Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 43:10
And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
10. Nebuchadrezzar ] Erbt (p. 72) points out that up to this time Jeremiah in his utterances seems to have avoided naming the king.
my servant ] See on Jer 25:9.
and will set ] LXX (better) he will set.
his royal pavilion ] rather, as mg. glittering, as this appears to be the meaning of the root, though the actual word occurs only here. It refers either to the richly decorated carpet on which the throne was to be placed or to the canopy over it.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
My servant – See Jer 25:9 note.
That I have hid – i. e., that I have embedded in the mortar by the instrumentality of my prophet.
Pavilion – Rather, canopy. It probably means the parasol held over kings, which had a tall and thick pole, grasped with both hands, and in the early times a somewhat small circular top.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Now God expounds his meaning in his former command: he ordered Jeremiah to take stones, and hide them in a place near the king of Egypts palace; now he tells them that this was for a sign that Nebuchadnezzar should set his throne and spread his pavilion in that place. This Nebuchadnezzar God calls his servant, because he was to obey him in what he should do, though he intended not so. Thus Assyria is called the rod of his anger, Isa 10:5; and Nebuchadnezzar is so called, Jer 25:9; 27:6.
Upon these stones that I have hid; God owneth the stones to be laid by himself, because they were laid at his command.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. my servantGod often makesone wicked man or nation a scourge to another (Eze 29:18;Eze 29:19; Eze 29:20).
royal pavilionthe richtapestry (literally, “ornament”) which hung round thethrone from above.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And say unto them,…. The men of Judah, now in Egypt:
thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;
[See comments on Jer 42:15];
behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; as all men are by creation, and as he was in a very eminent sense, being an instrument in his hand of executing his designs, both on the Jews and other nations; him he would send for, and take to perform his counsel; secretly work upon and dispose his mind to such an undertaking, and lay a train of providences, and, by a concourse of them, bring him to Egypt to do his will:
and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; which he had ordered the prophet to hide, and which he did by him; signifying, that the king at Babylon should come with his army against this city, and should take it, and set up his throne, and keep his court here:
and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them; his tent; he shall place here his beautiful one, as the word i signifies; this should be set up where these stones were laid, as if they were designed for the foundation of it, though they were only a symbol of it; and would be a token to the Jews, when accomplished, of the certainty of the divine prescience, and of prophecy, with respect to future events, even those the most minute and contingent.
i “teutorium elegans”, Montanus, Vatablus; “pulchrum”, Munster. So Ben Melech.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Behold, I, — the particle demonstrative and the pronoun are both emphatical, הנני, enni; Behold, I send, he says, to bring Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne on these stones We now understand the drift of the whole, even that these stones were thrown into the cement, that God might build up a throne for Nebuchadnezzar. The time, indeed, for building the throne had not yet come; but God’s purpose was to lay the foundations, so that they might be hid until the time arrived. The Prophet, then, built a throne for Nebuchadnezzar, when he cast; these stones into the place of the brick-kiln.
We must now examine each particular in order. God says that he would send to bring Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. This mission must not be understood otherwise than that of the secret providence of God; for he had no attendants by whom he might send for Nebuchadnezzar, but he called him, as it were, by his nod only. Moreover, this mode of speaking is borrowed, taken from men, who, when they wish anything to be done, intimate what their object is; and then, when they give orders, they issue their commands. This is what earthly kings do, because they can by a nod only accomplish whatever comes to their minds. But God, who needs no external aids, is said to send when he executes his own purpose, and that by his incomprehensible power. And further, God intimates that when Nebuchadnezzar came, it would by no means be by chance, but to take vengeance on the perverse Jews, who hoped for a safe retirement in Egypt, when yet God promised them a quiet habitation in the land of Judah, had they remained there. Then God declares that he would be the leader of that march when Nebuchadnezzar came into Egypt, as though he had said that the war would be carried on under his banner. Nebuchadnezzar did not from design render obedience to God; for ambition and pride led him to Egypt when he came, and for this reason, because the Egyptians had so often provoked him, so that without dishonor to himself he could no longer defer vengeance. It was, then, for this reason he came, if we look to his object. But God declares that he overruled the king as well as all the Babylonians, so that he would arm them when he pleased, and bring them into Egypt, and by their means carry on war with the Egyptians.
For the same reason he calls him his servant; not that Nebuchadnezzar was worthy of so honorable a name, for he had nothing less, as we have said, than a design to serve God; but he is called God’s servant, because he executed what God himself had decreed: for the Scripture sometimes calls even the devils the servants of God; but in strict language, angels and the faithful are alone his servants. Kings and prophets are also, for a special reason, called God’s servants, to whom is committed the authority to rule or to teach. But in this place, as in many other places, the Scripture calls those God’s servants whom he employs to effect his purpose, even when they themselves have no such design. But the Prophet, no doubt, had also in view the Jews, so that they might know that this war was approved by God; for Nebuchadnezzar would not have come except he had been brought there by God.
It then follows, and I will set his throne This, also, is what God claims for himself, even the erecting of the throne of the King Nebuchadnezzar before the palace of the king of Egypt. The king of Babylon, doubtless, thought that the war was carried on through his own efforts and valor, and the courage of his soldiers; moreover, he sacrificed to his own fortune, as heathens use to do; and hence it is said in Isaiah of the Assyrian,
“
He will not think so.” (Isa 10:7)
But God designed this to be declared to the Jews before the time, that they might then know that the just reward of their obstinacy would be rendered to them, for they were to be taught, as we have said, for their good and benefit. But as they were already inexcusable, it was God’s purpose to shame them more and more, so that they might know that a just punishment would be inflicted on them, because they had so obstinately rejected all the counsel of God.
I will, then, erect his throne on the stones which I have hidden The Prophet here speaks irregularly, now in God’s name, then in his own; but this was not done without reason. We have stated why he introduced God as the speaker, even that he might make the Jews more attentive; for he knew that all his threatenings would be derided except God’s majesty was set before them: but now he connects himself with God, as though he had said that he had nothing apart from God. This is the reason why he said, upon the stones which I have hid God had not hidden the stones, but the Prophet speaks, nevertheless, in the person of God. But, as I have already said, this connection shews that the prophetic word is so connected with the hand and power of God, that when the Prophet speaks, it ought to be counted the same, as though God openly thundered from heaven. And this mode of speaking ought to be carefully noticed, so that we may learn reverently to receive whatever faithful teachers declare in his name, while performing the duties of their office; for they are not to be looked upon as men, for otherwise whatever proceeds from them may be disregarded; but we ought to receive the doctrine proclaimed by their mouth as though God himself had descended from heaven to speak to us.
He afterwards adds, and he shall extend his tabernacle or his tent; for שפריר, shepherir, is taken from a word which means beauty, and properly means here a royal tent. (130) The hebrews do not give this name to the tents of shepherds, but only to those tents which excel in magnificence and splendor, according to what we say in French, Le pavillon du Roy. It now follows —
(130) It is rendered by the Sept. and Syr., “arms;” by the Vulg., “throne;” by the Targum., “tent.” Strange that there should be such a difference. It was something to be stretched out or extended, for such is the meaning of the verb; and it was something beautiful, for so the word means. It was probably a canopy erecton over the throne, which was to be set on the stones. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) He shall spread his royal pavilion over them.Here, again, the meaning of the Hebrew word is doubtful. The English Version, as before, follows Luther in taking it for the awning or canopy which was stretched over the throne when the king sat in state as judge. Others (e.g., Hitzig) find in it the leather covering which was placed over the pavement on which the throne was set, upon which the criminal knelt as on a scaffold to receive the death-stroke of the executioner. So taken, the prediction assumes a more definite and terrible aspect. The king was to sit upon the stones which Jeremiah had hidden, not merely in his regal pomp, but in the character of an avenger executing the wrath of Jehovah against the rebellious.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Royal pavilion The original word occurs nowhere else. Keil explains it as “the gorgeous tapestry with which the seat of the throne was covered;” Smith, as a “canopy” the parasol which was carried over the head of the monarch when exposed to the sun’s rays, and so was an emblem of royalty. See Rawlinson’s Ancient Monarchies, 1: 495. The sense favoured by Keil suits the language best.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 43:10 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
Ver. 10. Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar. ] By a secret instinct put into his heart.
And will set his throne upon these stones.
a A piece or fragment of a brick; properly, according to Gwilt, less than one half of its length. It is the typical ready missile, where stones are scarce.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jer 7:3. The longer title is used to show the solemnity of the utterance.
Nebuchadrezzar . . . will set, &c. This was fulfilled to the letter. Josephus records it (Ant. x. 9, 10), but Egyptian history is naturally silent. It took place five years after his destruction of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will send: Jer 1:15, Jer 25:6-26, Jer 27:6-8, Eze 29:18-20, Dan 2:21, Dan 5:18, Dan 5:19
my servant: Jer 25:9, Jer 27:6, Jer 46:27, Jer 46:28, Isa 44:28, Isa 45:1, Mat 22:7
his royal: 1Ki 20:12, 1Ki 20:16, Psa 18:11, Psa 27:5, Psa 31:20
Reciprocal: Exo 3:12 – token 2Ki 15:37 – to send 2Ki 25:1 – Nebuchadnezzar Jer 46:13 – Nebuchadrezzar Jer 49:38 – General Eze 5:12 – and I will draw Eze 29:9 – the land Eze 29:19 – I will Eze 32:11 – The sword
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 43:10, The significance of the “acting” was just where the king of Egypt was feeling secure in his power, the king of Babylon would some day set np his throne. My servant Is said of Nebuchadnezzar because the Lord was going to use his services in punishing the king of Egypt.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 43:10-11. And say, Thus saith the Lord, I will send Nebuchadrezzar, &c. God now commands his prophet to expound to the Jews the design of the order given him in the preceding verse. The stones hid in the clay, at the entry of Pharaohs house, were intended to be a sign that the king of Babylon should make himself master of that royal city, and set his throne in that very place. This minute circumstance is particularly foretold, that, when it was accomplished, they might be put in mind of the prophecy, and confirmed in their belief of the extent and certainty of the divine prescience; to which the smallest and most contingent events are evident. God calls Nebuchadnezzar his servant, because in this instance he should execute Gods will, accomplish his purposes, and be instrumental in carrying on his designs. And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt Though Egypt has always been a warlike nation, it shall not be able to withstand the king of Babylon; but whom he will he shall slay, and in what way he pleases; and deliver such as are for death to death See note on Jer 15:2. Death here signifies the pestilence which the prophet foretels would overspread the country of Egypt by reason of the famine occasioned by sieges and other ravages of war.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
43:10 And say to them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, {k} my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
(k) Read Jer 25:9 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jeremiah was then to tell the Judahites that Yahweh was going to bring Nebuchadnezzar, His servant (cf. Jer 27:6; 45:9; Isa 44:28), into Egypt. The Babylonian king would set up his throne and his royal canopy (or carpet) right over the place where Jeremiah had imbedded his stones. [Note: The Hebrew word shapriro, translated "canopy," occurs nowhere else in the Bible, and its meaning is debatable.]