He could hear his people in captivity crying out bitterly. They would be longing for Jerusalem where their God was, their true King. Why was He not helping them? They remembered Him, appalled that they had provoked Him by worshipping images and idols. read more
1-3. The dead shall share in the universal punishment.1. Shall bring out the bones] either from pure wantonness, or in the hope of finding treasure or ornaments of value. 2. Before the sun] the heavenly bodies will not be prevented by all the offerings and devotions that they have received from using their influence to hasten the rotting of the carcases of their sometime worshippers.3. Family] the whole nation: see on Jeremiah 3:14. 4-17. The people are hardened in sin.4. They] RV ’men.’ If a... read more
(18) When I would comfort myself . . .—The word translated comfort is not found elsewhere, and has been very differently understood. Taking the words as spoken after a pause, they come as a cry of sorrow following the proclamation of the judgment of Jehovah, Ah, my comfort against sorrow! (mourning for it as dead and gone); my heart is sick within me. The latter phrase is the same as in Isaiah 1:5. read more
(19) Because of them that dwell . . .—The verse should read thus: Behold, the voice of the cry for help of the daughter of my people from the land of those that are far off. The prophet, dramatising the future, as before, in Jeremiah 8:14, hears the cry of the exiles in a far-off land, and that which they ask is this—“Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is not her king in her?” That question is asked half in despair, and half in murmuring complaint. But Jehovah himself returns the answer, and it comes in... read more
Balm in Gilead Jeremiah 8:21-22 The lament of a good man over the sins of his countrymen. I. The Nature of the Malady. 1. Hereditary. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.' 2. Universal. 'All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.' 3. Dangerous. 'The wages of sin is death.' II. The Means of Cure. The medicine here referred to is a resinous substance obtained from the balsam-tree, which flourished near Gilead, and was far-famed for its healing properties; often... read more
; Jeremiah 8:1-22; Jeremiah 9:1-26; Jeremiah 10:1-25; Jeremiah 26:1-24In the four chapters which we are now to consider we have what is plainly a finished whole. The only possible exception {Jeremiah 10:1-16} shall be considered in its place. The historical occasion of the introductory prophecy, {Jeremiah 7:1-15} and the immediate effect of its delivery, are recorded at length in the twenty-sixth chapter of the book, so that in this instance we are happily not left to the uncertainties of... read more
CHAPTER 8 1. The horrors of the invasion (Jeremiah 8:1-3 ) 2. Hardened hearts and retribution (Jeremiah 8:4-12 ) 3. Utter destruction threatened (Jeremiah 8:13-17 ) 4. The prophet’s lamentation (Jeremiah 8:18-22 ) Jeremiah 8:1-3 . These verses must not be detached from the preceding chapter. The division of chapters is often unfortunate in this book. The invaders from the north would even have digged out the bones of the dead. Kings, priests, prophets and people who had worshipped the... read more
8:18 [When] I would {n} comfort myself against sorrow, my heart [is] faint in me.(n) Read Jeremiah 4:19 . read more
8:19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a distant country: [Is] not the LORD in Zion? [is] not her king in her? Why {o} have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, [and] with foreign vanities?(o) Thus the Lord speaks. read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Jeremiah 8:18
The prospect of this catastrophic invasion overwhelmed Jeremiah with sorrow. It made him weak, and he could not get over his anguish. read more