Jeremiah 22:14

That saith, I will build me a wide house,.... Or, "a house of measures", or, "dimensions" (i); a very large house, whose length and breadth measure much consisting of many spacious rooms, upper as

That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. A wide house - literally, a house of dimensions ('measures').

That is, Woe to that man, who suffering oppression in his government, or making it his business himself to oppress, yet buildeth himself great houses and large chambers, ceiling them with cedar, promising himself prosperity and splendour, notwithstanding his wicked courses! for otherwise, it is lawful enough for princes to build themselves stately houses, &c. Yet some think that Jehoiakim’ s pride, and luxury, and magnificence is here blamed, which also may be, considering what fate he was trader, for Judah was reprieved only during Josiah’ s life, . And this prince had seen Shallum or Jehoahaz his brother carried into captivity, and he still walked in the same wicked courses his brother had done; yet in contempt of the word of the Lord by Huldah in his father’ s time, he promiseth himself all prosperity and splendour, and accordingly was building himself stately houses, and adorning them; for this the woe is here denounced.

Jeremiah 22:14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and [it is] cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.Ver. 14. I will build me a wide house.] Heb., A house of measures, or dimensions; such as is the Turk’ s Seraglio, two or three miles in compass, or rather such as is Westminster Hall, built by William Rufus, who found much fault with it for being too little, saying it was fitter for a chamber than for a hall for a king of England; and taking a plot for one more spacious to be added unto it, he came to an untimely end. Sarcophago contentus, shut up in a little grave, which yet was more honour than this ambitious prince attained to; for he was "cast out and buried with the burial of an ass," as it followeth. And large chambers.] Heb., Widened or winded; thoroughly aired. Thus, with those Megarensians, spoken of by Plato, he built as if his life had been riveted upon eternity. And cutteth him out windows.] Some render it, and the original will bear it, That teareth my windows - scil., To enlarge and beautify therewith his new building: he took in, belike, a piece of God’ s house. This was such a piece of sacrilege as the very heathens abhorred. A certain King of Sicily, to enlarge his palace, pulled down an old temple; but the emperor, Marcus Antoninus, calleth it a beastly and lewd action, not to be spoken of without shame, protesting that it was a matter of wonder and scandal, not only to him, but to the whole city and senate of Rome; and therefore he blamed the king exceedingly for it. Our William the Conqueror is much cried out upon for throwing down thirty-six mother churches in Hampshire for the making of his New Forest, to hunt in. Daniel’ s History. Coenacula perstabilia. Et lacerat sibi fenestras meas. - Trem. Camden’ s Britain.

(14) Large chambers.—As before, “upper storeys or chambers.” Cutteth him out windows.—The verb is the same as that used in Jeremiah 4:30 for dilating the eyes by the use of antimony, and implies accordingly the construction of windows of unusual width. These, after the Eastern fashion, were fitted with lattice-work, or shielded by curtains. Vermilion.—Probably the red pigment (sulphuret of mercury?) still conspicuous in the buildings of Egypt. The word meets us again in Ezekiel 23:14. The king was probably impelled by a vainglorious desire to imitate the magnificence of the Egyptian king (Pharaoh-nechoh) who had placed him on the throne.

14. There is considerable variance between MT. and LXX in this v., but the general sense is clear. windows] The Hebrew word is unusual in its form. Michaelis by a different division of words, renders … his windows, cieling it, etc., i.e. covering (it) in, panelling (it), as “cieling” meant when A.V. was made. “Painted” will then become painting. vermilion] formerly obtained from the kermes insect; hence its name (vermiculus).

Large chambers - spacious upper chambers. It is cieled - Or, roofing it. Vermilion - The pigment which gives the deep red color still bright and untarnished on many ancient buildings.

14. Wide house — Literally, a house of dimensions, or extensions — a grand palace. Cutteth him out windows — The verb is the same which is used in Jeremiah 4:30, of enlarging or opening the eyes with paint.