Jeremiah 16

Jeremiah 16:1

Bel - The chief idol of the Babylonians, called by profane historians Jupiter Belus. Boweth - As the Babylonians used to bow down to him to worship, so now he bows down to the victorious Persians. Nebo - Another of the famous idols, which used to deliver oracles. Their idols - Were taken and broken, and the materials of them, gold, silver, and brass, were carried upon beasts into Persia. Your carriages - O ye Persians, to whom he turns his speech.

Jeremiah 16:2

They - The Babylonians. Together - The Babylonians and their idols together, neither could help the other. Deliver - The Babylonians could not deliver their idols.

Jeremiah 16:3

Carried - Whom I have nourished, ever since you were a people, and came out of Egypt; and that as tenderly, as parents bring up their own children.

Jeremiah 16:7

Remove - He can stir neither hand nor foot to help his people.

Jeremiah 16:8

Bring it - Think of this again and again, ye who have been guilty of this foolish sin.

Jeremiah 16:10

Declaring - Foretelling from the beginning of the world, future events which should happen in succeeding ages, even to the end of the world.

Jeremiah 16:11

A bird - Cyrus, called a bird for his swiftness, and ravenous for his fierceness, and victoriousness over his enemies.

Jeremiah 16:13

I bring - Tho’ you are unrighteous, I will shew myself a righteous and faithful God, making good my promise of delivering you out of Babylon after seventy years. It - My work of saving you from the Babylonish captivity. Will place - I will bring my people to Zion, and save them from all their enemies. My glory - In whom I will once again glory as my people.

Jeremiah 16:15

Down - From thy throne. Virgin - So, called, because she was tender and delicate. No throne - For thee. The empire is taken from thee, and translated to the Persians. Called - Be so.

Jeremiah 16:16

Millstones - Thou shalt be brought to the basest slavery, which grinding at the mill was esteemed. For this work was not performed by horses, as now it is, but by the labour of slaves and captives. Grind - Grind bread - corn into meal for thy master’s use. Uncover - Take off the ornaments wherewith such women as were of good quality, used to cover and dress their heads. These are predictions of what they should be forced to do or suffer. Thigh - Gird up thy garments close and short about thee, that thou mayest be fit for travelling on foot, and for passing over those rivers, through which thou wilt be constrained to wade, in the way to the land of thy captivity.

Jeremiah 16:17

Uncovered - Either for want of raiment to cover it; or rather, by thine enemies in way of scorn and contumely. As a man - With moderation and gentleness, as those men who have not quite put off humanity use to do.

Jeremiah 16:19

Silent - Thro’ grief and shame, as mourners use to do. The lady - The chief and glory of all kingdoms.

Jeremiah 16:20

Polluted - I cast them away as an unclean thing. Into thine hand - To punish them. No mercy - Thou hast exceeded the bounds of thy commission. The ancient - Who besides their common calamity were afflicted with the miseries of old age, and therefore did require both pity and reverence.

Jeremiah 16:21

These things - Thy cruel usages of my people, and the heavy judgments which thou hadst reason to expect for them. Nor remember - Thou didst not consider what might and was likely to befal thee afterward.