Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

This is what the LORD says: “The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness when Israel went to find rest.”

“Upon the grace manifested to Israel "in the wilderness" God grounds His argument for renewing His favors to them now in their exile; because His covenant is "everlasting" (Jer 31:3), and changes not.”

Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.

“I will build . . . thou shalt be built--The combination of the active and passive to express the same fact implies the infallible certainty of its accomplishment. "Build," that is, establish in prosperity (Jer 33:7). adorned with . . . tabrets-- (1Sa 18:6).”

This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no…

“God therefore consoles her with the promise of their restoration. Mt 2:17, 18 quotes this as fulfilled in the massacre of the innocents under Herod.”

I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.

“Compare Ac 9:5, where the same figure is used of Saul while unconverted. Israel has had a longer chastisement than Judah, not having been restored even at the Jews' return from Babylon.”

How long will you wander, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land—a woman will shelter a man.”

“(5) The Hebrew for "woman" implies an individual, as the Virgin Mary, rather than a collection of persons. (6) The restoration of Israel is grounded on God's covenant in Christ, to whom, therefore, allusion is naturally made as the foundation of Israel's hope (compare Isa…”

At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.

“The words of Jeremiah: Upon this (or, By reason of this) announcement of a happy restoration, "I awaked" from the prophetic dream vouchsafed to me (Jer 23:25) with the "sweet" impression thereof remaining on my mind. "Sleep" here means dream, as in Ps 90:5.”

This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above could be measured and the foundations of the earth below searched out would I reject all of Israel’s descendants…

“(Compare Jer 33:22). for all that they have done--namely, all the sins. God will regard His own covenant promise, rather than their merits.”

The measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah.

“Gareb--from a Hebrew root, "to scrape"; Syriac, "leprosy"; the locality outside of the city, to which lepers were removed. Goath--from a root, "to toil," referring to the toilsome ascent there: outside of the city of David, towards the southwest, as Gareb was northwest [JUNIUS].”

At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the palace…

“He was at that time put into free custody in the court of the prison. At the raising of the siege by Pharaoh-hophra, Jeremiah was on the point of repairing to Benjamin, when he was cast into "the dungeon," but obtained leave to be removed…”

Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy…

“The prohibition to sell these suburban fields (Le 25:34) applied merely to their alienating them from Levites to another tribe; so that this chapter does not contravene that prohibition.”

Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land…

“The Roman historian, FLORUS (2.6), records a similar instance: During the days that Rome was being besieged by Hannibal, the very ground on which he was encamped was put up for sale at Rome, and found a purchaser; implying the calm confidence of the ultimate…”

So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver.

“4d.., the whole would be under £2, a rather small sum, even taking into account the fact of the Chaldean occupation of the land, and the uncertainty of the time when it might come to Jeremiah or his heirs.”

and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who were signing the purchase agreement…

“Baruch--Jeremiah's amanuensis and agent (Jer 36:4, &c.). before all--In sales everything clandestine was avoided; publicity was required. So here, in the court of prison, where Jeremiah was confined, there were soldiers and others, who had free access to him, present (Jer 38:1).”

After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD:

“Jeremiah, not comprehending how God's threat of destroying Judah could be reconciled with God's commanding him to purchase land in it as if in a free country, has recourse to his grand remedy against perplexities, prayer.”

You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the…

“This is taken from the decalogue (Ex 20:5, 6). This is a second consideration to check hasty judgments as to God's ways: Thou art the gracious and righteous Judge of the world.”

And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in, set it on fire, and burn it, along with the houses of those who provoked Me to anger…

“They burnt incense to Baal, on the houses, so the houses shall be burnt (Jer 19:13). The god of fire was the object of their worship; so fire shall be the instrument of their punishment. to provoke me--indicating the design, not merely the event.”

For this city has aroused My wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. Therefore I will remove it from My presence

“In English Version the words, "that I should remove it," &c., stand independently, as the result of what precedes. The time is ripe for taking vengeance on them (2Ki 23:27).”

They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor…

“Molech--meaning "king"; the same as Milcom (1Ki 11:33). I commanded . . . not--This cuts off from the superstitious the plea of a good intention. All "will-worship" exposes to God's wrath (Col 2:18, 23).”

I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they…

“I will not turn away from them . . . good-- (Isa 30:21). Jehovah compares Himself to a sedulous preceptor following his pupils everywhere to direct their words, gestures. put my fear in . . . hearts . . .”

For this is what the LORD says: Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good I have…

“The restoration from Babylon was only a slight foretaste of the grace to be expected by Israel at last through Christ.”

Fields will be purchased with silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah—the…

“Referring to the forms of contract (Jer 32:10-12): Benjamin--specified as Anathoth; Jeremiah's place of residence where the field lay (Jer 32:8), was in it.”

Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

“God's promises are not to slacken, but to quicken the prayers of His people (Ps 132:13, 17; Isa 62:6, 7). mighty things--Hebrew, "inaccessible things," that is, incredible, hard to man's understanding [MAURER], namely, the restoration of the Jews, an event despaired of.”

The Chaldeans are coming to fight and to fill those places with the corpses of the men I will strike down in My anger and in My wrath.

“They--the Jews; the defenders of the "houses" (Jer 33:4), "come forward to fight with the Chaldeans," who burst into the city through the "thrown-down houses," but all the effect that they produce "is, to fill them (the houses) with" their own "dead bodies."”

Nevertheless, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal its people and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

“The answer to Jeremiah's mournful question (Jer 8:22). cure--literally, the long linen bandage employed in dressing wounds. truth--that is, stability; I will bring forth for them abundant and permanent peace, that is, prosperity.”

And I will cleanse them from all the iniquity they have committed against Me, and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.

“The repetition is in order that the Jews may consider how great is the grace of God in not merely pardoning (as to the punishment), but also cleansing them (as to the pollution of guilt); not merely one iniquity, but all (Mic 7:18).”