Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_600_p.lzh/5_608.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-15 | 7KB | 128 lines

the people in the temple, so neither was he afraid to
read it before the princes at court.
Vet. 15. And they said unto him, sit down now, &c.]
Or, pray sit down{q}`; they received him very courte-
ously, and treated him with great humanity, and
shewed much respect to him, in beseeching him to sit
down by them: and read it in our ears ; as he had
done in the ears of the people, with an audible voice,
clearly and distinctly, that they might be able to hear
it, so as to understand it: so Baruch read it in their
ears; without any fear or dread, though in the king's
palace, and before an assembly of princes; nor did he
excuse himself on account of weariness, having just
read it to the people; or upbraid the princes with not
being in the temple, where they might have heard it.
Ver. 16. Now it came to pass, when they! had heard all
the words, &c.] In the roll or book read by Baruch;
they heard them read patiently, which was what the
king afterwards would not do: they were afraid both
one and another; both good and bad; for there were
some of both sorts among them: or, a man to his
friend{r}; they looked at one another, and knew not
what to say to each other, as men amazed and asto-
nished; they trembled at what they heard, the threat-
enings were so terrible, and the calamity threatened
so great; and they consulted together what they should
do with this roll, or what course they should take to
avert the threatened vengeance, and particularly whe-
ther they should acquaint the king with it or no; and
which they thought the safest and most prudent part
to do: and said unto Baruch, we will surely tell the Icing
of all these words; this they said, not to terrify Baruch,
or out of any ill will to him; but partly for their own
.security, lest they should incur the king's displeasure,
should he come to the knowledge of it any other way;
and chiefly hoping it might have some effect upon him,
to cause a reformation; though of this they were
dubious, and rather feared it would exasperate him;
and therefore desired that Baruch and Jeremiah would
hide themselves, vet. 19. this was the sense of some of
them, of those that were good men among them, and
wished things were otherwise than they were.
Ver. 17. And they asked .Baruch, &c.] The following
question, which may seem at first sight an odd, need-
less, and trifling one, as some have called it: saying,
how didst thou write all these words at his mouth ? this
question does not regard the manner of writing them,
whether with ink or not, for that they could see with
their eyes, and yet Baruch's answer seems to have re-
spect to this, as if he so understood them; nor hately
the matter of them, as whether it was the substance of
what was contained in the roll that Jeremiah dictated,
and that only, leaving it to Baruch to use what words
he would, or whether the express words were dictated
by him; but rather it seems to have regard to the
possibility of doing it: by the question it appears, that
Baruch had told the princes that the prophet had
dictated all these things to him, and he had taken
them down in writing from his mouth; now they
wantcd marc satisfaction about the truth of this matter.
It was a difficulty with them how it was 'possible for
Jeremiah to recollect so many different discourses and
prophecies, delivered at different times, and some many
years ago, and so readiiy dictate them to Barnob, as
thst as he could write them; wherefore they desire he
would tell them plainly and faithfully the truth of the
matter, how it was, that so they might, if they could,
affirm it with certainty to the king; since, if this was
really fact which he had related, these prophecies
originally, and the fresh dictating of them, must be
from the spirit of God, and would certainly have their
accomplishment.
Ver. 18. Then Baruch answered them, &c.] At once,
without any hesitation, plainly and fully: he pronounced
all these words unto me with his mouth; that is, the Pro-
phet Jeremiah delivered by word of mouth, not the sub-
stance only of this roll, but the express words of it, and
every oneof them, and that clearly and distinctly, with-
out any hesitation, or premeditation; by which it is
plain it was by the spirit of the Lord he did it; neither
matter nor words were Baruch's, but were exactly as
they were delivered: and I wrote them teith ink in the
book; as they saw with their eyes, and which was the
manner of writing with the Jews so early; Baruch had
no further concern in this matter than to provide pen,
ink, and parchment, and to make use of them as he
did, just as the prophet dictated and directed him.
Ver. 19. Then said the princes unto Baruch, &c.]
Being satisfied with his answer: go hide thee, thou and
Jeremiah, and let no man know where ye be. Some of
these princes at least seem to be good men, and be-
lieved what was read to them, and had a value for the
prophet and his scribe, and were concerned for their
welfare; and knowing the furious temper of the king,
and his little regard to the prophets; and fearing he
would resent what had been so publicly read to the
people, provided against the worst; and in point of
prudence advised Baruch and his master to abscond,
and not let any one know, no, not their nearest friends,
where they were, lest they should be betrayed; nor did
they, the princes, desire to know themselves. Jeremiah
might be in prison, as some have thought, at the first
reading of the roll, which was in the fourth of Jehoia-
kim, and be at liberty now, which was in the fifth; see
ver. 1, 9.
Ver. o_0. And they went in to the king into the court,
&c.] The inner court, the king's court, where he
usually resided; though very probably they did not
rush in at once; but first sent to know whether the
king could be spoke with, or would admit them, they
having something to communicate to him; which they
might do by the persbn in waiting, by whom they were
introduced: but they laid up the roll in the chamber of
Elisharon the scribe; they did not take it with them,
but left it in the secretary's office; and, no doubt, put
it up safe in some chest or scrutoire, as something va-
luable, and not to be exposed to every one; or to be
thrown about, torn, or trampled on, as a book of no use
and value: very probably it was with the consent of
Baruch that it was left with them: and this was a
point of prudence in them not to take it with them
when they went to the king: and told all the words in

{q} \^an bv\^ sede quaeso, Vatablus, Schmidt.
{r} \^wher la vya\^ vir ad socium suum, Montanus; ad proximum
suum, Vatablus; ad amicum suum, Pagninus; erga socium suum,
Schmidt.