Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 22

Verse 1

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

Go down. Compare Jeremiah 36:12 .

king of Judah: i.e. Jehoiakim.

Verse 3

Execute ye, &c. See note on Jeremiah 7:5 .

judgment and righteousness. Figure of speech Hendiadys = judgment, yea, righteous judgment.

spoiled = robbed.

no. nor. neither. Note the Figure of speech Paradiastole .

stranger = sojourner.

fatherless, nor the widow. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), for all afflicted ones.

innocent blood. See note on Jeremiah 7:6 .

Verse 4

upon the throne of David = for David upon his throne.

servants. Hebrew text reads "servant", but some codices, with two early printed editions, read plural, as in Authorized Version.

Verse 5

saith the LORD = [is] Jehovah's oracle.

Verse 6

house of Judah. See note on Jeremiah 3:18 .

Verse 7

prepare = set apart. Compare Jeremiah 6:4 ; Jeremiah 51:27 , Jeremiah 51:28 .

cedars. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for the houses built of cedar.

Verse 8

Wherefore . . . ? Reference to Pentateuch. See note on Jeremiah 16:10 .

Verse 10

the dead: i.e. Josiah.

him: i.e. Jehoiachin.

weep sore = weep ye, weep on. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 .

Verse 11

Shallum the son of Josiah. Josiah had four sons (1 Chronicles 3:15 ). Shallum had another name Jehoahaz. Compare 2 Kings 23:31 , 2 Kings 23:34 . Zedekiah must have been younger than Jehoiakim or Jehoahaz, for he was but twenty-one when he began to reign, and therefore only ten when Jehoiakim began to reign.

Verse 12

die in the place, &c. i.e. in Egypt. He was the first king of Israel to do so. 2 Kings 23:34 .

Verse 13

chambers = upper chambers.

by wrong = in injustice.

useth his neighbour's service, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 19:13 ).

work. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for the wages earned by his labour = giveth him not [wages] for his work.

Verse 14

large = airy, or roomy.

windows = its windows.

cieled = panelled.

Verse 15

justice = righteousness, as in Jeremiah 22:3 .

Verse 16

He: i.e. Josiah.

judged the cause. Figure of speech Polyptoton. Hebrew judged the judgment. Figure of speech Erotesis by Ellipsis = "[Did he not] judge righteous judgment? "Figure of speech Hendiadys, as in Jeremiah 22:3 .

poor = wretched. Hebrew. 'anah. See note on "poverty", Proverbs 6:11 .

Verse 17

But thine eyes: or, Verily, thou hast neither eyes nor heart save for, &c.

Verse 19

buried with the burial of an ass. Note the Figure of speech Oxymoron , which gives the meaning that he was not buried at all (for asses have no funerals). Jehoiakim is the only king of Judah whose burial is not recorded. See note on 2 Kings 24:6 .

drawn, &c.: i.e. the ass, not Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 22:26 ).

cast forth. Compare Isaiah 26:19 .

Verse 20

Go up, &c. Note the Figure of speech Eironeia. App-6 .

cry: the cry of distress.

the passages = Abarim: the mountains beyond Jordan, the range of Nebo. Compare Numbers 27:12 ; Numbers 33:47 , Numbers 33:48 .

lovers: i.e. the neighbouring nations, to whom they looked instead of to God.

Verse 21

prosperity. Hebrew, plural of majesty = thy great prosperity.

obeyedst not = hearkenedst not to.

Verse 22

wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .

pastors. Put for rulers of all kinds. See notes on Jeremiah 2:8 ; Jeremiah 3:15 , &c.

wickedness. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44 . Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for the cause of the calamity.

Verse 23

O. Figure of speech Apostrophe.

inhabitant = inhabitress: i.e. Zion.

Lebanon. Figure of speech Metalepsis : "Lebanon" put for the cedars grown there, then "cedars" put for the houses built of the timber.

how gracious = how greatly to be pitied.

Verse 24

Coniah = (by Figure of speech Aphaeresis) , by which the first syllable is cut off. He is called "Jeconiah" (1 Chronicles 3:16 ), which means "Let Jehovah establish"; but the cutting off of the Divine name "Je" (for Jah or Jehovah) is meant to show the departure of Jehovah from Jeconiah, and that he himself would be cut off.

signet. Compare Haggai 2:23 .

right hand. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia.

Verse 27

desire to return = are lifting up their soul. Hebrew. nephesh.

Verse 28

man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 29

earth, earth, earth. Figure of speech Epizeuxis , for great emphasis.

Verse 30

childless: i.e. as to the throne (see last clause). Not one of his seven sons (1 Chronicles 3:17 , 1 Chronicles 3:18 ) sat upon his throne.

a man = a strong man. Hebrew. geber. App-14 .