Verse 1
Pashur. See note on Jeremiah 20:1.
Verse 2
goeth forth. Some codices add "and falleth".
life = soul.
Verse 4
welfare = peace.
Verse 6
dungeon. See note on Jeremiah 37:16.
Hammelech = the king. See note on Jeremiah 36:26.
prison = house of detention.
sunk in the mire. To be preferred to the moral sinking of Zedekiah in Jeremiah 38:22.
Verse 7
Ebed-meleoh the Ethiopian. See Jeremiah 39:16; and compare Acts 8:27-38.
Verse 8
Ebed-melech. Some codices add "the Ethiopian".
Verse 10
thirty. The king knew the danger. No need to suppose that "thirty" is a copyist"s error for "three"!
Verse 11
old cast = cast-off clothes.
clouts = patches. Ang. -Sax. clut = a patch.
Verse 12
armholes = armpits.
Verse 13
remained. See note on Jeremiah 37:18.
Verse 14
Then, &c. This is the last picture of Zedekiah, and the house of Judah.
Verse 15
wilt thou not . . . me? = thou wilt not. This second clause is not a question in the Hebrew text.
Verse 16
As the LORD liveth = By the life of Jehovah.
soul. Hebrew. nephesh (App-13): i.e. May He Who gave us both our life, take mine away if I take thine, or give thee, &c.
Verse 17
the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 35:17.
the God of hosts. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, omit "God", and read "Jehovah Z baioth, God of Israel".
Verse 19
afraid = apprehensive.
Verse 22
princes. Showing that Nebuchadnezzar himself was not there. Compare Jeremiah 39:1.
set thee on = persuaded thee. See note on Jeremiah 20:7.
sunk in the mire. The moral sinking of Zedekiah far worse than Jeremiah"s physical sinking.
Verse 23
children = sons.
thou shalt cause this city to be burned. Hebrew thou wilt burn. Note the idiom by which the act is put for the declaration that it should be done.
Verse 27
he told them, &c. In Holy Scripture we have an inspired record of what was said and done by others, but it does not follow that all that was so said and done was inspired.
commanded. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, add "him".
Verse 28
abode. See the note on Jeremiah 37:16. further date: viz. "in the tenth day of the month".