1105 – 1871 5 witnesses
“He would have died in his place, etc. If they had left him in his place, he would have died by himself in the famine, but they have done harm to bring his death closer.”
“In this part is shown the persecution of the prophet on account of his true preaching: and it is divided into three parts. First he sets down the preaching, he was speaking: for although he was in prison, yet many came to him; in which he threatens death to those who remain: whoever shall remain in this city shall die. And he promised safety to those who fled: but whoever shall flee (...) shall live. The capture of the city: by being delivered, it shall be delivered. And these three things he set down above in 21: whence it seems to be continued, according to the order of the history, to that. Secondly he sets down the persecution: where he sets down the impious petition of the princes: for they seek death: and the princes said. Wis. 2: let us circumvent the just man, because he is contrary to our works. They accuse his preaching: for of set purpose he weakens the hands of the men: which is against the prophetic office. Isa. 35: strengthen the weakened hands, and make firm the feeble knees. And they pervert his intention: since this man does not seek peace. Gal. 4: am I then become an enemy, speaking the truth to you? But Jeremiah did not wish to take away the heart of resisting; but he said those things for the good and salvation of the people, at the command of the Lord. He also sets down the foolish assent of the king: and king Zedekiah said. Whence he is not excused, although he sinned less. John 19: therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin. He also sets down their diligent execution: they took Jeremiah, therefore, and cast him into the pit, a cistern without water. Ps. 87: they have put me in the lower pit, in the dark places, and in the shadow of death. And he designates the letting down of the prophet: and so Jeremiah went down into the mire. Ps. 68: I am fixed in the mire of the deep, and there is no substance. Thirdly, the liberation is set down. Here he sets down two things. First, that he is freed from prison; secondly, that he is freed from fear of death, there, and king Zedekiah sent, and took Jeremiah to himself. Concerning the first, four things. First he describes the one petitioning, Abdemelech, that is, signifying "servant of the king"; which he says on account of humility. Rom. 1: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, etc. An Ethiopian, on account of the mortification of the flesh. Ps. 67: Ethiopia shall hasten her hands unto God. Cant. 1: I am black, but beautiful. A man, on account of strength of soul; a eunuch, on account of chastity. Matt. 19: there are eunuchs who have castrated themselves for the kingdom of heaven. Who was in the house of the king, Phil. 3: our conversation is in the heavens. Wis. 3: the eunuch who has not wrought iniquity with his hands, nor thought most wicked things against God: for to him shall be given the choice gift of faith, and a most acceptable lot in the temple of God. Secondly he sets down the petition, designating the place of the petition: now the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin, which namely led into the tribe of Benjamin. And he sets down the petition, and Abdemelech went out from the house of the king, and spoke to the king (...) for there is no more bread in the city; as if to say: from the time he was shut in, the bread failed. Or, it was not necessary for him to be shut in, since we are all besieged, and in want. Wis. 11: by what things a man sins, by the same also he is tormented. Thirdly, the obtaining is set down: and so the king commanded. Fourthly, the execution is set down: Abdemelech, therefore, taking men with him, entered the house of the king (...) and took from there old rags and worn-out things that had rotted, on account of the tribulations which they endured. Heb., last chapter: remember the leaders who have spoken to you the word of God; considering the end of their conversation, imitate their faith. Or because, literally, they are softer. By the cords, the precepts of God. Eccl. 4: a threefold cord is broken with difficulty. In the vestibule of the prison, that is, in the court. For the vestibule is called the house before the king's chamber, where garments are kept: whence every court is called a vestibule.”
“My lord the king,.... He addresses him as a courtier, with great reverence and submission, and yet with great boldness: these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet; meaning the princes, who might be present, and whom he pointed at, and mentioned by name; which showed great courage and faithfulness, as well as great zeal for, and attachment to, the prophet; to charge after this manner persons of such great authority so publicly, and to the king, whom the king himself stood in fear of: he first brings a general charge against them, that they had done wrong in everything they had done to the prophet; in their angry words to him; in smiting him, and putting him in prison in Jonathan's house; and particularly in their last instance of ill will to him: whom they have cast into the dungeon; he does not say where, or describe the dungeon, because well known to the king, and what a miserable place it was; and tacitly suggests the cruelty and inhumanity of the princes: and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is, for there is no more bread in the city; or very little; there was none to be had but with great difficulty, as Kimchi observes; and therefore though the king had ordered a piece of bread to be given him daily, as long as there was any in the city; yet it being almost all consumed, and the prophet being out or sight, and so out of mind, and altogether disregarded, must be in perishing circumstances, and near death; and must inevitably perish, unless some immediate care be taken of him. It may be rendered, "he will die" (t), &c. or the sense is, bread being exceeding scarce in the city, notwithstanding the king's order, very little was given to Jeremiah, while he was in the court of the prison; so that he was half starved, and was a mere skeleton then, and would have died for hunger there; wherefore it was barbarous in the princes to cast such a man into a dungeon. It may be rendered, "he would have died for hunger in the place where he was, seeing there was no more bread in the city" (u); wherefore, if the princes had let him alone where he was, he would have died through famine; and therefore acted a very wicked part in hastening his death, by throwing him into a dungeon; this is Jarchi's sense, with which Abarbinel agrees. (t) "morietur enim", Schmidt. (u) "Qui moriturus fuerat in loco suo propter famem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.”
“P. "And he is like to die there of hunger.'' He speaks as if the prophet would speedily die of hunger, since no one thought of supplying him with bread, there being an extreme scarcity of it in the city. If rescued from this loathsome pit. he might attract attention and gain relief.”
“die for hunger in the place where he is; for . . . no . . . bread in . . . city--(Compare Jer 37:21). He had heretofore got a piece of bread supplied to him. "Seeing that there is the utmost want of bread in the city, so that even if he were at large, there could no more be regularly supplied to him, much less now in a place where none remember or pity him, so that he is likely to die for hunger." "No more bread," that is, no more left of the public store in the city (Jer 37:21); or, all but no bread left anywhere [MAURER].”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.