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Babylon;* besides 3,023 whom he had carried away the year before.†

Besides the illustrious Jews who were already hanging their harps upon the willows by the rivers of Babylon, the prophet Ezekiel was most probably carried into captivity at this period: God in his mercy thereby providing an instrument for the comfort and encouragement of his smitten,§ but not forsaken people, in his own good time.||

A. C.

ZEDEKIA H.

HAVING dethroned Jehoiachin, and sent him into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar placed his uncle Mattaniah 599. upon the vacant throne, and changed his name to Zedekiah, leaving him, however, but little power, and treating him rather as his vassal or lieutenant, than an independent sovereign. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiachin had done.¶

2 Kings, xxiv. 13—16. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 10. Dr. Wall, i. 271.

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¶ 2 Kings, xxiv. 17-19. Jer. lii. 1, 2. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 12. there ever such a set of weak, infatuated men as the Jewish kings in general! They had the fullest evidence that they were only deputies to Almighty God, and that they could not expect to retain the throne any longer than they were faithful to their Lord; and yet with all this conviction, they lived wickedly, and endeavoured to establish idolatry in the place of the worship of their maker! After bearing with them long, the divine mercy gave them up, as their case was utterly hopeless. They sinned till there was no remedy." A. CLARKE. There is but too much reason to fear, that too many parallels are to

The vision of the two baskets of figs, therefore, was shewn to Jeremiah; one of good, and the other of evil figs. Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel; like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place, into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am Jehovah, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith Jehovah, so will I give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt and I will deliver them to be removed, into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them, and to their fathers.*

Early in the reign of Zedekiah, and probably not long after the departure of Jehoiachin and his queen, with the eunuchs, princes, and mechanics; Jeremiah sent a letter by Elasah, the son of Shaphan, to his captive brethren for their encouragement, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Ba

attentively read the histories, of the vices of the royal family of France, for continuous centuries, will not wonder that they were visited with such horrors at the late revolution, but rather that the judgments of God did not fall upon them sooner. Jer. xxxvii. 10.

* Jer. xxiv. 5-10.

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bylon; build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them ;* take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city, whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto Jehovah for it: for in the have peace. thereof, shall peace For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets, and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith Jehovah.

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For thus saith Jehovah, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, shall and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah : and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Because ye have said, Jehovah hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; know that thus saith Jehovah, concerning† the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning

"This shews that the Jews were not made slaves, but were esteemed, and made a colony to plant the then enlarged city of Babylon, where they had houses and lands, and their own servants, and their own laws." BP. WILSON.

+ Blayney, Buxtorf.

all the people that dwelleth in this city, and concerning your brethren, that are not gone forth with you into captivity; thus saith Jehovah of Hosts; behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; and I will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them: because they have not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, which I sent unto them by my servants, the prophets, rising up early and sending them but ye would not hear, saith Jehovah.

Hear ye, therefore, the word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in my name: behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes: and of them shall be taken up a curse, by all the captivity of Judah, which are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;* because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith Jehovah.

"The Jews who were carried away captives with Jehoiachin, being discouraged from settling and making improvements in the land of the captivity by their false prophets, Jeremiah wrote this prophecy to undeceive them. And Nebuchadnezzar himself, finding that these false prophets discouraged the people, ordered them to be roasted to death, according to this very prophecy." BP. WILSON.

Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israei, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name, unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada, the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. Now, therefore, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you? For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And Zephaniah, the priest, read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah, the prophet.

Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying, Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, concerning Shemaiah, the Nehelamite; because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: therefore, thus saith Jehovah; behold, I will punish Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among his people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith Jehovah; because he hath taught rebellion against Jehovah.*

About the fourth year of the reign of this prince, but the exact period or occasion is not quite evident, he appears to have discovered some disposition to shake off the authority of the Babylonian, upon which Jeremiah admonished him, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. Why

Jer. xxix. 4-32.

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