Глава 21

(Jer.21:1). The word came from the Lord to Jeremiah, when King Zedekiah Paschor the son of Melchi, and Zephaniah the son of Basai the priest, sent to him. This is another Paschor. He is the son of Melchiin, and the one exposed above is the son of Emmer. You must know that the prophecies are not arranged in time order. For here he prophesies about what happened under Zedekiah; and a little lower about what happened under Joachim and Jehoiachin, who reigned before Zedekiah. Zedekiah, besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, begs the Prophet to ask God for help; and the Prophet is commanded to announce to him the following: Jer.21:3. This saith the Lord God of Israel. (Jer.21:4). “Behold, I turn the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you take up arms against the King of Babylon and Chaldeans, who are around you outside the walls: and” I will bring that “in the middle of this city.” (Jer.20:5). “And I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm with fury, anger” and “great” indignation. This means: weapons will be useless for you, because I am the leader of the enemies, and together with them I will take up arms against you. He then says that he will hand over everyone to hunger, death and captivity, and with them the King Zedekiah himself will be handed over to the bodyguards and spearmen, and some will be killed, and others will be taken into captivity. And God commands the people to say the following: Jer.21:8. Behold, I give before you the way of life, and the way of death. Then he explains that those who remain in the city and take up arms against enemies will follow the path of death; and the one who goes over to them will voluntarily enjoy life, because such a sentence has been pronounced about the city that it will be betrayed to enemy fire. And after these threats, he advises the Tsar and the princes to take care of the truth, pronounce the sentence truthfully, protect the offended, and thereby prevent the threatening punishment. Jer.21:13. Behold, Az to you, who dwells in Sor “polne udolii”, “speaking the Lord,” i.e. lying in a depression between the mountains. This is how the Syrian interpreter translated it. Jerusalem means; because that was his position. “Litter” is interpreted: crowdedness, and also: stone. And Jerusalem stands between the mountains. “As you say, who will beat us, or who will come into our houses?” Shows their insolence and vain courage. Then he threatens to burn the Jerusalem forest with fire. He calls many houses and inhabitants forest.