Jer 49:19, 50:44, Zec 11:3 | JFB | STEP | 19. he —Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuzara-dan; the name would at once suggest itself to the minds of the hearers ( ). swelling —as a lion which the overflow of the Jordan forced out of his lair on the banks, to ascend the neighboring heights [CALVIN ]. See as to the translation, "pride of the Jordan," see on . habitation of . . . strong —the fastnesses of Idumea (compare ). MAURER translates, "An ever verdant (literally, 'perennial') pasturage," that is, Idumea heretofore having enjoyed uninterrupted tranquillity; so in the image is retained, the Idumeans being compared to "a flock," and their king to "a shepherd," in this verse, and the enemy to "a lion" (compare ). English Version accords more with the Hebrew. suddenly —"in the twinkling of an eye," as the Hebrew implies. him . . . her —I will make Nebuzara-dan enter Idumea, and then, having in the twinkling of an eye effected the conquest, go away speedily: elsewhere. Instead of "but," translate, "for." GROTIUS translates, "run upon her," or "to her," instead of "run away from her." MAURER understands it, "I will make him (the Idumean) run away from her" (that is, from his own land); the similar change of reference of the pronouns ( ) favors this. who is a chosen man, &c.—God calls the choicest warriors to Him, to set " over " the work of devastating Idumea. God will surely execute His purpose, for He can call forth from all sides the agents He chooses. who is like me? — ( ). who will appoint me the time? —namely, for entering into a trial in judgment with Me (see Margin ). Image from law courts ( ). shepherd —leader of the Idumeans; following up the previous image, "a lion"; no Idumean shepherd shall withstand the lion sent by Jehovah ( ), or save the Idumean flock.

Jeremiah 49:19

19. he—Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuzara-dan; the name would at once suggest itself to the minds of the hearers (Jer 48:40; 46:18).

swelling—as a lion which the overflow of the Jordan forced out of his lair on the banks, to ascend the neighboring heights [CALVIN]. See as to the translation, "pride of the Jordan," see on Jer 12:5.

habitation of . . . strong—the fastnesses of Idumea (compare Nu 24:21). MAURER translates, "An ever verdant (literally, 'perennial') pasturage," that is, Idumea heretofore having enjoyed uninterrupted tranquillity; so in Jer 49:20 the image is retained, the Idumeans being compared to "a flock," and their king to "a shepherd," in this verse, and the enemy to "a lion" (compare Jer 50:17-19). English Version accords more with the Hebrew.

suddenly—"in the twinkling of an eye," as the Hebrew implies.

him . . . her—I will make Nebuzara-dan enter Idumea, and then, having in the twinkling of an eye effected the conquest, go away speedily: elsewhere. Instead of "but," translate, "for." GROTIUS translates, "run upon her," or "to her," instead of "run away from her." MAURER understands it, "I will make him (the Idumean) run away from her" (that is, from his own land); the similar change of reference of the pronouns (Jer 50:44) favors this.

who is a chosen man, &c.—God calls the choicest warriors to Him, to set "over" the work of devastating Idumea. God will surely execute His purpose, for He can call forth from all sides the agents He chooses.

who is like me?— (Ex 15:11).

who will appoint me the time?—namely, for entering into a trial in judgment with Me (see Margin). Image from law courts (Job 9:19).

shepherd—leader of the Idumeans; following up the previous image, "a lion"; no Idumean shepherd shall withstand the lion sent by Jehovah (Job 41:10), or save the Idumean flock.

Jeremiah 50:44

44-46. Repeated mainly from Jer 49:19-21. The identity of God's principle in His dealing with Edom, and in that with Babylon, is implied by the similarity of language as to both.

Zechariah 11:3

3. shepherds—the Jewish rulers.

their glory—their wealth and magnificence; or that of the temple, "their glory" (Mr 13:1; Lu 21:5).

young lions—the princes, so described on account of their cruel rapacity.

pride of Jordan—its thickly wooded banks, the lair of "lions" (Jer 12:5; 49:19). Image for Judea "spoiled" of the magnificence of its rulers ("the young lions"). The valley of the Jordan forms a deeper gash than any on the earth. The land at Lake Merom is on a level with the Mediterranean Sea; at the Sea of Tiberias it falls six hundred fifty feet below that level, and to double that depression at the Dead Sea, that is, in all, 1950 feet below the Mediterranean; in twenty miles' interval there is a fall of from three thousand to four thousand feet.