Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. And seekest thou great things for thyself?] Nothing better can be expected of this people: thy hopes in reference to them are vain. Expect no national amendment, till national judgments have taken place. And as for any benefit to thyself, think it sufficient that God has determined to preserve thy life amidst all these dangers.
But thy life will I give unto thee for a prey] This is a proverbial expression. We have met with it before, chap. xxi. 9, xxxviii. 2, xxxix. 18; and it appears to have this meaning. As a prey or spoil is that which is gained from a vanquished enemy, so it is preserved with pleasure as the proof and reward of a man's own valor. So Baruch's life should be doubly precious unto him, not only on account of the dangers through which God had caused him to pass safely, but also on account of those services he had been enabled to render, the consolations he had received, and the continual and very evident interposition of God in his behalf. All these would be dearer to him than the spoils of a vanquished foe to the hero who had overcome in battle.
Spoil may signify unlooked-for gain. The preservation of his life, in such circumstances, must be more than he could reasonably expect; but his life should be safe, and he should have it as a spoil, whithersoever he should go. This assurance must have quieted all his fears.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jer. 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jer. 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them (Jer. 44:20-30)
Jer. 44:1-14 God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolation upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you love your own souls, do not, for it is destructive to them. Let conscience do this for us in the hour of temptation. The Jews whom God sent into the land of the Chaldeans, wer there, by the power of God's grace, weaned from idolatry; but those wh went by their own perverse will into the land of the Egyptians, wer there more attached than ever to their idolatries. When we thrus ourselves without cause or call into places of temptation, it is jus with God to leave us to ourselves. If we walk contrary to God, he wil walk contrary to us. The most awful miseries to which men are exposed are occasioned by the neglect of offered salvation.
Jer. 44:15-19 These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declar they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonl grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebelliou heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is sad when those who should quicken each other to what is good, and so help on another to heaven, harden each other in sin, and so ripen one anothe for hell. To mingle idolatry with Divine worship, and to reject the mediation of Christ, are provoking to God, and ruinous to men. All wh worship images, or honour saints, and angels, and the queen of heaven should recollect what came from the idolatrous practices of the Jews.
Jer. 44:20-30 Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinne against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Sinc they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promis ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from which we promis ourselves least; and all are what God makes them, not what we fanc them to be. Well-grounded hopes of our having a part in the Divin mercy, are always united with repentance and obedience _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew ואתה859 תבקשׁ1245 לך גדלות1419 אל408 תבקשׁ1245 כי3588 הנני2005 מביא935 רעה7451 על5921 כל3605 בשׂר1320 נאם5002 יהוה3069 ונתתי5414 לך את853 נפשׁך5315 לשׁלל7998 על5921 כל3605 המקמות4725 אשׁר834 תלך1980 שׁם׃8033
