“Hear the word of Yahweh!
O people of Israel!
Yahweh
Has an indictment
Against the inhabitants
Of the land.
There is no faithfulness.
There is no loyalty.
There is no knowledge
Of God
In the land.”
Hosea announced the word of Yahweh to the people of Israel. Yahweh was going to bring an indictment against all the people living in Israel. They were unfaithful and not loyal. They had no knowledge about God or their land. They were in big trouble.
“He shall seduce,
With flattery,
Those who violate
The covenant.
But the people
Who are loyal
To their God
Shall stand firm.
They shall take action.
The wise among the people
Shall give understanding
To many.
For some days,
However,
They shall fall
By the sword,
By the flame.
They shall suffer
Captivity,
As well as plunder.
When they fall victim,
They shall receive
A little help.
Many shall join
Them insincerely.
Some of the wise
Shall fall.
Thus,
They may be
Refined,
Purified,
Cleansed,
Until the time
Of the end.
There is still an interval
Until the time appointed.
As indicated in 1 Maccabees, chapter 2, King Antiochus IV seduced some of the Hellenizing Judeans to abandon the covenant. However, there were many who remained loyal to their God. They stood firm and sided with the wise ones of Jerusalem. However, they also fell by the sword and the flames. They suffered captivity and plunder, but they received a little help. Some of these people were insincere. Even some of the wise ones fell, so that they could be refined, purified, and cleansed until the end times. Nevertheless, there was going to be an interval until this appointed time came.
“‘But the Levitical priests,
The descendants of Zadok,
Who kept the charge
Of my sanctuary,
When the people of Israel
Went astray
From me,
Shall come near
To me
To minister
To me.
They shall attend me
To offer me
The fat
With the blood.’
Says Yahweh God.
‘They shall enter
My sanctuary.
They shall approach
My table.
They shall
Minister
To me.
They shall
Keep my charge.’”
It was a different story for the Zadok Levitical priests, as mentioned in the previous chapter. These Levitical priests from the family of Zadok came from a righteous priest, who was descended from Eleazar, the son of Aaron. This Zadok aided King David during the revolt of his son Absalom in 2 Samuel, chapters 13-22. Then this Zadok helped bring King Solomon to the throne in 1 Kings, chapters 1-2. After Solomon’s building of The First Temple in Jerusalem, this Zadok was the first High Priest to serve there in 1 Kings, chapter 4. Thus, the house of Zadok occupied the high priesthood throughout much of the Second Temple period. These Zadok Levitical priests had been loyal to Yahweh, when the other Levites went astray. They were the ones who could come near to Yahweh to minister to him. They would offer the fat and the blood. They would enter Yahweh’s sanctuary and approach his table. They would be in charge and directly minister to Yahweh.
“‘If you remain,
Then return to Gedaliah,
The son of Ahikam,
The son of Shaphan.
The king of Babylon
Has appointed him governor
Of the towns of Judah.
Stay with him
Among the people!
Or go wherever
You think it right to go.’
So the captain of the guard
Gave him an allowance
Of food
With a present.
He let him go.
Then Jeremiah went
To Gedaliah,
The son of Ahikam,
At Mizpah.
He stayed with him
Among the people
Who were left in the land.”
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the troops, told Jeremiah that if he stayed in Judah that he would be better off with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the governor for the towns of Judah, since there was no longer a king. As mentioned in the previous chapter, Gedaliah’s father and grandfather, Ahikam and Shaphan had been loyal to the various prophets. Shaphan went back to the days of King Josiah (640-609 BCE) and his religious reform. Ahikam had protected Jeremiah during the reign of King Jehoiakim (609-598 BCE) as in chapter 26 of this book. His brother Gemariah had helped Jeremiah in chapter 36. Thus Ahikam’s son Gedaliah seemed like the right person to protect Jeremiah. Still Jeremiah was free to go wherever he wanted. The captain of the troops gave Jeremiah some food and a present, maybe some money. Jeremiah then went to Gedaliah, who was at Mizpah, about 6 miles north of Jerusalem, in the Benjamin territory. Thus Jeremiah stayed with all these people who were left in Israel. These were either the so-called poor people or collaborators with the Babylon king and his emissaries.
“So Nebuzaradan,
The captain of the guard,
Nebu-shazban the Rabsaris,
Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag,
With all the chief officers
Of the king of Babylon
Sent for Jeremiah.
They took him
From the court of the guard.
They entrusted him
To Gedaliah,
The son of Ahikam,
The son of Shaphan.
They brought him home.
So he stayed
With his own people.”
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, and presumably the man in charge on the ground in Jerusalem, gathered the other Babylonian officials together. Two are named here. One is the same as mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, who was in charge of the Assyrian priests or religious element of Babylon. On the other hand, Nebu-shazban the Rabsaris has the same title as Sarsechim, Rabsaris, earlier in this chapter. The Rabsaris was in charge of the eunuchs, but the name is different here. Are they the same people with different names or two different people? Anyway, they take Jeremiah from the royal prison, presumably before they burn the royal palace down. They hand him over to Gedaliah. His father and grandfather, Ahikam and Shaphan had been loyal to the various prophets. Shaphan went back to the days of King Josiah (640-609 BCE) and his religious reform. Ahikam had protected Jeremiah during the reign of King Jehoiakim (609-598 BCE) as in chapter 26 of this book. His brother Gemariah had helped Jeremiah in chapter 36. Thus Ahikam’s son Gedaliah seemed like the right person to protect Jeremiah.
“Give thanks to the good Lord!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of praises!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the guardian of Israel!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to him who formed all things!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the redeemer of Israel!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to him who gathers the dispersed of Israel!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to him who rebuilt his city and sanctuary!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to him who makes a horn to sprout
For the house of David!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to him who had chosen the sons of Zadok
To be priests!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the shield of Abraham!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the rock of Isaac!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the mighty one of Jacob!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to him who has chosen Zion!
His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the King of the kings of kings!
His mercy endures forever.
He has raised up a horn for his people.
Praise for all his loyal ones.
The children of Israel praise the Lord!
The people close to him praise the Lord!”
This is called the Qumran hymn of thanksgiving because this Hebrew hymn was found in a Qumran cave there, but not in the Greek text. It is very reminiscent of Psalm 136, with the repeated chant of “his mercy endures forever.” However, they are thankful for other things than in Psalm 136. Obviously the Lord is good and merciful. The Lord is the guardian and redeemer of Israel who formed all things. However, he now has gathered the dispersed Israelites. He has rebuilt the Temple and the sanctuary. He has protected the royal sprout of David, but also the priestly sons of Zadok. The Lord also gave the shield of Abraham, the rock of Isaac, and the mighty Jacob. He chose Zion for the king of kings. He raised up a horn of plenty for his people and those loyal to him. Thus the children of Israel and those close to him should praise the Lord.
“Noah was found perfect.
Noah was righteous.
In the time of wrath,
He kept the human race alive.
Therefore a remnant
Was left on the earth
When the flood came.
Everlasting covenants
Were made with him.
Thus all flesh should never again
Be blotted out by a flood.”
Now Sirach praises Noah, a more popular hero today, with his famous ark as in Genesis, chapters 6-10. In fact, there was a feature movie called Noah released in 2014. Noah was found to be perfect as a righteous man. Obviously then he was considered an ideal famous holy man. He kept humans going with the second creation after the flood. Here there is a mention of a remnant, those few who were loyal to God. Noah formed a series of covenants with God that there would never be another flood to blot out humankind. As part of these rainbow agreements, humans would not eat meat with the blood in it. They also should not kill each other. Humans, as the image of God, would then dominate the earth with all its creatures.
“Happy is the husband
Of a good wife.
The number of his days
Will be doubled.
A loyal wife brings joy
To her husband.
He will complete
His years in peace.
A good wife is
A great blessing.
She will be granted
Among the blessings
Of the man who fears the Lord.
Whether rich or poor,
His heart is content.
At all times,
His face is cheerful.”
Now we see the opposite, the good wife. Sirach says that a husband will be happy if he has a good loyal wife. She will bring joy to her husband. He will live twice as long, and complete his years in peace. This good wife is a great blessing, especially for those who fear the Lord. Whether rich or poor, he will be content at all times with the cheerful face of his good wife. It seems that the burden of any marriage falls on the wife rather than the husband.
“It is a snare for one to say rashly.
‘It is holy.’
Then only begin to reflect after making a vow.
A wise king winnows the wicked.
He drives the wheel over them.
The human spirit is the lamp of Yahweh.
It searches every innermost part.
Loyalty and faithfulness preserve the king.
His throne is upheld by righteousness.
The glory of young men is their strength.
The beauty of the aged is their gray hair.
Blows that wound
Cleanse away evil.
Strokes make clean the innermost parts.”
Watch out for snares or traps. When someone thinks that something is holy and then makes a vow, they might be caught because only later do they think about what they just agreed to do. A wise king winnows or gets rid of the wicked ones. Then he drives a wheel over them. The human spirit is like God’s lamp that searches his most inner part. If the king is loyal and faithful he will preserve himself. Righteousness keeps the king on his throne. The glory of young people is their strength. However, the aged are beautiful because of their wonderful gray hair. Any blows that wound people clean up any evil in them. These strokes clean the innermost parts of their human bodies. This seems like an argument for corporal punishment.
“It is honorable to refrain from strife.
But every fool is quick to quarrel.
The lazy person does not plow in the autumn season.
Harvest comes.
There is nothing to be found.
The purposes in the human mind are like deep water.
But the intelligent will draw them out.
Many proclaim themselves loyal.
But who can find one worthy of trust?”
The honorable people stay away from arguments and strife, but the fools are quick to start an argument. The lazy person does not plow in the correct season so that when harvest comes, they have nothing to harvest. The human mind is deep, but the intelligent people can draw out the purposes of humans. Many people maintain that they are loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 