meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Malbim/Prophets/Malbim on Jeremiah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Malbim on Jeremiah
  מלבי"ם על ירמיהו
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Malbim on Jeremiah
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  words of jeremiah. The first three pesukim bring out the boundaries of the essence of the book in all its details, because all books are limited. They are limited in terms of its form and what it talks about. For example if it a book of rebuke or a poem or a work of knowledge or the like, or if it was said in a riddle form or a story or the like, and on this it says, Divrei the words, to show that it (sefer Yirmiyahu) includes many types of things. In it you can find Visions, nevuas, stories, rebuke, and the like. The second way a book is limited is from the standpoint of the author who said what is in the book. Yirmiyahu ben Chilkiyahu he wrote sefer yirmiyahu and he was a navi who was special that his father was the kohen gadol and navi. And he was also rich. He (Yirmiyahu) was from the kohanim who were in Anatot (name of a town). They (the kohanim in Anatot) were special in their fear of Hashem. Yirmiyahu was from Eretz Binyamin, not from the people who lived in Yerushaliayim. The person who rebukes who is from a different city, the people he is talking to won't recognize him and he wont hold back from giving them rebuke because of his love of the city, and his words will be heard better. Where does he (Yirmiyahu) draw his words from, is it from his mind, or his studies, or from books? it says That is the words of Hashem to him, that he (Yirmiyahu) drew his words from the source of living water (a reference to Hashem's words). From the standpoint of the time that he gave nevuah, it says that he had nevuah in three changing time periods that the stance of the nation and kings were changing (in terms of following Hashem or not). Because he started nevuah during the time Yoshiyahu ben Amon, that he and his generation were tzadikim, and he started to have nevuah in the thirteenth year of his kingship (yoshiyahu's kingship), that when he (yirmiyahu) was mature he started serving Hashem. 
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  And he continued his nevuah IN the days of Yehoyakim, during which the generation were tzadikim and the king was a rasha Until the end of the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu, during which the nation changed to reshaim and the king was good. And It is telling us that these nevuot (the nevuahs of yirmiyahu) were constant during this whole time. Until the galut of yerushalayim, because all of the nevuahs were fulfilled. 
  
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  I cannot speak, for I am a child. This was for three reasons: 1. That the child (Jeremiah) did not have confidence in himself in front of greater people, 2. That the child did not know how to order his words in the correct way (meaning he did not know how to speak well in front of the congregation), and 3. That maybe the nation will become angry with what he says and come upon him and kill him. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  Like in the Mashal, the breaking of the vessel was in an instant, and only to fix it innto something new, so to Hashem only destroys for the purpose of the fixing
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  They did bad in my eyes like it says in the mashal that the vessel was destroyed And I changed my mind on the good I said that I would do, like it says in the mashal that the potter made a different vessel, that he broke it in order to fix it, and when Hashem said that he will do bad it says He thought to do, and when Hashem says that he will do good, it says The said he would do. Because with the bad Hashem changed also the thought of the bad forever, but regarding the good, The thought or desire to do good remained even now. Because the breaking of the vessel is in order to do good. . . that it wants to say that the meaning of the nimshal is that when Hashem changes his mind about doing good, the purpose of the changing (from giving the good to the bad) is in order to do good for the person and return him to the good
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  It means to say, "when it is yet still morning." Meaning, before the trouble and darkness, judge the law, as it says "Zion will be redeemed through justice (Isaiah 1:27)" for the destruction of Jerusalem was caused by theft, corruption and lack of civil law (As it writes, " And now murderers... your princes have become rebellious (Isaiah 1:21, 1:23) Lest My rage burn forth like a Fire: You will have no refuge(es)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  A dear son...God responds to them that there is a difference between someone from the first generations whom God was able to bring back [to God's ways] by showing them godliness, might and wonders, versus now, and there is a difference between a dear son and a little tyke. A little tyke is a small boy who, even if he sins, his father still loves him because he is a little boy and he plays with him. A dear son is a grown man who has many virtues and is dear to because of those virtues, and even if he sins, his father still loves him because he'll remember his virtues and be dear to him. So too, in Egypt, when Israel had no virtue or wholeness, they were like a little tyke in God's eyes, as it is written "when Israel was a youth I loved him." When they were in the wilderness and in the Land of Israel in the early years, they were like a dear son, because they had among them prophets, holy ministers and sages, and then if they sinned, God remembered the righteous among them and forgave their sin. But now "Ephraim is a dear son to me" - behold he has no dearness or importance, and so too "he is a little tyke" -- behold he is not a boy but he has already reached old age, and the parallel statements "Ephraim is a dear son to me...whenever I have turned on him, I remember him even more (every utterance that has the letter bet after it is a reproach) that so too whenever I speak any defamation "I will surely remember" his virtues because he is dear. "he is a little tyke...that is why my heart yearns for him" that my heart will yearn on account of him and "I will surely have mercy" because he is a small boy, I will play with him, and and if so, how can you ask that I do something miraculous and love you as in the days of old?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  Ishmael came etc. Of the royal seed, This is one reason for which he killed him. Since he was of the royal seed he thought that the governorship was due him. And smote Gedaliah, etc. whom the king of Babylon had made governor, consequently he killed him, because he was sent by the king of the sons of Amon who hated the king of Babylon and wanted the land of Israel to be under his rule, and they smote...and he slew him, they [all] smote him and Ishmael completed his death with his [own] hands. 
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  And all of the Jews that were with him, meaning, [only] the Jews that were there for the purpose of Gedaliah, his men of war. Therefore it said with Gedaliah. For he did not kill the Jews who [simply] lived there, but he killed all of the Chaldeans that were there. It specifies that he smote the men of war and the Chaldeans were all men of war; therefore it said, '[the Chaldeans] who were found there.' But of the Jews, he only killed the men of war and the rest of the people he left alive.
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  And it was on the second day, Ishmael had hidden the death of Gedaliah, therefore it said No man knew. He intended to find an false charge, so that he could say that he killed him legally and justly. This was the strategy in killing the eighty men, as will be explained.
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  Men came. He wanted to publicize that Gedaliah smote the men. Namely, that [Gedaliah] commanded to kill them because they were mourning over the burning of the Holy Temple, as it said, that they were having their beards shaven and their clothes rent, and that they were bringing meal-offerings and frankincense to the house of the LORD. He wanted everyone who heard to think that Nebuchadnezzar had commanded Gedaliah to kill all those who mourned over the house of the LORD and all who went to sacrifice there.
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  And Ishmael went forth... to meet them... weeping all along as he went. He passed himself off as one who is weeping and mourning over this command that Gedaliah gave him to kill those who were going to the house of the LORD. He said unto them: 'Come to Gedaliah,' so that they would think that they were being killed by command of Gedaliah. When they came into the city, "he slew them into the midst of the pit." And all of this he did [as if] by command of Gedaliah.
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  But ten men were found among them, who - in thinking that Gedaliah had ordered to smite them for going to the house of the LORD - said... 'Slay us not, for we have stores hidden in the field.' [Meaning,] a bribe will be given to Gedaliah if he keeps us alive. Therefore, he didn't kill them so that they should think that all of this was done by order of Gedaliah. His intention was that if dread fell upon the survivors that Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Gedaliah to murder innocent people who were mourning over the destruction, then they would all rejoice and praise him for killing Gedaliah, who had murdered people unjustly, and this is what it said And the pit wherein Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain by the hand of Gedaliah. That he had in fact smote them "by the hand of Gedaliah" and his order. (Meaning, that he said this: Gedaliah had commanded to smite them down.) [The pit...] that Asa the king had made because of Baasa... Through this it informs [us] what sin causes. For it already explained (Kings I 15:17) that Baasa had built the tower so as to prevent access to Asa the king of Judah, namely, to prevent Israel from going up on pilgrimage [to the Temple]. (The main path on the pilgrimage was the road of Mizpah, as it is written (Hosea 5) "That you were a trap for Mizpah.") Asa's forces also stood there to guard those going on pilgrimage and to battle against Baasa troops. And [Asa] had made the pit to store enough water for his forces. If so, this pit, which was made to assist those going to the house of the LORD, now, by the sins of the generation, they threw there the corpses of those going to the house of the LORD.
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  And he carried away captive the remainder of the people who were in Mizpah: [the remainder] of those who had returned to the Land of Israel (as mentioned earlier Jeremiah 42:11) And all the people who remained of those who had already been in the Land of Israel whom Nebuzaradan had committed... [to the governance of Gedaliah].
  
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  Whom he had recovered from Ishmael... For when Ishmael went, there were a large number of additional people left in the area around Mizpah. Their intention was also to go to the land of the children of Amon after Ishmael, but Johanan brought them back from the road. "And the men, even the men of war... whom he returned from Gibeon," Ishmael had taken them with him and he found them near Gibeon.