D T 21:1-14. Defeat and Captivity proclaimed.
U 22:1 - 23:8. Promise of The BRANCH.
V 23:9-40. Whirlwind. False Prophets. Rejection.
W 24:1-10. Captives. Remnant. (Fig).
X 25:1-11. Time. Seventy years.
Y 25:12-38. Nations. The Cup.
Z 26:1-24. Proclamation in Temple.
Y 27:1-22. Nations. Bonds and Yoke.
X 28:1-17. Time. Two years.
W 29:1-32. Captives and Remnant. (Fig).
V 30:1 - 31:40. Whirlwind. Book. Restoration.
U 32:1 - 33:26. Promise of the BRANCH.
T 34:1 - 35:19. Defeat and Captivity proclaimed.
T x 1-7. To the king.
y 8-10. To the People of the city.
x 11,12. To the king's house.
y 13,14. To the People in the city.
479 B.C.
Jeremiah 21)
1: The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent to him (contrast the mission of Hezekiah to Isaiah, 2 Kings 19:2. Isa.37:2) Pashur the son of Melchiah (not the same Pashur of 20:1. This prophecy is 19 years later; the deportation in the reign of Jehoiakim had taken place, and a worse set of men were the rulers. This Pashur was a priest, if Melchiah is the same Melhiah as in 1 Chron.9:12), and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest (he is mentioned again, 29:25; 37:3; 52:24. The Heb. accent reads "Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah"), saying,
2: “Inquire, I pray you, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon makes war against us (first occ. in Jeremiah); if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that He may go up from us.” (i.e. raise the siege)
3: Then said Jeremiah to them, “Thus shall you all say to Zedekiah: (= justice of Yahaveh. The last king of Judah)
4: ‘Thus says the Lord the God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith you all fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
5: And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand (see Ex.6:6. Deut.4:34) and with a strong arm (put for holding fast), even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
6: And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both human and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
7: And afterward, [is] the Lord's oracle, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, and from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their soul: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them (see Deut.28:50), neither have pity, nor have mercy.
8: And to this People you shall say, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. (see Deut. 30:19)
9: He that abides in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goes out, and shall fall to the Chaldeans that besiege you, then shall he shall live (many acted on this promise, see 39:9; 52:15), and his life shall be to him for a prey. (i.e. he shall save his life, but it will be dearly bought. Cp. 38:2; 39:18; 45:5. The phrase only occurs in Jeremiah)
10: For I have set my face against this city for calamity (see Lev.17:10.), and not for good, says the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
11: And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear you all the word of the Lord;
12: O house of David, thus says the Lord; Execute judgment early (or, soon), and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest My fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. (some codices read "their")
13: Behold, I am against you, O inhabitress of the valley, and rock of the plain (i.e. Zion), [is] the Lord's oracle; which say, ‘Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?’
14: But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, [is] the Lord's oracle: and I will kindle a fire (see Deut. 32:22) in her forest (put for the timber of Lebanon used in the buildings), and it shall devour all things round about it. (fulfilled in 52:13)