Jeremiah 22:6-9 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For thus saith the Lord unto, or, concerning, the king's house: Thou art Gilead unto me, &c.; yet surely, &c. “Though thou wert never so precious in my sight, as valuable for riches and plenty as the fat pastures of Gilead, and thy buildings as beautiful for their stateliness as the tall cedars of Lebanon, yet unless thy princes and people reform, thou shalt become nothing but ruin and desolation.” Thus Lowth. But Blaney translates the verse, Gilead art thou through me, O summit of Lebanon; surely I will make thee a desert, cities not inhabited. Which he interprets as follows, “Lebanon was the highest mountain in Israel, and was therefore an apt emblem of the reigning family advanced to the highest rank of dignity in the state. Gilead was the richest and most fertile part of the country. The meaning then is plainly this, By my providence thou art not only supreme in rank, but hast been rendered exceedingly wealthy and flourishing. But the same power that raised will likewise be exerted in reducing thee to the lowest state of indigence and distress.” And I will prepare Hebrew, וקדשׁתי, I will sanctify destroyers against thee That is, I will solemnly appoint and set them apart for the work of destroying thee. And they shall cut down thy choice cedars Having compared the king's palace, or the city of Jerusalem, to Lebanon, Jeremiah 22:6, pursuing the metaphor, he threatens to destroy them and their most beautiful edifices by the Chaldean army. And many nations Persons of many nations; shall pass by this city, &c. Namely, when on their travels; and they shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city They who have heard that this had been a very strong, rich, and populous city, and that it had been called the city of God, and the place of his especial residence, would be astonished to find it, through his judgments, a scene of ruin and desolation, and would require how such an effect came to be produced. Thus was fulfilled that threatening of Moses, Deuteronomy 28:37, that God would make the Jews an astonishment to other nations. See likewise 1 Kings 9:8. Then shall they answer Some shall answer, or they shall answer one another. The reason is so obvious that it shall be ready in every man's mouth. Because they have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah their God; have revolted from their allegiance to him, and from the duty which they had solemnly covenanted to perform, and worshipped other gods and served them In contempt of him; and therefore he gave them up to this destruction.