ways for themselves they are caught by the Chaldeans of hell.” Cramer.

9. On Jer_52:12 sqq. “Holy places, external ceremonies and opus operatum do not avail for hypocrites … If God punished His own institution so severely, how shall human institutions remain unpunished?” Cramer.

10. On Jer_52:12. “Quale fatum, ne et nostris obtingat templis … caveamus, ne profanemus templa ulterius tum externa vel materialia, tum interna vel spiritualia in cordibus nostris, de quibus 1Co_3:16 sqq.; Jer_6:19 sqq.” Förster.

11. On Jer_52:15. “It is another work of mercy that some of Judah were preserved. For God’s grace is always to be found in His punishments.” Cramer.

12. On Jer_52:15. “He who will not serve God and his neighbor at home and in quiet, must learn to do it in a strange land in affliction and distress.” Cramer.

13. On Jer_52:24 sqq. “As teachers are often to blame for their behaviour that sin gets the upper hand in a community, it is exceedingly just when God brings such for an example into great punitive judgment (1Sa_2:27-34).” Starke.

14. On Jer_52:24. “The priests are caught and slain; 1. because they could not believe the truth for themselves; 2. because they led others astray; 3. because they appealed to the temple of the Lord; 4. because they persecuted the true prophets; 5. because they troubled the whole church of God. But he who troubleth shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be (Gal_5:10).” Cramer.

15. On Jer_52:31 sqq. “Sane omnino verisimile videtur judicio Philippi Melanchthonis in Chron. part, I fol. 33 Evilmerodachum amplexum esse doctrinam Danielis de Vero Deo, quam et pater publico edic professus est, eamque ob causam clementiam exercuisse erga regem Jechoniam.” Förster.—“Narrant Hebræi hujusmodi fabulam: Evilmerodach, qui patre suo Nabuchodonosor vivente per septem annos inter bestias, ante regnaverat, postquam ille restitutus in regno est, usque ad mortem patris cum Joakim rege Judæ in vinculis fuit; quo mortuo, quum rursus in regnum succederet, et non susciperetur a principibus, qui metuebant, ne viveret qui dicebatur extinctus, ut fidem patris mortui faceret, aperuit sepulcrum et cadaver ejus unco et funibus traxit.” Jerome on Jer_14:18-19. Josephus speaks of it as follows: “ Ἀâéëáìáñþäá÷ïò åὐèὺò ôὸí ‘ Éå÷ùíßáí ôῶí äåóìῶí ἀöåὶò ἐí ôïῖò ἀíáãêáéïôÜôïéò ößëïéò åἱ÷å … ‘ Ï ãὰñ ðáôὴñ áὐôïῦ ôὴí ðßóôéí ïὐê ἐöýëáîå ôῷ ’ Éå÷ùíßá , ðáñáäüíôé ìåôὰ ãõíáéêáῶí êáὶ ôÝêíùí êáὶ ôῆò óõããåíåßáò ὅëçò ἑêïõóßùò ἑáõôὸí ὑðὲñ ôῆò ðáôñἰäïò , ὡò ἄí ìὴ êáôáóêáöåßç ëçöèåῖóá ôῇ ðïëéïñêßᾳ .” (Antiqq., X. 11, 21.)

16. On Jer_52:31 sqq. “Ceterum potest hoc exemplo, quod Jechonias rex dignitati suæ in exilio Babylonico restitutus, refutari exceptio Judæorum contra vaticinium Jacobi (Gen_49:10) de Messia jamdudum exhibito, postquam per Romanos sceptrum de Juda ablatum, id quod ôåêìÞñéïí Messiæ jamjam nascituri esse debuit.” Förster.

17. On Jer_52:31 sqq. “No one should despair in misfortune, for the right hand of the Highest can change all (Psa_77:10) and Christ rules even in the midst of His enemies (Psa_110:2). For His are the praise, the glory and the power from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.” Cramer.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

1. On Jer_52:1-11. The truth of the word “What a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” exhibited in the example of the Jewish State under Zedekiah.1. The seed (Jer_52:2); 2. The crop (a) the siege, (b) the famine, (c) the capture of the city and flight of the king, (d) the punishment of the king and his princes, (e) the fate of the people (Jer_52:3).

2. On Jer_52:12-20. The rejection of Judah appears at first sight a contradiction. For Jerusalem is the holy city (Mat_4:5; Neh_11:1; Neh_11:18), the city of God (Psa_46:5; Psa_48:2; Psa_48:9; Psa_78:3); the temple is the house of Jehovah (Jer_7:2. etc.); God’s service rests on divine authority (Ex. chh. 25–27, 30, 31). But God cannot contradict Himself. We have, therefore, to show “the unity of the divine thoughts in the choice and rejection of Jerusalem.” 1. The rejection was a conditional one (Jer_7:3 sqq). Hence notwithstanding the election the rejection involved nothing contradictory, but was a necessary consequence of the unfulfilled condition.—2. The election remains (a) objectively notwithstanding the rejection; it is (b) subjectively brought to its realization by the rejection; the latter as a means of discipline operating to produce the disposition, from which alone thefulfillment of this condition can proceed. Comp. rems. on Jer_32:41, p. 288.

3. On Jer_52:24-27. “That great lords sometimes make an example of gross miscreants, promotes righteousness, only it must not be done on the innocent, or with such severity that there is no proportion between the crime and its punishment (Jos_7:25).” Starke.

4. On Jer_52:31-34. The deliverance of Jehoiachin. 1. It shows us that the Lord can help (a) out of great distress (grievous imprisonment of thirty-seven years), (b) in a glorious manner. 2. It admonishes us (a) to steadfast patience, (b) to believing hope, Psalms 13 [“It was a prelude and pledge of the liberation and exaltation of the Jewish Nation, when it had been humbled and purified by the discipline of suffering; and of its return to its own land; and a joyful pre-announcement of that far more glorious future restoration which the prophets in the Old Testament, and the Apostles in the New foretell—of Israel to God in Christ; to whom, with the Father and Holt Ghost, be ascribed all honor, glory, dominion, adoration and praise, now and forever. Amen.” Wordsworth.—S. R. A.].