they were supported; still keeping up the metaphor of
the shepherd and flock. This the Lord is said to do
because he suffered it to be done, yea, ordered it to be
done, as a punishment for their sins.
Vet. 37. And the peaceable habitations are cut down,
&c.] Or, their peaceable ones, as the Targum; the
palaces and stately dwellings, in which they lived in
great pomp and prosperity, in great peace, plenty,
and safety, are clestroyed by the enemy, and laid
waste, and become desolate; yea, even those that lived
peaceably and quietly, and neither were disturbed
themselves, nor disturbed others, yet, as is usual in
times of war, share the same fate with their neigh-
bours, who have been more troublesome and molest-
ing: because of the fierce anger of the Lord; or from
before it, from the face of it; shall be destroyed by it,
that being displayed; and using enemies as instruments
in the destruction of them. Sin is the cause of God's
wrath and fierce anger, and his wrath and anger the
cause of the destruction of men and their habitations,
Whoever are the instruments.
Ver. 38. He hath forsaken his covert as a lion, &c,]
Which some understand of God leaving Jerusalem, or
the temple, where he dwelt; who, whilst he made it
his residence, protected it; but when he forsook it, it
became exposed to the enemy. Kimchi says it may
be understood of the destruction of the first temple by
Nebuchadnezzar; but he thinks it is rightest to inter-
pret it of the destruction of the second temple; that is,
by the Romans, when it was left desolate by Christ, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah. But it may be understood.
of Nebuchadnezzar leaving Babylon, his den, and
ranging about like a ]ion for his prey; see ch.. iv. 7. and
1. 17. So the Targum, "and a king has removed from
"his tower or fortress." And the land is desolate; the
land of Judea, or whatsoever country he comes into
with his army; that, or Egypt, or any other: because
of the fierceness of the oppressor; the tyrant Nebuchad-
nezzar; or oppressing sword{w}, as some supply it, it
being feminine; and so the Targum, "from before the
"sword of the enemy." Some render it, because of
the fierceness of the dove; so the Vulgate Latin; and
understand it of the Babylonions or Chaldeans; who,
as the Romans had an eagle, they had the dove on their
standards or ensigns; which they received from the
Assyrians, when they succeeded them in their mon-
archy; and those from Semitaints their first queen,
who had it, it is said, on her standard {x}; and was re
tained in honour of her, and in memory of her being
nourished by a dove, and turned into one after her
death, as commonly believed {y}; and who had her name.
as is affirmed {z}, from the word \^arymu\^, semira, signify-
ing, in the Chaldee language., the song or cooing of the
dove; but fierceness ill agrees with the dove, which is
a meek and harmless creature. And because of his
fierce anger; either of God, or of the king of Babylon
his instrument, in destroying nations; not Jades only.
but many others.

C H A P.. XXVI,

THIS chapter gives an account of Jeremiah's preach-
ing; of his being apprehended by the people; of his
defence of himself, and acquittance upon it. The time
when, place where, and persons to whom the prophet
delivered his discourse, are' pointed at in ver. 1, 2. the
substance of it was, that if the people of the Jews
would repent of their sins and turn from them, the
Lord would avert the evil he had threatened them
with; but if not, he would make their temple like
Shiloh-, and their city a curse to all the earth, vet, 3,
4, 5, 6. upon hearing which the people seized him, and
vowed he should die, because he had prophesied of the
destruction of their city and temple, yet. 7, 8, 9. which
the princes hearing of, came from the king's house to
one of the gates of the temple, and sat as a court of
judicature-; to whom the priests and prophets accused
Jeremiah of the above things as worthy of death, ver.
10, 11. and before whom the prophet made his defence,
alleging his mission and orders from the Lord; and
therefore, instead of recanting, repeats his exhortation;
and as for himself, he was not careful what they did to
him; but advises them not to shed innocent blood,
since it would bring evil upon them, vet. l2, 13, 14,
15. upon which the princes acquit him, and declare
him innocent, ver. 16. and this is confirmed by a like
instance of Micah the prophet, in the times of Heze-
kiah, who prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem,
and yet was not put to death, ver. 17, 18, 19. and by a
contrary instance of Uriah, in the then present reign of
Jehoiakim, who had been put to death tot the like, but
wrongly, ver. 20, 21, 22, 23. and, in the issue, Jeremiah,
through the good office of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,
particularly, was saved. from being put to death,
ver. 24.
Ver. 1. In th'e beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the
son of Josiah king of Judalt, &c.] So that the pro-.
phecy of this chapter, and the facts and events con-
nected with it, were before the prophecy of the pre.
ceding chapter, though here related; that being in the
fourth year, this in the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign.
Josiah was lately dead; Jehoahaz his son reigned but
three months, and then was deposed by Pharaoh-nec.ho
king of Egypt; and this Jehoiakim, another son of
Josiah, who before was called Eliakim, was set on
the throne; and quickly after his coming to it came
this word .from the Lord, saying; as follows, to the
prophet. This was in. the year of'the world 8394, and
before Christ 610, according to Bishop Ushers; with
whom agree Mr, Whiston {h}, and the authors of the
Universal History {s}.

{w} \^hnwyh\^ gladii opprimentis, Junius & Tremellius; gladii abripientis,
Piscator. So Gataker and Ben Melech.
{x} R. David Gantz, Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 4. 1. Vial. Lydium,
de Re Militare, I. 3. c. 7. p. 83,84.
{y} Vid. Diodor. Sicul 1. 2. p. 92, 107. Ed. Rhodoman.
{z} R. Azarias, Meor, Enayim, c.21. fol. 89.2. Vid Selden, De Dieu,
Syris, 1.2. c.3 p.275.
{a} Annales Vet. Test. p.118.
{b} Chronological Tables, cent. 9.
{c} Vol. 21. p.58.