his
death in the battle against the Egyptians, may be called happy when
compared with him; for he never returns to his native [Pg 399] land; he
lives and dies in a foreign land. The next whom he brings forward is
Jehoiakim, vers. 13-19. He is a despot who does every thing to ruin the
people committed to him. There is, therefore, the most glaring contrast
between his beautiful name and his miserable fate. The Lord, instead of
raising him up, will cast him down to the lowest depth; not even an
honourable burial is to be bestowed upon him. No one weeps or laments
over him; like a trodden down carcass, he lies outside the gates of
Jerusalem, the city of the great King, which he attempted to wrest from
him, and make his own. Then follows a parenthetical digression, vers.
20-23. Apostate Judah is addressed. The judgment upon her kings is not
one with which she has nothing to do, as little as their guilt belongs
to them as individuals only. It is, at the same time a judgment upon
the people which, by the Lord's anger which they have called forth by
their wickedness, is thrown down into the depth, from the height on
which the Lord's mercy had raised them.--Next follows Jehoiachin, vers.
24-30. In his name "The _Lord_ will establish," the word _will_ has no
foundation; the Lord _will_ reject him, cast him away, and break him in
pieces like a worthless vessel. With his mother, he shall be carried
away from his native land, and die in exile and captivity. Irrevocable
is the Lord's decree, that none of his sons shall ascend the throne of
David, so that he, having begotten children in vain, is to be esteemed
as one who is childless.

At the commencement of the section under consideration (vers. 1 and 2),
the contents of chap. xxii. are comprehended into one sentence. "Woe to
the shepherds that destroy and scatter the flock of the Lord." Woe,
then, to those shepherds who have done so. With this is then,
in vers. 3-8, connected the announcement of salvation for the poor
scattered flock. For the same reason, that the Lord visits upon those
who have hitherto been their shepherds, the wickedness of their
doings--viz., because of His being the chief Shepherd, or because of
His covenant-faithfulness, He will in mercy remember them also, gather
them from their dispersion, give, instead of the bad shepherds, a good
one, viz., the long promised and longed for great descendant of David,
who, being a _righteous_ King, shall diffuse justice and