- Home
- Bible
- Jeremiah
- Chapter 23
- Verse 23
Jeremiah 23:6
Verse
Context
David’s Righteous Branch
5Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
Sermons






Summary
Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
Jer 23:6 exhibits the welfare which the "branch" will, by His wise and just rule, secure for the people. Judah shall be blessed with welfare (נושׁע), and Israel dwell safely; that blessing will come into fulfilment which Moses set before the people's view in Deu 33:28. יהוּדה as the totality of the inhabitants is construed as feminine, as in Jer 3:7; Jer 14:2, etc. Israel denotes the ten tribes. Under the just sceptre of the Messiah, all Israel will reach the destiny designed for it by the Lord, will, as God's people, attain to full dignity and glory. This is the name by which they shall call Him, the branch of David: Jahveh our Righteousness. The suffix in יקראו refers to "righteous branch." Instead of the 3 pers. sing. יקרא with the suffix ו, some codd. have the plur. יקראוּ. This some polemical authors, such as Raim., Martini, Galatin, hold to be the true reading; and they affirmed the other had proceeded from the Jews, with the design of explaining away the deity of the Messiah. The Jews translated, they said: This is the name whereby Jahveh will call him: Our Righteousness; which is indeed the rendering of R. Saad. Gaon apud Aben Ezra, and of Menasse ben Israel. But this rendering is rejected by most Jewish comm. as being at variance with the accents, so that the impugned reading could not well have been invented by the Jews for polemical purposes. יקראו is attested by most codd., and is rendered by the lxx, so that the sense can be none other than: they will call the righteous branch of David "Jahveh our Righteousness." Most comm., including even Hitz., admit that the suffix refers to צמח, the principal person in both verses. Only Ew., Graf, and Ng. seek to refer it to Israel, because in Jer 33:16 the same name is given to Jerusalem. But the passage cited does not prove the case. To call any one by a name universally denotes in the prophetic usage: to set him forth as that which the name expresses; so here: the branch of David will manifest Himself to the people of Israel as Jahve Tsidkenu. This name is variously expounded. The older Christian comm. understand that the Messiah is here called Jehovah, and must therefore be true God, and that He is called our righteousness, inasmuch as He justifies us by His merit. (Note: Thus the Vulg. renders: Dominus justus noster; and even Calv. says: Quicunque sine contentione et amarulentia judicant, facile vident, idem nomen competer in Christum, quatenus est Deus, sicuti nomen filii Davidis respectu humanae naturae ei tribuitur. - Omnibus aequis et moderatis hoc constabit, Christum hic insigniri duplici elogio, ut in eo nobis commendet propheta tam deitatis gloriam, quam veritatem humanae naturae; and by the righteousness he understands justification by the merits of Christ.) But the rabbinical interpreters, headed by the Chald., take the name to be an abbreviation of a sentence; so e.g., Kimchi: Israel vocabit Messiam hoc nomine, quia ejus temporibus Domini justitia nobis firma, jugis et non recedet. They appeal to Jer 33:17 and to other passages, such as Exo 17:15, where Moses calls the altar "Jahveh my Banner," and Gen 33:20, where Jacob gives to the altar built by him the name El elohe Jisrael. Hgstb. has rightly pronounced for this interpretation. The passages cited show who in such names an entire sentence is conveyed. "Jahveh my Banner" is as much as to say: This altar is dedicated to Jahveh my banner, or to the Almighty, the God of Israel. So all names compounded of Jahveh; e.g., Jehoshua = Jahveh salvation, brief for: he to whom Jahveh vouchsafes salvation. So Tsidkijahu = Jahve's righteousness, for: he to whom Jahveh deals righteousness. To this corresponds Jahveh Tsidkenu: he by whom Jahveh deals righteousness. We are bound to take the name thus by the parallel passage, Jer 33:16, where the same name is given to Jerusalem, to convey the thought, that by the Messiah the Lord will make Jerusalem the city of Righteousness, will give His righteousness to it, will adorn and glorify it therewith. צדקנוּ is not to be referred, as it is by the ancient Church comm., to justification through the forgiveness of sins. With this we have not here to do, but with personal righteousness, which consists in deliverance from all unrighteousness, and which is bound up with blessedness. Actual righteousness has indeed the forgiveness of sins for its foundation, and in this respect justification is not to be wholly excluded; but this latter is here subordinate to actual righteousness, which the Messiah secures for Israel by the righteousness of His reign. The unrighteousness of the former kings has brought Israel and Judah to corruption and ruin; the righteousness of the branch to be hereafter raised up to David will remove all the ruin and mischief from Judah, and procure for them the righteousness and blessedness which is of God. - "What Jeremiah," as is well remarked by Hgstb., "sums up in the name Jehovah Tsidkenu, Ezekiel expands at length in the parallel Eze 34:25-31 : the Lord concludes with them a covenant of peace; rich blessings fall to their lot; He breaks their yoke, frees them from bondage; they do not become the heathen's prey." These divine blessings are also to be conferred upon the people by means of the righteous branch. What the ancient Church comm. found in the name was true as to the substance. For as no man is perfectly righteous, so no mere earthly king can impart to the people the righteousness of Jahveh in the full sense of the term; only He who is endowed with the righteousness of God. In so far the Godhead of this King is contained implicite in the name; only we must not understand that he that bore the name is called Jahveh. But that righteousness, as the sum of all blessing, is set before the people's view, we may gather from the context, especially from Jer 23:7 and Jer 23:8, where it is said that the blessings to be conferred will outshine all former manifestations of God's grace. This is the sense of both verses, which, save in the matter of a trifling change in Jer 23:8, are verbally repeated from Jer 16:14 and Jer 16:15, where they have already been expounded. (Note: The lxx have omitted both these verses here, and have placed them at the end of the chapter, after Jer 23:40; but by their contents they do not at all belong to that, whereas after Jer 23:6 they are very much in place, as even Hitz. admits. In the text of the lxx handed down, Jer 23:6 ends with the words: ̓Ιωσεδὲκ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις; and ̓Ιωσεδὲκ may be said to correspond to יהוה צדקנוּ, and ἐν τοῖς προφήταις to לנּביאים, Jer 23:9. Hitz. and Gr. therefore infer that Jer 23:7 and Jer 23:8 were wanting also in the Heb. text used by the translator, and that they must have been added by way of supplement, most probably from another MS. This inference is thought to find support in the assumption that, because the Greek MSS have no point between ̓Ιωσεδὲκ and ἐν τοῦς προφήταις, therefore the Alexandrian translator must have joined these words together so as to make one - meaningless - sentence. A thoroughly uncritical conclusion, which could be defended only if the Alex. translators had punctuated their Greek text as we have it punctuated in our printed editions. And if a later reader of the lxx had added the verses from the Hebrew text, then he would certainly have intercalated them at the spot where they stood in the original, i.e., between Jer 23:6 and Jer 23:9. Their displacement to a position after Jer 23:40 is to be explained from the fact that in Jer 16:14 and Jer 16:15 they immediately follow a threatening: and is manifestly the work of the translator himself, who omitted them after Jer 23:6, understanding them as of threatening import, because a threatening seemed to him to be out of place after Jer 23:6.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Judah . . . Israel . . . dwell safely--Compare Jer 33:16, where "Jerusalem" is substituted for "Israel" here. Only Judah, and that only in part, has as yet returned. So far are the Jews from having enjoyed, as yet, the temporal blessings here foretold as the result of Messiah's reign, that their lot has been, for eighteen centuries, worse than ever before. The accomplishment must, therefore, be still future, when both Judah and Israel in their own land shall dwell safely under a Christocracy, far more privileged than even the old theocracy (Jer 32:37; Deu 33:28; Isa. 54:1-17; 60:1-22; Isa 65:17-25; Zac 14:11). shall be called, the Lord--that is, shall be (Isa 9:6) "Jehovah," God's incommunicable name. Though when applied to created things, it expresses only some peculiar connection they have with Jehovah (Gen 22:14; Exo 17:15), yet when applied to Messiah it must express His Godhead manifested in justifying power towards us (Ti1 3:16). our--marks His manhood, which is also implied in His being a Branch raised unto David, whence His human title, "Son of David" (compare Mat 22:42-45). Righteousness--marks His Godhead, for God alone can justify the ungodly (compare Rom 4:5; Isa 45:17, Isa 45:24-25).
John Gill Bible Commentary
In his days Judah shall be saved,.... In the days of the Messiah, the righteous Branch, and reigning prosperous King, not only the people of the Jews, God's elect among them, but all that truly embrace him, and confess him, as Judah's name signifies, shall be saved from all their sins; from the law, its curse and condemnation; and from wrath to come; and from all their spiritual enemies. In the latter part of his days all Israel shall be saved, Rom 11:26; and Israel shall dwell safely; without any fear of enemies, being saved from them; being in that city, the church, which has salvation for walls and bulwarks; angels encamping about them; the Lord as a wall of fire around them; the Spirit lifting up a standard against their enemies, when they come in like a flood; and the Messiah their rock and refuge, and strong tower, their strength and righteousness; as follows: for all the salvation and safety of the Lord's people are owing to the righteousness of Christ; the effect of which is peace, quietness, and assurance for ever: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS; because he is the author of righteousness to his people, and is only so; no creature could be the author of it; unrighteous man cannot be the author of righteousness; and the righteousness of an angel is of no advantage to man; and indeed neither of the other divine Persons is the Lord our righteousness; for though they are both Jehovah, the Father and the Spirit, yet not our righteousness: the Father appointed and sent Christ to work it out; he approved and accepted of it, when wrought out; and imputes it to his people; but is not the author of it: so the Spirit convinces of the need of it; reveals it, and brings it near; works faith to receive it; and applies it, and pronounces a person justified by it; but is not the author of it; that the Son of God only is; who is become so by his obedience to the law, and by bearing the penalty of it; and who, having been delivered for our offences, rose again for our justification: and this righteousness, which he has wrought out to the satisfaction of law and justice, becomes "ours"; it being signed for us, and wrought out for us, by a free gift of it is given to us; ours through the imputation of it to us by the Father, and in virtue of our union to Christ, and interest in him; and through the application of it to us by the Spirit of God; who puts it upon us, and clothes us with it, and enables us to lay hold upon it, and claim interest in it; and which may be meant by Christ being "called our righteousness"; for the meaning is, not that he should commonly go by this name; but only that he should be that unto us which it signifies; and that we should by faith, even every true Israelite, every believer, call him our righteousness; say that we have righteousness in him make mention of that continually, and express our desires to be found atone in it; for so the words may be rendered, "and this is the name whereby he shall call him (g), THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS"; and a sweet name to a sensible sinner it is; to one that has felt the guilt of sin in his conscience; seen his need of a righteousness, and the worth of it. That the Messiah is here meant is acknowledged by the Jews, ancient and modern (h). (g) "hoc nomen ejus est quo vocabit eum Israel", Junius & Tremellius; "quo vocabit eum unusquique", Piscator. (h) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 75. 2. Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 1. R. Saadiah Gaon in Dan vii. 13. R. Albo, Sepher Ikkarim, l. 2. c. 28. Abarbinel, Mashmiah Jeshuah. fol. 35. 2. Caphtor fol. 87. 1. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 75. 2. Kimchi in loc. & in Ezek. xlviii. 35. & Ben Melech in loc.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
23:6 This ruler would have the name The Lord Is Our Righteousness (Hebrew Yahweh Tsidqenu), an interesting reversal of Zedekiah’s Hebrew name (Tsidqiyyahu), which means “Righteous is the Lord.” Zedekiah’s character and the chaos of his reign were the opposite of the future King’s character and the salvation and safety that his reign would offer.
Jeremiah 23:6
David’s Righteous Branch
5Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
I Will Not Be a Velvet-Mouthed Preacher!
By John Piper1.9K1:23:28JER 23:6EPH 2:8This sermon delves into the life of George Whitefield, a prominent preacher of the 18th century, highlighting his fervent evangelistic efforts, doctrinal faithfulness, and blind spots, particularly in relation to his support of slavery. Despite his imperfections, Whitefield's preaching impacted many, especially the slave community, leading them to embrace Christianity. The sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding historical figures in their entirety, acknowledging both their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately pointing to the righteousness of Christ as the true source of salvation.
Ger-02 Israel's Coming Calamity
By Art Katz1.7K58:46GermanPSA 51:17ISA 2:3ISA 53:2JER 23:6JER 30:7EZK 18:20MAT 25:31In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of Jacob's trouble, a time of great tribulation that will affect all nations. The speaker emphasizes that no nation will be exempt from this reality and that God will sift Jacob through the nations and sift the nations through Jacob. The sermon also highlights the importance of showing mercy and compassion to others, as the Lord will judge the nations based on how they treated the least of his brethren. The speaker connects the present state of Israel to the story of Jacob, describing it as a supplanting and usurping of something that was originally possessed by Esau. The sermon concludes with a plea for moral strength and courage to face the coming reality and to be a refuge and source of understanding for the Jewish people.
The Name of Jehovah
By Chuck Smith1.3K37:16GEN 22:14EXO 17:15JDG 6:24PRO 18:10ISA 7:14JER 23:6EZK 48:35MAT 1:21This sermon focuses on the significance of the name Jehovah as a strong tower where the righteous can find safety and refuge. It delves into various compound names of Jehovah found in the Bible, such as Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Shalom, and Jehovah Tsidkenu, highlighting God's provision, protection, peace, and righteousness. The message emphasizes the importance of seeking refuge in Jesus, whose name means Jehovah is salvation, and finding strength and help in times of trouble by running into the strong tower of Jehovah.
The Name of the Lord
By Brian Brodersen94133:32GEN 22:14EXO 3:14EXO 15:26EXO 17:15LEV 20:8JDG 6:24PSA 23:1JER 23:6EZK 48:35This sermon delves into the progressive revelation of God's name throughout the Old Testament, culminating in the person of Jesus Christ. Each revelation of God's name signifies a different aspect of His character and provision for His people, from being the provider, healer, banner, sanctifier, peace-giver, shepherd, present help, to our righteousness. The sermon emphasizes the importance of resting on the foundation of who God is, knowing that He will become everything we need in the future.
The Lord Our Righteousness. (Jer. 23:6)
By George Whitefield1JER 23:6MAT 6:33JHN 3:16ACT 4:12ROM 3:22ROM 10:42CO 5:21EPH 2:8PHP 3:91JN 1:9George Whitefield preaches passionately about the importance of Christ being our righteousness, emphasizing the natural tendency towards self-righteousness and the need for the righteousness of Jesus to be imputed to believers. He addresses objections against this doctrine, highlighting the dangers of relying on our own works for salvation and the necessity of embracing the righteousness of Christ through faith. Whitefield urges both believers and unbelievers to seek the Lord as their righteousness, emphasizing the eternal consequences of rejecting Christ's righteousness and the urgency of coming to Jesus for salvation.
Improve God's Name
By Ralph Erskine0GEN 22:14EXO 17:15JOS 20:2PSA 18:10PSA 46:1PSA 65:2PSA 103:13PSA 106:8ISA 9:6ISA 51:3ISA 53:5JER 23:6EZK 48:35COL 3:11Ralph Erskine preaches on the significance of God's name in salvation, emphasizing how God's mercy and goodness are displayed for the sake of His name. Believers are encouraged to praise God for His attributes and to seek His intervention in every aspect of their lives based on His different names that correspond to their needs, such as Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. The sermon underscores the assurance that God will fulfill His promises and provide for His people according to His name, urging believers to trust in His name for their salvation and every necessity.
The Doctrine of Justification 4. Its Basis
By A.W. Pink0Christ's AtonementJustificationISA 53:6JER 23:6LUK 15:22JHN 8:7ROM 3:22ROM 4:62CO 5:21GAL 3:13GAL 4:4REV 21:27A.W. Pink addresses the profound issue of justification, emphasizing that a holy God cannot simply overlook sin. He explains that salvation cannot be achieved through personal works or mere mercy, as both justice and mercy must be satisfied. Pink highlights that Christ's atonement is the basis for justification, where our sins are imputed to Him, and His righteousness is imputed to us. This divine exchange allows believers to stand justified before God, not through their own merit but through Christ's perfect obedience. Ultimately, Pink asserts that understanding this doctrine is crucial for peace and assurance in the believer's relationship with God.
The Lord Our Righteousness
By John Wesley0Righteousness of ChristUnity in the ChurchJER 23:6ROM 3:22EPH 2:8John Wesley emphasizes the significance of Christ as 'The Lord Our Righteousness,' urging believers to unite rather than engage in disputes that weaken the church. He highlights the importance of understanding and accepting Christ's righteousness, which is imputed to believers through faith, and warns against the dangers of misusing this doctrine as a cover for unrighteousness. Wesley calls for humility and mutual respect among Christians, regardless of differing expressions of faith, and encourages all to focus on the core truth of salvation through Christ alone. He concludes by advocating for peace and collaboration among believers to fulfill the mission of the church.
Jeremiah 23:6
By Chuck Smith0Leadership in FaithRighteousnessPSA 23:1ISA 11:1JER 23:6JER 33:16ZEC 6:12JHN 10:11ROM 3:22PHP 3:91TI 4:12HEB 7:2Chuck Smith emphasizes the promise of the Righteous Branch of David, highlighting God's rejection of the corrupt kings of Judah and His desire for leaders to have shepherd hearts. He explains that the Righteous Branch, identified as Yahweh Tsidkenu, will execute justice and righteousness, not just for Israel but for the entire earth. Smith draws parallels between the responsibilities of earthly shepherds and the ultimate shepherd, Jesus Christ, who provides for and protects His flock. He encourages believers to rely on the righteousness of Christ rather than their own, as true standing before God comes through faith in Jesus.
Your Spots and Blots
By Thomas Brooks0Righteousness in ChristAssurance of SalvationSNG 4:7JER 23:6ROM 3:222CO 5:21EPH 1:6PHP 3:9COL 1:22HEB 10:141JN 1:7REV 14:5Thomas Brooks emphasizes the assurance of believers standing before God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, despite their imperfections and struggles with sin. He encourages those with weak hearts to remember that they are seen as lovely and without flaw in God's eyes, as stated in Revelation 14:5. Brooks reassures that even when believers feel overwhelmed by their shortcomings, they should find strength in the truth of their identity in Christ, who covers their spots and blots with His righteousness.
Concerning the Magnificent and August Names and Titles of the Messiah in the Old Testament.
By John Gill0Prophecy FulfillmentNames of the MessiahPSA 110:1ISA 7:14ISA 9:6ISA 11:2ISA 53:10JER 23:6MIC 5:5HAG 2:7ZEC 6:12EPH 2:14John Gill expounds on the magnificent names and titles of the Messiah found in the Old Testament, emphasizing their significance and the prophetic nature of these designations. He argues that titles such as 'Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace' from Isaiah 9:6 are exclusively applicable to Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, rather than historical figures like Hezekiah. Gill also highlights the prophetic implications of names like 'The Lord Our Righteousness' from Jeremiah 23:6 and 'The Branch' from Zechariah 6:12, asserting that these titles affirm the divine nature and mission of Jesus. He addresses objections from Jewish interpretations, reinforcing the belief that these prophecies point directly to Christ's identity and work. Ultimately, Gill concludes that the fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus provides a foundation for Christian faith and understanding of the Messiah.
Jehovah Tsidekenu
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne0GraceRighteousnessPSA 34:18ISA 61:10JER 23:6JHN 14:6ROM 3:222CO 5:21EPH 2:8PHP 3:9HEB 4:161JN 1:9Robert Murray M'Cheyne emphasizes the profound significance of the name 'Jehovah Tsidkenu,' meaning 'The Lord Our Righteousness.' He reflects on his past ignorance of grace and the weight of sin, illustrating how the realization of Christ's sacrifice transformed his understanding and provided him with refuge and safety. M'Cheyne expresses that through faith in Jehovah Tsidkenu, he finds strength, hope, and assurance, even in the face of death. The sermon serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing Christ as our righteousness and the source of our salvation.
1 Corinthians I. 30
By John Owen0Imputed RighteousnessSovereign GraceJER 23:6ROM 3:27ROM 4:61CO 1:30EPH 2:8John Owen expounds on 1 Corinthians 1:30, emphasizing that Christ is made righteousness for us by God's sovereign grace, which excludes any basis for personal boasting. He argues against interpretations that diminish the significance of Christ's imputed righteousness, asserting that our righteousness before God is solely through Christ's merit. Owen refutes objections from Bellarmine and Socinus, clarifying that while Christ is our sanctification and redemption, His righteousness is uniquely imputed to us, establishing our justification. The sermon highlights the necessity of understanding Christ's role in our salvation as a gracious act of God, ensuring that all glory belongs to Him.
Hungering
By A.W. Pink0Righteousness in ChristSpiritual HungerPSA 42:1ISA 45:8JER 23:6MAT 5:6ROM 1:16ROM 3:22ROM 5:19ROM 10:4PHP 3:8REV 7:16A.W. Pink emphasizes the profound spiritual hunger and thirst for righteousness that arises from a deep awareness of one's own sinfulness and need for salvation. He explains that this longing is not only a characteristic of the unconverted but also a continual experience for believers who desire to grow closer to God and be conformed to Christ's image. Pink highlights that true righteousness is found in Christ alone, who fulfills the law and provides the perfect righteousness needed for salvation. He reassures that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled, both in this life and in the life to come, where they will experience complete satisfaction in God's holiness. The sermon calls believers to reflect on their spiritual state and to seek a deeper relationship with God.
On Holy Ground
By Andrew Bonar0God's HolinessSalvationPSA 24:3ISA 6:3JER 23:6MAT 5:8ROM 3:23EPH 1:4HEB 12:141PE 1:161JN 1:5REV 21:27Andrew Bonar emphasizes the transformative understanding of God's holiness in relation to salvation, illustrating that it is through God's holiness that we are granted access to heaven. He reflects on the shift from fearing holy ground to embracing it as a reflection of heavenly joy, recognizing that only a perfectly holy God could have sent His Son for our redemption. Bonar highlights that true happiness in eternity is found in the presence of God's holiness.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
Jer 23:6 exhibits the welfare which the "branch" will, by His wise and just rule, secure for the people. Judah shall be blessed with welfare (נושׁע), and Israel dwell safely; that blessing will come into fulfilment which Moses set before the people's view in Deu 33:28. יהוּדה as the totality of the inhabitants is construed as feminine, as in Jer 3:7; Jer 14:2, etc. Israel denotes the ten tribes. Under the just sceptre of the Messiah, all Israel will reach the destiny designed for it by the Lord, will, as God's people, attain to full dignity and glory. This is the name by which they shall call Him, the branch of David: Jahveh our Righteousness. The suffix in יקראו refers to "righteous branch." Instead of the 3 pers. sing. יקרא with the suffix ו, some codd. have the plur. יקראוּ. This some polemical authors, such as Raim., Martini, Galatin, hold to be the true reading; and they affirmed the other had proceeded from the Jews, with the design of explaining away the deity of the Messiah. The Jews translated, they said: This is the name whereby Jahveh will call him: Our Righteousness; which is indeed the rendering of R. Saad. Gaon apud Aben Ezra, and of Menasse ben Israel. But this rendering is rejected by most Jewish comm. as being at variance with the accents, so that the impugned reading could not well have been invented by the Jews for polemical purposes. יקראו is attested by most codd., and is rendered by the lxx, so that the sense can be none other than: they will call the righteous branch of David "Jahveh our Righteousness." Most comm., including even Hitz., admit that the suffix refers to צמח, the principal person in both verses. Only Ew., Graf, and Ng. seek to refer it to Israel, because in Jer 33:16 the same name is given to Jerusalem. But the passage cited does not prove the case. To call any one by a name universally denotes in the prophetic usage: to set him forth as that which the name expresses; so here: the branch of David will manifest Himself to the people of Israel as Jahve Tsidkenu. This name is variously expounded. The older Christian comm. understand that the Messiah is here called Jehovah, and must therefore be true God, and that He is called our righteousness, inasmuch as He justifies us by His merit. (Note: Thus the Vulg. renders: Dominus justus noster; and even Calv. says: Quicunque sine contentione et amarulentia judicant, facile vident, idem nomen competer in Christum, quatenus est Deus, sicuti nomen filii Davidis respectu humanae naturae ei tribuitur. - Omnibus aequis et moderatis hoc constabit, Christum hic insigniri duplici elogio, ut in eo nobis commendet propheta tam deitatis gloriam, quam veritatem humanae naturae; and by the righteousness he understands justification by the merits of Christ.) But the rabbinical interpreters, headed by the Chald., take the name to be an abbreviation of a sentence; so e.g., Kimchi: Israel vocabit Messiam hoc nomine, quia ejus temporibus Domini justitia nobis firma, jugis et non recedet. They appeal to Jer 33:17 and to other passages, such as Exo 17:15, where Moses calls the altar "Jahveh my Banner," and Gen 33:20, where Jacob gives to the altar built by him the name El elohe Jisrael. Hgstb. has rightly pronounced for this interpretation. The passages cited show who in such names an entire sentence is conveyed. "Jahveh my Banner" is as much as to say: This altar is dedicated to Jahveh my banner, or to the Almighty, the God of Israel. So all names compounded of Jahveh; e.g., Jehoshua = Jahveh salvation, brief for: he to whom Jahveh vouchsafes salvation. So Tsidkijahu = Jahve's righteousness, for: he to whom Jahveh deals righteousness. To this corresponds Jahveh Tsidkenu: he by whom Jahveh deals righteousness. We are bound to take the name thus by the parallel passage, Jer 33:16, where the same name is given to Jerusalem, to convey the thought, that by the Messiah the Lord will make Jerusalem the city of Righteousness, will give His righteousness to it, will adorn and glorify it therewith. צדקנוּ is not to be referred, as it is by the ancient Church comm., to justification through the forgiveness of sins. With this we have not here to do, but with personal righteousness, which consists in deliverance from all unrighteousness, and which is bound up with blessedness. Actual righteousness has indeed the forgiveness of sins for its foundation, and in this respect justification is not to be wholly excluded; but this latter is here subordinate to actual righteousness, which the Messiah secures for Israel by the righteousness of His reign. The unrighteousness of the former kings has brought Israel and Judah to corruption and ruin; the righteousness of the branch to be hereafter raised up to David will remove all the ruin and mischief from Judah, and procure for them the righteousness and blessedness which is of God. - "What Jeremiah," as is well remarked by Hgstb., "sums up in the name Jehovah Tsidkenu, Ezekiel expands at length in the parallel Eze 34:25-31 : the Lord concludes with them a covenant of peace; rich blessings fall to their lot; He breaks their yoke, frees them from bondage; they do not become the heathen's prey." These divine blessings are also to be conferred upon the people by means of the righteous branch. What the ancient Church comm. found in the name was true as to the substance. For as no man is perfectly righteous, so no mere earthly king can impart to the people the righteousness of Jahveh in the full sense of the term; only He who is endowed with the righteousness of God. In so far the Godhead of this King is contained implicite in the name; only we must not understand that he that bore the name is called Jahveh. But that righteousness, as the sum of all blessing, is set before the people's view, we may gather from the context, especially from Jer 23:7 and Jer 23:8, where it is said that the blessings to be conferred will outshine all former manifestations of God's grace. This is the sense of both verses, which, save in the matter of a trifling change in Jer 23:8, are verbally repeated from Jer 16:14 and Jer 16:15, where they have already been expounded. (Note: The lxx have omitted both these verses here, and have placed them at the end of the chapter, after Jer 23:40; but by their contents they do not at all belong to that, whereas after Jer 23:6 they are very much in place, as even Hitz. admits. In the text of the lxx handed down, Jer 23:6 ends with the words: ̓Ιωσεδὲκ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις; and ̓Ιωσεδὲκ may be said to correspond to יהוה צדקנוּ, and ἐν τοῖς προφήταις to לנּביאים, Jer 23:9. Hitz. and Gr. therefore infer that Jer 23:7 and Jer 23:8 were wanting also in the Heb. text used by the translator, and that they must have been added by way of supplement, most probably from another MS. This inference is thought to find support in the assumption that, because the Greek MSS have no point between ̓Ιωσεδὲκ and ἐν τοῦς προφήταις, therefore the Alexandrian translator must have joined these words together so as to make one - meaningless - sentence. A thoroughly uncritical conclusion, which could be defended only if the Alex. translators had punctuated their Greek text as we have it punctuated in our printed editions. And if a later reader of the lxx had added the verses from the Hebrew text, then he would certainly have intercalated them at the spot where they stood in the original, i.e., between Jer 23:6 and Jer 23:9. Their displacement to a position after Jer 23:40 is to be explained from the fact that in Jer 16:14 and Jer 16:15 they immediately follow a threatening: and is manifestly the work of the translator himself, who omitted them after Jer 23:6, understanding them as of threatening import, because a threatening seemed to him to be out of place after Jer 23:6.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Judah . . . Israel . . . dwell safely--Compare Jer 33:16, where "Jerusalem" is substituted for "Israel" here. Only Judah, and that only in part, has as yet returned. So far are the Jews from having enjoyed, as yet, the temporal blessings here foretold as the result of Messiah's reign, that their lot has been, for eighteen centuries, worse than ever before. The accomplishment must, therefore, be still future, when both Judah and Israel in their own land shall dwell safely under a Christocracy, far more privileged than even the old theocracy (Jer 32:37; Deu 33:28; Isa. 54:1-17; 60:1-22; Isa 65:17-25; Zac 14:11). shall be called, the Lord--that is, shall be (Isa 9:6) "Jehovah," God's incommunicable name. Though when applied to created things, it expresses only some peculiar connection they have with Jehovah (Gen 22:14; Exo 17:15), yet when applied to Messiah it must express His Godhead manifested in justifying power towards us (Ti1 3:16). our--marks His manhood, which is also implied in His being a Branch raised unto David, whence His human title, "Son of David" (compare Mat 22:42-45). Righteousness--marks His Godhead, for God alone can justify the ungodly (compare Rom 4:5; Isa 45:17, Isa 45:24-25).
John Gill Bible Commentary
In his days Judah shall be saved,.... In the days of the Messiah, the righteous Branch, and reigning prosperous King, not only the people of the Jews, God's elect among them, but all that truly embrace him, and confess him, as Judah's name signifies, shall be saved from all their sins; from the law, its curse and condemnation; and from wrath to come; and from all their spiritual enemies. In the latter part of his days all Israel shall be saved, Rom 11:26; and Israel shall dwell safely; without any fear of enemies, being saved from them; being in that city, the church, which has salvation for walls and bulwarks; angels encamping about them; the Lord as a wall of fire around them; the Spirit lifting up a standard against their enemies, when they come in like a flood; and the Messiah their rock and refuge, and strong tower, their strength and righteousness; as follows: for all the salvation and safety of the Lord's people are owing to the righteousness of Christ; the effect of which is peace, quietness, and assurance for ever: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS; because he is the author of righteousness to his people, and is only so; no creature could be the author of it; unrighteous man cannot be the author of righteousness; and the righteousness of an angel is of no advantage to man; and indeed neither of the other divine Persons is the Lord our righteousness; for though they are both Jehovah, the Father and the Spirit, yet not our righteousness: the Father appointed and sent Christ to work it out; he approved and accepted of it, when wrought out; and imputes it to his people; but is not the author of it: so the Spirit convinces of the need of it; reveals it, and brings it near; works faith to receive it; and applies it, and pronounces a person justified by it; but is not the author of it; that the Son of God only is; who is become so by his obedience to the law, and by bearing the penalty of it; and who, having been delivered for our offences, rose again for our justification: and this righteousness, which he has wrought out to the satisfaction of law and justice, becomes "ours"; it being signed for us, and wrought out for us, by a free gift of it is given to us; ours through the imputation of it to us by the Father, and in virtue of our union to Christ, and interest in him; and through the application of it to us by the Spirit of God; who puts it upon us, and clothes us with it, and enables us to lay hold upon it, and claim interest in it; and which may be meant by Christ being "called our righteousness"; for the meaning is, not that he should commonly go by this name; but only that he should be that unto us which it signifies; and that we should by faith, even every true Israelite, every believer, call him our righteousness; say that we have righteousness in him make mention of that continually, and express our desires to be found atone in it; for so the words may be rendered, "and this is the name whereby he shall call him (g), THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS"; and a sweet name to a sensible sinner it is; to one that has felt the guilt of sin in his conscience; seen his need of a righteousness, and the worth of it. That the Messiah is here meant is acknowledged by the Jews, ancient and modern (h). (g) "hoc nomen ejus est quo vocabit eum Israel", Junius & Tremellius; "quo vocabit eum unusquique", Piscator. (h) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 75. 2. Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 1. R. Saadiah Gaon in Dan vii. 13. R. Albo, Sepher Ikkarim, l. 2. c. 28. Abarbinel, Mashmiah Jeshuah. fol. 35. 2. Caphtor fol. 87. 1. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 75. 2. Kimchi in loc. & in Ezek. xlviii. 35. & Ben Melech in loc.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
23:6 This ruler would have the name The Lord Is Our Righteousness (Hebrew Yahweh Tsidqenu), an interesting reversal of Zedekiah’s Hebrew name (Tsidqiyyahu), which means “Righteous is the Lord.” Zedekiah’s character and the chaos of his reign were the opposite of the future King’s character and the salvation and safety that his reign would offer.