(19) Like a lion from the swelling of Jordan.--Better, as in Jeremiah 12:5, the pride of Jordan--i.e., the thick jungle-forests which were the glory of its banks.
Against the habitation of the strong.--Better, against the evergreen pasturage. The word for "habitation" is that used in Jeremiah 6:2 for the place where shepherds encamp, the other substantive conveys the idea of permanence rather than strength, and the image by which the prophet paints the Chaldaean invasion is that of a lion (comp. Jeremiah 5:6) making its way through the jungle, and rushing upon the flocks and herds in one of the meadow tracts along the course of the Jordan.
But I will suddenly make him run away from her.--Literally, I will wink, I will make him . . . The pronouns are obscure in the Hebrew as in the English, but the meaning seems to be, "I will, as in the twinkling of an eye, drive him (Edom) away from it" (his pasturage, or habitation).
And who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her?--Better, who is a chosen one, and I will appoint him . . .? The word translated "chosen one" is commonly associated with the idea of youth, the flower of a nation's strength, its chosen champions. Commentators for the most part apply it to Nebuchadnezzar as being, in the full vigour of his strength, the chosen ruler whom Jehovah would appoint over Edom. The interrogative form, however, and the implied negative answer to the questions that follow suggest a different interpretation. "Who," the prophet asks in a tone of scorn, as though Jehovah spoke by him, "is a chosen champion of Edom? and I will appoint him." The implied answer is that Edom has no such champion. Compare the taunting words uttered by Jehu (2 Kings 10:2-3)--"Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons"--and Rabshakeh (2 Kings 18:23).
Who is like me? and who will appoint me the time?--The questions follow rapidly one on another in the same tone. To "appoint a time" was the technical phrase, as in Job 9:19, for the notice by which a prosecutor summoned the accused to trial. "Who," Jehovah asks, "will thus summon Me, and before what tribunal?" "What shepherd (i.e., what ruler) will stand before Me to defend his flock against My power?"
Verses 19-22. - Figures descriptive of the unique physical qualities of the destined conqueror of Edom. Both figures have been used before (see Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 48:40). Verse 19. - He shall some. The subject is withheld, as in ch. 46:18 (see note); 48:40. The swelling of Jordan; rather, the pride of Jordan; i.e. the luxuriant thickets on its banks. See on Jeremiah 12:5, where the phrase first occurs. Against the habitation of the strong; rather, to the evergreen pasture. The word rendered "evergreen" is one of those which are the despair of interpreters, from their fulness of meaning. The root-meaning is simply "continuance," whether it be continuance of strength (comp. Micah 6:2, Hebrew) or of the flow of a stream (Deuteronomy 21:4; Amos 5:24), or, as here, of the perennial verdure of a well watered pasturage. But I will suddenly make him run away from her. Make whom? The lion? Such is the natural inference from the Authorized Version, but the context absolutely forbids it. It seems useless to mention the crowd of explanations which have been offered of this "obscure and much-vexed passage," as old Matthew Poole calls it, since in Jeremiah 50:44 we have precisely the same phrase, but with another suffix, which clears up the meaning. We may, therefore, either read (with the Septuagint and the Syriac Version), "For I will suddenly make them run away from it" (viz. the pasture), or keep the old reading "him" for "them," and explain "him" as meaning the Edomites. The expression used for "suddenly" is very forcible; we might render, with Ewald, "in the twinkling of an eye." And who is a chosen man, etc.? A still more difficult clause. If the text is correct, which cannot be assumed as certain, we should probably render, with Ewald, "and will appoint over it [i.e. the land of Edom] him who is chosen," viz. Nebuchadnezzar. Who will appoint me the time? The same phrase is rendered in Job 9:19, "Who shall set me a time to plead?" (comp. the Latin phrase dicur dicere). To drag a defendant before the tribunal implies equality of rank. One might venture to do this with Nebuchadnezzar, if he were not the representative of One still mightier. Finally, Who is that shepherd that will stand before me? The land of Edom has been likened to a pasture; it is natural that the ruler should be now described as a shepherd (comp. Jeremiah 29:34)
49:7-22 The Edomites were old enemies to the Israel of God. But their day is now at hand; it is foretold, not only to warn them, but for the sake of the Israel of God, whose afflictions were aggravated by them. Thus Divine judgments go round from nation to nation; the earth is full of commotion, and nothing can escape the ministers of Divine vengeance. The righteousness of God is to be observed amidst the violence of men.
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan,.... The Targum rightly interprets it of a king and his army, paraphrasing the words thus,
"behold, a king with his army shall come up against them, as a lion comes up from the height of Jordan;''
not the king of Edom that should come up against Judea, or to defend himself against those that invaded him; but Nebuchadnezzar and his army that should come up against the Edomites from the land of Judea, where Jordan was, having first subdued that; or should come with that strength, fury, and fierceness, as a lion when forced out of its covert near the river Jordan, by the overflowing of its banks, and obliged to betake himself to higher grounds; who, being enraged, roars and tears in pieces all in his way. Monsieur Thevenot (w) says, that Jordan is beset on both sides with little, thick, and pleasant woods; and Mr. Maundrell (x) observes, that
"there is a first and outermost bank to the river, about a furlong, upon a level, before you come to the second bank, to which it may be supposed the river did, and still does, overflow; and the second bank is so beset with bushes and trees, such as tamarisk, willows, and oleanders, &c. that you can see no water till you have made your way through them. In this thicket anciently (and the same is reported of at this day) several sorts of wild beasts were wont to harbour themselves, whose being washed out of the covert, by the over flowings of the river, gave occasion to the allusion, Jeremiah 49:19.''
So Jerom (y) speaks of lions, in his time, taking up their abode by the river Jordan, near which were desert places, reeds, and sedges:
against the habitation of the strong; the land of Edom, a country well fortified, in which mighty men dwelt; particularly Mount Seir, where their king was, and which was "the fold of the mighty"; either of the mighty shepherd, as it may be rendered (z); or of the strong place (a); but what is this to a lion?
but I will make him suddenly run away from her; that is, either the mighty shepherd, the king of Edom, from his fold, upon the approach of the lion, the king of Babylon; or else, as it may be rendered, "and I will cause him to run upon it (b) suddenly": that is, cause the king of Babylon to come speedily into the land of Edom, and seize upon it, overrun it, prevail over it, and be master of it, as Jarchi interprets it:
and who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? a choice person in Nebuchadnezzar's army, fit to be made a deputy governor over the land of Edom:
for who is like me? for wisdom and power; able to do whatever I please, and to furnish those with proper abilities to perform and accomplish whatever I give them in charge and commission to do:
and who will appoint me the time? set a time to dispute the matter with me, or engage in war against me?
and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? or king, as the Targum and Ben Melech; any king, prince, or potentate, who, both in Scripture and in other writings, are often called shepherds; the king of Edom is particularly pointed at, whose habitation or fold is before observed: alas! what could such a shepherd do? or how could he stand before the almighty God, or any lion he should send?
(w) Travels, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 41. p. 193. (x) Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 82. Ed. 7. (y) Comment. in Zech. xi. 3.((z) "ad caulam fortis", i.e. "pastoris validi et fortis", Schmidt. (a) "Sub. loci robusti", Vatablus; so Ben Melech. (b) "nam momento currere faciam cum (nempe Nebuchadanosarem) supra eam", De Dieu, Gataker.
Against the habitation of the strong.--Better, against the evergreen pasturage. The word for "habitation" is that used in Jeremiah 6:2 for the place where shepherds encamp, the other substantive conveys the idea of permanence rather than strength, and the image by which the prophet paints the Chaldaean invasion is that of a lion (comp. Jeremiah 5:6) making its way through the jungle, and rushing upon the flocks and herds in one of the meadow tracts along the course of the Jordan.
But I will suddenly make him run away from her.--Literally, I will wink, I will make him . . . The pronouns are obscure in the Hebrew as in the English, but the meaning seems to be, "I will, as in the twinkling of an eye, drive him (Edom) away from it" (his pasturage, or habitation).
And who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her?--Better, who is a chosen one, and I will appoint him . . .? The word translated "chosen one" is commonly associated with the idea of youth, the flower of a nation's strength, its chosen champions. Commentators for the most part apply it to Nebuchadnezzar as being, in the full vigour of his strength, the chosen ruler whom Jehovah would appoint over Edom. The interrogative form, however, and the implied negative answer to the questions that follow suggest a different interpretation. "Who," the prophet asks in a tone of scorn, as though Jehovah spoke by him, "is a chosen champion of Edom? and I will appoint him." The implied answer is that Edom has no such champion. Compare the taunting words uttered by Jehu (2 Kings 10:2-3)--"Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons"--and Rabshakeh (2 Kings 18:23).
Who is like me? and who will appoint me the time?--The questions follow rapidly one on another in the same tone. To "appoint a time" was the technical phrase, as in Job 9:19, for the notice by which a prosecutor summoned the accused to trial. "Who," Jehovah asks, "will thus summon Me, and before what tribunal?" "What shepherd (i.e., what ruler) will stand before Me to defend his flock against My power?"
"behold, a king with his army shall come up against them, as a lion comes up from the height of Jordan;''
not the king of Edom that should come up against Judea, or to defend himself against those that invaded him; but Nebuchadnezzar and his army that should come up against the Edomites from the land of Judea, where Jordan was, having first subdued that; or should come with that strength, fury, and fierceness, as a lion when forced out of its covert near the river Jordan, by the overflowing of its banks, and obliged to betake himself to higher grounds; who, being enraged, roars and tears in pieces all in his way. Monsieur Thevenot (w) says, that Jordan is beset on both sides with little, thick, and pleasant woods; and Mr. Maundrell (x) observes, that
"there is a first and outermost bank to the river, about a furlong, upon a level, before you come to the second bank, to which it may be supposed the river did, and still does, overflow; and the second bank is so beset with bushes and trees, such as tamarisk, willows, and oleanders, &c. that you can see no water till you have made your way through them. In this thicket anciently (and the same is reported of at this day) several sorts of wild beasts were wont to harbour themselves, whose being washed out of the covert, by the over flowings of the river, gave occasion to the allusion, Jeremiah 49:19.''
So Jerom (y) speaks of lions, in his time, taking up their abode by the river Jordan, near which were desert places, reeds, and sedges:
against the habitation of the strong; the land of Edom, a country well fortified, in which mighty men dwelt; particularly Mount Seir, where their king was, and which was "the fold of the mighty"; either of the mighty shepherd, as it may be rendered (z); or of the strong place (a); but what is this to a lion?
but I will make him suddenly run away from her; that is, either the mighty shepherd, the king of Edom, from his fold, upon the approach of the lion, the king of Babylon; or else, as it may be rendered, "and I will cause him to run upon it (b) suddenly": that is, cause the king of Babylon to come speedily into the land of Edom, and seize upon it, overrun it, prevail over it, and be master of it, as Jarchi interprets it:
and who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? a choice person in Nebuchadnezzar's army, fit to be made a deputy governor over the land of Edom:
for who is like me? for wisdom and power; able to do whatever I please, and to furnish those with proper abilities to perform and accomplish whatever I give them in charge and commission to do:
and who will appoint me the time? set a time to dispute the matter with me, or engage in war against me?
and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? or king, as the Targum and Ben Melech; any king, prince, or potentate, who, both in Scripture and in other writings, are often called shepherds; the king of Edom is particularly pointed at, whose habitation or fold is before observed: alas! what could such a shepherd do? or how could he stand before the almighty God, or any lion he should send?
(w) Travels, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 41. p. 193. (x) Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 82. Ed. 7. (y) Comment. in Zech. xi. 3.((z) "ad caulam fortis", i.e. "pastoris validi et fortis", Schmidt. (a) "Sub. loci robusti", Vatablus; so Ben Melech. (b) "nam momento currere faciam cum (nempe Nebuchadanosarem) supra eam", De Dieu, Gataker.