Verse 1

The Thirty-Sixth Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

chains = the two fetters, as in Jeremiah 39:7.

Verse 2

the guard. See note on Jeremiah 39:9.

said. Nebuzar-adan takes all the credit to himself. Compare Jeremiah 39:11.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

evil = calamity. Hebrew. ra"a. App-44.

Verse 3

because ye have sinned, &c. Reference to Pentateuch.

Verse 4

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

hand. Some codices, with eight early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "hands".

Verse 5

Now while he was not yet gone back = And ere yet he could make reply.

Gedaliah. See note on Jeremiah 26:24, and Compare Jeremiah 39:14.

Shaphan. See note on 2 Kings 22:3.

reward = present.

Verse 6

Mizpah. North of Jerusalem, near Anathoth. Compare Jeremiah 41:5-9. Joshua 18:26. 1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:17, and 1 Kings 15:22. The scene of the following events: here had been Asa"s fortress (Jeremiah 41:9); here Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar and Titus got their first view of Jerusalem.

Verse 7

men. Hebrew pi. of "enosh. App-14.

governor. No more attempts to make a king, after Zedekiah"s perjury. See Ezekiel 17:15-19.

children = young children.

poor. Hebrew "poverty", put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for poor people. See Proverbs 6:11.

Verse 8

Ishmael. The Massorites (App-30) set their hand to obliterate the Divine names in the case of men who had served to disgrace it. One is "el, in the compound "Ishmael", which means "whom my El heareth". It is used of five different men, and occurs forty-eight times: twenty times of Hagar"s son; twenty-three times of Nethaniah"s son in this history; and five times of the other three. On account of his horrible treachery, the memory of which is perpetuated by the fast of the seventh month (Zechariah 7:5; Zechariah 8:9), the vowel points were changed to obliterate the Divine Name (El): viz. yishma"el, instead of yishma"el, which is not observable in the ordinary English spelling.

sons. Some codices, with Aram, and Septuagint, read "son", as in Jeremiah 40:13.

Netophathite = a man of Netophah, now Khan Umm Tobah, north of Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 2:54. Ezra 2:22. Nehemiah 7:26).

Verse 10

wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27.

summer fruits. Hebrew "summer". Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the fruits gathered in summer.

Verse 13

fields = field (singular)

Verse 14

slay thee = strike thy soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

Verse 15

man. Hebrew "Ish. App-14.

gathered = gathered out.