6 And in the fourth H7243 month, H2320 in the ninth H8672 day of the month, H2320 the famine H7458 was sore H2388 in the city, H5892 so that there was no bread H3899 for the people H5971 of the land. H776
For, behold, the Lord, H113 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 doth take away H5493 from Jerusalem H3389 and from Judah H3063 the stay H4937 and the staff, H4938 the whole stay H4937 of bread, H3899 and the whole H3605 stay H4937 of water, H4325
And in the eleventh H6249 H6240 year H8141 of Zedekiah, H6667 in the fourth H7243 month, H2320 the ninth H8672 day of the month, H2320 the city H5892 was broken up. H1234
My lord H113 the king, H4428 these men H582 have done evil H7489 in all that they have done H6213 to Jeremiah H3414 the prophet, H5030 whom they have cast H7993 into the dungeon; H953 and he is like to die H4191 for H6440 hunger H7458 in the place H8478 where he is: for there is no more bread H3899 in the city. H5892
And on the ninth H8672 day of the fourth month H2320 the famine H7458 prevailed H2388 in the city, H5892 and there was no bread H3899 for the people H5971 of the land. H776
Take H3947 thou also unto thee wheat, H2406 and barley, H8184 and beans, H6321 and lentiles, H5742 and millet, H1764 and fitches, H3698 and put H5414 them in one H259 vessel, H3627 and make H6213 thee bread H3899 thereof, according to the number H4557 of the days H3117 that thou shalt lie H7901 upon thy side, H6654 three H7969 hundred H3967 and ninety H8673 days H3117 shalt thou eat H398 thereof. And thy meat H3978 which thou shalt eat H398 shall be by weight, H4946 twenty H6242 shekels H8255 a day: H3117 from time H6256 to time H6256 shalt thou eat H398 it. Thou shalt drink H8354 also water H4325 by measure, H4884 the sixth part H8345 of an hin: H1969 from time H6256 to time H6256 shalt thou drink. H8354 And thou shalt eat H398 it as barley H8184 cakes, H5692 and thou shalt bake H5746 it with dung H1561 that cometh out H6627 of man, H120 in their sight. H5869 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Even thus shall the children H1121 of Israel H3478 eat H398 their defiled H2931 bread H3899 among the Gentiles, H1471 whither I will drive H5080 them. Then said H559 I, Ah H162 Lord H136 GOD! H3069 behold, my soul H5315 hath not been polluted: H2930 for from my youth H5271 up even till now have I not eaten H398 of that which dieth of itself, H5038 or is torn in pieces; H2966 neither came H935 there abominable H6292 flesh H1320 into my mouth. H6310 Then he said H559 unto me, Lo, H7200 I have given H5414 thee cow's H1241 dung H6832 H6832 for man's H120 dung, H1561 and thou shalt prepare H6213 thy bread H3899 therewith. Moreover he said H559 unto me, Son H1121 of man, H120 behold, I will break H7665 the staff H4294 of bread H3899 in Jerusalem: H3389 and they shall eat H398 bread H3899 by weight, H4948 and with care; H1674 and they shall drink H8354 water H4325 by measure, H4884 and with astonishment: H8078 That they may want H2637 bread H3899 and water, H4325 and be astonied H8074 one H376 with another, H251 and consume away H4743 for their iniquity. H5771
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 The fast H6685 of the fourth H7243 month, and the fast H6685 of the fifth, H2549 and the fast H6685 of the seventh, H7637 and the fast H6685 of the tenth, H6224 shall be to the house H1004 of Judah H3063 joy H8342 and gladness, H8057 and cheerful H2896 feasts; H4150 therefore love H157 the truth H571 and peace. H7965
For thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 How much more when I send H7971 my four H702 sore H7451 judgments H8201 upon Jerusalem, H3389 the sword, H2719 and the famine, H7458 and the noisome H7451 beast, H2416 and the pestilence, H1698 to cut off H3772 from it man H120 and beast? H929
The sword H2719 is without, H2351 and the pestilence H1698 and the famine H7458 within: H1004 he that is in the field H7704 shall die H4191 with the sword; H2719 and he that is in the city, H5892 famine H7458 and pestilence H1698 shall devour H398 him.
Therefore the fathers H1 shall eat H398 the sons H1121 in the midst H8432 of thee, and the sons H1121 shall eat H398 their fathers; H1 and I will execute H6213 judgments H8201 in thee, and the whole remnant H7611 of thee will I scatter H2219 into all the winds. H7307 Wherefore, as I live, H2416 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Surely, because thou hast defiled H2930 my sanctuary H4720 with all thy detestable things, H8251 and with all thine abominations, H8441 therefore will I also diminish H1639 thee; neither shall mine eye H5869 spare, H2347 neither will I have any pity. H2550 A third part H7992 of thee shall die H4191 with the pestilence, H1698 and with famine H7458 shall they be consumed H3615 in the midst H8432 of thee: and a third part H7992 shall fall H5307 by the sword H2719 round about H5439 thee; and I will scatter H2219 a third part H7992 into all the winds, H7307 and I will draw out H7324 a sword H2719 after H310 them.
And when I have broken H7665 the staff H4294 of your bread, H3899 ten H6235 women H802 shall bake H644 your bread H3899 in one H259 oven, H8574 and they shall deliver H7725 you your bread H3899 again H7725 by weight: H4948 and ye shall eat, H398 and not be satisfied. H7646
Our skin H5785 was black H3648 like an oven H8574 because H6440 of the terrible H2152 famine. H7458
The tongue H3956 of the sucking child H3243 cleaveth H1692 to the roof of his mouth H2441 for thirst: H6772 the young children H5768 ask H7592 bread, H3899 and no man breaketh H6566 it unto them. They that did feed H398 delicately H4574 are desolate H8074 in the streets: H2351 they that were brought up H539 in scarlet H8438 embrace H2263 dunghills. H830 For the punishment of the iniquity H5771 of the daughter H1323 of my people H5971 is greater H1431 than the punishment H2403 of the sin of Sodom, H5467 that was overthrown H2015 as in a moment, H7281 and no hands H3027 stayed H2342 on her.
Moreover I will take H6 from them the voice H6963 of mirth, H8342 and the voice H6963 of gladness, H8057 the voice H6963 of the bridegroom, H2860 and the voice H6963 of the bride, H3618 the sound H6963 of the millstones, H7347 and the light H216 of the candle. H5216
He that abideth H3427 in this city H5892 shall die H4191 by the sword, H2719 and by the famine, H7458 and by the pestilence: H1698 but he that goeth out, H3318 and falleth H5307 to the Chaldeans H3778 that besiege H6696 you, he shall live, H2421 H2421 and his life H5315 shall be unto him for a prey. H7998
And I will cause them to eat H398 the flesh H1320 of their sons H1121 and the flesh H1320 of their daughters, H1323 and they shall eat H398 every one H376 the flesh H1320 of his friend H7453 in the siege H4692 and straitness, H4689 wherewith their enemies, H341 and they that seek H1245 their lives, H5315 shall straiten H6693 them.
And it shall come to pass, if they say H559 unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? H3318 then thou shalt tell H559 them, Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 Such as are for death, H4194 to death; H4194 and such as are for the sword, H2719 to the sword; H2719 and such as are for the famine, H7458 to the famine; H7458 and such as are for the captivity, H7628 to the captivity. H7628
They shall be burnt H4198 with hunger, H7458 and devoured H3898 with burning heat, H7565 and with bitter H4815 destruction: H6986 I will also send H7971 the teeth H8127 of beasts H929 upon them, with the poison H2534 of serpents H2119 of the dust. H6083
And he shall besiege H6887 thee in all thy gates, H8179 until thy high H1364 and fenced H1219 walls H2346 come down, H3381 wherein H2004 thou trustedst, H982 throughout all thy land: H776 and he shall besiege H6887 thee in all thy gates H8179 throughout all thy land, H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath given H5414 thee. And thou shalt eat H398 the fruit H6529 of thine own body, H990 the flesh H1320 of thy sons H1121 and of thy daughters, H1323 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath given H5414 thee, in the siege, H4692 and in the straitness, H4689 wherewith thine enemies H341 shall distress H6693 thee:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 52
Commentary on Jeremiah 52 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 52
History is the best expositor of prophecy; and therefore, for the better understanding of the prophecies of this book which relate to the destruction of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah, we are here furnished with an account of that sad event. It is much he same with the history we had 2 Ki. 24 and 25, and many of the particulars we had before in that book, but the matter is here repeated and put together, to give light to the book of the Lamentations, which follows next, and to serve as a key to it. That article in the close concerning the advancement of Jehoiachin in his captivity, which happened after Jeremiah's time, gives colour to the conjecture of those who suppose that this chapter was not written by Jeremiah himself, but by some man divinely inspired among those in captivity, for a constant memorandum to those who in Babylon preferred Jerusalem above their chief joy. In this chapter we have,
Jer 52:1-11
This narrative begins no higher than the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, though there were two captivities before, one in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the other in the first of Jeconiah; but probably it was drawn up by some of those that were carried away with Zedekiah, as a reproach to themselves for imagining that they should not go into captivity after their brethren, with which hopes they had long flattered themselves. We have here,
Jer 52:12-23
We have here an account of the woeful havoc that was made by the Chaldean army, a month after the city was taken, under the command of Nebuzaradan, who was captain of the guard, or general of the army, in this action. In the margin he is called the chief of the slaughter-men, or executioners; for soldiers are but slaughter-men, and God employs them as executioners of his sentence against a sinful people. Nebuzaradan was chief of those soldiers, but, in the execution he did, we have reason to fear he had no eye to God, but he served the king of Babylon and his own designs, now that he came into Jerusalem, into the very bowels of it, as captain of the slaughter-men there. And,
Jer 52:24-30
We have here a very melancholy account,
Jer 52:31-34
This passage of story concerning the reviving which king Jehoiachin had in his bondage we had likewise before (2 Ki. 25:27-30), only there it is said to be done on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, here on the twenty-fifth; but in a thing of this nature two days make a very slight difference in the account. It is probable that the orders were given for his release on the twenty-fifth day, but that he was not presented to the king till the twenty-seventh. We may observe in this story,