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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Encouraging Prospects. (b. c. 589.)
ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS. (B. C. 589.) Here is a further prediction of the happy state of Judah and Jerusalem after their glorious return out of captivity, issuing gloriously at length in the kingdom of the Messiah. I. It…
Security of God's Covenants; The Covenant of Priesthood. (b. c. 589.)
SECURITY OF GOD'S COVENANTS; THE COVENANT OF PRIESTHOOD. (B. C. 589.) Three of God's covenants, that of royalty with David and his seed, that of the priesthood with Aaron and his seed, and that of Peculiarity with Abrah…
Captivity of Zedekiah Foretold; The Babylonish Captivity Predicted. (b. c. 589.)
CAPTIVITY OF ZEDEKIAH FORETOLD; THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY PREDICTED. (B. C. 589.) This prophecy concerning Zedekiah was delivered to Jeremiah, and by him to the parties concerned, before he was shut up in the prison, for…
Transient Reformation; The Servants Re-enslaved. (b. c. 589.)
TRANSIENT REFORMATION; THE SERVANTS RE-ENSLAVED. (B. C. 589.) We have here another prophecy upon a particular occasion, the history of which we must take notice of, as necessary to give light to the prophecy. I. When Je…
The Case of the Rechabites. (b. c. 607.)
THE CASE OF THE RECHABITES. (B. C. 607.) This chapter is of an earlier date than many of those before; for what is contained in it was said and done in the days of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 35:1); but then it must be in the l…
Case of the Rechabites Applied. (b. c. 607.)
CASE OF THE RECHABITES APPLIED. (B. C. 607.) The trial of the Rechabites' constancy was intended but for a sign; now here we have the application of it. I. The Rechabites' observance of their father's charge to them is…
The Roll Written by Baruch. (b. c. 607.)
THE ROLL WRITTEN BY BARUCH. (B. C. 607.) In the beginning of Ezekiel's prophecy we meet with a roll written in vision, for discovery of the things therein contained to the prophet himself, who was to receive and digest…
Baruch Reads the Roll to the Princes. (b. c. 607.)
BARUCH READS THE ROLL TO THE PRINCES. (B. C. 607.) It should seem that Baruch had been frequently reading out of the book, to all companies that would give him the hearing, before the most solemn reading of it altogethe…
Jeremiah's Roll Consumed. (b. c. 607.)
JEREMIAH'S ROLL CONSUMED. (B. C. 607.) We have traced the roll to the people, and to the princes, and here we are to follow it to the king; and we find, I. That, upon notice given him concerning it, he sent for it, and…
Zedekiah's Wicked Reign; Sign of Jerusalem. (b. c. 589.)
ZEDEKIAH'S WICKED REIGN; SIGN OF JERUSALEM. (B. C. 589.) Here is, 1. Jeremiah's preaching slighted, Jeremiah 37:1-2. Zedekiah succeeded Coniah, or Jeconiah, and, though he saw in his predecessor the fatal consequences o…
Jeremiah Attempts to Quit Jerusalem; Jeremiah Imprisoned; Jeremiah Favoured by the King. (b. c. 589.)
JEREMIAH ATTEMPTS TO QUIT JERUSALEM; JEREMIAH IMPRISONED; JEREMIAH FAVOURED BY THE KING. (B. C. 589.) We have here a further account concerning Jeremiah, who relates more passages concerning himself than any other of th…
Jeremiah Put into the Dungeon; Ebed-melech's Care of Jeremiah. (b. c. 589.)
JEREMIAH PUT INTO THE DUNGEON; EBED-MELECH'S CARE OF JEREMIAH. (B. C. 589.) Here, 1. Jeremiah persists in his plain preaching; what he had many a time said, he still says (Jeremiah 38:3): This city shall be given into t…
Zedekiah's Conference with Jeremiah. (b. c. 589.)
ZEDEKIAH'S CONFERENCE WITH JEREMIAH. (B. C. 589.) In the foregoing chapter we had the king in close conference with Jeremiah, and here again, though (Jeremiah 38:5) he had given him up into the hands of his enemies; suc…
Jerusalem Taken. (b. c. 588.)
JERUSALEM TAKEN. (B. C. 588.) We were told, in the close of the foregoing chapter, that Jeremiah abode patiently in the court of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken. He gave the princes no further disturb…
Jerusalem Released. (b. c. 588.)
JERUSALEM RELEASED. (B. C. 588.) Here we must sing of mercy, as in the former part of the chapter we sang of judgment, and must sing unto God of both. We may observe here, I. A gracious providence concerning Jeremiah. W…
The Preservation of Jeremiah; Jeremiah's Adherence to Gedaliah. (b. c. 588.)
THE PRESERVATION OF JEREMIAH; JEREMIAH'S ADHERENCE TO GEDALIAH. (B. C. 588.) The title of this part of the book, which begins the chapter, seems misapplied (The word which came to Jeremiah), for here is nothing of proph…
Gedaliah's Address to the People. (b. c. 588.)
GEDALIAH'S ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 588.) We have in these verses, I. A bright sky opening upon the remnant of the Jews that were left in their own land, and a comfortable prospect given them of some peace and quie…
The Murder of Gedaliah. (b. c. 588.)
THE MURDER OF GEDALIAH. (B. C. 588.) It is hard to say which is more astonishing, God's permitting or men's perpetrating such villanies as here we find committed. Such base, barbarous, bloody work is here done by men wh…
Johanan Pursues Ishmael; Ishmael's Retreat. (b. c. 588.)
JOHANAN PURSUES ISHMAEL; ISHMAEL'S RETREAT. (B. C. 588.) It would have been well if Johanan, when he gave information to Gedaliah of Ishmael's treasonable design, though he could not obtain leave to kill Ishmael and to…
Jeremiah Agrees to Consult God. (b. c. 588.)
JEREMIAH AGREES TO CONSULT GOD. (B. C. 588.) We have reason to wonder how Jeremiah the prophet escaped the sword of Ishmael; it seems he did escape, and it was not the first time that the Lord hid him. It is strange als…
Jeremiah's Address to the People. (b. c. 588.)
JEREMIAH'S ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 588.) We have here the answer which Jeremiah was sent to deliver to those who employed him to ask counsel of God. I. It did not come immediately, not till ten days after, Jeremia…
The People's Insolent Reply. (b. c. 588.)
THE PEOPLE'S INSOLENT REPLY. (B. C. 588.) What God said to the builders of Babel may be truly said of this people that Jeremiah is now dealing with: Now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to d…
Jeremiah's Prophecies in Egypt. (b. c. 588.)
JEREMIAH'S PROPHECIES IN EGYPT. (B. C. 588.) We have here, as also in the next chapter, Jeremiah prophesying in Egypt. Jeremiah was now in Tahpanhes, for there his lords and masters were; he was there among idolatrous E…
Sermon to the Jews in Egypt; Jeremiah's Remonstrance. (b. c. 587.)
SERMON TO THE JEWS IN EGYPT; JEREMIAH'S REMONSTRANCE. (B. C. 587.) The Jews in Egypt were now dispersed into various parts of the country, into Migdol, and Noph, and other places, and Jeremiah was sent on an errand from…