Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 13:19
The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.
19. the South ] Heb. the Negeb, a barren region in the S. of Judah (see Gen 12:9 mg.), whose cities are named Jos 15:21-32. The sense is: none shall escape, not even those most remote from the point at which the invader from the north ( Jer 13:20) enters the land.
it is wholly, etc.] We may make a very probable correction in MT., and so (with LXX) render an entire captivity.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Shall be shut up – Rather, are shut up, and no man openeth them. The cities of the Negeb, the southern district of Judah, are blockaded, with no one to raise the siege. The captivity was the inevitable result of the capture of the fortified towns. An army entering from the north would march along the Shefelah, or fertile plain near the seacoast, and would capture the outlying cities, before it attacked Jerusalem, almost inaccessible among the mountains.
Judah shall be … – Translate, Judah is …
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. The cities of the south shall be shut up] Not only the cities of the north, the quarter at which the Chaldeans entered, but the cities of the south also; for he shall proceed from one extremity of the land to the other, spreading devastation every where, and carrying off the inhabitants.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Either the cities of Judah which lay southward from Chaldea, and therefore their enemies in the next verse are said to come from the north, and this great evil is said to have come from the north; or (as some would have it) the cities of Egypt, which lay yet more southward, so as the Egyptians should neither come with sufficient force to raise the siege, nor should there be any sanctuary or refuge for them in Egypt, but they should certainly be wholly carried into captivity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. cities of the southnamely,south of Judea; farthest off from the enemy, who advanced from thenorth.
shut upthat is,deserted (Isa 24:10); so thatnone shall be left to open the gates to travellers and merchantsagain [HENDERSON]. Rather,shut up so closely by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces, sent on before(2Ki 24:10; 2Ki 24:11),that none shall be allowed by the enemy to get out (compare Jer13:20).
whollyliterally,”fully”; completely.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them,…. Meaning the cities of Judah, which lay in the southern part of the land of Israel, and to the south of Babylon; which might be said to be shut up, and not in the power of any to open, when besieged by the Chaldean army; or rather when destroyed, that there were none to go in and out; though some think the cities of Egypt are intended, which lay south of Judea, from whence the Jews should not have the relief they expected, and where they should find no refuge; but the former sense seems best:
Judah shall be carried away captive all of it; it was in part carried away in Jehoiachin’s time, and wholly in Zedekiah’s; which seems to be here respected:
it shall be wholly carried away captive; or, in perfections e; most perfectly and completely; the same thing is meant as before, only in different words repeated, to express the certainty of it.
e “perfectionibus”, Vatablus, Montanus. It is by Schmidt left untranslated, “Schelomim”, which he takes to be the city of Jerusalem, sometimes called “Solyma”; the inhabitants of which were carried captive when Judah was; and so Junius and Tremellius translate it; “civita, pacatorum”, and understand it of Jerusalem; which has the signification of peace in its name.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
By the cities of the south, almost all understand the cities of the tribe of Judah, whose portion was towards the south; and by the cities being shut up, they consider that what is meant is, that they would be forsaken; for they say, that cities are open when they are frequented. But I am con- strained here also to take another view. I take the cities of the south to have been those of Egypt; for we know that the Jews looked there for a refuge, whenever they were attacked by the Assyrians or the Chaldeans. Since then they thought that Egypt would be to them a sort of an asylum, the Prophet declares that all these cities would be closed against them, and that there would be no one to open them; as though he had said, “The Lord will drive you out, and will prevent you to take refuge there.”
He would doubtless have spoken more clearly had he meant the cities of Judah; and besides, as he was at Jerusalem, this way of speaking must have been ambiguous, and even improper; and we shall find him presently speaking of the Assyrians as being in the north. He now then warns them, that Egypt would be closed against them, though they at the same time expected that they would be safe there, and that an easily-borne exile was in their power. As then they foolishly trusted that they would be received by the Egyptians, the Prophet says, that the gates would be closed, and that there would be no one to open them. It then follows, carried away wholly has been Judah, carried away completely; (89) that is, “Ye shall all be led away into Assyria and Babylon;” which is the north country, according to what afterwards follows, —
(89) The ancient versions render these last words of the verse in the same way with our version and that of Calvin; but the Hebrew, as Blayney remarks, is not rightly rendered, though he unnecessarily makes כלה a verb, and according to his construction it ought to be כלתה; and he does not satisfactorily account for the last word, שלומים. The literal version I regard to be the following: —
The transmigration of Judah h as been entire, — The transmigration of retributions.
The past time, as in the beginning of the verse, is to be used, though it is used for the future. The word שלומים, is never found in an adverbial sense; and indeed it is found only once elsewhere as here, in the plural number, Isa 34:8; but thrice in this sense in the singular number, Deu 32:35; Hos 9:7; Mic 7:3. The Targum favors this rendering, as it retains the idea of retribution. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(19) The cities of the south.The term thus rendered (the Negeb) is throughout the Old Testament used for a definite district, stretching from Mount Halak northward to a line south of Engedi and Hebron. The strategy of Nebuchadnezzars attack (as it had been of Sennacheribs, 2Ki. 18:13) was to blockade the cities of this region, and then, when they were cut off from sending assistance, to attack Jerusalem.
Shall be shut up . . . shall be carried away.Both verbs should be in the present tense, are shut up, is carried away.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. Cities of the south The region south of Jerusalem.
Shut up Not necessarily by siege, nor by ruins which shall block up the entrances, but by being uninhabited.
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Lift up The verb is feminine, indicating Jerusalem as the object of address. The flock are the dependent cities lying about her.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 13:19. The cities of the south shall be shut up “The cities in the southern parts of Judaea shall be shut up, because there shall be no inhabitants. All the lot of Judah, heretofore so beautiful, so well-peopled, so full of fine cities, shall be desolate.” Some understand this of Egypt, which lay to the south of Judaea, and which was to be shut against, and to afford the Jews no succour. But the first interpretation seems the best, and most agreeable to the context. See Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 13:19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.
Ver. 19. The cities of the south shall be shut up, ] i.e., The cities of Egypt, whither ye think to flee, shall be shut up against you, through fear of the Chaldees.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cities. So in Codex “Mugah”; but Codex “Hallel” (both quoted in the Massorah) reads “eyes”.
the south = the Negeb. See note on Psa 126:4. Compare Gen 12:9; Gen 13:3.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
cities: Jer 17:26, Jer 33:13, Jos 18:5, Eze 20:46, Eze 20:47
shut: Deu 28:52, Job 12:14
Judah: Jer 39:9, Jer 52:27, Lev 26:31-33, Deu 28:15, Deu 28:64-68, 2Ki 25:21
Reciprocal: Jer 13:17 – because Oba 1:20 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 13:19. This is a direct prediction of the captivity soon to come upon the kingdom of Judah. Cities of the south is said on the same basis that caused Babylon to be referred to as corning from the north. This subject is explained historically in connection with Isa 14:31 in Vol. 3 of this Commentary.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 13:19-21. The cities of the south, &c. The cities of Judah, which lay in the southern part of Canaan, shall be straitly besieged by the enemy, so that there shall be no going in and out; or shall be deserted by the inhabitants. Or, as some think, the cities of Egypt are intended, from whence the Jews expected succour. These should fail them, and they should find no access to them. Lift up your eyes, &c. He speaks as if their enemies were even then upon their march, nay, so near, that if they did but lift up their eyes and look, they might see them coming. Where is the flock that was given thee? He streaks to the king, representing him under the idea of a shepherd, and the people under that of a flock. Or rather, as the pronouns are feminine, he addresses the daughter of Judah, that is, the city or state. What wilt thou say, when the Lord shall demand of thee an account of the people committed to thy trust? What wilt thou answer when the sovereign monarch shall see dissipated, diminished, weakened, destroyed, thy beautiful flock, or, as rather signifies, the flock of thy glory. In the multitude of people, says Solomon, is the kings honour. What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? Thou wilt have nothing to say, but be wholly confounded, when God shall visit thee by this sore judgment. Or, when Nebuchadnezzars army, sent by God, shall visit thee. For thou hast taught them to be captains, &c. Houbigant renders it, Since thou hast made them expert against thee, and hast drawn them upon thine own head; and Blaney, more literally, Seeing it is thou that teachest them to be rulers in chief over thee. Thou hast frequently called them to thy succour, and taught them the way to thy country, whereof they dreamed not before; and not only thus, but by accumulating crimes upon crimes, and filling up the measure of thine iniquity, thou hast drawn down the vengeance of heaven, and put thyself in the power of the Chaldeans. See Calmet. Some have understood the alliances, contracted heretofore with the Assyrians by Ahaz, and the conduct of Hezekiah toward the ambassadors of the king of Babylon, to be here alluded to. But I rather think, says Blaney, that the wicked manners of the people are principally designed; which put them out of the protection of Almighty God, and rendered them an easy conquest to any enemy that came against them. Thus they taught their enemies to oppress, and to be lords over them; against whom, but for their own faults, they might have maintained their security and independence.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:19 The cities of {h} the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.
(h) That is, of Judah, which lies south of Babylon.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
All the people of Judah had been or would be carried into exile, even those who lived in the Negev towns to the far south in Judah. That is, most of the people from all over Judah were involved. There were still some who did not leave the land in 586 B.C. (2Ki 25:22). Jeremiah’s statement in this verse is somewhat hyperbolic.