Jeremiah 23:1. Woe be unto the pastors, &c.— To the kings and officers of the princes, who abused their authority by oppressing the poor. This is a sequel to the preceding discourse, principally addressed to the princes of Judah, the sons and successors of Josiah. read more
Jeremiah 23:5. Behold, the days come, &c.— After having foretold the return of the Jews from captivity, the prophet here delivers a lively prediction of the Messiah, of whom the Jews themselves interpret this passage. After the captivity, when the kingdom of David failed, Zechariah (Zechariah 3:8.) taught them to look for the appearance of God's servant, the Branch. In virtue of these promises, the people still expected the coming of the Messiah, till Zechariah, the father of John the... read more
Jeremiah 23:6. In his days Judah shall be saved— This prophesy is in part fulfilled in all true believers,—the mystical Israel, but will receive its utmost completion when the Jewish nation shall be restored; a blessing foretold by most of the ancient prophets, who generally joined Judah and Israel together, as equal sharers in the blessing, being no longer two but one kingdom: and the great Author of this restoration and peace shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: that is, He shall be... read more
1. pastors—Shallum, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah (Ezekiel 34:2). read more
2. Ye have not . . . visited them . . . I will visit upon you—just retribution. Play upon the double sense of "visit." "Visit upon," namely, in wrath (Exodus 32:34). read more
3, 4. Restoration of Judah from Babylon foretold in language which in its fulness can only apply to the final restoration of both "Judah" and "Israel" (compare Jeremiah 23:6); also "out of all countries," in this verse and Jeremiah 23:6- :; also, "neither shall they be lacking," that is, none shall be missing or detached from the rest: a prophecy never yet fully accomplished. It holds good also of the spiritual Israel, the elect of both Jews and Gentiles (Malachi 3:16; Malachi 3:17; John 10:28;... read more
5. As Messianic prophecy extended over many years in which many political changes took place in harmony with these, it displayed its riches by a variety more effective than if it had been manifested all at once. As the moral condition of the Jews required in each instance, so Messiah was exhibited in a corresponding phase, thus becoming more and more the soul of the nation's life: so that He is represented as the antitypical Israel (Isaiah 49:3). unto David—HENGSTENBERG observes that Isaiah... read more
6. Judah . . . Israel . . . dwell safely—Compare Jeremiah 33:16, where "Jerusalem" is substituted for "Israel" here. Only Judah, and that only in part, has as yet returned. So far are the Jews from having enjoyed, as yet, the temporal blessings here foretold as the result of Messiah's reign, that their lot has been, for eighteen centuries, worse than ever before. The accomplishment must, therefore, be still future, when both Judah and Israel in their own land shall dwell safely under a... read more
Yahweh announced coming judgment on the leaders of Judah, kings, and other leaders, who were harming His people, rather than tending them like good shepherds who cared for their sheep (cf. John 10:11-13). "Shepherd" was a common metaphor for "king" in the ancient Near East and in the Old Testament, and it is possible that Jeremiah had in mind the last four kings of Judah particularly. The model of God’s people being the sheep of His pasture is also common in the Old Testament (cf. Psalms 74:1;... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Jeremiah 23:5
PROPHECY OF THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH"Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king, and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: Jehovah our Righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that they shall no more say, As Jehovah liveth, who brought up the children of Israel... read more