Bible Commentaries
Go deeper in Scripture
Browse trusted public-domain commentary alongside DiscipleDeck Bible study. References inside each commentary open Bible previews in place.
3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Guilt of Judah. (b. c. 605.)
THE GUILT OF JUDAH. (B. C. 605.) The people had asked (Jeremiah 16:10), What is our iniquity, and what is our sin? as if they could not be charged with any thing worth speaking of, for which God should enter into judgme…
True and False Confidence; Deceitfulness of the Heart; Unlawful Gains. (b. c. 605.)
TRUE AND FALSE CONFIDENCE; DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART; UNLAWFUL GAINS. (B. C. 605.) It is excellent doctrine that is preached in these verses, and of general concern and use to us all, and it does not appear to have any…
God's Justice Acknowledged; The Prophet's Appeal of God. (b. c. 605.)
GOD'S JUSTICE ACKNOWLEDGED; THE PROPHET'S APPEAL OF GOD. (B. C. 605.) Here, as often before, we have the prophet retired for private meditation, and alone with God. Those ministers that would have comfort in their work…
Sabbath-Sanctification. (b. c. 600.)
SABBATH-SANCTIFICATION. (B. C. 600.) These verses are a sermon concerning sabbath-sanctification. It is a word which the prophet received from the Lord, and was ordered to deliver in the most solemn and public manner to…
The Sovereign Prerogative of God; Divine Goodness and Equity. (b. c. 600.)
THE SOVEREIGN PREROGATIVE OF GOD; DIVINE GOODNESS AND EQUITY. (B. C. 600.) The prophet is here sent to the potter's house (he knew where to find it), not to preach a sermon as before to the gates of Jerusalem, but to pr…
People of God Accused and Threatened; Folly of Idolatry. (b. c. 600.)
PEOPLE OF GOD ACCUSED AND THREATENED; FOLLY OF IDOLATRY. (B. C. 600.) These verses seem to be the application of the general truths laid down in the foregoing part of the chapter to the nation of the Jews and their pres…
Conduct of Persecutors; Prophetic Imprecations. (b. c. 600.)
CONDUCT OF PERSECUTORS; PROPHETIC IMPRECATIONS. (B. C. 600.) The prophet here, as sometimes before, brings in his own affairs, but very much for instruction to us. I. See here what are the common methods of the persecut…
The Desolation of Jerusalem. (b. c. 600.)
THE DESOLATION OF JERUSALEM. (B. C. 600.) The corruption of man having made it necessary that precept should be upon precept, and line upon line (so unapt are we to receive, and so very apt to let slip, the things of Go…
The Desolation of Jerusalem. (b. c. 600.)
THE DESOLATION OF JERUSALEM. (B. C. 600.) The message of wrath delivered in the Jeremiah 19:1-9 is here enforced, that it might gain credit, two ways:— I. By a visible sign. The prophet was to take along with him an ear…
The Sin and Doom of Pashur. (b. c. 600.)
THE SIN AND DOOM OF PASHUR. (B. C. 600.) Here is, I. Pashur's unjust displeasure against Jeremiah, and the fruits of that displeasure, Jeremiah 20:1-2. This Pashur was a priest, and therefore, one would think, should ha…
The Prophet's Impatient Appeal. (b. c. 600.)
THE PROPHET'S IMPATIENT APPEAL. (B. C. 600.) Pashur's doom was to be a terror to himself; Jeremiah, even now, in this hour of temptation, is far from being so; and yet it cannot be denied but that he is here, through th…
The Prophet's Impatient Appeal. (b. c. 600.)
THE PROPHET'S IMPATIENT APPEAL. (B. C. 600.) What is the meaning of this? Does there proceed out of the same mouth blessing and cursing? Could he that said so cheerfully (Jeremiah 20:13), Sing unto the Lord, praise you…
Zedekiah's Message to Jeremiah. (b. c. 590.)
ZEDEKIAH'S MESSAGE TO JEREMIAH. (B. C. 590.) Here is, I. A very humble decent message which king Zedekiah, when he was in distress, sent to Jeremiah the prophet. It is indeed charged upon this Zedekiah that he humbled n…
Answer to Zedekiah's Message; Advice to the King and the People. (b. c. 590.)
ANSWER TO ZEDEKIAH'S MESSAGE; ADVICE TO THE KING AND THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 590.) By the civil message which the king sent to Jeremiah it appeared that both he and the people began to have a respect for him, which it would…
Jeremiah Preaches before Jehoiakim. (b. c. 590.)
JEREMIAH PREACHES BEFORE JEHOIAKIM. (B. C. 590.) Here we have, I. Orders given to Jeremiah to go and preach before the king. In the foregoing chapter we are told that Zedekiah sent messengers to the prophet, but here th…
The Doom of Shallum and Jehoiakim. (b. c. 590.)
THE DOOM OF SHALLUM AND JEHOIAKIM. (B. C. 590.) Kings, though they are gods to us, are men to God, and shall die like men; so it appears in these verses, where we have a sentence of death passed upon two kings who reign…
The Desolation of Judah; The Doom of Jeconiah. (b. c. 590.)
THE DESOLATION OF JUDAH; THE DOOM OF JECONIAH. (B. C. 590.) This prophecy seems to have been calculated for the ungracious inglorious reign of Jeconiah, or Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, who succeeded him in the gove…
Evangelical Predictions. (b. c. 590.)
EVANGELICAL PREDICTIONS. (B. C. 590.) I. Here is a word of terror to the negligent shepherds. The day is at hand when God will reckon with them concerning the trust and charge committed to them: Woe be to the pastors (t…
Guilt of False Prophets. (b. c. 600.)
GUILT OF FALSE PROPHETS. (B. C. 600.) Here is a long lesson for the false prophets. As none were more bitter and spiteful against God's true prophets than they, so there were none on whom the true prophets were more sev…
Profaneness of the People; Reproofs and Threatenings. (b. c. 600.)
PROFANENESS OF THE PEOPLE; REPROOFS AND THREATENINGS. (B. C. 600.) The profaneness of the people, with that of the priests and prophets, is here reproved in a particular instance, which may seem of small moment in compa…
Vision of the Good and Bad Figs; Promises and Threatenings. (b. c. 599.)
VISION OF THE GOOD AND BAD FIGS; PROMISES AND THREATENINGS. (B. C. 599.) This short chapter helps us to put a very comfortable construction upon a great many long ones, by showing us that the same providence which to so…
God's Remonstrances with the People. (b. c. 607.)
GOD'S REMONSTRANCES WITH THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 607.) We have here a message from God concerning all the people of Judah (Jeremiah 25:1), which Jeremiah delivered, in his name, unto all the people of Judah, Jeremiah 25:2. N…
Desolation Predicted. (b. c. 607.)
DESOLATION PREDICTED. (B. C. 607.) Here is the sentence grounded upon the foregoing charge: "Because you have not heard my words, I must take another course with you," Jeremiah 25:8. Note, When men will not regard the j…
The Cup of Wrath; General Desolation. (b. c. 607.)
THE CUP OF WRATH; GENERAL DESOLATION. (B. C. 607.) Under the similitude of a cup going round, which all the company must drink of, is here represented the universal desolation that was now coming upon that part of the w…