of them. There is a date, chap. iii. 6. In the days of Jofiah, without mentioning the year of his reign; which, however, thews, that that chapter was delivered in fome part of his reign. And whereas a fevere drought is frequently mentioned in several of these chapters, (viz. chap. iii. 3. v. 24, 25. viii. 13, 20. ix. 10, 12. xii. 4. xiv. 1, 2, 3, 4.) this fhews, that they are to be laid together in the fame year, or years, in which the drought continued ; and all the reft, to the xxift, may follow in order of time; and all might be delivered in the last years of king Jofiah. Dr. LIGHTFOOT.

JEREMIAH xi. Ver. 18, to the end.

In some part of the fame years the men of Anathoth might confpire againft Jeremiah.

HABAKKUK i, ii, iii. ZEPHANIAH i, ii, iii.

As these two Prophets prophefied the fame things that Jeremiah did, and upon the fame occafion, that is, deftruction and defolation upon Judah and Jerufalem, because of the many heinous fins they were guilty of, they might prophefy about this time.

JEREMIAH xxii. Ver. 1-24.

JEREMIAH being fent of God to the king's houfe, there proclaimed God's judgments against him and his family, contained in these verses of this chapter. This was foon after Jeboahaz, or Shallum, was carried captive into Egypt, by Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt, who flew Jofiah, ver. 10, 11. Weep not for the dead, Jofiah, but weep fore for him that goeth away, Jehoahaz; for he fhall return no more. Note7choabaz reigned but three months.

JEREMIAH xxvi.

AFTER that, the Prophet was ordered to go to the temple, and to denounce to all the people the judgments of God, if they did not repent. By this he was brought in danger of his life, through the refentment of the Priests and Prophets, ver. 7, 8; but was preferved by the princes, ver. 16.

In this chapter, and in the beginning of this year, Jeremiah prophefied of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerufalem.

JEREMIAH XXXV.

THE Rechabites, upon Nebuchadnezzar's beginning to invade the land of Judea, retired out of the country to Jerufalem, where Jeremiah found them, in this chapter.

JEREMIAH xlvi,

In the fame year, after Nebuchadnezzar had defeated the army of Pharaoh-necho, this prophecy relating to the Gentiles was delivered.

JEREMIAH xxxvi. Ver. 1——9.

In the fame year God commanded Jeremiah to collect, and write in a roll, all the words of prophecy which had been spoken by him against Ifrael and Judah, and againft the nations. Which he executed by the affiftance of Baruch, his amanuenfis; who, as Jeremiah was then under confinement, ver. 5. read the roll in the temple upon the fasting-day, i.e. the great day of atonement, being the 10th of the feventh month,

JEREMIAH xlv.

BARUCH being very much affrighted at the threats contained in the roll, and probably uneafy under apprehenfions of the danger he might incur by reading it publicly, Jeremiah, by the command of God, delivered to him the meflage of encouragement and comfort contained in this chapter.

DANIEL i.

IMMEDIATELY after this, Nebuchadnezzar, who fet out upon his expedition the year before, laid fiege to Jerufalem, and took it; and bound Jehoiakim in fetters, with a defign to carry him to Babylon. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6. But upon Jehoiakim's fubmiffion, 2 Kings xxiv. 1, he did not carry him to Babylon, but reftored him to the kingdom. Neverthelefs, he carried great numbers of the people, and fons of the royal family, and of the nobility, captives, among the rest Daniel.

JEREMIAH xxxvi. Verfe 9, to the end of the Chapter,

THIS year, after the Chaldeans were gone from Jerufalem, Jehoiakim and his people growing worfe and worse, in the ninth month, at the faft, which was then proclaimed, on account of Nebuchadnezzar's having

taken

taken the city the year before, Baruch again read the roll in the house of the Lord, ver. 9, 80. Which coming to the king's ear, and part of the roll being read to him, he, thinking perhaps that Nebuchadnezzar had already executed the Divine threatenings, and nothing more was now to be feared, and that the Prophet was a malicious, troublesome fellow, burnt the roll, and commanded Jeremiah and Baruch to be apprehended. But they could not be found, for the Lord hid them. Note-Jeremiah was now at liberty.

DANIEL ii.

In this year, which was the fecond of Nebuchadnezzar, according to the Babylonifh account, the 4th according to the Jewish, Daniel revealed to Nebuchadnezzar his dream.

JEREMIA H xxii. Ver. 24, to the end.

In this year this prophecy was declared against Jehoiachin, or Coniah, who reigned but 3 months, and then, with many others, was carried into captivity. 2 Kings xxiv. 11, &c. His uncle Zedekiah fucceeded him. 2 Kings xxiv. 17.

THIS chapter might be delivered at the fame time with the foregoing prophecy,

JEREMIAH xiii. Ver. 15, to the end.

By the king and queen mentioned ver. 18, are probably meant Jeboiachin and his mother. See chap. xxii. 26. 2 Kings xxiv. 12. Thus, this prophecy must have been delivered about the fame time with the foregoing.

JEREMIAH xxiv,

AFTER Jehoiachin or Jeconiah was carried into captivity by Nebuchad nezzar, this prophecy was delivered.

JEREMIAH xlix. Verfe 34, to the end.

In this year alfo is to be placed the prophecy against Elam, a kingdom upon the river Ulai, eaftward beyond the Tigris, in which stood Shushan, afterward the metropolis of the kingdom of Perfia.

JEREMIAH

JEREMIAH xxix.

ABOUT the second year of Zedekiah's reign, Jeremiah's letter, contained in this chapter, was fent to the captive Jews at Babylon; and an impious answer returned by Shemaiah.

JEREMIAH xxx, xxxi.

THESE two chapters, which affure the captive Jews that they should not only return again to Judea, but also be the particular care of the Divine Providence to the end of the world, to fhew the certainty of the encouraging contents, are ordered to be written in a book, chap. xxx. 2, about the fame time with the foregoing letter, and probably were fent to the captive Jews in Babylon, whom they principally respected.

JEREMIAH xxvii.

THIS chapter is to be placed in this year, (fee chap. xxviii. 1.) namely, after the departure of Nebuchadnezzar out of Judea and Syria, when the kings of the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Zidonians, Tyrians, &c. fent an embaffy to Zedekiah, propofing to him a league against the king of Babylon. Note-In the firft verfe, Jehoiakim is put for Zedekiah, [fee ver. 3.] probably by a mistake of the transcriber, who might then have his eye upon the firft verfe of the foregoing chapter.

JEREMIAH xxviii.

In this year the affair concerning Hananiah the falfe Prophet, related in this chapter, was tranfacted. Note-The firft verfe, according to the beft commentators, fhould be read thus, When it had been fo, [i, e. when I had continued prophefying with a yoke upon my fhoulders from that year, which was] in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, until the fourth year, &c. See Glafs. Phil. facra Lib. IV. Tract. I. Obferv. V. Pag. 860, Nold. Concord. Nota 677, and LowTH upon the place.

JEREMIAH 1, li.

THESE two chapters contain a book of prophecies which Jeremiah wrote, and fent to Babylon, by Seraiah, who was fent thither by Zedekiah, in the 4th year of his reign, chap. li. 59, &c. [when he went with, rather, from Zedekiah &c.] See Nold. Concord, under n or л No. I.

EZEKIEL

EZEKIEL i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii.

In the 5th year of Jehoiachin's captivity, which was also the 5th of Zedekiah's reign, Ezekiel, a captive prieft in Chaldea, received his prophetic commiffion in the council of God, and had the revelations and prophecies contained in the feven first chapters of his book. Note Ezekiel dates his prophecies from the year in which himfelf and king Jehoiachin were carried into captivity.

EZEKIEL viii, ix, x, xi.

THIS year Ezekiel in a vifion was carried to Jerufalem, fhewn the feveral forts of idolatry practifed there by the Jews in the very temple; and had revealed unto him the punishments which God would inflict upon them for thofe abominations, and the divine protection of those in captivity, who continued fteady and faithful to his fervice.

EZEKIEL xii, xiii, xiv, xv, xvi, xvii, xviii, xix.

ABOUT this time, Zedekiah having entered into a confederacy with the king of Egypt, and broken the folemn oath of fidelity which he had fworn to king Nebuchadnezzar, God, both by types and words of revelation, forefhewed to Ezekiel the taking of Jerufalem by the Chaldeans, Zedekiah's flight by night, the putting out of his eves, his imprisonment and death at Babylon, the carrying away of the Jews, and the remains of the Ifraelites, contained in the above-mentioned chapters. NoteDaniel, though then but a young man, was grown to fuch a pitch of piety and holiness, as to be matched, by God himself, with Noah and Job. Ezek, xiv. 14, 20.

EZEKIEL xx, xxi, xxii, xxiii.

The elders of Ifrael came to Ezekiel to enquire of the Lord; but God refufeth to be enquired of by fuch wicked hypocrites; and in thefe four chapters denounces the judgments their abominable impieties deferved.

JEREMIAH xxi, xxxiv. Ver. 1-8.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR having advanced a great army against Judea, 2 Kin. xxv. I. to punifh Zedekiah for his perjury and rebellion, Zedekiah first fent Pafbur and Zephaniah to Jeremiah, to defire him to enquire of the Lord; by whom Jeremiah returned the anfwer related in the 21ft

chapter.