Jeremiah 3

Jeremiah 3:2

Ye - That indulge yourselves in idleness and luxury. Careless - Who are insensible of your sin and danger.

Jeremiah 3:3

The vintage shall fail - During the time of the Assyrian invasion. The gathering - Of the other fruits of the earth.

Jeremiah 3:4

Strip - Put off your ornaments.

Jeremiah 3:5

The teats - For the pleasant and fruitful fields, which like teats yielded you plentiful and excellent nourishment.

Jeremiah 3:6

Yea - Upon that ground, where now your houses stand, in which you take your fill of mirth and pleasure.

Jeremiah 3:7

Forsaken - Of God, and given up into their enemies hands. A joy - Desolate places, in which wild asses delight to be.

Jeremiah 3:8

Until - Until the time come, in which God will pour, or, as the Hebrew word properly signifies, reveal, evidently and plentifully pour out his spirit from heaven upon his people, which was fully accomplished in the days of the Messiah. The fruitful field - God’s people who were desolate, shall be revived and flourish, and their flourishing enemies shall be brought to destruction.

Jeremiah 3:9

Judgment - Just judgment. Righteousness - Justice shall be executed in all the parts of the land.

Jeremiah 3:10

The work - The effect of this shall be prosperity. Quietness - Tranquility, both of mind and outward estate. Assurance - Of God’s mercy, and the fulfilling of his promises.

Jeremiah 3:12

It shall hail - As my blessings shall be poured down upon my people, who, from a wilderness, are turned into a fruitful field, so my judgments (which are signified by hail, chap.28:2,17, and elsewhere) shall fall upon them, who were a fruitful field, but are turned into a forest, upon the unbelieving and rebellious Jews. The city - Jerusalem, which, though now it was the seat of God’s worship and people, yet he foresaw, would be the great enemy of the Messiah. Low - Heb. shall be humbled with humiliation: shall be greatly humbled, or brought very low.

Jeremiah 3:13

Blessed - As the barren forest shall be destroyed, so the fruitful field shall be improved, and bring forth much fruit; which is signified by a declaration of the blessedness of them that sow in it. Waters - In all moist grounds, which are like to yield good fruit. But this also is to be understood of the times of the gospel, and of the great and happy success of the ministers of it. The ox - Which they employed in plowing and sowing the ground.

Jeremiah 3:15

To thee - Sennacherib, who wasted the land of Judah.

Jeremiah 3:16

O Lord - The prophet contemplating the judgment which was now coming upon God’s people, directs his prayer to God for them. Their arm - Our arm or strength. The change of persons is frequent in prophetical writings. Every morning - When we offer the morning sacrifice, and call upon thee: which yet is not meant exclusively, as if he did not desire God’s help at other times; but comprehensively, the morning being put for the whole day. The sense is, help us speedily and continually.

Jeremiah 3:17

The noise - Which the angel shall make in destroying the army. The people - Those of the army, who escaped that stroke. The nations - The people of divers nations, which made up this army.

Jeremiah 3:18

Your spoil - That treasure which you have raked together, by spoiling divers people. Gathered - By the Jews at Jerusalem, when you flee away. Like the caterpillar - As caterpillars gather and devour the fruits of the earth. As locusts - As locusts, especially when they are armed by commission from God, come with great force, and run hither and thither.

Jeremiah 3:19

Exalted - By the destruction of so potent an army; and by the defence of this people.

Jeremiah 3:20

Thy times - He turns his speech to Hezekiah. Thy throne shall be established upon the sure foundations of wisdom and justice. And strength - Thy strong salvation. The fear - Thy chief treasure is in promoting the fear and worship of God.

Jeremiah 3:21

Behold - That the mercy promised might be duly magnified, he makes a lively representation of their great danger and distress. The ambassadors - Whom he shall send to beg peace of the Assyrian. Shall weep - Because they cannot obtain their desires.

Jeremiah 3:22

The covenant - Sennacherib broke his faith, given to Hezekiah, of departing for a sum of money, 2 Kings 18:14,17. Cities - The defenced cities of Judah, which he contemned, and easily took.

Jeremiah 3:23

Mourneth - Being desolate and neglected. Hewn - By the Assyrians. Bashan - Two places eminent for fertility, are spoiled of their fruits.

Jeremiah 3:25

Stubble - Instead of solid corn. Your great hopes and designs, shall be utterly disappointed. Your breath - Your rage against my people shall bring ruin upon yourselves.