The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

JEREMY XLII. & XLIII. And 2 KING. XXV. vers. 26.

THE Captains and people upon the death of Gedaliah go into Egypt, though they had promised to be ruled by the voice of the Lord; and though the Lord had flatly forbidden them to go thither, and so had done of old, that they should never return to Egypt. Poor Jeremy is carried along with them; and when he comes there, he prophesieth both against Egypt and them.

[World 3421] [Captivity 20] The Jews are now setled in Egypt, and in time they fall to a common and open Idolatry, for which Jeremy reproveth them, and threatneth them very sore. In vers. 9. he seemeth to give a close touch upon the Idolatry of Salo∣mons wives, the first original of Idolatry to the Kings of Judah. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The wickednesses of the Kings of Judah, and the wickednesses of his wives; which indeed may be well construed of every one of their wives: But the quaintness of the phrase seemeth to hint some such a particular thing; and it may the rather be so understood, because he is here taxing the present Idolatry of the Jews wives in Egypt, and ripping up the sore to the very head, which indeed was first those wives of Solomon.

Observe in vers. 25. how the Hebrew Syntax seemeth to twit these mens base uxoriousness, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 using the Verb in the feminine Gender, though he speak to the men.

Now in the 45 Chap. of this Book of Jeremy, vers. 1. It is said, that Ba∣ruch had written these words in a Book at the mouth of Jeremy, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, what these very last words mentioned before. But this is very unlikely, for these last speeches appear to be uttered upon emergency; the meaning of it therefore is, that Jeremy in the fourth of Jehoiakim had ut∣tered Prophesies to this purpose, that Jerusalem should be destroyed, and the Land left desolate, and the people captived, and mischief and misery follow∣ing them: which is cleered to be accomplished in the story of these Chapters, and therefore this 45 Chapter is laid here though the story of it was nine∣teen or twenty years ago, to shew, and to record the truth of those things which that wretched King Jehoiakim would not believe, but burnt the Book in the fire: And these are the subject of the other Copy that Baruch wrote when the first was burnt.