Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 6. In his days Judah shall be saved] The real Jew is not one who has his circumcision in the flesh, but in the spirit. The real Israel are true believers in Christ Jesus; and the genuine Jerusalem is the Church of the first-born, and made free, with all her children, from the bondage of sin, Satan, death, and hell. All these exist only in the days of the Messiah. All that went before were the types or significators of these glorious Gospel excellencies.
And this is his name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.] I shall give the Hebrew text of this important passage: wnqdx hwhy warqy ra wm hzh vezeh shemo asher yikreo Yehovah tsidkenu, which the Septuagint translate as follows, kai touto to onoma auton o kalesei auton keriov, iwsedek, "And this is his name which the Lord shall call him Josedek." Dahler translates the text thus:- Et voici le nom dont on l'appellera: L'Eternel, Auteur de notre felicite.
"And this is the name by which he shall be called; The Lord, the Author of our happiness." Dr. Blayney seems to follow the Septuagint; he translates thus, "And this is the name by which Jehovah shall call him, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." In my old MS. Bible, the first English translation ever made, it is thus: - And this is the name that thei schul clepen him: oure rigtwise Lord .
Coverdale's, the first complete English translation of the Scriptures ever printed, (1535,) has given it thus: - And this is the name that they shall call hin: even the Lorde oure rightuous Maker.
Matthews (1549) and Becke (1549) follow Coverdale literally; but our present translation of the clause is borrowed from Cardmarden, (Rouen, 1566,) "Even the Lord our righteousness." Dr. Blayney thus accounts for his translation: - "Literally, according to the Hebrew idiom, 'And this is his name by which Jehovah shall call, Our Righteousness;' a phrase exactly the same as, 'And Jehovah shall call him so;' which implies that God would make him such as he called him, that is, our Righteousness, or the author and means of our salvation and acceptance. So that by the same metonymy Christ is said to 'have been made of God unto us wisdom, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,' 1 Cor. i. 30.
"I doubt not that some persons will be offended with me for depriving them, by this translation, of a favourite argument for proving the Divinity of our saviour from the Old Testament. But I cannot help it; I have done it with no ill design, but purely because I think, and am morally sure, that the text, as it stands, will not properly admit of any other construction.
The Septuagint have so translated before me, in an age when there could not possibly be any bias or prejudice either for or against the fore-mentioned doctrine, a doctrine which draws its devasive proofs from the New Testtament only." Dahler paraphrases, - "This Prince shall be surnamed by his people, 'The Lord, the author of our happiness.' The people shall feel themselves happy under him; and shall express their gratitude to him." I am satisfied that both the translation from Cardmarden downwards, and the meaning put on these words, are incorrect. I prefer the translation of Blayney to all others; and that it speaks any thing about the imputed righteousness of Christ, cannot possibly be proved by any man who understands the original text. As to those who put the sense of their creed upon the words, they must be content to stand out of the list of Hebrew critics. I believe Jesus to be Jehovah; but I doubt much whether this text calls him so. No doctrine so vitally important should be rested on an interpretation so dubious and unsupported by the text. That all our righteousness, holiness, and goodness, as well as the whole of our salvation, come by HIM, from HIM, and through HIM, is fully evident from the Seriptures; but this is not one of the passages that support this most important truth. See on chap. xxxiii.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Justice is recommended, and destruction threatened in case of disobedience. (Jer. 22:1-9) The captivity of Jehoiakim, and the end of Jeconiah. (Jer. 22:10-19) The doom of the royal family. (Jer. 22:20-30)
Jer. 22:1-9 The king of Judah is spoken to, as sitting upon the thron 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 the duty of it. But sin will be the ruin of the houses of princes, as well as of meaner men. And who can contend with destroyers of God's preparing? God destroys neithe persons, cities, nor nations, except for sin; even in this world he often makes it plain for what crimes he sends punishment; and it wil be clear at the day of judgement.
Jer. 22:10-19 Here is a sentence of death upon two kings, the wicke sons of a very pious father. Josiah was prevented from seeing the evi to come in this world, and removed to see the good to come in the othe world; therefore, weep not for him, but for his son Shallum, who is likely to live and die a wretched captive. Dying saints may be justl envied, while living sinners are justly pitied. Here also is the doo of Jehoiakim. No doubt it is lawful for princes and great men to build beautify, and furnish houses; but those who enlarge their houses, an make them sumptuous, need carefully to watch against the workings of vain-glory. He built his houses by unrighteousness, with money gotte unjustly. And he defrauded his workmen of their wages. God notices the wrong done by the greatest to poor servants and labourers, and wil repay those in justice, who will not, in justice, pay those whom the employ. The greatest of men must look upon the meanest as their neighbours, and be just to them accordingly. Jehoiakim was unjust, an made no conscience of shedding innocent blood. Covetousness, which is the root of all evil, was at the bottom of all. The children wh despise their parents' old fashions, commonly come short of their rea 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 di unlamented, hateful for oppression and cruelty.
Jer. 22:20-30 The Jewish state is described under a threefol character. Very haughty in a day of peace and safety. Very fearful of alarm of trouble. Very much cast down under pressure of trouble. Man never are ashamed of their sins till brought by them to the las extremity. The king shall close his days in bondage. Those that thin themselves as signets on God's right hand, must not be secure, but fea lest they should be plucked thence. The Jewish king and his famil shall be carried to Babylon. We know where we were born, but where we shall die we know not; it is enough that our God knows. Let it be ou care that we die in Christ, then it will be well with us wherever we die, thought it may be in a far country. The Jewish king shall be despised. Time was when he was delighted in; but all those in whom God has no pleasure, some time or other, will be so lowered, that men wil have no pleasure in them. Whoever are childless, it is the Lord tha writes them so; and those who take no care to do good in their days cannot expect to prosper. How little is earthly grandeur to be depende upon, or flourishing families to be rejoiced in! But those who hear the voice of Christ, and follow him, have eternal life, and shall neve perish, neither shall any enemy pluck them out of his almighty hands _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew בימיו3117 תושׁע3467 יהודה3063 וישׂראל3478 ישׁכן7931 לבטח983 וזה2088 שׁמו8034 אשׁר834 יקראו7121 יהוה3068 צדקנו׃6664
