Bones to be brought up, no repentance, blessings to be withdrawn
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| 1 ¶ At that time, saith
the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the
bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the
prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:
.2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. |
1
- That time As indicated at the end
of the previous chapter, je0732.
1 - Bones Princes, priests, and prophets had been given honorable burials which they didn't deserve. 2 - Sun ... moon ... host which had been honored by the idolatrous worship. 2 - Spread them ... before sun ... The heavenly bodies are personified (acting as if human). The items worshipped supposedly looked down at the sad situation. 2 - Loved Instead of loving the Lord, they loved and worshipped the heavenly bodies. See 2ki1716, 2ki2103, je1913, ez0816, zp0105. |
| 4 ¶ Moreover thou shalt
say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall
he turn away, and not return?
5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. |
4 -
Fall
and not rise It seems that the fallen ones would get up. See
the next verse.
6 - Rusheth The war horse, not understanding the risks of battle plunges ahead. The people who do understand could repent but do not. |
| 7 Yea, the stork in
the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and
the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the
judgment of the LORD.
8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? |
.9 - Wise men ashamed Prediction of the exposure of their false wisdom in Daniel 2 and 4. da0418. |
| 10 Therefore will I
give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit
them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness,
from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
.11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. |
10
- Give their wives ... fields Similar to je0613-15.
11 - Peace ... no peace As ez1310, da0825. |
| 13 ¶ I will surely consume
them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on
the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given
them shall pass away from them.
14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. 15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! |
13
- Consume May also be translated "gather." The Hebrew is
unclear.
13 - No grapes From the nation symbolized as a vineyard is0501, je0221, lu1306. 13 - Things ... given ... pass away The Hebrew is unclear. Literally "I will give to them, they shalll traverse them." 14 - Gall to drink A poisonous plant je0915, je2315. |
| 16 The snorting of his
horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the
neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land,
and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.
.17 For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD. 18 When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. .19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? .20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. |
17
- Serpents, cockatrices ... not charmed I am told that the
biologists have discovered that rattle snake venom has become more poisonous
in recent years! We have had a sharp increase in incurable viruses and
now indestructible prions. The prophecies of warning for God's ancient
people are to be fulfilled also in the last days.
18 - Comfort ... faint The Hebrew is obscure. Translators may have considered the prophet's deep sorrow expressed at the end of this chapter. 20 - Summer ended What a tragic scene! They (and many at the end of time) will voice this cry. They refused the love of the truth and the desire for righteousness has left them 2th0210! Compare the "summer fruit" described by Amos: am0801. |
| .21
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment
hath taken hold on me.
.22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? .9:1 ¶ Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! |
21
- I am hurt The prophet's feelings reflect those of the Lord.
Black
represents mourning. Compare so0105,
so0106.
22 - Why then This implies that there is a healing balm and a physician. The people did not accept them. 22 - No balm? Or balsam; "to be applied to the wounds of my people. Brought into Judea first from Arabia Felix, by the queen of Sheba, in Solomon's time [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.2]. The opobalsamum of PLINY; or else [BOCHART] the resin drawn from the terebinth. It abounded in Gilead, east of Jordan, where, in consequence, many "physicians" established themselves (Jer 46:11; 51:8; Ge 37:25; 43:11). 22 - Daughter of my people A term indicating the present generation, the mother being the historical city of Jerusalem. The first verse of chapter 9 is quoted at the left for context. |
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