Matthew Henry Commentary Jeremiah 22
Matthew Henry Commentary
Jeremiah 22
Matthew Henry Commentary
Jeremiah 22
"Thus said Jehovah: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, And say, Hear the word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates. Thus saith Jehovah: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the sojourner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith Jehovah, that this house shall become a desolation. For thus saith Jehovah concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto me, [and] the head of Lebanon; [yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness, [and] cities which are not inhabited. And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them." — Jeremiah 22:1-9 (ASV)
The king of Judah is spoken to, as sitting upon the throne of David, the man after God's own heart. Let him follow his example, that he may have the benefit of the promises made to him. The way to preserve a government is to do its duty.
But sin will be the ruin of the houses of princes, as well as of ordinary men. And who can contend with destroyers prepared by God? God destroys neither persons, cities, nor nations, except for sin. Even in this world, He often makes it clear for what crimes He sends punishment, and it will be clear at the Day of Judgment.
"Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away; for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. For thus saith Jehovah touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, [and] who went forth out of this place: He shall not return thither any more. But in the place whither they have led him captive, there shall he die, and he shall see this land no more. Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbor`s service without wages, and giveth him not his hire; that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. Shalt thou reign, because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this to know me? saith Jehovah. But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: they shall not lament for him, [saying], Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! They shall not lament for him, [saying] Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." — Jeremiah 22:10-19 (ASV)
Here is a sentence of death upon two kings, the wicked sons of a very pious father. Josiah was prevented from seeing the evil to come in this world, and was removed to see the good to come in the other world; therefore, do not weep for him, but for his son Shallum, who is likely to live and die a wretched captive. Dying saints may be justly envied, while living sinners are justly pitied.
Here also is the doom of Jehoiakim. No doubt it is lawful for princes and great men to build, beautify, and furnish houses; but those who enlarge their houses and make them sumptuous need to watch carefully against the workings of vainglory. He built his houses by unrighteousness, with money gotten unjustly. And he defrauded his workmen of their wages.
God notices the wrong done by the greatest to poor servants and labourers, and will repay those in justice who will not, in justice, pay those whom they employ. The greatest of men must look upon the lowliest as their neighbours and be just to them accordingly. Jehoiakim was unjust and had no conscience about shedding innocent blood.
Covetousness, which is the root of all evil, was at the bottom of all. The children who despise their parents' old-fashioned ways commonly fall short of their real excellences. Jehoiakim knew that his father found the way of duty to be the way of comfort, yet he would not tread in his steps. He shall die unlamented, hateful for oppression and cruelty.
"Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all thy lovers are destroyed. I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. The wind shall feed all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness. O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail! As I live, saith Jehovah, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them of whom thou art afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. But to the land whereunto their soul longeth to return, thither shall they not return. Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? is he a vessel wherein none delighteth? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not? O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah." — Jeremiah 22:20-30 (ASV)
The Jewish state is described under a threefold character. Very haughty in a day of peace and safety. Very fearful at the alarm of trouble. Very much cast down under the pressure of trouble. Many are never ashamed of their sins until their sins bring them to the last extremity.
The king shall end his days in bondage. Those who think of themselves as signets on God's right hand must not be secure, but must fear that they might be plucked from there. The Jewish king and his family shall be carried to Babylon. We know where we were born, but where we will die, we do not know; it is enough that our God knows.
Let it be our care that we die in Christ; then it will be well with us wherever we die, though it may be in a distant country. The Jewish king shall be despised. There was a time when he was delighted in; but all those in whom God has no pleasure, at some time or other, will be so lowered that people will have no pleasure in them.
Whoever are childless, it is the Lord who writes them so; and those who take no care to do good in their days cannot expect to prosper. How little earthly grandeur is to be depended upon, or flourishing families to be rejoiced in! But those who hear the voice of Christ and follow him have eternal life, and shall never perish, neither shall any enemy pluck them out of his almighty hands.
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