Jeremiah 5

Jeremiah 5:1

IF ye can find a man] Any one: as Isaiah 6:11. Chap. 4. 29. implying the great scarcitie of such men in Jerusalem: when a man might run a long time to and fro in the streets, and yet not meet with one good man, Psalms 12:1. & 14. 2, 3. Isa. 64. 6, 7. Mic. 7. 1, 2.

that executeth judgement, that seeketh the truth] That dealeth uprightly and faithfully, Isaiah 56:1.

I will pardon it] I will spare the citie, and not destroy it, Genesis 18:32.

Jeremiah 5:2

And though they say, The LORD liveth, &c.] Or, for (as Psalms 108:12.) when. Heb. if. as Psalms 63:6. Amos 7:2. Though they pretend religion; (noted here by one part of it; as Chap. 3. 2. & 44. 26.) yet they do it, but in hypocrisie, and for evill ends, Matthew 23:23. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Or, even when they swear, calling God solemnly to witnesse, they have no regard of truth, Isaiah 48:1.

they swear falsly] Heb. unto falshood. as Isaiah 42:3. Or, in falshood. Chap. 7. 9. Leviticus 6:3.

Jeremiah 5:3

are not thine eyes upon the truth] Doest thou not love uprightnesse and faithfull dealing? Psalms 51:6. and respect those that use it? Psal. 11. 4, 5, 7. & 34. 15.

thou hast stricken them, &c.] Thou hast oft punished them: but all in vain: they are no whit the better for it, Isaiah 1:5. and Isaiah 9:13. Chap. 2. 30.

they have refused to receive correction] Or, they refuse.

made their faces harder then a rock] Proverbs 21:29. Zechariah 7:12.

have refused to return] Or, refuse. Chap. 8. 5.

Jeremiah 5:4

Surely these] Of the meaner sort.

know not the way of the LORD] Are ignorant; unacquainted with Gods word and wayes, Chap. 8. 7. John 7:49.

Jeremiah 5:5

they have known] Or, do know. are better acquainted with it; having had better breeding and means of instruction then others of meaner estate, Proverbs 4:3. 4.

these have, &c.] Spoken, to the reproof and reproach of them, that should have governed and taught others better things; but were as farre out of the way as any, Chap. 6. 13.

altogether] All of them; as well one as another, Psalms 14:3.

broken the yoke, and burst the bonds] Cast off Gods yoke; and the bonds of allegeance and obedience to him. Psalms 2:3. Lamentations 3:27. Matth. 11. 29, 30. Luke 19:14; Luke 19:27.

Jeremiah 5:6

a lion] Nebuchadnezzar, with his armie, Chap. 4. 7.

a wolf of the evenings] Or, deserts. Chap. 39. 5. That liveth in the wast. Or, that useth at evening to range abroad for his prey, Psalms 104:20. Habakkuk 1:8. Zephaniah 3:3.

a leopard shall watch over their cities] The enemie shall watch over them, Chap. 4. 16, 17. as a leopard, that lyeth in wait for other beasts, to prey on them, Hosea 13:7.

their back-slidings are increased] Heb. are strong. Psal. 40. 5, 12. and 69. 4.

Jeremiah 5:7

thy children have forsaken me] Chap. 1. 16. and 2. 13. Vers. 19.

sworn by them that are no gods] By false gods, idols, Galatians 4:8. forbidden, Joshua 23:7. and condemned here, as a forsaking of the true God. See Chap. 4. 2.

when I had fed them to the full, &c.] The more love and kindnesse I shewed them, the lewder and looser they grew, Deuteronomy 32:15. Hosea 4:7. Romans 2:4-5. Jude 1:4.

they then committed adultery] To idolatrie adding adulterie; adultery corporall to spirituall, Numbers 25:1-2. Hos. 4. 11, - 14. Revelation 2:20.

Jeremiah 5:8

They were as fed horses] Ezekiel 22:11.

neighed after his neighbours wife] Chap. 13. 27.

Jeremiah 5:9

Shall I not visit] Vers. 29. Or, Should I not punish. Isaiah 10:12.

shall not my soul be avenged] Or, should I not be avenged. Isaiah 1:14; Isaiah 1:24.

Jeremiah 5:10

Go ye up upon her wals, and destroy] He giveth the enemie full commission to destroy them, Chap. 34. 22.

make not a full end] Yet not so, but that he will have some spared and saved. Vers 18. Chap. 3. 14. & 4. 27. & 30. 11.

take away her battlements] Raze her walls: the battlements whereof were as places of safeguard, Deuteronomy 22:8.

they are not the LORDS] They are not the Lords people: and their shield therefore is gone from them, Numbers 14:9.

Jeremiah 5:11

have dealt very treacherously] Heb. dealing treacherously have dealt treacherously. Isaiah 24:10.

Jeremiah 5:12

They have belied the LORD] Giving no credit to his Prophets, and his word by them, 1 John 5:10.

It is not he] Isaiah 28:15.

neither shall we see sword nor famine] Or, suffer. Chap. 44. 17.

Jeremiah 5:13

the prophets shall become wind] Their words are vain; and shall be of no effect, Deuteronomy 32:47. 2 Chron. 36. 16.

the word is not in them] The word of God: they speak not from him; nor doth he speak by them, Chap. 43. 2. 2 Corinthians 13:3.

thus shall it be done unto them] That which they threaten us with, shall befall themselves, 1 King. 22. 24, 27.

Jeremiah 5:14

Because ye speak this word] Or, thus. or, this thing Chap. 42. 4.

behold, &c.] See Chap. 1. 9.

I will make my words in thy mouth fire, &c.] O Jeremiah: by putting in execution, what I have by thee menaced, Chap. 6. 11. and 23. 29.

Jeremiah 5:15

I will bring a nation upon you from farre] The Babylonians and Chaldeans, Deuteronomy 28:49. Isaiah 28:11. & Isaiah 33:19. & 39. 3, 6, 7. Chap. 1. 15. & 6. 22.

it is an ancient nation] Heb. a nation from antiquitie. That hath been a nation of note since Nimrods time, Genesis 10:10. Isaiah 23:13.

whose language thou knowest not] Heb. hearest not. Isaiah 36:11. Chap. 38. 28.

Jeremiah 5:16

Their quiver is as an open sepulchre] To destroy and devoure, Psalms 5:9.

Jeremiah 5:17

they shall eat up thine harvest, &c.] Lev. 26. 16. Deut. 28 31. 33.

Jeremiah 5:18

I will not make a full end with you] Still Gods favour appeareth to his people, whom he will not have utterly destroyed. Vers. 10. Chap. 4. 17.

Jeremiah 5:19

Wherefore doth the LORD our God all these things unto us] Chap. 13. 22. & 16. 10.

then shait thou answer them] Jeremiah. Chap. 15. 2.

ye have forsaken me] Vers. 7.

shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours] As was before threatned, Deuteronomy 28:47-48.

Jeremiah 5:21

O foolish people] Chap. 4 22.

without understanding] Heb. without heart. Hosea 7:11.

have eyes and see not] Isaiah 6:9. & Isaiah 42:20. Matthew 13:14. John 12:40. Acts 28:26. Romans 11:8.

Jeremiah 5:22

Fear ye not me, &c.] Will ye not be ruled by me, who rule and keep within compasse that most unruly creature of all other, the sea? Job 7:12. Psalms 65:7. & Psalms 93:4.

which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea] Job 26:10. & 38. 10, 11. Psalms 104:9.

by a perpetuall decree] Heb. a decree of perpetuitie. Exodus 29:9.

Jeremiah 5:23

they are revolted and gone] Or, go on. Chap. 8. 4, 5.

Jeremiah 5:24

Neither say they, &c.] Neither can the apprehension of Gods might and greatnesse enforce them to fear him, vers. 22. nor the consideration of his mercy and goodnesse induce them to serve him, Deuteronomy 28:47. See Hosea 3:5.

that giveth rain] That which neither the false gods, nor the clouds can do, Chap. 14. 22. Zechariah 10:1.

both] Heb. and. as Chap. 17. 26. Or, even. as Chap. 52. 13.

the former and the latter] Deuteronomy 11:14. Joe 2:22.

he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest] Or, that reserveth. as Isaiah 63:8. vers. 7. 26. That continueth unto us the seasons of the yeer, each in his turn and due time, Genesis 8:22. Or, that keepeth the time of harvest fair and dry for us: so that we have weather of either sort seasonably. See 1 Samuel 12:17-18. And he saith weeks, rather then moneths or dayes; alluding to that number of weeks, wherewith their harvest was limited in the Law, Leviticus 23:10. 15. Deuteronomy 16:9-10.

Jeremiah 5:25

Your iniquities have turned away these things, &c.] If there be any restraint of Gods blessings, it is by reason of mans sinne. Psal. 107. 17, 34. Isa. 59. 1, 2.

Jeremiah 5:26

they lay wait as he that setteth snares] Or, that pry, as fowlers lie in wait. Pro. 1. 11, 17.

they set a trap, they catch men] Or, that set (as vers. 24.) a trap to catch. as Ecclesiastes 8:3.

Jeremiah 5:27

As a cage is full of birds] Or, a coup. The fowlers cage or coup; whom he compareth them to. vers. 26. Psalms 91:3.

so are their houses full of deceit] Of goods got by deceit, Isaiah 28:16. Chap. 3. 24. Micah 6:10. Zephaniah 1:9.

Jeremiah 5:28

They are waxen fat] Deuteronomy 32:15. vers. 7.

they overpasse the deeds of the wicked] Or, passe by evils. Heb. words, or, things, of evill. Psalms 65:3. They go beyond the very Heathen themselves in wickednesse, Chap. 2. 33. Ezekiel 5:6-7. Or, they escape evill occurrents, and judgements, that befall others, Psalms 73:5.

judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherlesse, &c.] Isaiah 1:23. Zechariah 7:10.

yet they prosper] Or, that they may prosper. Heb. and. as ?Malachi 1:9. They thrive with their wickednesse; and are so farre from any remorse or fear of wrath for it, that they glory rather in it, Psal. 73. 3, - 12. Job 21. 7, - 15. Chap. 12. 1, 2. Habakkuk 1:3-4. Zechariah 11:5. Or, They do not execute justice and judgement; that they might prosper, through Gods blessing upon them for the same. Chap. 22. 15. 16.

Jeremiah 5:29

Shall I not visit] Or, Should I not punish. vers. 9. Chap. 6. 6.

Jeremiah 5:30

A wonderfull and horrible thing] Or, Astonishment and filthinesse. Chap. 23. 14.

Jeremiah 5:31

The prophets, &c.] Priests, Prophets and people were all alike faultie: and what good then could be expected? Chap. 6. 13. Mic. 3. 11.

prophesie falsly] Heb. in, or, by, falshood. Chap. 14. 14. and 23. 25, 26. Ezekiel 13:6.

the priests bear rule by their means] Or, take into their hands. (Heb. hands. as Isaiah 62:3.) Being by their help confirmed in their corrupt courses; which the true prophets reproved, Ezekiel 13:22.

my people love to have it so] Like and love the false prophets lies and flatteries, better then Gods truth, Isaiah 30:10. Mic. 2. 6. 11. 2 Thessalonians 2:9,—12.

what will ye do in the end thereof] What will be the issue of it? what will become of you at last?