Jeremiah 1:14 - Exposition

Out of the north . Previously to the battle of Carchemish, the Babylonians are only mentioned vaguely as a northern people (see Jeremiah 4:6 ; Jeremiah 6:1 , Jeremiah 6:22 ; Jeremiah 10:22 ). Strictly speaking, they were an eastern people from the point of view of Palestine; but the caravan-road which the Chaldaean armies had to take entered Palestine at Dan (comp. Jeremiah 4:15 ; Jeremiah 8:16 ), and then proceeded southward. (On the question whether a Scythian invasion is referred to, at least conjointly with the Babylonian, see Introduction.) An evil ; rather, the evil ; viz. the calamity which in deepening gloom forms the burden of the prophet's discourses. Shall break forth ; literally, shall open ; i . e . let loose by opening. There is, however, some difficulty in explaining the choice of this expression. We might indeed suppose that the caldron had a lid, and that the removal or falling off of this lid is the "opening" referred to by the phrase.