5 And seekest H1245 thou great things H1419 for thyself? seek H1245 them not: for, behold, I will bring H935 evil H7451 upon all flesh, H1320 saith H5002 the LORD: H3068 but thy life H5315 will I give H5414 unto thee for a prey H7998 in all places H4725 whither thou goest. H3212
Therefore G1223 G5124 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Take no G3361 thought G3309 for your G5216 life, G5590 what G5101 ye shall eat, G5315 or G2532 what G5101 ye shall drink; G4095 nor yet for G3366 your G5216 body, G4983 what G5101 ye shall put on. G1746 Is G2076 not G3780 the life G5590 more than G4119 meat, G5160 and G2532 the body G4983 than raiment? G1742 Behold G1689 G1519 the fowls G4071 of the air: G3772 for G3754 they sow G4687 not, G3756 neither G3761 do they reap, G2325 nor G3761 gather G4863 into G1519 barns; G596 yet G2532 your G5216 heavenly G3770 Father G3962 feedeth G5142 them. G846 Are G1308 ye G5210 not G3756 much G3123 better than G1308 they? G846 G1161 Which G1537 G5101 of you G5216 by taking thought G3309 can G1410 add G4369 one G1520 cubit G4083 unto G1909 his G846 stature? G2244 And G2532 why G5101 take ye thought G3309 for G4012 raiment? G1742 Consider G2648 the lilies G2918 of the field, G68 how G4459 they grow; G837 they toil G2872 not, G3756 neither G3761 do they spin: G3514 And yet G1161 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 even G3761 Solomon G4672 in G1722 all G3956 his G846 glory G1391 was G4016 not G3761 arrayed G4016 like G5613 one G1520 of these. G5130 Wherefore, G1161 if G1487 God G2316 so G3779 clothe G294 the grass G5528 of the field, G68 which to day G4594 is, G5607 and G2532 to morrow G839 is cast G906 into G1519 the oven, G2823 shall he not G3756 much G4183 more G3123 clothe you, G5209 O ye of little faith? G3640 Therefore G3767 take no G3361 thought, G3309 saying, G3004 What G5101 shall we eat? G5315 or, G2228 What G5101 shall we drink? G4095 or, G2228 Wherewithal G5101 shall we be clothed? G4016 (For G1063 after G1934 all G3956 these things G5023 do the Gentiles G1484 seek:) G1934 for G1063 your G5216 heavenly G3770 Father G3962 knoweth G1492 that G3754 ye have need G5535 of all G537 these things. G5130
But G1161 godliness G2150 with G3326 contentment G841 is G2076 great G3173 gain. G4200 For G1063 we brought G1533 nothing G3762 into G1519 this world, G2889 and it is certain G1212 G3754 we can G1410 carry G1627 nothing G3761 G5100 out. G1627 And G1161 having G2192 food G1305 and G2532 raiment G4629 let us be G714 therewith G5125 content. G714 But G1161 they that will G1014 be rich G4147 fall G1706 into G1519 temptation G3986 and G2532 a snare, G3803 and G2532 into many G4183 foolish G453 and G2532 hurtful G983 lusts, G1939 which G3748 drown G1036 men G444 in G1519 destruction G3639 and G2532 perdition. G684
I suppose G3543 therefore G3767 that this G5124 is G5225 good G2570 for G1223 the present G1764 distress, G318 I say, that G3754 it is good G2570 for a man G444 so G3779 to be. G1511 Art thou bound G1210 unto a wife? G1135 seek G2212 not G3361 to be loosed. G3080 Art thou loosed G3089 from G575 a wife? G1135 seek G2212 not G3361 a wife. G1135 But G1161 and G2532 if G1437 thou marry, G1060 thou hast G264 not G3756 sinned; G264 and G2532 if G1437 a virgin G3933 marry, G1060 she hath G264 not G3756 sinned. G264 Nevertheless G1161 such G5108 shall have G2192 trouble G2347 in the flesh: G4561 but G1161 I G1473 spare G5339 you. G5216 But G1161 this G5124 I say, G5346 brethren, G80 the time G2540 is short: G4958 it remaineth, G2076 G3063 that G2443 both G2532 they that have G2192 wives G1135 be G5600 as though G5613 they had G2192 none; G3361 And G2532 they that weep, G2799 as G5613 though they wept G2799 not; G3361 and G2532 they that rejoice, G5463 as G5613 though they rejoiced G5463 not; G3361 and G2532 they that buy, G59 as G5613 though they possessed G2722 not; G3361 And G2532 they that use G5530 this G5127 world, G2889 as G5613 not G3361 abusing G2710 it: for G1063 the fashion G4976 of this G5129 world G2889 passeth away. G3855 But G1161 I would have G1511 G2309 you G5209 without carefulness. G275 He that is unmarried G22 careth G3309 for the things that belong to G3588 the Lord, G2962 how G4459 he may please G700 the Lord: G2962
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 45
Commentary on Jeremiah 45 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 45
This chapter contains a prophecy, delivered to Baruch for his personal use. The time of it is expressed, Jeremiah 45:1; a reproof is given him for his immoderate grief and sorrow, Jeremiah 45:2; the destruction of the land of Judea is prophesied of; and therefore it was wrong in him to seek great things for himself at such a time; however, he is assured of his own safety, Jeremiah 45:4.
The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah,.... Who was his amanuensis or scribe; and this word he spake not to him of himself, but in the name of the Lord, as coming from him; so the Targum calls it,
"the word of prophecy which Jeremiah the prophet prophesied concerning Baruch the son of Neriah:'
when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah; not what immediately precede, concerning the destruction of the Jews in Egypt; which were delivered out many years after the writing of the roll by Baruch here referred to; and which was done, as here said,
in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; which was eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem; so that this prophecy does not stand in order, which would more properly have followed the thirty sixth chapter; where we have an account of what Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah in a roll, and read to the people, and after that to the princes; which exposed him to danger, and caused the grief expressed by him in this chapter; but it being written to a private person, is postponed to this place:
saying; as follows:
Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch. Whom he knew by name, had a great regard for, and honours with this prophecy; and, being an Israelite, both in a literal and spiritual sense, he addresses him as the God of Israel, and as being his covenant God; in whom he should put his trust, and from whom he might expect safety and protection in the worst of times; and to whose sovereign will, in all the dispensations of his providence, he ought to have humbly and patiently submitted.
Thou didst say, woe is me now!.... What will become of me? I am ruined and undone; this he said in his heart, if not with his lips, perhaps both ways; and when the king gave orders for the apprehending of him and the prophet, being provoked at the roll which he had wrote and read, Jeremiah 36:26;
for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; caused him grief upon grief, sorrow upon sorrow, an abundance of it; for there was a variety of things which occasioned grief and sorrow; the trouble of his office, as secretary to the prophet; the reproach east upon him by the people for it; the grievous things contained in the prophecies he transcribed, concerning the ruin of his people and nation; the king's displeasure at the roll, and his burning it; to which was added the danger he was exposed unto for writing it; and especially, as he might apprehend, for writing it over again, after it was burnt; to which were annexed new threatenings, and such as personally concerned the king;
I fainted in my sighing; or "with" it; he sighed and groaned at what he saw coming upon his country, and particularly upon himself; it quite overcame his spirits; he sunk and swooned away: or "I laboured in my sighing"F14יגעתי באנחית "in gemitu meo", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatanblus, "in suspirio meo", Cocceius, Schmidt. ; amidst his sighs and groans, he prayed to the Lord, and laboured in prayer, that he might be delivered from the evils he feared were coming upon him:
and I find no rest; from his grief, sorrow, and sighing; no cessation of that; no serenity and composure of mind; no answer of prayer from God. The Targum is,
"and I found not prophecy.'
And the Jewish commentators, as Jarchi, Kimchi, Abarbinel, and Abendana, from the ancient Midrashes, interpret this grief of Baruch to be on account of his not having the gift of prophecy bestowed on him, which he expected by being a servant of the prophetF15Vid. Maimon. Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 32. p. 286. ; and represent him as saying, Joshua ministered to Moses, and the Holy Spirit dwelled upon him; Elisha ministered to Elijah, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him; how different am I from all the disciples of the prophets! "woe is me now!" &c.
Thus shalt thou say unto him,.... This is spoken to Jeremiah, and is an order from the Lord to him, what he should say in his name to Baruch:
the Lord saith thus, behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up; the Jewish nation, both as to church and state; which the Lord had built up as a spacious and beautiful house to dwell in, and had planted as a vineyard, and set it with pleasant plants; but now would demolish this building, and destroy this plantation:
even this whole land; not a few cities only, or only Jerusalem the metropolis, but the whole land of Judea; no part of it but what should be left desolate. So the Targum,
"even the whole land of Israel, which is mine.'
Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not,.... Riches and wealth honour and esteem, peace and prosperity; these were not to be sought after and expected, when the whole nation would be involved in such a general calamity. Baruch perhaps expected that his reading the roll to princes would have been a means of preferring him at court, of advancing him to some post or office, in which he might have acquired wealth, and got applause, and lived in peace and plenty all his days; but this was not to be looked for; when, if he observed, the very roll he wrote and read contained in it prophecies of the general ruin of the nation. The Jews restrain this to the gift of prophecy they suppose Baruch sought after, which was not to be enjoyed out of the land of Canaan:
for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh; not upon every individual person in the world; but upon all the inhabitants of Judea, who should either die by the sword or by famine, or by pestilence, or be carried captive, or be in some distress or another:
but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest; suggesting that he should be obliged to quit his native place and country, and go from place to place; as he did, after the destruction of Jerusalem, along with the prophet; and even into Egypt with the Jews that went there; where his life would be in danger, and yet should be preserved; he should be snatched as a brand out of the burning, when Jerusalem was taken; and in other places, when exposed, though he should lose everything, yet not his life; which should be as dear to him as a rich spoil taken by the soldier, being a distinguishing mercy.