1Slovo o všem judském lidu, které se ozvalo Jeremiášovi čtvrtého roku judského krále, Josiášova syna Jojakima (to znamená prvního roku babylonského krále Nabuchodonozora). 2Prorok Jeremiáš je pronesl před vším judským lidem a všemi obyvateli Jeruzaléma. 3Od třináctého roku judského krále, Amonova syna Josiáše, až podnes, už po třiadvacet let, se mi ozývá Jahvovo slovo a já k vám neúnavně mluvím (ale vy jste neposlouchali. 4Nadto vám Jahve neúnavně posílal všechny své služebníky proroky, ale vy jste neposlouchali, ani jste nepopřávali sluchu k slyšení.) 5To slovo znělo: Upusťte přece každý od své špatné cesty a od zvrácenosti svých skutků; pak budete bydlet na půdě, kterou dal Jahve vám i vašim otcům, odevždy a navždy. 6(A nechoďte za jinými bohy a neslužte jim a neklanějte se před nimi; nedrážděte mě díly svých rukou, a já vám pak neudělám nic zlého.) 7Ale vy jste mě neposlouchali. (Jahvův výrok! A tak jste mě k svému neštěstí dráždili díly svých rukou). 8Takto proto mluví Jahve Sabaot: Protože jste neposlouchali má slova, 9hle, posílám pro všechny rodiny ze Severu (- Jahvův výrok! - u mého služebníka, babylonského krále Nabuchodonozora) a přivedu je proti této zemi a jejím obyvatelům (a proti všem těmto okolním národům); postihnu je kletbou a způsobím, že budou budit úžas, že budou na posměch, budou navždy troskami. 10Oberu je o výkřiky radosti a veselí, volání ženicha a nevěsty, rachocení mlýnských kamenů i o světlo lampy. 11Z celé této země budou trosky a spoušť. A tyto národy budou podrobeny po sedmdesát let babylonskému králi. 12(Ale až se těch sedmdesát let dovrší, navštívím pro jejich zločin babylonského krále i ten národ - Jahvův výrok - a také zemi Chaldejců a udělám z ní věčnou spoušť.) 13Způsobím, že se na té zemi vyplní všechna slova, která jsem proti ní pronesl, vše, co je napsáno v této knize. Co Jeremiáš prorokoval proti všem národům. 14(Neboť i ony budou podrobeny mocným národům a velkým králům a já jim oplatím podle jejich skutků a podle díla jejich rukou.) 15Neboť Jahve, Bůh Izraele, ke mně promluvil takto: Vezmi z mé ruky tuto číši vína hněvu a dej ji vypít všem národům, k nimž tě pošlu; 16napijí se, zapotácejí se a přijdou o rozum kvůli meči, jejž doprostřed nich pošlu. 17Vzal jsem z Jahvovy ruky číši a dal jsem ji vypít všem národům, k nimž mě Jahve poslal: 18(Jeruzalému a judským městům, jeho králům a jeho knížatům, aby se z nich staly trosky, aby budili úžas, aby byli na posměch a k prokletí jako právě dnes), 19egyptskému králi faraonovi s jeho služebníky, jeho knížaty a vším jeho lidem 20a také celé sebrance cizinců (všem králům ze země Us); všem králům filišťanské země, Aškelonu, Gazy, Ekronu a toho, co ještě zbývá z Ašdodu; 21Edomu, Moabu a Amonovým synům; 22(všem) králům Tyru, (všem) králům Sidonu, králům ostrova, který je za mořem; 23Dedanovi, Temovi, Buzovi, všem mužům s vyholenými spánky, 24všem králům Arábie (a všem králům sebranky cizinců), kteří bydlí na poušti. 25(Všem králům Zimri), všem králům Elamu a všem králům Médie; 26všem králům ze Severu, blízkým i dalekým, jednomu po druhém, a všem královstvím, která jsou na zemi. (A král Šešaku bude pít po nich.) 27Řekneš jim: Takto mluví Jahve Sabaot, Bůh Izraele: Pijte! Opijte se! Zvracejte! Padněte, abyste už nedokázali povstat před mečem, který pošlu doprostřed vás. 28A když odmítnou přijmout z tvé ruky číši, kterou mají vypít, řekneš jim: Takto mluví Jahve Sabaot: Pít budete! 29Neboť hle: právě ve městě, jež nese mé jméno, rozpoutám to neštěstí a vy byste měli být ušetřeni? Ne! Nebudete ušetřeni, neboť já sám přivolávám meč na všechny obyvatele země, výrok Jahva Sabaot. 30A ty jim oznámíš všechna tato slova, řekneš jim: Jahve hřímá z výše, ze svého svatého příbytku pozvedá hlas, mocně hřímá proti své pastvině, vykřikuje jako ti, kdo šlapou v kádi, proti všem obyvatelům země. 31Tato vřava doléhá až na konec země. Neboť Jahve zahajuje při národů, ustanovuje soud nad veškerým tělem; bezbožníky vydává meči, Jahvův výrok. 32Takto mluví Jahve Sabaot. Hle: neštěstí se šíří od národa k národu, zvedá se velká vichřice od končin země. 33Ty, které ten den Jahve - od jednoho ke druhému konci země - pobije, nikdo neopláče, neposbírá, nepohřbí. Zůstanou na povrchu země jako hnůj. 34Kvílejte, pastýři, křičte, válejte se po zemi, vůdcové stáda, neboť dny dozrály k vašemu pobití a k vašemu rozehnání, padnete jako vzácná nádoba. 35Už žádný útulek pro pastýře ani únik pro vůdce stáda. 36Povyk pastýřů, kvílení vůdců stáda! Neboť Jahve zpustošil jejich pastvinu, 37pokojná pastviště umlkla kvůli Jahvovu planoucímu hněvu! 38Lev opustil své doupě a jejich země budí úžas pro pustošící vzplanutí, pro vzplanutí jeho hněvu.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PROPHECY OF THE SEVENTY YEARS CAPTIVITY; AND AFTER THAT THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON, AND OF ALL THE NATIONS THAT OPPRESSED THE JEWS. (Jer. 25:1-38)
fourth year of Jehoiakim--called the third year in
Dan 1:1. But probably Jehoiakim was set on the throne by Pharaoh-necho on his return from Carchemish about July, whereas Nebuchadnezzar mounted the throne January 21, 604 B.C.; so that Nebuchadnezzar's first year was partly the third, partly the fourth, of Jehoiakim's. Here first Jeremiah gives specific dates. Nebuchadnezzar had previously entered Judea in the reign of his father Nabopolassar.
3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah, in which Jeremiah began to prophesy (
Jer 1:1), to the end of Josiah's reign, was nineteen years (
2Kgs 22:1) of Jehoahaz' reign, with the not quite complete four years of Jehoiakim (
Jer 25:1), added to the nineteen years, make up twenty-three years in all.
4 rising early--(See on
Jer 7:13). "The prophets" refer to Urijah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, &c. It aggravates their sin, that God sent not merely one but many messengers, and those messengers, prophets; and, that during all those years specified, Jeremiah and his fellow prophets spared no effort, late and early.
5 Turn . . . dwell--In Hebrew there is expressed by sameness of sounds the correspondence between their turning to God and God's turning to them to permit them to dwell in their land: Shubu . . . shebu, "Return" . . . so shall ye "remain."
every one from . . . evil--Each must separately repent and turn from his own sin. None is excepted, lest they should think their guilt extenuated because the evil is general.
6 He instances one sin, idolatry, as representative of all their sins; as nothing is dearer to God than a pure worship of Himself.
7 Though ye provoke Me to anger (
Deut 32:21), yet it is not I, but yourselves, whom ye thereby hurt (
Pro 8:36;
Pro 20:2).
9 the north--(see on
Jer 1:14-
Jer 1:15). The Medes and other northern peoples, confederate with Babylon, are included with the Chaldeans.
my servant--My agent for punishing (
Jer 27:6;
Jer 43:10; compare
Jer 40:2). Compare
Isa 44:28; Cyrus, "My shepherd." God makes even unbelievers unconsciously to fulfil His designs. A reproof to the Jews, who boasted that they were the servants of God; yet a heathen king is to be more the servant of God than they, and that as the agent of their punishment.
10 (
Jer 7:34;
Rev 18:23). The land shall be so desolated that even in the houses left standing there shall be no inhabitant; a terrible stillness shall prevail; no sound of the hand-mill (two circular stones, one above the other, for grinding corn, worked by two women,
Exod 11:5;
Matt 24:41; in daily use in every house, and therefore forbidden to be taken in pledge,
Deut 24:6); no night-light, so universal in the East that the poorest house has it, burning all night.
candle--lamp (
Job 21:17;
Job 18:6).
11 seventy years-- (
Jer 27:7). The exact number of years of Sabbaths in four hundred ninety years, the period from Saul to the Babylonian captivity; righteous retribution for their violation of the Sabbath (
Lev 26:34-
Lev 26:35;
2Chr 36:21). The seventy years probably begin from the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when Jerusalem was first captured, and many captives, as well as the treasures of the temple, were carried away; they end with the first year of Cyrus, who, on taking Babylon, issued an edict for the restoration of the Jews (
Ezra 1:1). Daniel's seventy prophetic weeks are based on the seventy years of the captivity (compare
Dan 9:2,
Dan 9:24).
13 all . . . written in this book, which Jeremiah . . . prophesied against all . . . nations--It follows from this, that the prophecies against foreign nations (forty-sixth through fifty-first chapters) must have been already written. Hence the Septuagint inserts here those prophecies. But if they had followed immediately (
Jer 25:13), there would have been no propriety in the observation in the verse. The very wording of the reference shows that they existed in some other part of the book, and not in the immediate context. It was in this very year, the fourth of Jehoiakim (
Jer 36:1-
Jer 36:2), that Jeremiah was directed to write in a regular book for the first time all that he had prophesied against Judah and foreign "nations" from the beginning of his ministry. Probably, at a subsequent time, when he completed the whole work, including the forty-sixth through fifty-first chapters, Jeremiah himself inserted the clause, "all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations." The prophecies in question may have been repeated, as others in Jeremiah, more than once; so in the original smaller collection they may have stood in an earlier position; and, in the fuller subsequent collection, in their later and present position.
14 serve themselves-- (
Jer 27:7;
Jer 30:8;
Jer 34:10). Avail themselves of their services as slaves.
them also--the Chaldees, who heretofore have made other nations their slaves, shall themselves also in their turn be slaves to them. MAURER translates, "shall impose servitude on them, even them."
recompense them--namely, the Chaldees and other nations against whom Jeremiah had prophesied (
Jer 25:13), as having oppressed the Jews.
their deeds--rather, "deed," namely, their bad treatment of the Jews (
Jer 50:29;
Jer 51:6,
Jer 51:24; compare
2Chr 36:17).
15 wine cup--Compare
Jer 13:12-
Jer 13:13, as to this image, to express stupefying judgments; also
Jer 49:12;
Jer 51:7. Jeremiah often embodies the imagery of Isaiah in his prophecies (
Lam 4:21;
Isa 51:17-
Isa 51:22;
Rev 16:19;
Rev 18:6). The wine cup was not literally given by Jeremiah to the representatives of the different nations; but only in symbolical vision.
16 be moved--reel (
Nah 3:11).
18 Jerusalem--put first: for "judgment begins at the house of God"; they being most guilty whose religious privileges are greatest (
1Pet 4:17).
kings--Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah.
as it is this day--The accomplishment of the curse had already begun under Jehoiakim. This clause, however, may have been inserted by Jeremiah at his final revision of his prophecies in Egypt.
19 Pharaoh--put next after Jerusalem, because the Jews had relied most on him, and Egypt and Judea stood on a common footing (
Jer 46:2,
Jer 46:25).
20 mingled people--mercenary foreign troops serving under Pharaoh-hophra in the time of Jeremiah. The employment of these foreigners provoked the native Egyptians to overthrow him. Psammetichus, father of Pharaoh-necho, also had given a settlement in Egypt to Ionian and Carian adventurers [HERODOTUS, 2.152, 154]. See on
Jer 50:37;
Isa 19:2-
Isa 19:3;
Isa 20:1;
Ezek 30:5. The term is first found in
Exod 12:38.
Uz--in the geographical order here, between Egypt and the states along the Mediterranean; therefore not the "Uz" of
Job 1:1 (north of Arabia-Deserta), but the northern part of Arabia-Petrća, between the sea and Idumea (
Lam 4:21; see
Gen 36:20,
Gen 36:28).
remnant of Ashdod--called a "remnant," because Ashdod had lost most of its inhabitants in the twenty-nine years siege by Psammetichus. Compare also see on
Isa 20:1. Gath is not mentioned because it was overthrown in the same war.
21 Edom . . . Moab . . . Ammon--joined together, as being related to Israel (see Jer. 48:1-49:39).
22 all the kings of Tyrus--the petty kings of the various dependencies of Tyre.
isles--a term including all maritime regions (
Ps 72:10).
23 Dedan--north of Arabia (
Gen 25:3-
Gen 25:4).
Tema . . . Buz--neighboring tribes north of Arabia (
Job 32:2).
all . . . in . . . utmost corners--rather, "having the hair cut in angles," a heathenish custom (see on
Jer 9:26).
24 mingled people--not in the same sense as in
Jer 25:20; the "motley crowd," so called in contempt (compare
Jer 49:28,
Jer 49:31;
Jer 50:37). By a different pointing it may be translated the "Arabs"; but the repetition of the name is not likely. BLANEY thinks there were two divisions of what we call Arabia, the west (Araba) and the east. The west included Arabia-Petrća and the parts on the sea bordering on Egypt, the land of Cush; the east, Arabia-Felix and Deserta. The latter are "the mixed race" inhabiting the desert.
25 Zimri--perhaps the Zabra mentioned by PTOLEMY between Mecca and Medina. Zimran also, as Dedan, was one of Abraham's sons by Keturah (
Gen 25:2).
Elam--properly, west of Persia; but used for Persia in general.
26 Sheshach--Babylon; as the parallelism in
Jer 51:41 proves. In the Cabalistic system (called Athbash, the first Hebrew letter in the alphabet being expressed by the last) Sheshach would exactly answer to Babel. Jeremiah may have used this system (as perhaps in
Jer 51:41) for concealment at the time of this prediction, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, while Nebuchadnezzar was before Jerusalem. In
Jer 51:41 there can be no concealment, as Babylon is expressly mentioned. MICHAELIS more simply explains the term "brazen-gated" (compare
Isa 45:2); others, "the house of a prince." Rather, it comes from the Babylonian goddess, Shach, by reduplication of the first letter; from her Misael was named Meshach by the Babylonians. The term Shace was applied to a festival at Babylon, alluded to in
Jer 51:39,
Jer 51:57;
Isa 21:5. It was during this feast that Cyrus took Babylon [HERODOTUS, 1]. Thus Jeremiah mystically denotes the time of its capture by this term [GLASSIUS].
27 rise no more--The heathen nations in question should fall to rise no more. The Jews should fall but for a time, and then rise again. Therefore, the epithet is given, "the God of Israel."
28 if they refuse to take the cup--No effort of theirs to escape destruction will avail.
29 If I spared not Mine elect people on account of sin, much less will I spare you (
Ezek 9:6;
Obad 1:16;
Luke 23:31;
1Pet 4:17).
be unpunished--"be treated as innocent."
30 roar--image from a destructive lion (
Isa 42:13;
Joel 3:16).
upon his habitation--rather, "His pasturage"; keeping up the image of a lion roaring against the flock in the pasture. The roar was first to go forth over Judea wherein were "the sheep of His pasture" (
Ps 100:3), and thence into heathen lands.
shout . . . tread . . . grapes-- (
Jer 48:33;
Isa 16:9-
Isa 16:10).
31 controversy--cause at issue (
Mic 6:2).
plead with all flesh-- (
Isa 66:16). God shows the whole world that He does what is altogether just in punishing.
32 from the coasts--rather, "from the uttermost regions." Like a storm which arises in one region and then diffuses itself far and wide, so God's judgments shall pass "from nation to nation," till all has been fulfilled; no distance shall prevent the fulfilment.
not be lamented-- (
Jer 16:4,
Jer 16:6).
neither gathered--to their fathers, in their ancestral tombs (
Jer 8:2).
dung-- (
Ps 83:10).
34 shepherds--princes (
Jer 22:22). Here he returns to the Jews and their rulers, using the same image as in
Jer 25:30, "pasture" (see on
Jer 25:30).
wallow yourselves--Cover yourselves as thickly with ashes, in token of sorrow, as one who rolls in them (
Jer 6:26;
Ezek 27:30) [MAURER].
principal--leaders. The Septuagint translates "rams," carrying out the image (compare
Isa 14:9, Margin;
Zech 10:3).
days of your slaughter . . . of . . . dispersions--rather, "your days for slaughter (that is, the time of your being slain), and your dispersions (not 'of your dispersions'), are accomplished (are come)."
pleasant vessel--Ye were once a precious vessel, but ye shall fall, and so be a broken vessel (see on
Jer 22:28). "Your past excellency shall not render you safe now. I will turn to your ignominy whatever glory I conferred on you" [CALVIN].
35 Literally, "Flight shall fail the shepherds . . . escaping (shall fail) the principal," &c. (
Amos 2:14). The leaders will be the first objects for slaughter; escape by flight will be out of their power.
37 habitations--rather, carrying out the image "pastures" (see on
Jer 25:30). The pasturages where, peaceably and without incursion of wild beasts, the flocks have fed, shall be destroyed; that is, the regions where, heretofore, there was peace and security (alluding to the name Salem, or Jerusalem, "possessing peace").
38 his covert--the temple, where heretofore, like a lion, as its defender, by the mere terror of His voice He warded off the foe; but now He leaves it a prey to the Gentiles [CALVIN].
fierceness of . . . oppressor--rather, as the Hebrew, for "oppressor" is an adjective feminine, the word "sword" is understood, which, in
Jer 46:16;
Jer 50:16, is expressed (indeed, some manuscripts and the Septuagint read "sword" instead of "fierceness" here; probably interpolated from
Jer 46:16), "the oppressing sword." The Hebrew for "oppressing" means also a "dove": there may be, therefore, a covert allusion to the Chaldean standard bearing a dove on it, in honor of Semiramis, the first queen, said in popular superstition to have been nourished by doves when exposed at birth, and at death to have been transformed into a dove. Her name may come from a root referring to the cooing of a dove. That bird was held sacred to the goddess Venus. Vulgate so translates "the anger of the dove."
his . . . anger--If the anger of Nebuchadnezzar cannot be evaded, how much less that of God (compare
Jer 25:37)!
The prophecies which gave the offense were those given in detail in the seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters (compare
Jer 26:6 here with
Jer 7:12,
Jer 7:14); and summarily referred to here [MAURER], probably pronounced at one of the great feasts (that of tabernacles, according to USSHER; for the inhabitants of "all the cities of Judah" are represented as present,
Jer 26:2). See on
Jer 7:1.