Jer 41:5, 47:5 | JFB | STEP | 5. beards shaven, &c.—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city. cut themselves —a heathen custom, forbidden ( ). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen into heathen practices. offerings —unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to testify their piety. house of . . . Lord —that is, the place where the house of the Lord had stood ( ). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred [PAPINIAN ]. Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, since it was at Shiloh it originally was set up ( ).

Jeremiah 41:5

5. beards shaven, &c.—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city.

cut themselves—a heathen custom, forbidden (Le 19:27, 28; De 14:1). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen into heathen practices.

offerings—unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to testify their piety.

house of . . . Lord—that is, the place where the house of the Lord had stood (2Ki 25:9). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred [PAPINIAN]. Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, since it was at Shiloh it originally was set up (Jos 18:1).

Jeremiah 47:5

5. Baldness . . . cut thyself—Palestine is represented as a female who has torn off her hair and cut her flesh, the heathenish (Le 19:28) token of mourning (Jer 48:37).

their valley—the long strip of low plain occupied by the Philistines along the Mediterranean, west of the mountains of Judea. The Septuagint reads Anakim, the remains of whom were settled in those regions (Nu 13:28). Joshua dislodged them so that none were left but in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Jos 11:21, 22). But the parallel (Jer 47:7), "Ashkelon . . . the sea-shore," established English Version here, "Ashkelon . . . their valley."