Jeremiah 21:8 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8-14

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 have been Jeremiah's policy to make some advantage of for himself; but the reply which God obliges him to make is enough to crush the little respect they begin to have for him, and to exasperate them against him more than ever. Not only the predictions in the Jer. 21:1-7, but the prescriptions in these, were provoking; for here, I. He advises the people... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8

And unto the people thou shalt say, thus saith the Lord ,.... These are the words, not of the prophet to the messengers of the king, ordering or advising them what they each of them should say to the people; for the message by them is finished; but they are the words of the Lord to the prophet, directing him what he should say to the people at this critical juncture: behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death ; the way how to preserve their lives; and which, if they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 21:8

Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death - Meaning escape or destruction in the present instance. This is explained in the next verse. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 21:8

Verse 8 God here declares that he proposed to the people the way of life and the way of death, in order that they might surely know that all who remained in the city would soon meet with death, and that those who willingly surrendered to their enemies would have their life spared. Moses says in another sense that he set before them the way of life and the way of death; he spoke of the Law, which contains promises of God’s favor, and threatenings to transgressors. But the Prophet means here... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:1-14

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:1-14

Saved so as by fire. This chapter has been by some means put out of its proper place; for it treats of King Zedekiah, whilst in later chapters circumstances connected with the reigns of the kings who preceded him are given. But being placed here it serves to show how God's servants, despised at first, come to be honored at last. The stocks had been good enough for Jeremiah—so the last chapter tells-and his enemies had smitten him as if he were a common felon. Here we find the king and high... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8

A sad but common necessity. The surrender of a part to save the whole. This was the "way of life" the prophet put before the people. The way of death would be their refusal "If they would submit to the irresistible pressure of the Babylonian power, then whatever blessings were bound up in the preservation of the house of David and of the holy city would remain intact". But to resist would not merely be useless, but mischievous in the extreme. It would rouse the rage of their conquerors and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8-10

The choice between life and death. I. THE CHOICE WAS FREE . It was left to the Jews to choose which course they would take. God has endowed every man with freedom of will, opening up to him a vast range of possibilities. All of us have opportunities for choosing life and blessedness if only we will seek them. A Divine vocation marks out for us a course which we ought to follow in preference to the fancies of our own inclination, and a Divine destiny sots us down in a certain... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8-10

Escape for the individual among the calamities of the nation. Even amid all the thick, impending horrors indicated in the previous passage, a clear and immediate way of escape is indicated for the individual. Every one going over promptly and resolutely to the Chaldeans would be at least safe. What might be reserved for him in the future it was not proper to say. Enough for him to know that he had security for the present. He who is made safe may expect further communications of positive... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 21:8

Compare the marginal reference; but here the alternative is a life saved by desertion to the enemy, or a death by famine, pestilence, and the sword within the walls. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8-14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 21:8

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 21:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:1-14

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:1-14

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 21:8-10

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 21:8

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