Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 17:19-27

"Thus said Jehovah unto me: Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; and say unto them, Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: Thus saith Jehovah, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work: but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction. And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith Jehovah, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain for ever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places round about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the lowland, and from the hill-country, and from the South, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meal-offerings, and frankincense, and bringing [sacrifices of] thanksgiving, unto the house of Jehovah. But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." — Jeremiah 17:19-27 (ASV)

This prophecy on the observance of the Sabbath is the first of a series of short predictions, probably arranged in chronological order among themselves, but in other respects independent of one another. Its tone is mild, dissuading future neglect rather than condemning past misconduct; and it may be assigned to the commencement of Jehoiakim’s reign. Its similarity to the prophecy contained in Jeremiah 22:1-5 makes it probable that they were contemporaneous.

Jeremiah 17:19. The gate of the children of the people — This is perhaps the principal entrance of the outer court of the temple. Very probably there was traffic there, as in our Lord’s time, in doves and other requisites for sacrifice, and so the warning to keep the Sabbath was as necessary there as at the city gates.

Jeremiah 17:21. To yourselves — literally, “in your souls,” that is, “in yourselves.” They were to be on their guard from the depths of their own conscience, thoroughly and out of conviction.

Bear no burden on the sabbath day — Apparently, the Sabbath day was kept negligently. The country people were in the habit of coming to Jerusalem on the Sabbath to attend the temple service, but they mixed business with their devotions, bringing the produce of their fields and gardens with them to sell.

The people of Jerusalem, for their part, took their wares to the gates (Jeremiah 17:22) and carried on a brisk trade there with the villagers. Both parties seem to have abstained from manual labor but did not consider that buying and selling were prohibited by the fourth commandment.

Jeremiah 17:25 presents a picture of national grandeur. The prophet associates the princes of the Davidic lineage with the king; they accompany the king in magnificent procession as he goes in and out of Jerusalem.

Shall remain forever — Or, “shall be inhabited forever”; populousness is promised.

The reward for keeping the Sabbath day holy, as described in Jeremiah 17:26, consists of three things:

1. In great national prosperity,
2. In the lasting welfare of Jerusalem, and
3. In the wealth and piety of the people generally, indicated by their numerous sacrifices.

Bringing sacrifices of praise — Rather, “bringing praise.” This clause encompasses all that precedes.

The verse is interesting as it specifies the exact limits of the dominions of the Davidic kings, at this time confined to Judah and Benjamin. The lands of these two tribes are described according to their physical features as:

1. The Shefelah, or low country, lying between the mountains and the Mediterranean;
2. The mountain region, which formed the central area, extending to the wilderness of Judah on the Dead Sea; and
3. The Negeb, or arid region, which lay to the south of Judah.

Jeremiah 17:27 warns that upon disobedience follows the anger of God, which will consume like a fire all the splendor of the offending city.