Wesley Corpus

Chapter XV The Jews rejection, and judgments, especially of four kinds; the sins which procured them, ver. 1 - 9. The prophet complains, that the people curse and persecute him for these prophecies; they are threatened, and he instructed and comforted, ver. 10 - 21. Cast them out - I am not able to abide the sight of them, therefore let them go forth. Manasseh - Manasseh is here named as the son of Hezekiah for his shame, because of his degeneracy from so good a parent; it is expressly said, 2Kings 23:26, that not withstanding Josiah's reformation, yet the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath, kindled against Judah, for the provocations of Manasseh. I am weary - I am resolved to bear no longer. A fan - Not a purging fan by affliction, to separate their chaff and dross from them, but a scattering fan. In the gates - This is added in pursuit of the metaphor of fanning, men usually chusing barn - doors to fan at, that they may have the advantage of the wind. Their widows - The prophet still speaks of things to come as if present. In Jehoiakim's time we read of no such plenty of widows; they were multiplied when the city was besieged and taken in Zedekiah's time, to a great number, hyperbolically compared to the sands of the sea. The mother - Jerusalem was the mother of the Jewish people, against whom, Nebuchadnezzar the spoiler, at noon - day, was sent. Seven - Seven signifies many: the prophet complains, that the country of Judah, that had been very numerous in people, now grew feeble. While - In the midst of her prosperity. Confounded - A part of them were confounded by the judgments of God which came upon them before their captivity. I have not - I have done them no wrong, yet they speak of me all manner of evil. Thy remnant - The latter words of the verse expound the former; for by remnant is meant the remnant of days that Jeremiah had to live. The northern iron - As the northern iron and steel is the hardest, and no iron could break that, so God having edged and hardened their enemies, the Chaldeans, all opposition to them would signify nothing.