Open an explanation beneath verses with notes. Your notes and highlights stay on this device.
Moreover the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still locked up in the court of the guard, saying,
Verse 1. Time. Soon after the former. Calmet.—He was comforted in prison by two visions, shewing that the Church should not perish for the sins of many. Worthington.
“The LORD who does it, the LORD who forms it to establish it—the LORD is his name, says:
Verse 2. Thus. Hebrew uses the fem. for the neuter. Septuagint “forming the earth,” and so forth
‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know.’
Verse 3. Cry. The prophetic spirit was sometimes granted to earnest prayer. Daniel 9:2 and 10:3.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down to make a defense against the mounds and against the sword:
Verse 4. To. “Concerning the houses … and the sword of them,” who would not obey God, thus bringing on their own destruction.
‘While men come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have killed in my anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city,
behold, I will bring it health and healing, and I will cure them; and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and truth.
Verse 6. Their. The houses, wounds, or breaches. Hebrew and Septuagint Calmet.—Peace. That is, the peace and welfare which they pray for. Challoner.—I will teach them how to pray for a durable peace.
I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel, and will build them as at the first.
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against me. I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against me and by which they have transgressed against me.
Verse 8. Iniquity, by means of the captivity, which shall be a sort of baptism. Calmet. 31:29. Calmet.
This city will be to me for a name of joy, for praise, and for glory, before all the nations of the earth, which will hear all the good that I do to them, and will fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I provide to it.’”
Verse 9. And it. Jerusalem, as figure of the Church. Menochius.—Fear, worship, and desist from persecuting God in his saints, ( Bible.) whom he so highly favours.
The LORD says: “Yet again there will be heard in this place, about which you say, ‘It is waste, without man and without animal, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal,’
the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, ‘Give thanks to the LORD of Armies, for the LORD is good, for his loving kindness endures forever;’ who bring thanksgiving into the LORD’s house. For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed as at the first,” says the LORD.
Verse 11. Vows. Promised victims of thanksgiving. Calmet.—First, when they were settled in it under Josue. Bible.
The LORD of Armies says: “Yet again there will be in this place, which is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of him who counts them,” says the LORD.
Verse 13. Mountains. Calmet. 32:44.—Numbereth them, they come into the fold. Calmet.—Chal. “my people shall be instructed, and formed by the hand of the Messias.” Grabe supplies what follows to the end of the chap. Bible.
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
“In those days and at that time, I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David. He will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Verse 15. Bud, or orient, Christ, ( Calmet.) of whom Zorobabel was a figure. Theodoret. All cannot be verified of the latter. verse 16. Calmet.—The Jews themselves explain this of the Messias. Calov.—It evidently refer to him, as he was born of David, whose posterity should continue till Christ, the founder of an eternal kingdom. Worthington.
In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. This is the name by which she will be called: The LORD our righteousness.”
Verse 16. Him. Septuagint Chal. and so forth The Hebrew has “her” Jerusalem, or the Church, which receives all its beauty from Christ. Calmet.—See Calmet. 23:5 where all read him. Bible.
For the LORD says: “David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.
Verse 17. David. This was verified in Christ, who is of the house of David; and whose kingdom in his Church shall have no end. Challoner.—The tribe of Juda continued most eminent till his coming. But there was no king till Hyrcan, and he was of another tribe. The priests governed after Nehemias, till Herod was appointed by the Romans. This must therefore be explained of Christ’s eternal kingdom. Genesis 49. Calmet.
The Levitical priests won’t lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn meal offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.”
Verse 18. Priests. This promise relates to the Christian priesthood; which shall also continue for ever: the functions of which (more especially the great sacrifice of the altar) are here expressed, by the name of holocausts, and other offerings of the law, which were so many figures of the Christian sacrifice. Challoner.—The Levitical sacrifices have ceased for 17 centuries. But Christ will officiate by his ministers till the end of time. Calmet.—S. Hypolitus and all the fathers agree that the blessed Eucharist is the complement of all the ancient sacrifices. Worthington.
The LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
“The LORD says: ‘If you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night, so that there will not be day and night in their time,
then my covenant could also be broken with David my servant, that he won’t have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levitical priests, my ministers.
Verse 21. Ministers. The promise in not conditional, but as unchangeable as the course of the seasons. Calmet.
As the army of the sky can’t be counted, and the sand of the sea can’t be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me.’”
The LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
“Don’t consider what this people has spoken, saying, ‘Has the LORD cast off the two families which he chose?’ Thus they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.”
Verse 24. Families of kings and priests, ( Challoner.) or the two kingdoms of Israel and Juda. The people complained that God had broken his word, ( Calmet.) so heretics assert that he has abandoned his Church for above 800 years. Providence watched in a particular manner over the families of Aaron and David, which enjoyed peculiar privileges, ( Bible.) or blessings. Worthington.
The LORD says: “If my covenant of day and night fails, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth,
then I will also cast away the offspring of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his offspring to be rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will cause their captivity to be reversed and will have mercy on them.”