Jeremiah 21:1

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord,.... This prophecy stands out of its proper place, being made in the times of Zedekiah, and when Jerusalem was besieged by the king of Babylon;

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, Written probably when, after having

CHAPTER 21 King Zedekiah in the siege sendeth to Jeremiah to inquire of the event, ,2. He foretelleth a hard siege and miserable captivity, . He counselleth the people to fall to the Chaldeans, ; and upbraideth the king’ s house, . God at sundry times, and in diver’ s manners, spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets, . The two principal were visions and dreams, . How the following word came to Jeremiah is not expressed, it is enough that he knew it came from the Lord. It is apparent some prophecies in this book are not put in the right order as they were delivered. Jeremiah 25$, we have an account of the word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, who was the second son of Josiah, made king by Pharaoh-necho, pursuing his victory mentioned upon the battle, in which Josiah was killed, as we read there. The people made Jehoahaz king, but he reigned but three months; and the conqueror carrying him away, made Eliakim his brother king, changing his name to Jehoiakim, who reigned eleven years, that is, seven after the word of the Lord, mentioned Jeremiah 25, came to Jeremiah; after whom Jehoiachin his son reigned three months and ten days: Zedekiah was his uncle, the son of Josiah, he reigned eleven years. So that it is plain that Jeremiah’ s prophecy mentioned Jeremiah 25 was seven years and three months before this, besides the number of years that Zedekiah had reigned. But some think that Jeremiah 23 Jeremiah 24 Jeremiah 25, doth but make a repetition to Zedekiah’ s messengers of what he had before prophesied. This message was (as appeareth by the next verse) when Nebuchadrezzar was come up to make war against Jerusalem, . Jeremiah was at liberty when the word of the Lord at this time came to him, so as it was some time before the city was taken. The fatal siege held about a year and half, as appears by ,2. The Pashur mentioned here was another from him mentioned : he was the son of Immer, of the sixteenth course of the priests, and of a more rugged, ill temper; this was the son of Melchiah, and so of the fifth course. See ,14.

Jeremiah 21:1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,Ver. 1. The word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord.] This history is here set down out of course; for Jerusalem was not besieged till Jeremiah 32:2, and Jehoiakim reigned Jeremiah 25:1 It was in the ninth year of Zedekiah that this present prophecy was uttered. This Zedekiah was one of those semiperfectae virtutis homines, as Philo calleth some professors, cakes half-baked., no flat atheist, nor yet a pious prince. Of Galba the emperor, as also of our Richard III, it is recorded that they were bad men but good princes. We cannot say so much of Zedekiah; two things he is chiefly charged with: (1.) That he broke his oath and faith plelged to the King of Babylon; (2.) That he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Hitherto he had not: but now in his distress he seeketh to this prophet; yea, sendeth an embassy. Kings care not for soldiers, said a great commander, till their crowns hang on the one side of their heads. Sure it is that some of them slight God’ s ministers till they cannot tell what to do without them, as here. Kingdoms have their cares, and thrones their thorns. Antigonus cried out of his diadem, O vilis pannus, O base rag, not worth taking up at a man’ s feet. Julian complained of his own unhappiness in being made emperor. Dioclesian laid down the empire as weary of it. Thirty of the ancient kings of this our land, saith Capgrave, resigned their crowns; such were their cares, crosses, and emulations. Zedekiah now could gladly have done as much. But since that might not be, he sendeth to Jeremiah, whom in his prosperity he had slighted, and, to gratify his wicked counsellors, wrongfully imprisoned. He sent unto him Pashur.] Not that Magormissabib, but another of his name, though not much better, as it afterwards appeared, when, seeing Jeremiah’ s stoutness for the truth, he counselled the king to put him to death. And Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah.] Of whom see further, Jeremiah 29:25-29; Jeremiah 37:3. Est hic hysterologia sive praeposterus ordo.

XXI. (1) The word which came unto Jeremiah . . .—There is obviously a great gap at this point in the collection of the prophet’s utterances, and we enter on a new body or group of prophecies which extends to the close of Jeremiah 33. Thus far we have had his ministry under Jehoiakim, the roll which was read before that king, and formed the first part of his work. Now we pass to the later stage, which forms what has been called the roll of Zedekiah. The judgment predicted in the previous roll had come nearer. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar were gathering round the city. The prophet was now honoured and consulted, and the king sent his chief minister, Pashur (not the priest who had been the prophet’s persecutor, as in the preceding chapter, but the head of the family or course of Melchiah), and Zephaniah, the “second priest,” or deputy of Jer 52:24, to ask his intercession. We learn from their later history that they were in their hearts inclined to the policy of resistance, and ready to accuse Jeremiah of being a traitor (Jeremiah 38:1-4).

CHAPTER XXI Nebuchadnezzar being come up against Jerusalem, Zedekiah sends Pashur and Zephaniah to the prophet to request him to intercede with God in behalf of his people, 1, 2. But he is declared to be against Jerusalem, and the whole land of Judah; and the only mitigation of their punishment must proceed from their surrendering to the king of Babylon, 3-10. Prophecy concerning the house of the king of Judah, 11, 12. Notwithstanding the amazing fortifications round about Jerusalem, in which the people vainly trust, the Lord will most assuredly visit them for their iniquities; the city shall be taken by the Chaldeans, 13, 14. NOTES ON CHAP. XXI Verse 1. The word which came unto Jeremiah] The chapters in the remaining parts of this prophecy seem strangely interchanged. This subject has been mentioned in the introduction, and some tables given; and to these the critical reader is requested to refer. The discourse here was delivered about the ninth year or the reign of Zedekiah. This chapter, observes Dr. Blayney, contains the first of those prophecies which were delivered by Jeremiah, subsequent to the revolt of Zedekiah, and the breaking out of the war thereupon; and which are continued on to the taking of Jerusalem, related in Jeremiah 39:1-2, in the following order: - Jeremiah 21, Jeremiah 34, Jeremiah 37, Jeremiah 32, Jeremiah 33, Jeremiah 38, Jeremiah 39. Pashur the son of Melchiah] There can be little doubt that this Pashur was a different person from him who was called the son of Immur in the preceding chapter.

1. Pashhur the son of Malchijah] See on Jeremiah 20:1. Zephaniah] (see also on Jeremiah 20:1) mentioned again Jeremiah 29:25, Jeremiah 37:3, Jeremiah 52:24. Both he and Pashhur doubtless belonged to the party who were for refusing to recognise and submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s overwhelming power, and thus were politically hostile to Jeremiah. For the general situation cp. 2 Kings 19:1 (Isaiah 37:1 ff.). the priest] These words belong to Zephaniah not Maaseiah. Cp. Jeremiah 22:2.

By sending this embassy Zedekiah acknowledged that Jeremiah held the same position in the kingdom which Isaiah had held under Hezekiah 2 Kings 19:2.

THE KING’S , Jeremiah 21:1-2.1. The word… from the Lord — The historical heading of the following prediction.