20 23<\/strong>. Du., Erbt and Co. agree in considering that these vv<\/em>. are a later addition, merely reproducing the thoughts contained in Jer 44:2-14<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n 20 30<\/strong>. See introd. summary of the ch.<\/p>\n Then Jeremiah said unto all the people<\/strong>,…. Immediately, being influenced, directed, and assisted by the Spirit of God; though what he says, in Jer 44:21<\/span>; he does not declare as coming from the Lord; but what was upon his mind, and was a full refutation of all that had been said: and which he delivered<\/p>\n to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him [that] answer<\/strong>; in which they all agreed, though delivered by one; and to which he made a reply:<\/p>\n saying<\/strong>; as follows:<\/p>\n Refutation of these statements of the people.<\/em> – Jer 44:20<\/span>. “And Jeremiah spake to all the people, to the men and women, and to all the people that had given him answer, saying, <\/em> Jer 44:21<\/span>. Did not the incense-burning which he performed in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land-did not Jahveh remember them, and did it not arise in His mind? <\/em> Jer 44:22<\/span>. And Jahveh could no longer endure it, because of the wickedness of your deeds, because of the abominations which ye committed; thus your land became a desolation, and a waste, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. <\/em> Jer 44:23<\/span>. Because ye burned incense and sinned against Jahveh, and did not hearken to the voice of Jahveh, and in His law, in His statutes, and in His testimonies ye walked not; therefore this evil hath befallen you, as at this day.” <\/em> Jeremiah answers them that their idol-worship, by which they have provoked the Lord their God, is the very cause of the misfortune that has befallen them, because God could no longer endure this abomination which they would not forsake. is a noun, “the burning of incense,” which includes, besides, all the other elements of idolatrous worship hence the word is resumed, at the close, under the plur. , “these things.” is 3rd pers. sing. neut., lit., “it has come into His mind,” i.e., He has carefully considered it, and that in the way of punishment, for He could no longer endure such abomination. The imperf. is used for the historic tense (imperf. with consec.), because the would necessarily be separated from the verb by the ; and it is employed instead of the perfect, which we would be inclined to expect after the preceding , since that which is treated of is something that endures for a considerable time; cf. Ewald, 346, b<\/em>. On the expression “because of the evil,” etc., cf. Jer 21:12<\/span>; Jer 4:4<\/span>, etc.; on the last clause in Jer 44:22<\/span>, cf. Jer 44:6<\/span> and Jer 44:12<\/span>.<\/p>\n Jeremiah’s Continued Remonstrance.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 587.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that<\/I> answer, saying, 21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD<\/B> remember them, and came it not<\/I> into his mind? 22 So that the LORD<\/B> could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and<\/I> because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. 23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD<\/B>, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD<\/B>, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day. 24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD<\/B>, all Judah that are<\/I> in the land of Egypt: 25 Thus saith the LORD<\/B> of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows. 26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD<\/B>, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD<\/B>, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD<\/B> liveth. 27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are<\/I> in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. 28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. 29 And this shall be<\/I> a sign unto you, saith the LORD<\/B>, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: 30 Thus saith the LORD<\/B>; Behold, I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.<\/P> Daring sinners may speak many a bold word and many a big word, but, after all, God will have the last word; for he will be justified when he speaks, and all flesh, even the proudest, shall be silent before him. Prophets may be run down, but God cannot; nay, here the prophet would not.<\/P> I. Jeremiah has something to say to them from himself, which he could say without a spirit of prophecy, and that was to rectify their mistake (a wilful mistake it was) concerning the calamities they had been under and the true intent and meaning of them. They said that these miseries came upon them because they had now left off burning incense to the queen of heaven.<\/I> “No,” says he, “it was because you had formerly done it, not because you had now left it off.” When they gave him that answer, he immediately replied (v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>) that the incense which they and their fathers had burnt to other gods did indeed go unpunished a great while, for God was long-suffering towards them, and during the day of his patience it was perhaps, as they said, well with them, and<\/I> they saw no evil;<\/I> but at length they grew so provoking that the Lord could no longer bear<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 22<\/span>), but began a controversy with them, whereupon some of them did a little reform; their sins left them, for so it might be said, rather than that they left their sins. But their old guilt being still upon the score, and their corrupt inclinations still the same, God remembered against them the idolatries of their fathers, their kings, and their princes, in the streets of Jerusalem,<\/I> which they, instead of being ashamed of, gloried in as a justification of them in their idolatries; they all came into his mind<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 21<\/span>), all the abominations which they had committed<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 22<\/span>) and all their disobedience to the voice of the Lord<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 23<\/span>), all were brought to account; and therefore,<\/I> to punish them for these, is their land a desolation and a curse, as at this day<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 22<\/span>); therefore,<\/I> not for their late reformation, but for their old transgressions, has all this evil happened to them, as at this day,<\/I> v.<\/span> 23<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Note, The right understanding of the cause of our troubles, one would think, should go far towards the cure of our sins. Whatever evil comes upon us,<\/I> it is because we have sinned against the Lord,<\/I> and should therefore stand in awe and sin not.<\/I><\/P> II. Jeremiah has something to say to them, to the women<\/I> particularly, from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,<\/I> They have given their answer; now let them hear God’s reply, v.<\/I><\/span> 24<\/span>. Judah, that<\/I> dwells in the land of Egypt,<\/I> has God speaking to them, even there; that is their privilege. Let them observe what he says; that is their duty, v.<\/I><\/span> 26<\/span>. Now God, in his reply, tells them plainly,<\/P> 1. That, since they were fully determined to persist in their idolatry, he was fully determined to proceed in his controversy with them; if they would go on to provoke him, he would go on to punish them, and see which would get the better at last. God repeats what they had said (v.<\/I><\/span> 25<\/span>): “You and your wives<\/I> are agreed in this obstinacy; you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands;<\/I> you have said it, and you stand to it, have said it and go on to do accordingly, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven,<\/I>” as if, though it were a sin, yet their having vowed to do it were sufficient to justify them in the doing of it; whereas no man can by his vow make that lawful to himself, much less duty, which God has already made sin. “Well” (says God), “you will accomplish, you will perform, your<\/I> wicked vows:<\/I> now hear what is my vow, what I have sworn by my great name;<\/I>” and, if the Lord hath sworn,<\/I> he will not repent,<\/I> since they have sworn and will not repent. With the froward he will show himself froward,<\/I> Ps. xviii. 26<\/I><\/span>. (1.) He had sworn that what little remains of religion there were among them should be lost, v.<\/I><\/span> 26<\/span>. Though they joined with the Egyptians in their idolatries, yet they continued upon many occasions to make mention of the name of Jehovah, particularly in their solemn oaths; they said, Jehovah liveth,<\/I> he is the living God,<\/I> so they owned him to be, though they worshipped dead idols; they swear, The Lord liveth<\/I> (ch.<\/I><\/span> v. 2<\/span>), but I fear they retained this form of swearing more in honour of their nation than of their God. But God declares that his name shall no more be<\/I> thus named<\/I> by any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt;<\/I> that is, there shall be no Jews remaining to use this dialect of their country, or, if there be, they shall have forgotten it and shall learn to swear, as the Egyptians do, by the life of Pharaoh,<\/I> not of Jehovah. Note, Those are very miserable whom God has so far left to themselves that they have quite forgotten their religion and lost all the remains of their good education. Or this may intimate that God would take it as an affront to him and would resent it accordingly, if they did make mention of his name and profess any relation to him. (2.) He hath sworn that what little remnant of people there was there should all be consumed (v.<\/I><\/span> 27<\/span>): I will watch over them for evil;<\/I> no opportunity shall be let slip to bring some judgment upon them, until there be an end of them<\/I> and they be rooted out. Note, To those whom God finds impenitent sinners he will be found an implacable Judge. And, when it comes to this, they shall know<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 28<\/span>) whose word shall stand, mind or theirs.<\/I> They said that they should recover themselves when they returned to worship the queen of heaven;<\/I> God said they should ruin themselves; and now the event will show which was in the right. The contest between God and sinners is whose word shall stand, whose will shall be done, and who shall get the better. Sinners say that they shall have peace though they go on; God says they shall have no peace. But when God judges he will overcome;<\/I> God’s word shall stand, and not the sinner’s.<\/P> 2. He tells them that a very few of them should escape the sword,<\/I> and in process of time return into the land of Judah, a small number<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 28<\/span>), next to none, in comparison with the great numbers that should return out of the land of the Chaldeans. This seems designed to upbraid those who boasted of their numbers that concurred in sin; there were none to speak of that did not join in idolatry: “Well,” says God, “and there shall be as few that<\/I> shall escape the sword and famine.<\/I>“<\/P> 3. He gives them a sign that all these threatenings shall be accomplished in their season, that they shall be consumed here in Egypt and shall quite perish: Pharaoh-hophra,<\/I> the present king of Egypt,<\/I> shall be delivered into the hand of his enemies that seek his life–of his own rebellious subjects<\/I> (so some) under Amasis, who usurped his throne–of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon<\/I> (so others), who invaded his kingdom; the former is related by Herodotus, the latter by Josephus. It is likely that this Pharaoh had tempted the Jews to idolatry by promises of his favour; however, they depended upon him for his protection, and it would be more than a presage of their ruin, it would be a step towards it, if he were gone. They expected more from him than from Zedekiah king of Judah; he was a more potent and politic prince. “But,” says God, “I will give him into the hand of his enemies,<\/I> as I gave Zedekiah.” Note, Those creature-comforts and confidences that we promise ourselves most from may fail us as soon as those that we promise ourselves least from, for they are all what God makes them, not what we fancy them.<\/P> The sacred history records not the accomplishment of this prophecy, but its silence is sufficient; we hear no more of these Jews in Egypt, and therefore conclude them, according to this prediction, lost there; for no word of God shall fall to the ground.<\/P><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Vs. 20-30: JEREMIAH’S FINAL MESSAGE TO JUDAH<\/p>\n 1. Jeremiah vehemently rejects the Jews’ interpretation of recent events!<\/p>\n 2. It was because of their ABOMINABLE IDOLATRIES that the Lord poured out His judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, (vs. 21-23; Jer 4:4-5<\/span><\/strong>; Jer 21:12<\/span><\/strong>; Jer 30:12-15<\/span><\/strong>; 1Ki 9:8-9<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 3. Jeremiah acknowledges that both the Jewish men and women in Egypt have made vows to the “queen of heaven”; with sarcasm, he tells them to go ahead and perform with their hands what they have pledged with their lips, (vs. 24-25; comp. Eze 20:39<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 4. Jehovah has also sworn by his great name that His name shall no more be spoken by any men of Judah who dwell in Egypt; He forbids them to swear by His holy name! (vs. 26-27; Psa 50:16-17<\/span><\/strong>; Eze 20:39<\/span><\/strong>; comp. Jer 5:2<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 5. When the judgment of Jehovah falls, they will know whose word will stand theirs, or the Lord’s! (vs. 28; Psa 33:11<\/span><\/strong>; Isa 14:27<\/span><\/strong>; Isa 46:9-11<\/span><\/strong>; Zec 1:5-6<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 6. As a sign that the threatened judgment upon their idolatry will stand (Pro 19:21<\/span><\/strong>), Jeremiah is commissioned to tell the Jews in Egypt that He will give Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies – just as He delivered Zedekiah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, (vs. 29-30; Jer 43:9-13<\/span><\/strong>; Jer 46:24-26<\/span><\/strong>; Eze 29:3-7<\/span><\/strong>) – a sign that was fulfilled when the Pharaoh was supplanted by a young relative; he was slain in battle (566 B.C.) attempting to re-establish his authority over the land.<\/p>\n 7 It should be pointed out that this was Jeremiah’s FINAL RECORDED PROPHECY to the people of Judah; through more than 40 trying years of prophetic ministry, he was faithful to Jehovah, ‘ to himself, and to the rebellious and gainsaying people whom he loved so dearly!<\/p>\n The Prophet refutes the impious objections by which the Jews had attempted to subvert and to render contemptible his doctrine, he then turns against them all that they had falsely boasted. They had at the beginning said, “Our kings, our princes, and our fathers, had before used these rites; and they have been delivered to us, as it were, by their hands.” To this Jeremiah answers, “This is certainly true, and for this reason it was that God became so severe a judge of their impiety, when he took away your fathers from the world, when he wholly destroyed the kingdom itself, when he demolished the city, and when at length he afflicted you with all kinds of evils: for except your kings, and your fathers, and your princes, had been impious towards God, he would have never treated them with so much severity; for he has promised to be a Father to the children of Abraham. God, then, must have been grievously offended with you, and your fathers, and your kings, when his wrath thus burned against them.” <\/p>\n There is, then, here a retort; for as we see that the Prophet turns against them what they had adduced against him. This is the sum of what is said. <\/p>\n He says that he spoke to the whole people, both men and women, and he repeats the whole people, because all had subscribed to the impious calumny. Then God says, “For this reason have I destroyed your city and you, even because ye burnt incense to-your idols.” The truth of what they had boasted is allowed, but it is turned to a meaning different from what they thought. For, as their fathers and their kings had imbibed superstitions, they supposed that they were doing right in following them; for, as we have said, hypocrites consider use and custom as sufficient reasons for disregarding the Law. Then, as to the fact itself, the Prophet admits that what they said was quite true, that this had been the cause of all their evils; for had not the kings and the whole people provoked the wrath of God, the temple would not have been demolished, nor the kingdom destroyed; God, in short, would not have alienated himself from his own people whom he had adopted. This is the meaning. <\/p>\n C. A Prophetic Affirmation Jer. 44:20-30<\/span><\/p>\n TRANSLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n (20) Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, the women and all the people who had answered him, (21) Did not the LORD remember and bring to mind the incense which you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you, your fathers, your kings, your princes and the people of the land? (22) The LORD was no longer able to bear your evil deeds and the abominations which you committed and so your land became a desolation, an astonishment, and a curse without inhabitant as it is today. (23) Because you offered incense and sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not walk in His law, statutes, and testimonies therefore this present calamity has come upon you. (24) And Jeremiah said unto all the people and all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah which is in the land of Egypt! (25) Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have made pledges with your mouths and carried them out with your hands, saying, We will certainly perform our vows which we have made to offer incense to the queen of heaven and pour libations to her. By all means carry out your vows! By all means perform your vows! (26) Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that My name shall never again be pronounced by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt who might be accustomed to saying, As the Lord GOD lives! (27) Behold, I am watching over you for misfortune, and not for wellbeing; and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt shall perish by the sword and famine until they are annihilated. (28) Those who escape the sword to return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah shall be few in number and all the remnant of Judah who have come to the land of Egypt to sojourn shall know whose word shall be fulfilled, theirs or mine. (29) And this shall be the sign to you (oracle of the LORD) that I am about to bring punishment upon you in this place, in order that you might know that My words shall surely be fulfilled against you for misfortune. (30) Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies who seek his life as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his enemy, who was seeking his life.<\/p>\n COMMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n The last recorded words of Jeremiah come in response to the brazen remarks of the remnant in Egypt. Jeremiah does not wilt under pressure nor does he run from controversy. He stands eloquently alone against what must have been a smirking, jeering, shouting crowd. That the women were taking the lead in the whole affair can be seen in the fact that Jeremiah takes careful pains to include them in his closing remarks (Jer. 44:20<\/span>; Jer. 44:24-25<\/span>). Stooped by age and weakened by infirmity, the old warrior can still deliver a powerful oratorical blast. In fact one detects very little difference between this last message of Jeremiah and the first one he delivered some forty years earlier.<\/p>\n The final recorded message of Jeremiah contains a rebuttal to the apostates (Jer. 44:20-23<\/span>); emphasizes punishment for the apostates (Jer. 44:24-28<\/span>); and sets forth a sign for the apostates (Jer. 44:29-30<\/span>).<\/p>\n 1. Rebuttal to the apostates (Jer. 44:20-23<\/span>)<\/p>\n Implicit in the preceding remarks of the assembly was the contention that the Lord had forgotten them. Because God did not immediately punish them for their idolatry back in the days of Manasseh did not mean that He had failed to take note of their sin. God did remember their iniquity, Jeremiah affirms (Jer. 44:21<\/span>). Because of His longsuffering and patience He delayed the execution of the inevitable sentence until He could bear their sin no longer. Then, and only then, was the wrath of God poured out on Judah and that is why that land is desolation, an astonishment and a curse without inhabitant this very day (Jer. 44:22<\/span>). It is because of your idolatry and flagrant disobedience to the word of God that you are in your present condition (Jer. 44:23<\/span>).<\/p>\n 2. Punishment of the apostates (Jer. 44:24-28<\/span>)<\/p>\n The Jews in Egypt served their idols with greater loyalty than they had ever shown for the service of the Lord. with bitter sarcasm Jeremiah declares: you have made vows to worship the queen of heaven. Very well, then, fulfill your vows! (Jer. 44:25<\/span>). Then Jeremiah, abandoning his sarcastic tone, becomes deadly serious. But if you perform those vows you have made your choice of deities. You have committed the ultimate rebellion and therefore you will experience the ultimate punishment. Jeremiah holds out two threats. First, God will withdraw His name from the lips of His people (Jer. 44:26<\/span>). At least three different views have been taken as to the meaning of these words. Some think that the Jews will not be able to mention the name of the Lord because no Jews would be left alive in Egypt. Another view is that the Lord no longer regards Himself as their covenant God and therefore they have lost the right of calling upon His name. Still another view is that God punishes their apostasy by allowing them to sink into a state of secularism which does not even think of God. Of these interpretations the second is decidedly the best.<\/p>\n In the second threat God assures the remnant in Egypt that He will watch over them for evil and not for good (Jer. 44:27<\/span>). What a dreadful thought! Just as God watches over His word to fulfill it (Jer. 1:12<\/span>), so now He is watching over His people to see that they are punished for their apostasy. None of their pagan deities or religious rites will be able to divert the disaster which will befall them. All the Jews who live in the land of Egypt will die by the famine and the sword (Jer. 44:27<\/span>).<\/p>\n Just as in Jer. 44:14<\/span> of this chapter, the assertion that all the Jews in Egypt would perish is here immediately qualified. A tiny remnant shall escape the general slaughter in Egypt and shall return to the land of Judah (Jer. 44:28<\/span>). Even in this judgment-speech grace shines through. But why does Jeremiah in this stern sermon, want to mention the few individuals who will be saved? Surely this must be construed as an oblique appeal directed to each individual present. He is pleading with them to turn to the Lord. He can offer no hope to the Egyptian community of Jews as a whole, but he can hold out some hope to those who might turn in faith to the Lord. That is exactly what he seems to be doing in Jer. 44:28<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3. A sign for the apostates (Jer. 44:29-30<\/span>)<\/p>\n Lest any of his hearers think that the message he has delivered originated in his own imagination Jeremiah offered the audience a sign which would confirm the prophetic character of his dire threats. God would shortly deliver Pharaoh Hophra into the hands of his political enemies just as he had delivered Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 44:30<\/span>). The Greek historian Herodotus[365] relates that Hophra was captured by Amasis, the succeeding Pharaoh, who had him strangled to death after ten years of captivity (about 560 B.C.). The captivity of Hophra took place about two or three years before the invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar to which reference has already been made. Jeremiah probably did not live to see either the sign or the prophecy of the Chaldean destruction fulfilled.<\/p>\n [365] Herodotus, II, 161, 169.<\/p>\n (20-23) Then Jeremiah said . . .<\/strong>The prophet makes an effective rejoinder to the assertion that the prosperity of past years had coincided with the idolatrous worship which he condemned. That prosperity had not been lasting, and though the long-suffering of God had borne with them, the judgments had at last come. The tenor of his argument was that which Augustine adopts in his treatise De Civitate Dei. <\/em>See Note on Jer. 44:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3). Jeremiah’s Makes An Immediate Reply By Reminding Them That YHWH Had Seen What They And Their Fathers Had Done And Had Acted In Judgment On Them For That Reason By Desolating Their Land And Making It A Spectacle To The World (20-23).<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Jeremiah’s reply was to point out that it was the very fact that they had offered worship to other gods that had in the past been the cause of all their problems. It was that that had brought all God’s warnings of judgment on them from the prophets. It was precisely what God had had in mind when He had cause their cities to be destroyed and had made them a spectacle to the world.<\/p>\n Jer 44:20<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people who had given him that answer, saying,’<\/p>\n Note that Jeremiah’s reply is to ‘the men and the women’ who had been involved in the people’s response to him. All were involved and therefore all were guilty.<\/p>\n Jer 44:21<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not YHWH remember them, and did it not come into his mind?”<\/p>\n He points out that it was the very incense burned in their cities to false gods that YHWH had remembered and had brought to mind. That was the very reason why He was angry with them, and was why judgment had come on them. And what was more they had all been involved, they themselves, their fathers, their rulers and all the people of the land.<\/p>\n Jer 44:22<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “So that YHWH could not longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which you have committed, therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.”<\/p>\n Note that it was not just their false worship that YHWH could ‘no longer bear’, but also the evil practises that arose from it and went with it. The ‘abominations’ were their false worship (the word ‘abomination’ usually has idolatry in mind). But ‘the evil of their doings’ had in mind the actions and behaviour that went along with their false worship, sexual misbehaviour, violence and excess. And it was because of all these thing that their land had been desolated to such an extent that it had astonished all their neighbours around them. That was why their land had become a curse, subjected to the curses described in Leviticus 26<\/span> and Deuteronomy 28<\/span>. It had been left ‘without inhabitant’.<\/p>\n Jer 44:23<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “Because you have burned incense, and because you have sinned against YHWH, and have not obeyed the voice of YHWH, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies, therefore this evil is happened to you, as it is this day.”<\/p>\n Here Jeremiah analyses everything that has resulted in their judgment. This evil had happened to them precisely because they had:<\/p>\n Burned incense (to false gods) (compare<\/span>Jer 7:18<\/span>; Exo 20:3-6<\/span>).<\/p>\n Sinned against YHWH (compare<\/span>Jer 3:25<\/span>; Jer 8:14<\/span>; Jer 40:3<\/span>; Jer 50:7<\/span>; Jer 50:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n Not obeyed the voice of YHWH (contrast Jer 42:5-6<\/span>. Compare Exo 19:5<\/span>; Deu 27:10<\/span>. The idea of obeying or not obeying the voice of YHWH occurs 18 times in Jeremiah, e.g. Jer 3:13<\/span>; Jer 3:25<\/span>, etc. out of 61 times in the Old Testament).<\/p>\n Not walked in His law, nor His statutes, nor His testimonies (contrast Jer 42:3<\/span>. Compare Exo 16:4<\/span>; Exo 18:20<\/span>; 1Ki 2:3<\/span>).<\/p>\n In other words It had happened to them because they had rejected YHWH’s commands and had breached His covenant with them continually, living in deliberate disobedience and flagrantly refusing to walk in His ways, and cocking a snook at Him by their worship of other gods. Now at last His patience had come to an end. And these people especially had no grounds for complaint, for they had actually promised YHWH that they would do whatever He told them (Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n