เยเรมีย์ 29:22 วิจารณ์

The contest between Jeremiah and the false prophets was carried on before by preaching, here by writing; there we had sermon against sermon, here we have letter against letter, for some of the false prophets are now carried away into captivity in Babylon, while Jeremiah remains in his own country. Now here is, I. A letter which Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon, against their prophets that they had there (Jer 29:1-3), in which letter, 1. He endeavours to reconcile them to their captivity, to be easy under it and to make the best of it (Jer 29:4-7). 2. He cautions them not to give any credit to their false prophets, who fed them with hopes of a speedy release (Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9). 3. He assures them that God would restore them in mercy to their own land again, at the end of 70 years (Jer 29:10-14). 4. He foretels the destruction of those who yet continued, and that they should be persecuted with one judgment after another, and sent at last into captivity (Jer 29:15-19). 5. He prophesies the destruction of two of their false prophets that they had in Babylon, that both soothed them up in their sins and set them bad examples (Jer 29:20-23), and this is the purport of Jeremiah's letter. II. Here is a letter which Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, wrote to the priests at Jerusalem, to stir them up to persecute Jeremiah (Jer 29:24-29), and a denunciation of God's wrath against him for writing such a letter (Jer 29:30-32). Such struggles as these have there always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 29 Thus chapter contains a letter of Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon; and gives an account of another sent from thence by Shemaiah to the people at Jerusalem; and is closed with threatening him with punishment for so doing. Jeremiah's letter concerns both the captives at Babylon, and the people left at Jerusalem, The persons to whom and by whom it was sent, and the time of writing and sending it, are mentioned in Jer 29:1; and though the prophet was the amanuensis, God was the author of it, as well as of their captivity, Jer 29:4; the contents of, it, respecting the captives, are advices to them to provide for their comfortable settlement in Babylon, and not think of returning quickly, by building houses, planting gardens, marrying, and giving in marriage, Jer 29:5; and to seek and pray for the prosperity of the place where they were; in which their own was concerned, Jer 29:7; to give no heed to their false prophets and diviners, Jer 29:8; and to expect a return to Jerusalem at the end of seventy years; which they might be assured of, since God had resolved upon it in his own mind, Jer 29:10; and especially if they called upon him, prayed to him, and sought him heartily, Jer 29:12; the other part of the letter respects the Jews in Jerusalem; concerning whom the captives are directed to observe, that both the king and people should suffer much by sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity, with the reason of it, Jer 29:15; particularly it is foretold, that Ahab and Zedekiah, two lying prophets, should be made an example of vengeance; and a proverbial curse should be taken of them, because of their villany, lewdness, and lies, Jer 29:20; next follows some account of Shemaiah's letter from Babylon, to the people and priests at Jerusalem, stirring them up against Jeremiah the prophet; which came to be known, by the priests reading it to him, Jer 29:24; upon which Shemaiah is threatened with punishment, and his seed after him, Jer 29:30.

And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon,.... A form of cursing; when they cursed anyone, or wished him ill, it should be in such like manner as follows; so odious and detestable would these men be afterwards to them, whom they, at least some of them, took to be the prophets of the Lord: saying, the Lord make thee like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; or "burnt them" (d); not at once, but with a slow fire; so the Maccabees were roasted, "Then the king, being in a rage, commanded pans and caldrons to be made hot: '' (2 Maccabees. 7:3) Burning persons with fire, and casting them into a fiery furnace, were ways used by the Chaldeans in putting persons to death, Dan 3:6; and roasting men at a fire was used by the Chinese (e). (d) "combussit", Pagninus; "ustulavit", Munster; so Ben Melech says the word signifies "burning". (e) Martin Hist. Sinic. p. 257.

(Verses 21-23) This is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahaziah son of Coliah, and to Zedekiah son of Maasiah, who prophesy to you falsely in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will strike them down before your eyes. And a curse will be taken up against all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, 'May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahaziah, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, because they have done foolishness (or wickedness) in Israel and have committed adultery with the wives of their friends (or fellow citizens); and they have spoken a false word in my name, which I did not command them. I am the judge and witness, says the Lord.' The Hebrews say that these are the elders who have done foolishness in Israel and have committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors. To one of them, Daniel speaks: Old age of evil days. And to another: The seed of Chan has deceived you, not Judah, and desire has undermined your heart. This is what you did to the daughters of Israel, and they, being afraid, spoke with you; but the daughter of Judah did not endure your wickedness. And what the Prophet now speaks: And they have spoken a word in my name falsely, which I did not command them; they think that it signifies that those wretched women who are carried about by every wind of doctrine have deceived them, by saying to them that because they were of the tribe of Judah, Christ was to be born from their own seed; enticed by desire, they offered their bodies as if they were future mothers of Christ; But what is said at present: whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, seems to contradict the story of Daniel. For he asserts that they were stoned to death according to the judgment of Daniel by the people: but here it is written, that the king of Babylon cast them into the fire. Hence, by most and almost all Hebrews, it is not received as a true story, nor read in their synagogues, as if it were a fable itself. For, say they, how could it happen that captive princes and their prophets had the power of stoning? And they affirm more strongly that this is true, which Jeremiah writes, that the elders were convicted indeed by Daniel, but that the judgment against them was pronounced by the king of Babylon, who held dominion over the captives as a victor and lord. How many, similar to Ahab and Zedekiah from our flock, prophesy falsehood in the name of the Lord, and commit foolishness in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their fellow citizens who were born in the same city of the Church! Those whom the true Nebuchadnezzar freezes in the fire of sin, as the prophet Hosea says: 'All those who commit adultery are like an overheated oven, ignited by the baker' (Hosea 7:4). Blessed is he who takes off the yoke from his youth, and sits alone, because he is filled with bitterness (Lamentations 3); he can say with David: 'I have not sat in the council of the wicked, and I will not enter with the evildoers' (Psalm 26:4). And what the Prophet now declares: 'I am the judge and witness,' says the Lord, has this meaning: 'What I say about the two false prophets, who speak my word falsely in my name, which I did not command them, I did not know by mere opinion, but I know for sure to be true, which no one can hide, nor escape from the truth of my judgment.'

[Daniel 13:60] "And the whole congregration (Vulgate: assembly) cried out with a great voice and blessed God, who saveth those who trust in Him..." If the whole congregation put them to death, the view which we mentioned earlier is apparently refuted, namely that these were the elders Ahab and Zedekiah, in conformity with Jeremiah's statement (Jeremiah 29:22). The only other possibility is that instead of taking the statement, "They killed them," literally, we interpret it as meaning that they gave them over to the king of Babylon to be put to death. That would be just like when we say that the Jews put the Savior to death; not that they smote Him themselves, but they gave Him over to be slain and cried out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (John 19:15).

[Daniel 13:5] "And there were two of the elders of the people (the Vulgate omits: of the people) who were appointed judges that year." There was a Jew who used to allege that these men were Ahab and Zedekiah (variant: Alchias and Zedekiah), of whom Jeremiah wrote: "The Lord do to thee as Ahab and Zedekiah, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire because of the iniquity they had wrought in Israel and because they had committed adultery (variant: were committing adultery) with the wives of their citizens" (Jeremiah 29:22-23). "It was concerning them that the Lord said that iniquity came forth from Babylon on the part of the ancient judges who appeared to govern the people. They used to frequent the house of Joakim..." Very appropriately it is not said of these sinful elders, "They governed the people," but rather, "They appeared to govern." For those who furnish good leadership to the people are the ones who govern them, but those who merely have the title of judge and lead the people unjustly only appear to govern the people rather than actually doing so.

So long as we are held down by this frail body, so long as we have our treasure in earthen vessels, so long as the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, there can be no sure victory. “Our adversary the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” “You make darkness,” David says, “and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God.” The devil does not look for unbelievers, for those who are outside, whose flesh the Assyrian king roasted in the furnace. It is the church of Christ that he “hurries to spoil.” According to Habakkuk, “His food is the choicest.” Job is the victim of his scheming, and after devouring Judas he seeks power to sift the other apostles. The Savior came not to send peace on the earth but a sword. Lucifer fell, Lucifer who used to rise at dawn, and he who was raised in a paradise of delight had the well-earned sentence passed on him, “Though you exalt yourself as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the Lord.” For he had said in his heart, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,” and “I will be like the most High.” Therefore God says every day to the angels, as they descend the ladder that Jacob saw in his dream, “I have said you are gods, and all of you are children of the most High. But you shall die like mortals and fall like one of the princes.” The devil fell first, and since “God stands in the congregation of the gods and judged among the gods,” the apostle writes to those who are ceasing to be gods, “Since there is among you envy and strife, are you not carnal and walk as humans?”

Not everyone who prophesies is holy, nor is everyone who casts out devils religious. Even Balaam the son of Beor the prophet did prophesy, though he was himself ungodly, as also did Caiaphas, the falsely named high priest. No, the devil foretells many things, and the demons, about Christ. Yet for all that, there is not a spark of piety in them. They are oppressed with ignorance, by reason of their voluntary wickedness. It is clear, therefore, that the ungodly, although they prophesy, do not by their prophesying cover their own impiety. Nor will those who cast out demons be sanctified by the demons being made subject to them. They only mock one another, as they do who play childish tricks for mirth, and destroy those who give heed to them. For neither is a wicked king any longer a king but a tyrant. Nor is a bishop oppressed with ignorance or an evil disposition a bishop, but he is called so falsely. He is not one sent out by God but by people, as Ananiah and Samoeah in Jerusalem, and Zedekiah and Achiah the false prophets in Babylon. Indeed, Balaam the prophet, when he had corrupted Israel by Baalpeor, suffered punishment. Caiaphas at last was his own murderer. The sons of Sceva, endeavoring to cast out demons, were wounded by them and fled away in an undignified way. The kings of Israel and of Judah, when they became impious, suffered all sorts of punishments. It is therefore evident how bishops and elders, also called so falsely, will not escape the judgment of God. For it will be said to them even now, “O priests that despise my name, I will deliver you up to the slaughter, as I did Zedekiah and Achiah, whom the king of Babylon fried in a frying pan,” as says Jeremiah the prophet. We say these things, not in contempt of true prophecies, for we know that they are wrought in holy people by the inspiration of God, but to put a stop to the boldness of conceited people, and add this, that from such as these God takes away his grace. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

LETTER OF JEREMIAH TO THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON, TO COUNTERACT THE ASSURANCES GIVEN BY THE FALSE PROPHETS OF A SPEEDY RESTORATION. (Jer. 29:1-32) residue of the elders--those still surviving from the time when they were carried to Babylon with Jeconiah; the other elders of the captives had died by either a natural or a violent death.

shall be taken . . . a curse--that is, a formula of imprecation. Lord make thee like Zedekiah--(Compare Gen 48:20; Isa 65:15). roasted in the fire--a Chaldean punishment (Dan 3:6).