JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:1–33:26 Restoration for Judah and Israel. The book now turns to positive themes. At last Jeremiah may “build and plant” (1:10). He claims that God will restore the nation (ch. 30), make a new covenant with Israel (ch. 31), bring Israel back to the Promised Land (ch. 32), and honor his covenant with David (ch. 33).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:1 This message (chs. 30–31) is undated, unlike chs. 24–29.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:2 Write in a book. See 25:13; 36:2. This would preserve the words for future generations.
Books in the OT could refer to any written material (see 30:2). Usually this was in the form of papyrus scrolls. Pages were glued together end to end so they could be rolled up. A typical papyrus page was similar to the pages used in printers today. Scrolls were usually around 20 pages long, or roughly 15 feet (4.5 m).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:3 days are coming. Seventy years in the future (25:12).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:4 These promises of hope include the long-defeated Israel, not just Judah. The whole nation will be united again.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:7 That day. The day of the Lord, the day of judgment (Isa. 2:6–22; Amos 5:18–20; etc.; see also The Day of the Lord in the Prophets). time of distress for Jacob. Israel will suffer. yet he shall be saved out of it. The day of judgment will remove Israel’s foes.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:8 yoke. See 2:20; 5:5; 27:8–12; 28:1–17. burst your bonds. See 2:20; 5:5. foreigners. Such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. servant. As Israel was in pre-exodus days (Ex. 2:23–25; 5:10–23).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:9 The people will respond to deliverance by serving God and the Davidic king (23:1–8). For David as the name of the Davidic king (and ultimately the Messiah), see Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25; Hos. 3:5. This service will be a complete reversal of their previous disobedience.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:11 I am with you to save you. For God to be “with” someone is for him to help that person to carry out his calling (1:8, 19; 20:11; 42:11; see Gen. 39:2–3). make a full end. Completely destroy (Jer. 46:28).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:14 lovers. Former allies and their gods (3:1–2; 4:30; 22:20–23; Lam. 1:2, 19). the blow of an enemy. God turned from fighting for Israel (Ex. 15:1–18) to fighting against Israel (Jer. 11:14–17; 15:1–9; 27:8). guilt is great. Israel sought other gods in violation of their covenant with God.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:20 established before me. They will regain God’s favor.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:22 Jeremiah expects the privileges of the covenant (Ex. 29:45; Lev. 26:12; Deut. 27:9) to be renewed, especially after the exile (see Jer. 24:7; 31:33; Ezek. 37:23; Zech. 8:8).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 30:24 God’s intentions include removing the wicked in Israel (v. 23), displacing Israel’s enemies, and establishing Israel’s king (v. 21). Israel will be God’s pure people again, yet only in the latter days, that is, sometime in the unspecified future.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:1–40 This chapter includes the most famous passage in Jeremiah, the promise of a new covenant (vv. 31–40). Leading up to that passage, God promises Israel that they will be his people (vv. 1–14), he will have mercy on weary Israel (vv. 15–26), and he will make Israel secure (vv. 27–30).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:1 At that time. In the latter days (30:24), God will reunite Israel with Judah under his covenantal leadership.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:2 Israel’s exile experience mirrors the exodus era. In both, those who escaped death found grace and rest in the desert. After exile, Israel will again follow God (2:1–3).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:4 virgin Israel. The northern kingdom (vv. 5–6).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:9 God will provide for all their needs as the exiles return. father to Israel. See Ex. 4:22–23; Hos. 11:1–9.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:10 God, Israel’s great shepherd (Isa. 40:11), will gather and keep (guard) his sheep.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:13 When God restores Israel’s lives he will also restore their joy. God will comfort them. See Isa. 40:1.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:15 Ramah. Five miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem and on the route to exile (40:1). Rachel. Jacob’s second and favorite wife (Gen. 29:30). Joseph was her son and the father of Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 30:22–24; 41:50–52). Rachel was buried near Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19–20). Jeremiah focuses on the grief of the exile, as if it touched Rachel herself. See Matt. 2:18.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:16–17 God promises that Rachel’s children will return from exile.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:18 Ephraim recognizes God’s discipline (see Lev. 26:14–26; Deut. 30:1–10) and pleads for restoration (Lam. 5:21–22).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:21 Israel should mark the way they went out (to exile), for they will return on the same road.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:22 How long will you waver, that is, how long will you wait to fulfill the prophecy of v. 6? faithless daughter. What Ephraim has been in the past. a new thing. A new beginning (Isa. 43:19; 48:7).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:23–25 Jeremiah addresses Judah, who will soon join Israel in exile. God will restore Judah and its rejoicing, just as he will Israel’s (vv. 2–7).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:28 At that time God will be as determined to plant and build as he was to tear down and destroy (see 1:10).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:29–30 sour grapes . . . teeth are set on edge. This proverb was apparently common (see Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 18:2). The negation of the proverb (they shall no longer say) means that no one will suffer for the sins of others, because national rebellion against God will cease. The remnant will become the majority.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:31–34 God’s people have a long-standing problem. Most are circumcised in body but so few are circumcised in heart (that is, truly know the LORD). God will remedy this problem. The benefits that God will provide—knowledge of the Lord and forgiveness—were all offered in the OT but all-too-rarely accepted.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:31 The new covenant will provide a fresh start for Israel and Judah, the first recipients of both the old and now the new covenant (see note on vv. 31–34). This is the only OT passage to use the specific term “new covenant”; for NT uses of the phrase, see Luke 22:20; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:8–12.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:32 This new covenant will be different in that it will not be broken, as Israel and Judah broke the first one despite God’s faithfulness as a good husband.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:33 Rather than writing the law on tablets and scrolls (see Ex. 34:1; Deut. 31:9–13) and asking the people to internalize it (Deut. 6:4–9), God will write it on their hearts from the start. He will be the God of this new covenant, just as he was for the old covenant partners who loved him.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:35–36 God gives a fixed order to the natural creation. It is just as impossible for the new covenant (vv. 31–34) to cease as it is for the natural order to cease.
Jeremiah was born in Anathoth, a small town outside of Jerusalem. Called by God as a young man, he served as a prophet for more than 40 years. Jeremiah had a difficult life. By God’s command, he never married, and he apparently had only two converts during his entire ministry. The nation of Judah did not respond favorably to his messages of repentance. He was scorned in his own hometown and even falsely imprisoned on charges that he was collaborating with the Babylonian invaders. Like many of the Lord’s prophets, Jeremiah suffered public mockery and physical abuse. Yet God used his faithful servant to deliver the good news that in future days God would make a new, unbreakable covenant with his people (31:31). Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah 31:31–34 as evidence that this new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Jeremiah 31:31–34)
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 31:38–40 Jerusalem will soon be destroyed, yet God will eventually rebuild it. When it is totally sacred to the Lord (Zech. 14:20–21), it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever. At that time Jerusalem will be Zion, the new Jerusalem, the city where God lives with his people in the permanent absence of sin (Isa. 4:2–6; 25:6–12; 65:17–25).
Jeremiah said that Jerusalem would someday be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate (31:38). This is probably where the Babylonian army broke through the walls of Jerusalem. It was on the north side of the city, where the land was flat. There were steep valleys around the rest of the city, which would have made it harder to invade.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:1 tenth year. c. 588–587 B.C.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:2–5 Babylon was besieging Jerusalem. This siege lasted about a year (see 39:1; 52:4). Jeremiah was imprisoned by Zedekiah (37:11–21) for prophesying that Babylon would conquer Jerusalem (21:1–10; 34:1–5; 37:6–10).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:6–7 Hanamel . . . will come to you. God revealed what would occur. right of redemption. See Lev. 25:25–32. When property was sold due to financial problems, a relative would buy it back so that it could stay in the family. The person who bought it back was called a “kinsman-redeemer” (see “redeemer,” Ruth 4:1).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:9 Because of God’s word, Jeremiah buys the field, even though Babylon will soon invade the land. seventeen shekels. About seven ounces.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:11 sealed deed . . . open copy. Scribes wrote two copies of the transaction. They rolled up and sealed the first copy, leaving the second open for viewing.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:12 Baruch was Jeremiah’s disciple and scribe (36:4; 45:1–5).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:13–14 Jeremiah had Baruch place the precious document in an earthenware storage vessel for safekeeping.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:15 Now the point of this symbolic act (see also 13:1–14; 16:1–13; 18:1–11; 19:1–15; 27:1–28:17) is revealed: God will return the people to the land, and fields will be bought and sold again.
Sealing documents in earthenware vessels (32:14) was a common way to preserve them for future generations. The Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most important biblical archaeological discoveries, were found in vessels similar to the one Jeremiah used.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:17 Jeremiah’s prayer begins by confessing that God is the all-powerful Creator (made the heavens), for whom nothing is too hard (see Gen. 18:14). God has infinite power and can do all that he wills to do. However, that does not mean God can do anything, for he cannot act contrary to his own character (see 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:18).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:18 steadfast love to thousands. Covenant love to countless generations. See Ex. 34:6–7; Joel 2:12–14; Jonah 4:2. repay the guilt. In many cases, both fathers and children have sinned in the same ways, so both suffer the consequences of their actions. See Ex. 20:5–6; Jer. 3:25; 14:20.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:20–23 God has revealed his characteristics (vv. 17–19) by his great acts, such as sending the plagues in Egypt, leading Israel in the exodus, giving Israel the Promised Land, and bearing with Israel until he allowed Babylon to invade.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:24 What you spoke has come to pass. All God’s threats, beginning with 1:9–16, were fulfilled.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:25 Given the certain Babylonian victory, Jeremiah wonders why God directed him to buy land.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:26–27 God confirms Jeremiah’s confession (v. 17). He is the Creator of all flesh, and nothing is too hard for him to accomplish.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:37 I will gather them. See 23:7–8; 29:10–14; 31:1–9.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:38 they shall be my people. See 24:7; 30:22; 31:33.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:39 one heart. United together to serve God (Ezek. 11:19; see Deut. 6:4–9; Jer. 4:4).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:40–41 everlasting covenant. See Isa. 55:3; Ezek. 16:60; 37:26; compare Jer. 31:31–40. God’s covenant will not cease: he will do good to his people, place fear of him in their hearts, and plant them in this land. God will provide everything needed to keep the covenant. I will rejoice in doing them good. God keeps his promises with great delight.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 32:44 Just as Jeremiah has purchased land (vv. 1–15), others will do the same in future times.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:1 second time . . . in the court of the guard. See 32:1–2.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:2 God the Creator (10:16; 32:17), who formed and established the earth, makes the promises that follow. His word was as powerful in Jeremiah’s time as in Gen. 1:1–2:3. His promises cannot fail.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:3 hidden things. Future things that God will now reveal.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:5 God reveals that all current efforts to repel Babylon will fail. Because of Jerusalem’s evil deeds, God will fill it with dead bodies.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:6–8 God promises health and healing for Jerusalem’s “wounds”—its devastation, disgrace, and sin (30:16–17; see 33:7–8)—but first he will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:9 Jerusalem has become a warning for other nations (see 15:4; 24:9; 29:18), but in the future it will be a testimony to God’s goodness.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:10–11 voice of gladness. Jeremiah correctly prophesied that joy would cease when Jerusalem was made desolate (7:34; 16:9; 25:10). But now he prophesies that joy will be restored, with worship being the most important joy (30:19; Ps. 107:22; 136:1–26).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:15 Branch. The Davidic messianic offspring (see Isa. 4:2; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). execute justice and righteousness. A key role God and his Messiah will play (Isa. 9:7; 11:5; Jer. 23:5–6; see 22:3, 13, 15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:16 The Messiah’s coming will mean salvation for Judah and Jerusalem. The city will be so changed that it will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness,” the name given to the Messiah in 23:6.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:19–21 See 31:35–37. Like the new covenant, God’s covenant with David and Levi will endure forever. This does not contradict the NT teaching about a new covenant (31:31), for Christ fulfills the promise that one of David’s descendants will always reign over the house of Israel.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 33:22 Like Abraham’s descendants, the offspring of David will be too many to be counted (Gen. 15:1–6), for there will be many believers in the Messiah. They will share the Messiah’s inheritance (Rom. 8:17).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:1–45:5 God Judges Judah. Having declared Judah and Israel’s current sins (chs. 2–29) and future renewal (chs. 30–33), Jeremiah now depicts Judah’s final days. He does so while declaring God’s faithfulness and Judah’s infidelity (chs. 34–35), Judah’s rejection of God’s word (ch. 36), Judah’s last days before Jerusalem’s destruction (chs. 37–39), Judah’s pointless rebellion against Babylon after the city’s fall (chs. 40–41), and Judah’s useless rebellion against God (chs. 42–45).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:1 This message came when Babylon’s invasion was in full force (c. 587 B.C.).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:3–5 Zedekiah will lose the battle and his freedom. He will go to Babylon with many of his people (21:7). Second Kings 25:6–7 records the fulfillment of this prophecy. Zedekiah meets the king of Babylon eye to eye (in Riblah), his sons are slain, his eyes are put out, and he is led to Babylon. Nonetheless, God will allow Zedekiah to die in peace, for he is David’s descendant (see Jer. 52:11).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:6–7 With only weeks remaining before Jerusalem’s fall, Jeremiah speaks to Zedekiah again.
Burning of spices during funerals (34:5) served a number of purposes. If a burial was delayed, spices would mask any unpleasant odors. Since they were expensive, spices were also a way of displaying wealth and honoring the memory of the deceased.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:8–11 When Jerusalem feared that defeat was imminent, the people freed all Hebrew slaves, or bondservants, so they could fight, but afterward, when the threat subsided, they took away their freedom again.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:13 covenant with your fathers. The Mosaic covenant, which was based on God freeing Israel from the house of slavery (see Ex. 20:2).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:14 Israelites could become indentured servants of other Israelites for a period of six years, but then were to be set free (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:15 repented. Of not obeying God’s word on indentured persons. made a covenant. Performed a solemn covenant ceremony in the temple, setting the servants free.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:16 turned around. Repented of repenting. profaned my name. Invoked in the ceremony. took back. Enslaved again those who had been set free.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:17 Because the servants have not been set free, God sets the nation “free” to be consumed by sword, pestilence, and famine. See 14:1–12; 15:1–4; 29:17–18; 32:24.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 34:18–20 make them like the calf. Put the covenant breakers to death by the sword. passed between its parts. Covenant-ratification ceremonies (vv. 16–17) often included cutting a sacrifice in two and having the parties walk between the halves of the sacrifice (Gen. 15:7–17). Presumably the cutting of the sacrifice warned the parties of the consequences of breaking the covenant. Judah and its leaders have broken the covenant and must suffer the consequences of their actions.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 35:1 days of Jehoiakim. King 609–598 B.C.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 35:2 Rechabites. Nomadic tribe that originated with the Kenites (Judg. 4:11; 1 Sam. 15:6; 1 Chron. 2:55) and was associated with Jehu’s coup in 842 B.C. (2 Kings 10:15–17).
The Lord commended the Rechabites for keeping the commandments of their founder (ch. 35), which included abstaining from wine and not building permanent houses. The Rechabites obeyed after being told only once, while the people of Judah continued to disobey the Lord after being warned many times.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 35:3–4 man of God. Synonym for “prophet” (1 Sam. 9:6; 1 Kings 12:22; 17:24).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 35:12–14 The Lord points out the stark contrast between the Rechabites, who have kept the command of Jonadab (see vv. 8–11), and his people Israel, who have not listened to him.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 35:15–16 God sent regular reminders of his covenant with Judah through the prophets (7:23–25; 25:3–4; 32:33), to no avail. The Rechabites needed be told only once to obey their ancestor.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 35:18–19 The Lord tells the Rechabites that because they have obeyed their own spiritual leader (vv. 8–10) they will stand before the God of Israel. “Stand before” is a synonym for serving God in his presence, often in the temple (see 7:10; 15:19).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 36:1 fourth year. Probably in 605 B.C., prior to Babylon controlling Judah (2 Kings 24:1) and also prior to Babylon taking captives from Judah (Dan. 1:1–4).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 36:4 Baruch (see 32:12–16) was Jeremiah’s friend and fellow servant of God (36:32; 45:1–5). Jeremiah dictated the words for the scroll to Baruch.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 36:6 you are to go. Evidence of Baruch’s commitment to God and his word. day of fasting. Usually called in times of emergency (see Joel 2:15–17), perhaps on the occasion of the Babylonian invasion of 605 B.C. (Jer. 36:1). read the words. As Jeremiah’s representative, Baruch was to make a public proclamation of God’s warning.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 36:23–24 The king and his servants show no regard for God’s word. To them the scroll is merely fuel for the fire. To cut . . . off God’s words with a knife and burn them showed foolish, proud disregard for a message from their all-powerful Creator and Judge.
Baruch, whose name means “blessed,” was Jeremiah’s friend, scribe, and disciple. Like Jeremiah, Baruch was a faithful servant of God. He helped Jeremiah purchase a field from one of the prophet’s relatives. The Lord would use this as a symbol of hope despite the disaster that was to befall Judah: since the field had been bought and paid for, they could be assured that, after the exile, some of the people would return to the land. Baruch also recorded Jeremiah’s prophecies on a scroll, and because Jeremiah had been barred from entering the temple, it was Baruch himself who read the words of the scroll. It was a warning from God to the nation of Judah. These prophecies angered the king so much that he burned the scroll. Baruch experienced serious persecution alongside Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 36:4–10)
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 36:29 Jehoiakim burned the scroll because he did not believe Babylon’s invasion would succeed (7:1–15; 26:9).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 36:30 Because of his disregard for God’s word, Jehoiakim will have no heir to succeed him and will not receive a respectable burial (22:18–19). This judgment is fulfilled in 37:1.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:1 Zedekiah. Reigned c. 597–586 B.C. Coniah. Another name for Jehoiachin, who reigned for only three months in 598–597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:8–9); also called Jeconiah (Jer. 24:1). He was removed in keeping with the prophecy in 36:30.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:2 A new ruler did not bring a new attitude toward God’s words.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:5–9 Egypt marched against Babylon c. 588 B.C., drawing the Babylonians away from Jerusalem. But God’s word for Zedekiah is that Babylon will come back. Believing anything else is self-deception.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:14 Despite Jeremiah’s denials and his long track record of truth-telling, Irijah detained him and brought him to the officials (26:10–24).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:15 enraged. At Jeremiah’s teaching and denial (36:29).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:16 dungeon cells. The phrase refers to either a cell in a cistern (see note on 38:6) or a vaulted room underground. Either option indicates a damp, unhealthy place.
The dungeon cells or cisterns in which Jeremiah was imprisoned (chs. 37–38) were most likely dark, damp rooms without enough room to stand up in. Cisterns were dug out of rock, had a small opening, and spread out at the bottom. Escape from such a place was virtually impossible.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 37:17 Desperate for good news (21:1–2), Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah, only to learn that God’s word remains one of judgment.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:1 Even after imprisonment, Jeremiah keeps speaking God’s truth. Jucal. Another name for Jehucal. See 37:3. Pashhur. See 21:1. All these officials were apparently pro-Egyptian in foreign policy matters.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:2–3 This is a summary of Jeremiah’s message concerning Jerusalem for all 10 years of Zedekiah’s reign. See 27:1–15.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:4 Unlike in 26:16–24, the officials think Jeremiah should die. They believe his words undermine the war effort. Ironically, though his advice is sound, they believe it will harm the people.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:5 Zedekiah gives Jeremiah to his opponents, but God has promised to protect his life (1:17–19).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:6 Unlike in 37:20–21, Jeremiah cannot avoid imprisonment in a cistern. Cisterns were dug out of rock, had a small opening, and spread out at the bottom. Escape from such a place was virtually impossible, so perhaps only notorious prisoners were put there (see Gen. 37:20, with esv footnote). sank in the mud. A slow, filthy way to die.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:7 the Ethiopian. A foreigner who most likely was forced to serve Judah’s king. Benjamin Gate. See 37:13.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:8–9 Ebed-melech shows himself superior in character to the weak Zedekiah. He recognizes the injustice Jeremiah has suffered and his life-threatening circumstances (see 39:16–18).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:11–13 Ebed-melech continues to prove resourceful on Jeremiah’s behalf.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:16 secretly. Zedekiah’s promise had no public weight (37:17).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:19–20 Zedekiah feared displeasing people in Jerusalem (vv. 4–5) and feared being turned over to Judeans who had already surrendered to Babylon. But Jeremiah promises that obedience to God’s word (27:1–15) will result in his survival.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:21–22 Refusal to obey carries dire consequences.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:23 Without obedience to God’s word, Zedekiah, his family, and Jerusalem will all suffer terrible fates.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:24 Let no one know. Jeremiah’s future seems to lie in Zedekiah’s hands, but God has promised him protection (1:17–19; 38:5).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 38:28 the day that Jerusalem was taken. Babylon renewed the siege, as Jeremiah had promised (see 37:6–10). Babylon eventually triumphed.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:1 ninth year . . . tenth month. Perhaps December 589/January 588 B.C. Babylon . . . came against Jerusalem.
586 B.C.
The Babylonians had invaded Judah at least once before in 597 B.C., but in 586 Nebuchadnezzar completely destroyed the walls of Jerusalem and the temple as punishment for Zedekiah’s rebellion. Zedekiah himself fled Jerusalem but was caught by the Babylonians near Jericho and sent to Riblah to face judgment.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:2 eleventh year . . . fourth month. Perhaps June/July 587 B.C. The siege lasted over two years.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:3 middle gate. Mentioned only here. Perhaps in the middle of the northern wall, since Babylon would likely have attacked from the north, the flattest terrain. The officials . . . sat in the gate as judges.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:4 Zedekiah now learns that Jeremiah was God’s true prophet. king’s garden. Most likely on the south side of Jerusalem. Arabah. A region extending from the Jordan River Valley to the area south of the Dead Sea.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:5 Zedekiah did not get far when he fled (v. 4). The plains of Jericho were perhaps as few as 14 miles (23 km) east of Jerusalem. Riblah. In Syria, 65 miles (105 km) north of Damascus. Nebuchadnezzar ruled his armies and pronounced judgment on enemies there.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:6–7 Nebuchadnezzar was harsher than Zedekiah feared his countrymen would be (38:19).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:9–10 The people who were left in the city and those who had deserted were taken to Babylon. Not every Judean was taken, for the poorest people, who owned nothing, were given what remained in Judea.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:11–12 do him no harm. God was still protecting Jeremiah (see 1:19).
Free vineyards. After they conquered Judah and shipped all the leading citizens to Babylon, the Babylonians gave vineyards to some of the poor Judeans who remained in the land (39:10). This would have made the people less likely to rebel and would allow them to resume farming after many years of war.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:13–14 Nebuchadnezzar’s officials (v. 3) released Jeremiah from prison, which probably made some of the people think he was collaborating with the Babylonian king.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:15–16 Before Jerusalem fell, God sent a word concerning Ebed-melech, who had saved Jeremiah from the cistern (38:7–13).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:17 I will deliver you. This is the same promise that God gave Jeremiah at the outset of his ministry (1:19). on that day. God’s day of judgment on Jerusalem (39:1–10).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 39:18 put your trust in me. Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian Gentile, had saving faith in God.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 40:1 Nebuzaradan. See 39:11–14. Ramah. Five miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem. along with all the captives. By some mistake (see 39:11–12), Jeremiah had been taken away with the exiles.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 40:2–5 Nebuzaradan recognizes the truth of Jeremiah’s preaching about Jerusalem’s fall. As Nebuchadnezzar ordered (39:11–12), Nebuzaradan offered Jeremiah a choice of where to live and put him under Gedaliah’s protection.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 40:6 Mizpah. About 5–8 miles (8–13 km) north of Jerusalem (Judg. 20:1–3). lived with him. In the governor’s house (Jer. 39:14).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 40:9 Perhaps Judah’s surviving soldiers (vv. 7–8) wanted Gedaliah to lead a revolt. If so, they were disappointed. He gave them the same advice Jeremiah gave the exiles in 29:1–9.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 40:13–14 Apparently the former soldiers (vv. 7–9) appreciated Gedaliah. They warned him of a plot against his life involving Baalis the king of the Ammonites, and Ishmael, one of the “captains of the forces in the open country” (vv. 7–8), but he did not believe the rumors. The Ammonites opposed Babylon (27:3) and would therefore oppose Gedaliah.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:1 seventh month. October, most likely 587 B.C., though perhaps as late as 582 (see 52:30). The Feast of Booths took place in this month, and the pilgrims mentioned in 41:4–5 may have come for that festival.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:2 As Johanan had feared (40:13–16), Ishmael (see 40:13–16) did plan to kill Gedaliah. Killing a host was considered a cowardly act. Killing the man Nebuchadnezzar had appointed governor was foolish and dangerous.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:3 Ishmael killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah, thus carrying out a political massacre.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:4–5 eighty men. Probably pilgrims for the Feast of Booths.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:10 Ishmael took hostages.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:11–12 Johanan and other former soldiers (40:7–8, 13–16) pursued the treasonous Ishmael. The city of Gibeon was about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Mizpah (see note on 40:6). Ishmael took an indirect route, perhaps to elude capture, but he did not get far.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 41:13–15 Johanan rescued the hostages and killed two of Ishmael’s men, but Ishmael . . . escaped to Ammon.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:1–4 The leaders ask Jeremiah to seek God’s will. They are desperate and devastated and claim to desire to know the thing that they should do.
The town of Geruth Chimham (41:17) may have been named after the Chimham mentioned in 2 Sam. 19:37–40 (see also “sons of Barzillai,” 1 Kings 2:7), who apparently served King David in a time of great need. It was common for members of the royal court to be paid for their services in land rather than money.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:7–9 Jeremiah waits for God’s word (see 28:11–12), and when it comes he summons the people. At the end of ten days. Though Jeremiah was a faithful and true prophet of God, he could not give prophecies whenever he wanted. He had to wait for the Lord to speak to him.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:10 Jeremiah delivers a word of promise: God has ceased bringing disaster. If the people stay in Judah, God will build and plant them, which are metaphors for renewal (1:10; 24:6; 31:28).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:11 with you, to save you and to deliver you. God gives the people the same promise he gave Jeremiah at his call (1:19; see also 39:17). Their lives will be as safe as Jeremiah’s has been.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:13–17 Rejecting God’s promise and fleeing to Egypt will result in Judah experiencing what they fear. Babylon will defeat Egypt; the exiles are safer in Judah.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:18 God’s anger and wrath were warned about (4:4; 7:20; 21:5), then poured out (39:1–10).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 42:19–20 Jeremiah could hardly speak more plainly: to obey means life; to disobey means death.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 43:4–6 Johanan and company did not obey the voice of the LORD. Rather, they took to Egypt the captives they had rescued (41:11–18). They also took Jeremiah and Baruch (43:6) as hostages.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 43:7 Tahpanhes. In the eastern delta of Egypt. See 2:16.
Tahpanhes (43:7) was a fortified city in the eastern part of the Nile delta, near what is now the Suez Canal. Archaeologists have found a large building that may have served as a governor’s residence. Since all such buildings would have belonged to the state, this may be “Pharaoh’s palace” mentioned in v. 9.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 43:9–10 Jeremiah performs another symbolic act. Compare 13:1–14; 16:1–13; 19:1–15; 27:1–28:17; 32:1–15. This time he places large stones near one of Pharaoh’s palaces and promises that God will place Nebuchadnezzar’s throne on these stones.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 43:12 as a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin. Nebuchadnezzar will pick off Egypt’s cities as easily as a shepherd picks lice off his clothing.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 43:13 obelisks of Heliopolis. Sacred pillars in the temples of Heliopolis, about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Cairo. Jeremiah highlights the gods’ powerlessness. See 10:1–16.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:1 The diversity of locations in Egypt emphasizes that the message that follows is for all the Judeans . . . in the land of Egypt. Clearly many Judean refugees had fled to Egypt.
c. 586 B.C.
Many of the leading families who had been freed from Ishmael chose to flee to Egypt to escape the Babylonians’ wrath over Gedaliah’s murder. Though Jeremiah himself warned against this course of action, he apparently was forced to accompany the refugees to Tahpanhes in Egypt, where he delivered a prophecy against Egypt and all the Judeans who had fled there. Archaeological evidence has corroborated the influx of significant populations of Judean refugees during this time as far south as Elephantine (near Syene), at the first cataract of the Nile River.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:4–5 This disaster came upon Jerusalem because the people rejected God’s servants the prophets and refused to turn from idolatry (25:4; 35:15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:8 Already the Judeans who have fled to Egypt (v. 1) have begun to worship the gods that their new nation serves.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:9–10 The people commit the same acts Jeremiah condemned in 7:16–20. Despite all they have endured, they continue to reject God’s word revealed through Moses (9:13–14; 26:4–6).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:11–14 Babylon will complete its role as an instrument of God’s wrath (27:1–15) against Judah’s idolatrous remnant. Judah will become a warning to other peoples (18:16; 24:9; 29:18; 34:17).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:17–18 The refugees will continue to worship the queen of heaven, which most likely refers to Ishtar, the goddess of fertility. The whole nation (fathers, kings, officials) participated in the cult (see 7:18).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:21–23 Jeremiah argues that Judah’s participation in idolatry led to their defeat. God remembered what they did, and he acted accordingly.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:26 These Judeans have reversed salvation history by returning to Egypt and her gods. So, God will take back the name he revealed to Moses (Ex. 3:14; 6:2–3) and the saving, covenantal presence his name symbolizes.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 44:29–30 God offers the people a sign: when Egypt’s current king dies, they will know that God has spoken truly. Hophra ruled Egypt c. 589–570 B.C. He supported Zedekiah against Babylon (37:5), so he was probably a special favorite of the Judeans. hand of his enemies. Domestic enemies overthrew Hophra in 570 B.C. and killed him three years later.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 45:1 fourth year of Jehoiakim. About 605 B.C. See 36:1.
Pharaoh Hophra had a tumultuous nineteen-year reign. To the northeast he faced the Babylonians as they invaded Israel; to the west, the armies of Greece were invading Libya. He sent an army to Jerusalem to assist the Israelites but they were defeated, as were his forces in Libya. His own general overthrew him in 570 B.C., and he was killed in battle three years later, thus fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophesy (44:30).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 45:3 Baruch felt the effects of sharing Jeremiah’s ministry and persecution (36:19; 43:3, 6). the LORD has added sorrow. Baruch felt that God was unjust, and he viewed the great events of the day as difficulties for him.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 45:4 God states that he has lost much more than Baruch has.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 45:5 Apparently Baruch hoped for great personal success, not pain and suffering. Seek them not. Fame and ease are not available. I am bringing disaster upon all flesh. Not just on Judah, but on Egypt (44:29–30; 46:1–28) and many other nations (chs. 47–51). give you your life. See 1:17–19 and 39:15–18.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:1–51:64 God’s Judgment on the Nations. Jeremiah has already declared God’s sovereignty over the nations (27:1–15). Here he describes God’s coming judgment on Egypt (ch. 46), Philistia (ch. 47), Moab (ch. 48), Ammon (49:1–6), Edom (49:7–22), Damascus (49:23–33), the ends of the earth (49:34–39), and Babylon (chs. 50–51).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:1 This introduces chs. 46–51. The word of the LORD . . . concerning the nations. God is not the God of the Jews only, but is Lord of all the earth. In chs. 46–51 his words show that he holds all nations and all people accountable for their actions (see notes on Mark 6:18; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:14–16).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:2 At Carchemish, Babylon defeated Egypt, taking full control of the region. fourth year of Jehoiakim. 605 B.C. (25:1; 36:1; 45:1). Jehoiakim had been placed in power by Egypt (2 Kings 23:34). When Babylon defeated Egypt, Jehoiakim switched sides, yet only after Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah (2 Kings 24:1; Dan. 1:1).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:10 day of the Lord. The day that GOD judges Egypt by sending Babylon against them. See The Day of the Lord in the Prophets. holds a sacrifice. Egypt’s army is the sacrifice (Isa. 34:1–7; Zeph. 1:7–9).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:11 Gilead. On the eastern side of the Jordan River. balm. Soothing substance placed in wounds (8:22; Gen. 37:25). many medicines. A metaphor for strategy. Healing refers to aid from another country.
The balm of Gilead (46:11) was an ointment used to treat wounds. It was probably made from the sap of a tree.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:15–16 God causes Egypt’s defeat. Babylon remains God’s instrument for punishing idolatry (27:1–15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:18 the King. God rules the heavens and the earth (Ps. 103:19). hosts. Armies. Tabor . . . Carmel. Nebuchadnezzar shall tower over Egypt like these two mountains.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:19 Memphis was the capital of Egypt.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:25 Israel’s God commands armies (hosts), and he sends these armies against Egypt and her gods and her kings. Amon was the chief god of Thebes, the capital of Upper (southern) Egypt. Babylon’s conquest will include Egypt’s southern regions.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:26 Despite the devastation, Egypt will endure. God will leave Egypt with a remnant, one that will turn to him (Isa. 19:19–25).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 46:27–28 fear not. See 30:10–11 and Isa. 41:8–10. This promise of renewal includes Israel, not just Judah.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 47:2 Babylon invades Gaza like flood waters that overflow the land and all that fills it.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 47:4 because of the day. This day of loss is a day of God’s judgment (46:10). Tyre and Sidon. These Phoenician cities were likely Gaza’s allies. Coastal cities were often the last places to fall in land-dominated wars.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 47:5 Baldness means either that Gaza’s citizens shaved their heads as part of a mourning ritual (see Isa. 22:12; Amos 8:10) or that the land was shaved clean of inhabitants and cities. gash yourselves. Either as a sign of mourning (Jer. 41:5) or when praying to one’s gods (1 Kings 18:28).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 47:6–7 God’s punishing sword (12:12) will not rest until it completes its work against Ashkelon (47:1) and the seashore.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:1 The location of Nebo is uncertain; perhaps it was near Mount Nebo, 12 miles (19 km) east of the northernmost point of the Dead Sea. Kiriathaim was probably near Nebo. fortress. One or both of the cities were fortresses that could house refugees from the countryside. When such places fell, defeat was total.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:2 Heshbon was northeast of Mount Nebo.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:3 Horonaim. Location uncertain, perhaps in southwest Moab. If so, cities from north (vv. 1–2) to south have suffered in the invasion.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:5 ascent of Luhith. Perhaps in southern Moab on the way to Zoar. See Isa. 15:5. descent of Horonaim. Location unknown, but perhaps farther south than Luhith. See Isa. 15:5. The contrast between ascent and descent means the cry of destruction has reached the heights and depths of Moab.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:7 Chemosh was Moab’s national deity. Human sacrifice was part of Moab’s rituals for Chemosh (2 Kings 3:27). shall go into exile. Images of a defeated nation’s gods were often taken to the temples of the victorious nation (1 Sam. 5:1–12; Isa. 46:1–2).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:8 destroyer. Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Moab c. 582 B.C. Every city and region, valley and plain was devastated.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:10 Babylon will do its work as God’s instrument of judgment (27:1–15) with urgency, not laziness.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:11 Moab has survived many previous invasions (v. 9). Thus, Moab has become complacent and settled on his dregs (Zeph. 1:12), like wine allowed to age. Moab produced wine (Isa. 16:8–11), so the comparison is appropriate.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:12 pour him . . . break his jars. Babylon will empty Moab like one pours wine from a jar. It will smash Moab like one smashes and disposes of old jars (13:12–14; 19:1–15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:13 ashamed of Chemosh. Because this god cannot save (10:1–25). ashamed of Bethel. At Bethel, Jeroboam I established one of his chief high places in his new religion (1 Kings 12:25–33). Worship there was part of the reason God judged Israel (2 Kings 17:9).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:15 See 46:18. The LORD is the King of all nations. Even Babylon must obey him (see 27:1–15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:16 near at hand. See v. 8. Moab had only a few years to change its ways.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:20 The fleeing ones explain that Moab is broken (v. 12). The Arnon is a river just south of Aroer (v. 19).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:21–24 All of Moab’s cities are lost in this judgment time.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:26 drunk. By drinking the cup of God’s wrath (25:15–26). wallow in his vomit. See 25:27.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:29–30 the pride of Moab. See Isa. 16:6.
Doves are known for hiding their nests in high cliffs and other places difficult to reach (48:28).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:31 Compare Isa. 16:7, 11. God mourns over the necessity of judging Moab.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:33 The shout of joy heard when new wine is made will be replaced by the shouts of warriors (25:30–31). See Isa. 16:8–10.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:35 God’s judgment will bring Moab’s idolatry to an end (see Isa. 15:2, 5).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:36 my heart moans. God mourns that Moab’s people will lose the possessions they spent a lifetime collecting. Though God in his justice brings righteous judgment against sinners and takes delight in the purity and holiness of his judgment, he also feels sorrow at the destruction that the judgment brings upon human beings created in his image (see Ezek. 18:32; 33:11; Matt. 23:37; Luke 19:41).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:40 spread his wings against. Babylon will swoop down on Moab like a bird capturing prey (see 49:22; Lam. 4:19; Ezek. 17:3–8).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:42 Moab . . . magnified itself against the LORD by failing to accept God’s word concerning Babylon’s role as a divine instrument of judgment. See 27:1–15.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:43–44 Moab will be hunted down and captured like animals. See Isa. 24:17–18; Lam. 3:52–55; Amos 5:18–20.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:45 house of Sihon. See Num. 21:21. forehead . . . crown. Probably refers to Moab’s northern regions.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 48:47 God makes the same promise of restoration to Moab that he did to Judah in 29:14. The latter days most likely refers to a time when Moabites will take refuge in the Messiah (see 49:6, 39; Isa. 16:3–5).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:1 Ammonites. People living north of Moab. Their capital was Rabbah, present-day Amman, Jordan. During Jehoiakim’s reign they raided Judah (2 Kings 24:2), and they conspired with Judah and others against Babylon during Zedekiah’s reign (Jer. 27:3). Milcom. Or Molech, Ammon’s chief god (1 Kings 11:5, 7). Milcom means “their king.” dispossessed Gad. In the aftermath of the Assyrian invasion of 734–732 B.C., Ammon occupied some territory belonging to the Israelite tribe Gad.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:2 Israel shall dispossess. Israel will retake the cities lost in 734–732 B.C. (v. 1).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:3 Heshbon. See 48:2. Ai. Location unknown; not the Ai of Josh. 7:1–9. Rabbah. See note on Jer. 49:1. Milcom shall go into exile. See 48:7.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:5 I will bring terror. God is sovereign over all nations; he will send an invader. every man straight before him. The Ammonites will flee by the quickest route possible. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Ammon c. 582 B.C.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:6 God will restore Ammon’s fortunes, just as he will for Israel and Moab. See 29:14 and 48:47.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:7 Edom. Descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:1–19) who lived south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba. Obadiah 10–14 indicates that Edom benefited from Jerusalem’s fall. wisdom . . . in Teman. Teman was in northern Edom. Obadiah 8 indicates Edom was famous for its wise men; they will soon vanish.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:8 Dedan. A site southeast of Edom.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:11–12 God may protect Edom’s fatherless children and widows, but the nation as a whole will drink the cup of destruction (25:28–29; Lam. 4:21).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:13 Bozrah. Capital of Edom, 25 miles (40 km) southeast of the Dead Sea. Like Jerusalem (15:4; 24:9), Bozrah shall become a horror to other nations.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:23 Damascus. See Isa. 17:1–6 and Amos 1:3–5. The chief Aramean city, home to kings Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20) and Hazael (2 Kings 8:7–15). Assyria dominated Damascus from 732 to 609 B.C., and Babylon did so after 605. Hamath and Arpad. Hamath was 115 miles (185 km) north of Damascus, and Arpad was 95 miles (153 km) north of Hamath. heard bad news. About Damascus, from a great distance.
The jungle of the Jordan was the bottommost region of the Jordan Valley. Filled with dense thickets and lush plant life, it provided an ideal hunting ground for animals such as lions (49:19; compare 12:5).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:24 Damascus’s distress is so great she is too terrified to flee. She is like a woman in labor. See 4:31 and 48:41.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:28 Kedar. A significant Arab clan (2:10; Isa. 21:16–17). Kedar engaged in sheep breeding (Isa. 60:7) and traded with Phoenicia (Ezek. 27:21). kingdoms of Hazor. Probably a term designating several nomadic tribes in northern Arabia (Ps. 120:5; Isa. 42:11).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:30 plan . . . purpose. See v. 20. God devises plans that Nebuchadnezzar puts into practice (27:1–15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:34 Elam. East of Babylon in the lower Tigris River Valley. Conquered by Assyria in 640 B.C. beginning of the reign of Zedekiah. c. 597 B.C.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:36–38 God will send invaders against Elam and destroy it. set my throne. Most likely the throne of Nebuchadnezzar (27:1–15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 49:39 For the same promise to other nations, see 33:26; 49:6; and note on 48:47. These verses predict a future salvation for Gentiles.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:1–2 Babylon is taken. Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. (Isa. 13:1–14:23; 21:9). Bel was the title (“Lord”) of the chief god of Babylon, depicted as a storm god and source of life (Isa. 46:1). Merodach (Babylonian “Marduk”) was the personal name of this god.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:3 In Jeremiah, trouble comes from the north (1:14). Like Judah’s cities (4:27; 10:22; 25:18; etc.), Babylon shall become a desolation (Isa. 13:9).
How Babylon fell. Cyrus captured the well-fortified city of Babylon using a simple but clever plan. The Euphrates River ran directly through the city, and there were spiked gates where it entered and exited. Cyrus’s army dug canals upstream to divert the flow of the river. With the water level lowered, his soldiers slipped under the spiked gates and took the city during the night.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:4–5 When Babylon falls, Israel and Judah shall join together (3:6–18) to seek the LORD their God (31:9). everlasting covenant. The new covenant (32:40; see 31:31–40).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:6 From mountain to hill they have gone. Probably for fertility cult worship (2:20).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:7 Because their leaders (“shepherds,” v. 6) have led them astray and then forsaken them, Israel and Judah have been devoured by their foes, all of whom God has sent (27:1–15). their habitation of righteousness. God is his people’s only security (31:23) and only righteousness (23:6). the hope of their fathers. He is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and their offspring (33:26).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:11–13 Babylon once rejoiced over its destruction of Judah, God’s heritage, like a calf frolicking or a stallion snorting. Soon Babylon will be ashamed and become an utter desolation (see v. 2).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:14–15 Just as Judah and Israel faced defeat because they sinned against the LORD, the same will happen to Babylon for the same reason. Babylon’s defeat is the vengeance of the LORD for all her oppressive ways.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:18 Just as God used Babylon to punish Assyria (c. 612–609 B.C.), so God will use Persia to punish Babylon (539).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:20 When God restores his people, no sin will be found in them, not because they have never sinned, but because he will pardon them (31:34) and purify their hearts (see Rev. 21:27).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:24 you did not know it. The defeat surprised Babylon. opposed the LORD. In part by crediting its success to its own power and its own gods (Isa. 10:5–19), but more significantly by not worshiping and serving the one true God.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:25 The armies that defeat Babylon carry the weapons of God’s wrath (v. 9; Isa. 13:1–5).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:26 Babylon’s dead will be piled up like heaps of grain pouring out of granaries. devote her to destruction. See note on 25:8–9.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:27 bulls. A technical term for choice young bulls, probably referring to Babylon’s soldiers (Isa. 34:6–7). go down to the slaughter. A picture of defeat in battle (Jer. 48:15).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:30 See 49:26. on that day. God’s day of judging Babylon.
Babylon was conquered in one night, while the king feasted in pride, using the golden vessels stolen from the temple (Daniel 5). Jeremiah sees this as the Lord taking vengeance for his temple (Jer. 50:28; 51:11).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:31 O proud one. As was true of Assyria (Isa. 10:5–34), Babylon’s pride was the cause of its downfall.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:32 none to raise him up. No ally will be able to deliver Babylon on the day of punishment.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:33 held them fast. Part of Babylon’s sin against God was its oppression of Israelite and Judean captives. Once held, they were never released. Babylon was like the pharaoh of the exodus (Ex. 5:2).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:34 Redeemer. A kinsman who avenged, protected, secured release, and retained property for a relative (Lev. 25:23–34, 47–55). plead their cause. Act as Israel’s advocate in a legal case. rest to the earth. From Babylon’s oppressive ways. unrest to . . . Babylon. Literally, “shake” Babylon with war and destruction.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:37 foreign troops. Paid foreign solders. that they may become women! That is, weak in terms of physical strength in combat. It was shameful for a nation to allow women to fight in war. See note on Nah. 3:12–13.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:38 Babylon’s idols will not be able to help when God dries up the nation’s waters.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 50:39–40 See Isa. 13:19–22. These verses paint a picture of defeat and desolation.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:1 Leb-kamai is a code name for Chaldea (Babylon; see esv footnote). It may simply refer to Babylon as God’s enemy because the nation opposed God (50:24).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:2 Just as God winnowed Judah (15:7), so he will winnow Babylon . . . on the day of trouble (see 2:28).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:5 Despite all the judgments that God has sent on Judah and Israel, he has not . . . forsaken them, for he will unite them (3:6–18) and give them a new covenant (31:31–40).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:7 golden cup. A metaphor for Babylon’s wealth (v. 13) and role as God’s instrument of judgment (25:15–26).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:9 We. Perhaps Babylon’s allies. would have healed Babylon. Would have come to her aid, but such attempts would be pointless because her sins have reached up to heaven, where God sees and judges.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:11 Medes. See Isa. 13:17–18. Cyrus incorporated the Medes into the Persian Empire in 550 B.C. vengeance for his temple. See Jer. 50:28.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:12 standard. Signal. See 4:6 and Isa. 13:2. watchmen. Persons charged with making certain that Babylon has not figured out the invader’s plan. ambushes. Intended to catch Babylon unaware as soldiers leave the city.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:14 sworn by himself. The highest name and authority (Isa. 45:23; 62:8; Amos 6:8; Heb. 6:13).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:15–19 Stated also in 10:12–16. God alone created and rules the earth. Israel forgot this and was judged; Babylon has ignored this and will be judged (Dan. 5:13–30).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:20–23 In the past Babylon was God’s hammer, or instrument of judgment (50:23). Now a new nation will play that role as Babylon becomes like the nations it defeated.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:25 As in Dan. 2:35, 44–45, Babylon is compared to a great mountain that once destroyed others but will now be destroyed. A volcano may be the basis for the metaphor, but the exact meaning is uncertain.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:31–32 Several messengers tell Babylon’s king the same news: the city is surrounded, the water escape routes are cut off, and the places of hiding (marshes) have been torched. No wonder the soldiers are in panic.
The Ashkenaz (51:27) were also known as the Scythians. They were nomads famed for their horseback-riding abilities. Most Scythians lived north of the Black Sea but some migrated as far away as northern Iran. It is believed that Attila the Hun was a direct descendant of the Scythians.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:34–35 like a monster. Though Nebuchadnezzar was sent by God against Jerusalem (27:1–15), he was unnecessarily violent and brutal in how he treated Judah (50:17–18; 51:11, 24).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:36 plead your cause. See 50:33–34. dry up her sea. Cut off her fertility. See 51:13.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:44 Bel. See note on 50:1–2. what he has swallowed. Babylon believed that its god gave its victories, but he has no power to help in its time of need. wall. The tops of Babylon’s walls were wide enough for several chariots to travel side by side.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:48 All of creation will sing for joy when Babylon, the great destroyer, falls.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:49 Babylon made other nations drink the cup of God’s wrath (25:15–25), and soon Babylon will drink the same cup (25:26).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:50 Remember the LORD. Israel must recall and renew its covenant with God (2:2–3; 31:31–40). The Israelites should let Jerusalem enter their thoughts and draw them home.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:57 make drunk. See 25:15–29; 51:38–40. the King. God, not human monarchs like Nebuchadnezzar, rules the universe (46:18).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:58 broad wall of Babylon. See note on v. 44. high gates. Babylon’s walls and gates were for defensive purposes, but they could not protect her in the end (v. 53). peoples labor for nothing. Humans work hard to build great cities to make names for themselves, but God rules history (45:1–5; Hab. 2:12–14).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:59 Seraiah the son of Neriah. Probably Baruch’s brother (32:12). went with Zedekiah. Apparently Zedekiah was summoned to Babylon to explain his questionable behavior (27:1–15). fourth year. 594–593 B.C. quartermaster. Responsible for the king’s travel arrangements.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:60–62 Jeremiah wrote in a book all these words concerning Babylon (most likely 50:2–51:58). read all these words. Apparently Seraiah was sent to deliver this message, as Baruch was sent in 36:1–8.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 51:63–64 Jeremiah’s final symbolic act (see 13:1–14; 16:1–9; 19:1–15; etc.) fulfills his initial call to be a prophet to the nations (1:5). Thus far are the words of Jeremiah indicates Jeremiah’s last words either in the whole book or in the scroll composed in 594–593 B.C.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:1–34 Conclusion: The Fall of Jerusalem. The book ends by describing Jerusalem’s fall and Zedekiah’s blinding (vv. 1–11), the destruction of the temple (vv. 12–23), the exiling of the people (vv. 24–30), and the continuation of the Davidic lineage (vv. 31–34). There are parallels with Jeremiah 39 and 2 Kings 24–25.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:1 Zedekiah ruled c. 597–586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar placed him in power to replace Jehoiachin, Zedekiah’s nephew (2 Kings 24:17). Jeremiah of Libnah. Otherwise unknown. Jeremiah the prophet, this Jeremiah, and one other person (Jer. 35:3) have the same name.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:4–6 Nebuchadnezzar punished Zedekiah’s rebellion (v. 3) by laying siege to Jerusalem (39:1–2). Because the siege lasted over a year and because of famine in the land (15:1–4), the city could hold out no longer.
Sieges were designed with one purpose in mind: to get the citizens of a city to give up without a fight. By surrounding a city, an invader could cut off not only a city’s food and water supply but also any means of escape. Once this was done, it was only a matter of time before thirst and hunger set in.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:12 fifth month. One month after the breach in the city walls (v. 6) Nebuzaradan (39:9–10), Nebuchadnezzar’s representative, entered Jerusalem to complete its destruction.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:14 The Chaldean army . . . broke down all the walls, leaving the city defenseless. Nehemiah began rebuilding the walls c. 445 B.C. (Neh. 2:11–3:32).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:24 The temple’s chief leaders were taken into exile.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:25 Nebuzaradan also exiled several civic leaders. sixty men of the people of the land. Most likely leaders of various parts of Judah who took refuge in Jerusalem during the invasion.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:28–30 Nebuchadnezzar took captives from Judah in stages. Many people had fled to other nations (44:1, 8), and many were left in the land (ch. 40). The seventh year was c. 597 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar replaced Jehoiachin with Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17).
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:31 the exile of Jehoiachin. See vv. 1, 29; 2 Kings 24:17. Evil-merodach. Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, who reigned c. 562–560 B.C. Perhaps to show his goodwill, he treated Jehoiachin with favor.
JEREMIAH—NOTE ON 52:32–34 Whatever Evil-merodach’s motives, Jehoiachin was treated well as long as he lived. David’s descendants, like the rest of the people, waited in exile for the 70 years to end (25:12; 29:1–14).