Jeremiah 17:12-13 - Exposition

An address to Jehovah in two parts, the first specially referring to the temple regarded as the sacramental symbol of the Divine presence (comp. Psalms 5:7 ), the second to Jehovah himself. It seems to us, no doubt, singular thus practically to identify, Jehovah and his temple; but the prophet s meaning is that God can only be addressed in so far as he has revealed himself. The temple was not, strictly speaking, the "Name or revelation of God, but it was "the place of the Name of Jehovah," and in the language of strong feeling might be addressed as if it were really the Divine Name. The disciples of the incarnate Name were familiar with the idea that their Master was in some sense the antitype of the temple ( Matthew 12:6 ; John 2:19 ). In proposing this explanation, it has been tacitly assumed that the Authorized Version, A glorious high throne … is the place of our sanctuary , is wrong. Grammatically, indeed, it is not indefensible; but it is a weak rendering in such a context. Render, therefore, Thou throne of glory , a height from the beginning , thou place of our sanctuary , thou hope of Israel , Jehovah . The temple is called "the throne of thy glory" in Jeremiah 14:21 ; "height" is a common synonym for heaven ( Psalms 7:8 , Hebrew; Isaiah 57:15 , Hebrew), but is also applied to Mount Zion ( Ezekiel 17:23 ; Ezekiel 20:40 , quoted by Keil), which is also in Isaiah 60:13 called, "the place of my sanctuary." By adding the concluding words of the address (at the opening of Isaiah 60:13 ), the prophet prevents the suspicion that he attached importance to the mere outward buildings of the temple, like those formalist Jews, whose words are quoted in Jeremiah 7:4 .