耶利米書 5:6

6 因 此 ， 林 中 的 獅 子 必 害 死 他 們 ； 晚 上 （ 或 譯 ： 野 地 ） 的 豺 狼 必 滅 絕 他 們 ； 豹 子 要 在 城 外 窺 伺 他 們 。 凡 出 城 的 必 被 撕 碎 ； 因 為 他 們 的 罪 過 極 多 ， 背 道 的 事 也 加 增 了 。

耶利米書 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 5:6

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them
Meaning King Nebuchadnezzar out of Babylon, a place full of people, and so comparable to a forest, as the king is to a lion, for his strength, fierceness, and cruelty; and who came from thence, besieged and took Jerusalem; and who not only slew their young men with the sword, but also the king's sons, and the princes and nobles of Judah, ( 2 Chronicles 36:17 ) ( Jeremiah 52:10 ) ( 4:7 ) and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them;
which, having sought for its prey all the day, or not daring to go out for any, is hungry, raging and furious, and tears and destroys whatever it meets with; see ( Zephaniah 3:3 ) , so the Targum and Kimchi understand it of such a wolf; but Jarchi and Ben Melech interpret it, "a wolf of the desert", or deserts; as the word ^F17 will bear to be rendered; one that frequents desert places, and rages about in the wilderness; as the king of Babylon with his army did among the wilderness of the people of the nations about him, and at length spoiled Judea, and laid it desolate: a leopard shall watch over their cities;
the same enemies, who are compared to watchers, and to keepers of a field, ( Jeremiah 4:16 Jeremiah 4:17 ) . Kimchi interprets the lion of a king, that being the king among beasts; the wolf, of his army; and the leopard, of the princes of the army; and so the Targum,

``wherefore a king with his army shall come up against them, as a lion out of the forest; and the people, who are strong as the wolves of the evening, shall slay them; and the rulers, who are mighty as the leopard, shall make a prey of them, watching over their cities;''

but Jarchi applies them to the several monarchies; by the lion, he understands the kingdom of Babylon; by the wolf, the kingdom of the Medes; and by the leopard, the kingdom of Greece; and so Jerom: everyone that goes out thence;
from any of the cities of Judea, watched by the enemy: shall be torn in pieces;
by those beasts of prey. Jarchi adds, by the Persians; the reason of all which follows, and shows it to be a righteous judgment of God upon them: because their transgressions are many:
their rebellions against God, their violations of his righteous law, were not a few, but many; God had bore long with them, and they had abused his patience and longsuffering; and therefore now he determines to punish them by such instruments: and their backslidings are increased;
though he had so often, and so kindly and tenderly, invited them to return unto him, ( Jeremiah 3:12 Jeremiah 3:14 Jeremiah 3:22 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (twbre baz) "lupus desertorum", Montanus; "lupus solitudinum", Calvin; "deserta incolaus", Pagninuns, Vatablus; "lupus camporum", Schmidt.

耶利米書 5:6 In-Context

4 我 說 ： 這 些 人 實 在 是 貧 窮 的 ， 是 愚 昧 的 ， 因 為 不 曉 得 耶 和 華 的 作 為 和 他 們 　 神 的 法 則 。

5 我 要 去 見 尊 大 的 人 ， 對 他 們 說 話 ， 因 為 他 們 曉 得 耶 和 華 的 作 為 和 他 們 　 神 的 法 則 。 哪 知 ， 這 些 人 齊 心 將 軛 折 斷 ， 掙 開 繩 索 。

6 因 此 ， 林 中 的 獅 子 必 害 死 他 們 ； 晚 上 （ 或 譯 ： 野 地 ） 的 豺 狼 必 滅 絕 他 們 ； 豹 子 要 在 城 外 窺 伺 他 們 。 凡 出 城 的 必 被 撕 碎 ； 因 為 他 們 的 罪 過 極 多 ， 背 道 的 事 也 加 增 了 。

7 我 怎 能 赦 免 你 呢 ？ 你 的 兒 女 離 棄 我 ， 又 指 著 那 不 是 　 神 的 起 誓 。 我 使 他 們 飽 足 ， 他 們 就 行 姦 淫 ， 成 群 地 聚 集 在 娼 妓 家 裡 。

8 他 們 像 餵 飽 的 馬 到 處 亂 跑 ， 各 向 他 鄰 舍 的 妻 發 嘶 聲 。