Jerome — Commentary on Scripture

Jeremiah 26:20-24

And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

(Verse 20 onwards) There was also a prophet man in the name of the Lord, Uriah, the son of Shemai from Kiriath-Jearim, and he prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah. And King Jehoiakim and all his powerful men and officials heard these words, and the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it and was afraid, so he fled and went to Egypt. And what follows: King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt, including Elnathan son of Achbor, and his men with him, but it is not found in the Septuagint. Your question: And they brought Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to King Joakim, and he struck him with a sword, and cast his body in the graves of the common people. However, the great Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he would not be handed over to the people to be killed. It is asked why Uriah the son of Shimei from the town of Kiriath-jearim, who prophesied the same things as Jeremiah, was terrified and fled to Egypt, and when he returned, he was killed; and yet Jeremiah was able to escape, even though he certainly…

(Verse 20 onwards) There was also a prophet man in the name of the Lord, Uriah, the son of Shemai from Kiriath-Jearim, and he prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah. And King Jehoiakim and all his powerful men and officials heard these words, and the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it and was afraid, so he fled and went to Egypt. And what follows: King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt, including Elnathan son of Achbor, and his men with him, but it is not found in the Septuagint. Your question: And they brought Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to King Joakim, and he struck him with a sword, and cast his body in the graves of the common people. However, the great Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he would not be handed over to the people to be killed. It is asked why Uriah the son of Shimei from the town of Kiriath-jearim, who prophesied the same things as Jeremiah, was terrified and fled to Egypt, and when he returned, he was killed; and yet Jeremiah was able to escape, even though he certainly did not flee, but boldly persisted in his previous judgment, and was freed from the judgment of both the common people and the rulers, as well as the advice of the elders, against the accusers, the priests, and the false prophets. To briefly respond to this: it is not at all possible to know the judgment of God, since the same cause and the same opinion result in one person being punished and another being set free. Unless, perhaps, we can respond by saying that Uriah was condemned and killed by the accusers and the people, while Jeremiah was reserved for the judgment of God in order to preach to the rest of the unfortunate people and bring them to repentance. This is indeed also read in the Acts of the Apostles, where we learn that the Apostle James (Acts 12) immediately endured the sentence of Herod and was rewarded with martyrdom, while blessed Peter and the other Apostles were reserved for the teaching of the Lord. And the steadfastness of the prophet Uriah is worth noting, as he did not change his opinion even when he was brought back from Egypt, but rather, seeing that death was being planned against him, he still spoke the words that the Lord had commanded. And his fear and flight and entry into Egypt are not signs of unfaithfulness, but rather of prudence: so that we do not offer ourselves to dangers in vain. Otherwise, we also read of the Lord and Savior falling into the hands of those who pursued him (Luke 4, John 8); and he commanded the Apostles: 'When they persecute you in this city, flee to another' (Matthew 10, 23). It is also asked how Joacim, the king of Judah, of small and weakened empire, and already on the verge of perishing, had the power to send to Egypt and bring back Uriah. This is easily solved if we consider that he was appointed a ruler by the king of Egypt, Nechao, and this prophecy was made at the beginning of his reign. Although Jeremiah was freed by the help of the Lord, it is also attributed to Uriah as the one through whom the Lord freed his prophet. This Uriah is, of course, the son of Stephan, as we will read later, when Jeremiah is freed from the danger of death by the advice and assistance of Abdelech the Ethiopian eunuch (Jeremiah 38).

Jeremiah 26:24

Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

Jeremiah needed the help of Ahikam. How much more do we need that of God.

Jeremiah 27:1

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

(Chapter 27 - Verse 1) In the beginning of the reign of Joachim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying. This is not found in the Septuagint edition. And many think that the beginning of the following chapter should be joined to the previous one, so that whatever is said and done in the beginning of Joachim's reign is believed to have happened. Hence, he had the power to send to Egypt, as to a friendly king. But it seems to me that they have deliberately omitted this title for the following reason, so that they would not appear to be contradicting themselves. For they had already stated at the beginning: In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord to Jeremiah, saying.

Jeremiah 27:2

Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

(Verse 2.) This is what the Lord says to me: Make for yourself chains and shackles. Or κλοιοὺς, which are called Mutoth () in Hebrew, and in the common language they are called Boias.

Jeremiah 27:3-4

And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

(Verse 3, 4.) And you shall put them on your shoulder, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of messengers who came to Jerusalem to King Zedekiah of Judah. And you shall command them to speak to their masters: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. You shall say this to your masters. The past vision was given at the beginning to the prophet of the reign of Joachim, son of Josiah, king of Judah. But these things happened under Zedekiah, who was the last ruler of Jerusalem, and under whom the city was captured and destroyed. And Jeremiah was commanded to put chains, or wooden yokes called "Mutoth" in Hebrew, around his neck and send them to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, through the messengers who had come to Zedekiah. And he was to instruct his messengers to announce that they should serve King Nebuchadnezzar and listen to what the following prophecy says. And so that perhaps the ambassadors and kings of those nations would respond, why…

(Verse 3, 4.) And you shall put them on your shoulder, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of messengers who came to Jerusalem to King Zedekiah of Judah. And you shall command them to speak to their masters: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. You shall say this to your masters. The past vision was given at the beginning to the prophet of the reign of Joachim, son of Josiah, king of Judah. But these things happened under Zedekiah, who was the last ruler of Jerusalem, and under whom the city was captured and destroyed. And Jeremiah was commanded to put chains, or wooden yokes called "Mutoth" in Hebrew, around his neck and send them to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, through the messengers who had come to Zedekiah. And he was to instruct his messengers to announce that they should serve King Nebuchadnezzar and listen to what the following prophecy says. And so that perhaps the ambassadors and kings of those nations would respond, why do you not command this to your people? It also speaks similar things to King Zedekiah, and to the priests and prophets. This passage is always understood allegorically (by Origen), and fleeing from the truth, it interprets the heavenly Jerusalem, that its inhabitants should willingly take on bodies and descend into Babylon, that is, the confusion of this world which is placed in evil, and serve the Babylonian king, undoubtedly the devil. But if they refuse to do this, they will by no means bear heavy burdens; instead, they will perish by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence; and they will not become men, but demons. He said this so that his defenders do not accuse us of slander. However, let us follow a simple and true history, so that we are not entangled in certain clouds and deceptions.

Jeremiah 27:5

I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

(Verse 5.) I made the earth and man, and the animals that are on the face of the earth, by my great strength and by my outstretched arm, and I gave it to him whom it pleased in my eyes. Although this Scripture speaks anthropomorphically, how can we humans speak and understand: nevertheless, the strength of God and his arm is the one about whom the Apostle speaks: Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). And Isaiah says: Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1) John the Evangelist also writes: All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made. (John 1:3) David also speaks in his song: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6) And when he says, I have given her to him whom it pleased me, it signifies that all things are given to the human race through the grace of God. I, he says, made the earth, and man, and animals (Psalm 35). The reverse order. In Genesis, indeed, animals are created first, and the last is man (Gen…

(Verse 5.) I made the earth and man, and the animals that are on the face of the earth, by my great strength and by my outstretched arm, and I gave it to him whom it pleased in my eyes. Although this Scripture speaks anthropomorphically, how can we humans speak and understand: nevertheless, the strength of God and his arm is the one about whom the Apostle speaks: Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). And Isaiah says: Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1) John the Evangelist also writes: All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made. (John 1:3) David also speaks in his song: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6) And when he says, I have given her to him whom it pleased me, it signifies that all things are given to the human race through the grace of God. I, he says, made the earth, and man, and animals (Psalm 35). The reverse order. In Genesis, indeed, animals are created first, and the last is man (Genesis 1), but here it names man first, and afterwards those things that are subject to man.

Jeremiah 27:6-7 · 2 passages

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

(Verse 6, 7.) Now therefore I have given all these lands into the hand of my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon: and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son. How then is Israel in a state of misery, when compared to him, Nebuchadnezzar, the servant of God? It is written in the Gospel: The world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (John 1:10). Therefore, the creator rightly hands over his creation to whom he wishes. Moreover, even the devil, in whose likeness Nebuchadnezzar preceded, confesses: all these things have been handed over to me. And what he has brought in: Moreover, I have also given him the beasts of the field to serve him, or rather we should understand all kinds of animals; for indeed, both man and those things that are subject to them are handed over to them; or certainly, let us accept that wild beasts are also savage tribes, in that they also serve, whereas previously they did not know how to serve…

(Verse 6, 7.) Now therefore I have given all these lands into the hand of my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon: and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son. How then is Israel in a state of misery, when compared to him, Nebuchadnezzar, the servant of God? It is written in the Gospel: The world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (John 1:10). Therefore, the creator rightly hands over his creation to whom he wishes. Moreover, even the devil, in whose likeness Nebuchadnezzar preceded, confesses: all these things have been handed over to me. And what he has brought in: Moreover, I have also given him the beasts of the field to serve him, or rather we should understand all kinds of animals; for indeed, both man and those things that are subject to them are handed over to them; or certainly, let us accept that wild beasts are also savage tribes, in that they also serve, whereas previously they did not know how to serve. But his son, and the son of his son, according to the Hebrew, is called Belshazzar and Evil-Merodach, about whom Daniel writes.

Until the time comes for its land and itself. So that the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar would not be thought to be everlasting, it is said that it will be taken by the Medes and Persians. For this is what it means: Until the time comes for its land and itself. But this is not included in the Septuagint.

And many nations and great kings shall serve him. It is not said, all: for this empire properly belongs to Christ, even though it is not read according to Symmachus: And many nations and great kings shall serve him; but many nations and great kings shall subject themselves to him in servitude, so that he himself may also serve the Medes and Persians, to whom all nations had previously served. This is what we have put from the Hebrew: I have given him that they may serve him, and all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his grandson, until the time of his land and himself come: and in servitude when many nations and great kings shall subject themselves, it is not read in the Septuagint (as we have already said) edition.

We have long felt that God is angry, yet we do not try to appease him. It is our sins that make the barbarians strong. It is our vices that vanquish Rome’s soldiers. As if there were here too little material for carnage, civil wars have made almost greater havoc among us than the swords of foreign foes. Miserable must those Israelites have been compared with whom Nebuchadnezzar was called God’s servant. Unhappy too are we who are so displeasing to God that he uses the fury of the barbarians to execute his wrath against us. Still, when Hezekiah repented, 185, Assyrians were destroyed in one night by a single angel. When Jehosaphat sang the praises of the Lord, the Lord gave his worshiper the victory. Again, when Moses fought against Amalek, it was not with the sword but with prayer that he prevailed. Therefore, if we wish to be lifted up, we must first prostrate ourselves.

Jeremiah 27:8

And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

(Verse 8) However, the nation and kingdom that will not serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and whoever will not bend their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will visit upon that nation with the sword, famine, and plague, declares the Lord, until I have consumed them by his hand. Not only does the Lord subject sinful nations to Nebuchadnezzar, but the Apostle also speaks of sinners: whom I have handed over to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:20). And in another place: I have handed over such a person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5). It also warns to obey the authorities, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience, so that we may not be condemned by them.

Jeremiah 27:9-11

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

(Verse 9 and following) So do not listen to your prophets, and diviners, and dreamers, and augurs, and sorcerers, who say to you: 'You will not serve the king of Babylon, for they prophesy lies to you, in order to drive you far from your land and to expel you, and you will perish.' But the nation that puts its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will let it stay in its own land, says the Lord; and it will till it and dwell in it. The allegorical interpreter raves at this place and encourages those placed in heaven to not listen to their prophets, diviners, dreamers, and sorcerers, but rather to serve Nebuchadnezzar and take on the body of humility, the cries of infants, and the cradle of little children. For if they do these things, having completed their servitude and the condition of human mortality, they will return to their own land, live there, and do what they did before. And he says that he suspects those who have despised God's commandments will become burdened with human bodies as future demons and unclean spirits, and they will not regain their form…

(Verse 9 and following) So do not listen to your prophets, and diviners, and dreamers, and augurs, and sorcerers, who say to you: 'You will not serve the king of Babylon, for they prophesy lies to you, in order to drive you far from your land and to expel you, and you will perish.' But the nation that puts its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will let it stay in its own land, says the Lord; and it will till it and dwell in it. The allegorical interpreter raves at this place and encourages those placed in heaven to not listen to their prophets, diviners, dreamers, and sorcerers, but rather to serve Nebuchadnezzar and take on the body of humility, the cries of infants, and the cradle of little children. For if they do these things, having completed their servitude and the condition of human mortality, they will return to their own land, live there, and do what they did before. And he says that he suspects those who have despised God's commandments will become burdened with human bodies as future demons and unclean spirits, and they will not regain their former abode. But we will simply explain that there are prophets among the nations who pretend to predict the future by divine inspiration. And there are diviners, of whom the common proverb says: The wise claim to divine. And there are dream interpreters who imitate Joseph and Daniel. And there are soothsayers, who interpret the flight and calls of birds and announce what should or should not be done. And there are sorcerers, whom we can call either poisoners or servants of the phantasms of demons, who are called Kasaph in Hebrew. All these, he says, deceive you and undermine you, so that you do not serve the king of Babylon. For it is much better to willingly embrace servitude, to have a friend whom you serve, and to cultivate one's ancestral land, than to serve as a captive by force and necessity.

Jeremiah 27:12-13

I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

(Verse 12, 13.) And to King Zedekiah of Judah I spoke according to all these words, saying: Submit your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and you shall live. Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you. I have not sent them, says the Lord, but they prophesy falsely in my name, in order to drive you out and make you perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you. After all the nations pass over to King Zedekiah of Judah, he speaks with the same nations he threatened, saying: for the nation of Israel does not deserve the privilege, who has sinned either similar or greater than the other nations. Finally, because the rebellious people refused to listen, they were destroyed by sword, famine, and pestilence. It should be noted in the holy Scripture that it refers to false prophets as proph…

(Verse 12, 13.) And to King Zedekiah of Judah I spoke according to all these words, saying: Submit your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and you shall live. Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you. I have not sent them, says the Lord, but they prophesy falsely in my name, in order to drive you out and make you perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you. After all the nations pass over to King Zedekiah of Judah, he speaks with the same nations he threatened, saying: for the nation of Israel does not deserve the privilege, who has sinned either similar or greater than the other nations. Finally, because the rebellious people refused to listen, they were destroyed by sword, famine, and pestilence. It should be noted in the holy Scripture that it refers to false prophets as prophets who prophesy falsely in the name of the Lord. But they, says he, do this, in order that they may cast you out, and bring destruction upon you, as well as upon the prophets who prophesy to you. And therefore the destruction is alike of those who are deceived and of those who deceive. This is what we have put from the Hebrew: Serve under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and you shall live. Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'In the Septuagint it is not found.' And therefore I advise, so that the intelligent reader may understand how much is lacking in each Greek and Latin codex.

Jeremiah 27:16-17

Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

(Verse 16, 17.) And I spoke to the priests and to this people, saying: thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying: Behold, the vessels of the Lord will return from Babylon now quickly: for they are prophesying lies to you. This, which we have now set, in the Septuagint is not present: and that which follows, Do not listen to them, but serve the king of Babylon, so that you may live. Why is this city being laid waste? But to the nation and the king, he speaks to the priests and the people, who had already predicted the destruction through the prophets, saying: that I will cast you out and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you. He speaks the same things that he had spoken to the king and the nation, so that they do not hear the words of their own prophets and say that the vessels of the Lord's temple should now be brought back, which had been taken away with Jechoniah and his princes and his mother: and he warns that they should serve the king of Babylon and live, and that the city, which voluntarily submitted, s…

(Verse 16, 17.) And I spoke to the priests and to this people, saying: thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying: Behold, the vessels of the Lord will return from Babylon now quickly: for they are prophesying lies to you. This, which we have now set, in the Septuagint is not present: and that which follows, Do not listen to them, but serve the king of Babylon, so that you may live. Why is this city being laid waste? But to the nation and the king, he speaks to the priests and the people, who had already predicted the destruction through the prophets, saying: that I will cast you out and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you. He speaks the same things that he had spoken to the king and the nation, so that they do not hear the words of their own prophets and say that the vessels of the Lord's temple should now be brought back, which had been taken away with Jechoniah and his princes and his mother: and he warns that they should serve the king of Babylon and live, and that the city, which voluntarily submitted, should by no means be handed over to fire. And in this the mercy of the Lord is to hand over to a lighter punishment, so that they do not bear a heavier one. ((Al. wants to hand over))

Jeremiah 27:18

But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

(Verse 18) And if there are prophets, and the word of the Lord is in them, let them come forward. And what follows, 'and we shall be subjected to the end of this chapter,' is not found in the Septuagint.

Jeremiah 27:19-22

For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

(Verse 19 onwards) O Lord of hosts, let the vessels that were left behind in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, and in Babylon, not come back. For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases (which are written as Mechonoth in Hebrew) and concerning the remaining vessels that are in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take when he took Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. Because this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says about the vessels that have been left behind in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and Jerusalem: They will be carried to Babylon and there they will remain until the day of their visitation, says the Lord. And I will bring them back and restore them to this place. These things, as we have said, are not found in the Septuagint, but have been translated from the Hebrew truth: for they have added something that was…

(Verse 19 onwards) O Lord of hosts, let the vessels that were left behind in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, and in Babylon, not come back. For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases (which are written as Mechonoth in Hebrew) and concerning the remaining vessels that are in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take when he took Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. Because this is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says about the vessels that have been left behind in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and Jerusalem: They will be carried to Babylon and there they will remain until the day of their visitation, says the Lord. And I will bring them back and restore them to this place. These things, as we have said, are not found in the Septuagint, but have been translated from the Hebrew truth: for they have added something that was not written, saying, 'Thus says the Lord to me: And the rest of the vessels that the king of Babylon did not take when he carried Jeconiah from Jerusalem to Babylon, they will enter, says the Lord,' putting more emphasis on the meaning than on the words, perhaps thinking it irrational that God would speak to columns and to the sea, and to the bases, and to the remaining vessels in Jerusalem, as if we did not read that the Lord rebuked the morning worm and spoke to the sea, saying, 'Be silent and be still.' (Jonah 4). And he says: Let them come to me, whether it be the Lord of armies (Mark 4:39), this shows that a true Prophet can resist the Lord with prayers, just as Moses stood in opposition to the Lord, in order to turn away the anger of his fury. Samuel also did the same (1 Samuel 8). And the Lord said to Moses: Let me alone, he said, that I may strike this people (Exodus 32:10). But when he says, Let me alone, he shows that he can be held back by the prayers of the saints. The prophets, he says, and whatever they predict, should demonstrate their fulfillment through their actions; and then the prophecy will be confirmed by truth. However, we read about the pillars, sea, bases, and other vessels in the book of Malachi and in the final volume of this prophet (2 Kings, chapter 25). And the vessels that were carried away to Babylon are listed, when Zedekiah was captured, the city was burned, and the temple was destroyed.

Jeremiah 28:1-2

And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

(Chapter 28, Verses 1 onwards) In that year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Ananias son of Azur, a prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people. He said: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years, I will bring back all the vessels of the Lord to this place. They interpreted the Hebrew prophets, that is, the Nebeim, as pseudo-prophets in order to make their understanding clearer. Finally, in this place, the prophet is called Nebia, not a pseudo-prophet. And the word of the Lord came to him during the reign of Zedekiah, in the fourth year of his reign, in the fifth month (while the prophet Ezekiel was still prophesying in Babylon to those who had been exiled with Jehoiachin). And he speaks with confidence in the temple of the Lord against the Prophet, because he promises prosperity to the people, and they willingly listen to lies, especially those that promise joy. Jeremiah had also said t…

(Chapter 28, Verses 1 onwards) In that year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Ananias son of Azur, a prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people. He said: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years, I will bring back all the vessels of the Lord to this place. They interpreted the Hebrew prophets, that is, the Nebeim, as pseudo-prophets in order to make their understanding clearer. Finally, in this place, the prophet is called Nebia, not a pseudo-prophet. And the word of the Lord came to him during the reign of Zedekiah, in the fourth year of his reign, in the fifth month (while the prophet Ezekiel was still prophesying in Babylon to those who had been exiled with Jehoiachin). And he speaks with confidence in the temple of the Lord against the Prophet, because he promises prosperity to the people, and they willingly listen to lies, especially those that promise joy. Jeremiah had also said that the rest of the vessels, whether of the temple or the royal palace, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar had taken away, were to be transferred to Babylon. But here, on the contrary, he promises that even those things that had been carried away are to be brought back.

Jeremiah 28:2-4

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

(Ver. 2 and following) And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Ananias the prophet broke the chain (or yoke) from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying: Go and tell Ananias, this is what the Lord says: You have broken the wooden chains (or yokes), and I will make iron yokes in their place. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations, so they will serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And what follows: 'And they shall serve him, and the beasts of the earth I have given to him. But in the present place, according to the Septuagint, Ananias the prophet is not written, and in the following, lest they should seem to call a false prophet a prophet. But what about the Hebrew truth? After Jeremiah the prophet went on his way and swallowed up the injury in silence, the word of the Lord came to him, so that he would not speak in his own words to the false prophet boasting in lies; but he should say: thus says the Lord: even though Ananias, breaking the wooden yoke, spoke with the same authority in the presence of…

(Ver. 2 and following) And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Ananias the prophet broke the chain (or yoke) from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying: Go and tell Ananias, this is what the Lord says: You have broken the wooden chains (or yokes), and I will make iron yokes in their place. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations, so they will serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And what follows: 'And they shall serve him, and the beasts of the earth I have given to him. But in the present place, according to the Septuagint, Ananias the prophet is not written, and in the following, lest they should seem to call a false prophet a prophet. But what about the Hebrew truth? After Jeremiah the prophet went on his way and swallowed up the injury in silence, the word of the Lord came to him, so that he would not speak in his own words to the false prophet boasting in lies; but he should say: thus says the Lord: even though Ananias, breaking the wooden yoke, spoke with the same authority in the presence of the Lord: thus says the Lord.' For falsehood always imitates the truth. And that which it has brought in: You have shattered wooden forks, and instead of them have made iron chains, shows this, that, rejecting the lesser punishment, it was for the sake of a greater penalty among the people. The allegorical interpreter also raves in this passage, calling the wooden forks and chains, ethereal and airy bodies, namely, of demons and adverse powers. But the wooden forks or iron chains, are our grosser bodies, which are woven together with nerves and bones and flesh and veins, so that those who do not wish to undergo lesser tortures for the quality of their sin may be condemned to the chains of our bodies; and they may endure the wailing of infancy, the bonds of swaddling clothes, and filth; and may serve the devil, the king of Babylon, that is, of this world, as the Scripture says: The world is set in the wicked one (1 John 5:19), with the beasts of the earth, which are linked to the bodies of brute animals. An uneducated handler compelled me, and a follower of Grunnius' slander openly presents the faults of others, which I previously spoke of with pretense, abandoning the discretion of the reader.

Jeremiah 28:3-4

Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

(Vers. 3, 4.) What Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, brought from this place, he also brought to Babylon. And I will bring back Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon, to this place, declares the Lord. For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Regarding these matters, the LXX translated: Jehoiachin and the exiles of Judah, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon, summarizing the meaning of the Hebrew truth rather than giving word-for-word translations. However, Ananias, who at that time seemed to be a prophet to the people, promised not only to bring back the vessels, but also to restore King Jechoniah to Jerusalem, and to break the yoke of the king of Babylon, that is, to destroy his empire. And this would not yet be accomplished for another two years, in order to increase the greatness of the joy and to enhance the nearness of the promised time.

Jeremiah 28:5-17 · 2 passages

Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

(Verse 5 onwards) And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah: Listen, Hananiah: The Lord did not send you, and yet you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will send (or cast) you away from the face of the earth, you will die this year. And what follows: Because you have spoken against the Lord. And Hananiah the prophet died in that year, in the seventh month, which is not mentioned in the Septuagint. For as much as they have set him forth above: He died in the seventh month. And this Ananias is not spoken of in the Septuagint as a prophet, though the Holy Scripture of the Hebrews calls him a prophet, even though Jeremiah accuses him, saying: Hear, Ananias, the Lord has not sent you, yet thou have prophesied. For how could he call him a prophet, whom he denied to be sent by the Lord? But the truth and order of the history is preserved, as we have said, not according to what it was, but according to what it was thought to be at that time. You deceived, he says, the people with a lie, so that they would not submit to the judgments of…

(Verse 5 onwards) And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah: Listen, Hananiah: The Lord did not send you, and yet you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will send (or cast) you away from the face of the earth, you will die this year. And what follows: Because you have spoken against the Lord. And Hananiah the prophet died in that year, in the seventh month, which is not mentioned in the Septuagint. For as much as they have set him forth above: He died in the seventh month. And this Ananias is not spoken of in the Septuagint as a prophet, though the Holy Scripture of the Hebrews calls him a prophet, even though Jeremiah accuses him, saying: Hear, Ananias, the Lord has not sent you, yet thou have prophesied. For how could he call him a prophet, whom he denied to be sent by the Lord? But the truth and order of the history is preserved, as we have said, not according to what it was, but according to what it was thought to be at that time. You deceived, he says, the people with a lie, so that they would not submit to the judgments of God. Therefore, you know that you will die this year. When we die, we are released from the prisons of the body, according to that testimony, which heretics interpret wrongly: Bring my soul out of prison (Ps. 141:8): so how is death now imposed as a punishment on false prophets? But in this place it should be noted that Jeremiah, after suffering injury from a false prophet, and before receiving a direct message from the Lord, remains silent; later, however, sent by the Lord, he boldly accuses the liar and announces his impending death. And that he who usually translates the seventh month is said to rest under this number, perhaps they falsely claim that he died in the seventh month so that he may be freed from the evils of the body, according to what they quote from the writing. Death is rest for a man. But we know that the bodies of believers are temples of God, if indeed the Holy Spirit dwells in them (Sirach 22:11).

(Vers. 5, 6.) And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Ananias, in the eyes of the priests and in the eyes of all the people who stood in the house of the Lord. And Jeremiah the prophet said: Amen, let the Lord do so. May the Lord fulfill your words that you prophesied; so that the vessels may be brought back to the house of the Lord, and all the exile of Babylon to this place. He wishes to become what the false prophet lies about, for this is what Amen signifies: a word that the Lord often uses in the Gospel: Amen, amen I say to you (John 5:19). And he desires, for the prosperity of things, to speak more kindly than strictly. Hence another prophet bears witness, saying: O that I were not a man having the spirit, and spoke rather falsehood (Micah 2:11). On the contrary, Jonah is distressed why he lied, and is reproved by the Lord, that it is more profitable for prophets to speak falsehood than the multitude of such ruin (Jonah 3). And lest he seem to approve the prophecy of a false prophet, he asserts the truth under the example of others lying without injury.

Jeremiah 28:6

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Jeremiah wishes “May the Lord do” what the false prophet said falsely, for this is what “Amen” signifies, a word that the Lord often employed in the Gospel: “Amen, amen, I say to you.” He also has greater desire that prosperity is realized than that the truth is told. Another prophet testifies in this connection, saying, “O that I not be a man who has the Spirit and prefers to speak falsely!” Unlike Jeremiah, however, Jonah is saddened that he should tell a falsehood, in response to which the Lord proves that a false prophecy is better than the destruction of so great a multitude of people. Lest it seem that he was approving the prediction of the false prophet, he then speaks the truth by using an example from others, without utilizing harmful deception: “Yet, hear this word that I speak in your hearing and in that of all the people. The prophets who preceded me and you from the beginning also prophesied many things for the earth and for great kingdoms concerning war and disease and famine. The prophet who foretold peace, when it comes to pass, will be known as the prophet whom the L…

Jeremiah wishes “May the Lord do” what the false prophet said falsely, for this is what “Amen” signifies, a word that the Lord often employed in the Gospel: “Amen, amen, I say to you.” He also has greater desire that prosperity is realized than that the truth is told. Another prophet testifies in this connection, saying, “O that I not be a man who has the Spirit and prefers to speak falsely!” Unlike Jeremiah, however, Jonah is saddened that he should tell a falsehood, in response to which the Lord proves that a false prophecy is better than the destruction of so great a multitude of people. Lest it seem that he was approving the prediction of the false prophet, he then speaks the truth by using an example from others, without utilizing harmful deception: “Yet, hear this word that I speak in your hearing and in that of all the people. The prophets who preceded me and you from the beginning also prophesied many things for the earth and for great kingdoms concerning war and disease and famine. The prophet who foretold peace, when it comes to pass, will be known as the prophet whom the Lord sent in truth.”