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THE BOOK

OF

THE PROPHET JEREMIAH

AND THAT OF

THE LAMENTATIONS.

LONDON:

RICHARD CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

THE BOOK

OF

THE PROPHET JEREMIAH

AND THAT OF

THE LAMENTATIONS,

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL HEBREW ;

WITH A

COMMENTARY,

CRITICAL, PHILOLOGICAL, AND EXEGETICAL.

BY

E. HENDERSON, D.D.

LONDON:

HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO.

33, PATERNOSTER ROW.

M DCCC LI.

101.c.70.

INTRODUCTORY DISSERTATION.

SECTION I.

OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JEREMIAH.

WE possess more copious historical notices of Jeremiah than of any of the other Hebrew prophets. This is principally to be ascribed to the circumstances of the times in which he flourished, and the large share which he had in the transactions of his day. Incidental references are made to him, 2 Chron. xxxv. 25; xxxvi. 12, 21; but it is principally from what we find in his own book, mixed up with the delivery of his predictions, that we learn the particulars of his history.

According to the statement made chap. i. 1, he was of sacerdotal origin; but the opinion, that his father Hilkiah was the high priest of that name, who discovered the book of the law, can only have originated in the identity of name; for if that exalted official had been his father, he could not have failed to be designated by the appellative, the high priest, or at least , the priest, by

way of eminence: whereas, he is merely spoken of as belonging to the priests who resided at Anathoth.* There is no evidence to show that our prophet had ever officiated in the priestly office at the temple: it may rather be inferred, that his extreme youth incapacitated him from engaging in its functions.

*The notion, that Jeremiah was the son of the high priest, was first broached by Clement of Alexandria, and besides having been maintained by Jerome, Kimchi, Abarbanel, Munster and Clarius, has been more recently advocated by Eichhorn, von Bohlen, and Umbreit; but, on the other hand, it is decidedly rejected by Scholz, Hävernick, Knobel, and Hitzig.

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