Before us is the second part of the Malbim's introduction to Sefer Yirmiyahu, in which he continues to answer the claims of the Abarbanel and the critics regarding the prophet's literary style. Following this is a general introduction to the figure of Yirmiyahu, the order of the Prophets, and the historical period in which he operated: the kings, the prophets, and the events through which we will understand the book's prophecies as we proceed.
The critics argued that Sefer Yirmiyahu contains an unusually large number of instances of keri and ketiv (words read differently from how they are written), as though later scribes came along and placed more fitting expressions in the margins, and this is the keri that we read. The Malbim replies: My view is utterly different from theirs regarding the matter of keri and ketiv.
When you examine the words of Chazal, you see that the keri always corresponds to the plain meaning (peshat), while the ketiv corresponds to the homiletical exposition (derash). Chazal usually expound the ketiv - what is written - even more than the keri. And although we find two approaches among Chazal regarding whether "yesh em lamikra" (the spoken reading is primary) or "yesh em lamasoret" (the written tradition is primary), in any case we see that both aspects were intended for derashah: both the mikra, how it is read, and the masoret, how it is written.
Thus, for example, the Gemara expounds the verses regarding sukkot: "Besukkot, besukkot, basukkot" - twice written defectively (without the letter vav) and once full. According to the view that "yesh em lamasoret," we follow the traditional spelling without the vavs, deriving one wall from each instance. Another opinion holds that "yesh em lamikra," meaning the primary factor is how it is pronounced - "basukkot, basukkot, basukkot" - since it must be read as a plural form, following the reading rather than the spelling. The debate is over which aspect is primary, but in either case we learn that wherever there is a distinction between reading and writing, Chazal find deeper homiletical teachings. The words were deliberately given in this manner to be expounded, embedding profound secrets within them.
And now, the Malbim declares, my argument stands firm. For you too, Abarbanel, conceded in your first premise that this prophet was immensely great and profound, second only to the prophecy of Moshe. If so, it is thoroughly understandable why his verses require far more derash: we are dealing with a prophet of immense stature and elevated grasp, and therefore instances of keri and ketiv multiplied in his book, serving as vessels for deeper exposition. The frequency of keri and ketiv demonstrates that there is a vast amount to expound here; rather than a flaw, it is proof of his sublime greatness. This is clear evidence that a double portion of spirit rested upon this prophet, who consistently spoke with a dual meaning. This testifies to the prophet's immense wisdom and the depth of his words, not to any deficiency or distortion, as the Abarbanel and the critics sought to claim.
The critics also leveled false accusations against the words of our prophet, asserting that his words lack cohesion, as if the text were composed of disjointed passages and chapters with no thematic connection between one chapter and the next. The Malbim responds: Any tongue that rises against him in judgment shall be condemned on this count! According to what I will explain as we proceed, you will see that everything is connected, forming a single unified body. Bear with me, and I will show you that the narrative is not fragmented at all, and that a deep conceptual thread connects each section to the next.
They further claimed against him that the book is not arranged in chronological order, for he may record early in the book events that occurred at the end of his days, and later record events from the beginning of his ministry. The Malbim replies: Why should this surprise you? Even regarding the perfect Torah of Hashem, Chazal state that "there is no chronological order in the Torah" (ein mukdam u'me'uchar baTorah). The passages were not arranged according to the timeline of events, but according to a deliberate design rooted in divine wisdom.
If so, the Malbim adds, I have another point to raise against the Abarbanel: You enumerated the various matters in which Yirmiyahu was likened to Moshe Rabbeinu, and you should have included one more point of praise: just as in the writings of Moshe there is no chronological order, so too in the writings of Yirmiyahu there is no chronological order. On the contrary, rather than viewing this as a flaw, you should have recognized it as a virtue - that in this respect as well, the words of Yirmiyahu the prophet were likened to the words of Moshe.
The critics further argued that his words are excessively repetitive: in many places he repeats things he already stated in previous sections, and in other places he records things that earlier prophets had already said. The Malbim explains: Do not wonder at this, for we know that any heavenly decree that is repeated twice comes to indicate that the matter is imminent, as it is said, "And concerning the repetition of the dream twice, it is because the matter is established by God, and God will soon bring it to pass." The repetition of the matter teaches that it is about to occur immediately.
And during whose days did all the calamities take place? In the days of Yirmiyahu. Therefore, Yirmiyahu had to repeat these matters, for the fulfillment was now at hand. The other prophets spoke of more distant times, but Yirmiyahu tells his listeners: This is about to happen immediately, and therefore I must reiterate these words. This is also why he repeats the prophecies of other prophets: they prophesied twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty years earlier, whereas he prophesied just a year or two prior, so he had to repeat their words.
At the core of the matter, the prophet came to tell them: Know that you had an opportunity when the other prophets prophesied, and it was in your power to repent, yet you did not. Therefore, I am informing you that the divine decree is about to descend at any moment. His words were repeated to indicate that the matter is sealed and finalized before Hashem, or that it will arrive within just a few days. All of this is testimony to the greatness of our prophet and his prophecies, not to their deficiency as the critics claimed.
The Malbim concludes: I have shown you that our prophet Yirmiyahu possesses renown and preeminence in all three virtues of which the Abarbanel spoke and with which he opened, reaching them in ultimate perfection. First, his thoughts and concepts were exceedingly profound, and his perception was elevated. Second, in terms of rhetoric and eloquence of speech. Third, in terms of beauty of style and writing. In all three areas, the prophet was extraordinary, surpassing all other prophets.
And in his own words, he concludes: "And you, open your mouth and eat the book that I have spread before you; let your belly consume and your innards be filled with this scroll, and may it be in your mouth like honey, sweet in its perfection, and may your eyes be enlightened. And do not bring a curse upon me when a matter among my words does not find favor in your eyes." He pleads: If something does not appeal to you, do not attack me; rather, if a spirit of jealousy does not overcome you, nor the path of pride, arrogance, and deceitful speech, delve into these words and your soul will surely bless me, for I have guided you on the path of truth, in tracks of uprightness, so that when you walk, your step will not be hampered.
He concludes with a prayer: As Hashem lives, and blessed is my Rock, exalted above all praise and blessing; behold, You have consented to bless Your servant, please consent and accept a blessing from Your servant, and reserve a blessing for me. Do You have but one blessing, my Father? Give me a blessing, and give me springs of water - both the upper springs and the lower springs. The intent is that Hashem should reveal to him the secrets of the Torah: both the "upper springs," the elevated mystical secrets, and the "lower springs," the plain meaning of the text. Bless the work of my hands; bless, Hashem, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; bless Your people and bless Your inheritance; bless me too, my Father, and may the house of Your servant be blessed forever with Your blessing. Blessed is God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His kindness from me. And blessed be His glorious Name forever, from world to world, Amen and Amen. The month of Adar Sheni, 5627 (1867), Meir Leibush Malbim. Thus ends his introduction.
Yirmiyahu, as we will see right at the start of the first chapter, was chosen while still in his mother's womb to be a prophet for Hashem. His prophecies are prophecies of rebuke, prophecies of destruction, harsh prophecies for the Jewish people. Yirmiyahu wrote his own book, wrote Sefer Melachim (the Book of Kings), and also wrote Megillat Eichah (the Book of Lamentations), in which the words are exceptionally harrowing.
To be capable of standing and delivering such harsh messages before the people, one must be a person of immense fortitude, fearless and undaunted. Indeed, at the outset of his journey, Yirmiyahu was daunted by the magnitude of the burden and the mission that the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to place upon him. But once the Holy One, blessed be He, promised to rescue him and assured him that he had nothing to fear, he rose, rebuked the nation, and commanded them to repent from their evil way. He warned them that if they did not repent, severe tribulations and exiles would overtake them, and Nevuchadnezzar would come.
More than once or twice, we see that Yirmiyahu faced mortal danger in the most literal sense, and had Hashem not saved him at the last moment in different ways each time, he would have perished. He undoubtedly suffered great agony, both at the hands of the people of his own town and from the ministers. Even when spared by the king, he did not hesitate to speak harsh words to him and fulfill his mission completely. They fought against him from every side, yet through it all he held the divine promise that He would make him into a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls - all assurances of the immense resilience he would possess, that he had nothing to fear, and that he should deliver the words plainly and unvarnished.
Yirmiyahu testifies about himself that, of his own accord, he no longer wished to prophesy; for his heart burned with love for Israel, his pain was unending and his wound incurable, and it was agonizing for him to utter harsh words. He suffered reproach and scorn, and said: "For whenever I speak, I cry out; violence and plunder I proclaim, for the word of Hashem has become a reproach and derision to me all day." I receive only humiliation from the prophecies I deliver in Hashem's name, for who wants to hear harsh words, who wants to hear reproaches? "And I said, 'I will not mention Him, nor will I speak any more in His name.' But it was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I wearied of holding it in, and could not." The prophecy was within him like a fire locked inside his bones, which he could not contain, and he was compelled to bring it forth and deliver it.
Yirmiyahu is commanded to arouse the people so they do not delude themselves into thinking they can endure in their degraded spiritual state - forsaking the Holy One, blessed be He, the Source of living waters, hewing for themselves broken cisterns, and relying on Egypt and Assyria to save them. Yirmiyahu strives to dispel these illusions. Yet alongside the prophecies of wrath, he would still speak to them words of consolation regarding the Return to Zion, the preciousness of Ephraim and the Ten Tribes, and the Holy One's comfort for the Jewish people: "Rachel weeping for her children."
After the Destruction, Nevuchadnetzar wished to grant Yirmiyahu peace and tranquility, to leave him unmolested and give him whatever he desired, since Yirmiyahu had prophesied about Nevuchadnetzar and his conquest of the land, leading Nevuchadnetzar to view him as a true prophet whose words had been fulfilled. Even so, Yirmiyahu chose to return to Yehudah and remain with the surviving remnant, with Gedalyahu ben Achikam, in order to preserve the last glowing ember in the Land of Israel. Yet even that dim ember was extinguished as a result of the deed of Yishmael ben Netanyah, who assassinated Gedalyahu ben Achikam - who had refused to listen to reports that someone was seeking to assassinate him. Yirmiyahu was then forced into exile in Egypt together with Baruch ben Neriyah, where they apparently remained until the end of their lives.
Yirmiyahu warned the king and the people not to rebel against the king of Babylon. According to his prophecy and the message he received from Hashem, it was now Babylon's time and ascendancy to rule; the guardian angel of Babylon had come into his time of dominion over the world. He therefore told them that they had to bow their heads before the king of Babylon, and not attempt to rebel or act against the one whom the Holy One had placed in power. On the surface, it appeared as though he were speaking in favor of the king of Babylon, yet at that very same time he could also deliver a prophecy of doom against Babylon itself, all according to the word of Hashem: that Babylon, which appeared to be a mighty empire with no chance of falling, was destined to fall, along with all its allies and supporters - even while at the height of its power and glory. He even instructed the officials to proclaim these words in Babylon itself. Yirmiyahu showed no favoritism to anyone, and had no interest in one faction or another; he had but a single concern: to benefit his people and fulfill the word of God Who sent him to deliver these prophecies.
Our Sages teach (Bava Batra 14b): The order of the Prophets - that is, the order in which they were recorded - is Yehoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel, Melachim, Yirmiyah, Yechezkel, Yeshayah, and Trei Asar. This is puzzling, for chronologically Yeshayahu preceded Yirmiyahu, yet here Yirmiyahu is placed earlier. The Gemara explains: The Book of Melachim concludes with calamity, depicting the exile of Israel; Yirmiyahu is entirely calamity; Yechezkel begins with calamity and ends with comfort; and Yeshayahu is entirely comfort. Therefore, they juxtaposed calamity with calamity: after Melachim they juxtaposed Yirmiyahu; after it Yechezkel, which begins with calamity; and to the end of Yechezkel, which is comfort, they juxtaposed Yeshayahu, which is entirely comfort. They did not wish to intermingle calamity with comfort, but rather placed the calamity first and concluded with matters of comfort.
When it is said that Yirmiyahu is "entirely calamity," it does not mean literally every word, but rather, as the Maharsha explains, that most of it is calamity, for it does contain words of comfort as well. The Masoretes, however, arranged Yirmiyahu after Yeshayahu according to chronological order, rather than the sequence recorded in the Gemara.
Our Sages state in the Gemara in Bava Batra 15a that Yirmiyahu authored his own book, the Book of Melachim, and Kinot - which is Megillat Eichah. These books were written through Ruach HaKodesh and the spirit of prophecy, and their core message is largely consistent: if the Jewish people walk in Hashem's path, they endure in the Land of Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, shields and protects them; but if, God forbid, they stray from the proper path, calamity befalls them and the Holy One brings upon them nations that oppress them.
And what is stated, "Yet I will not make a complete destruction of you," means that even though he speaks harsh words to them, know that utter destruction will never come to pass. The reason is that within every Jew there is an innermost point of holiness. We have explained that the forces of impurity will ultimately be eliminated from the earth, because the Holy One will extract the holy spark from them. By contrast, in every single member of the Jewish people, "he who breathes, breathes from his own essence" - the breath of life that the Holy One breathed into man is from Him, blessed be He. Hence, complete annihilation cannot apply to the Jewish people, for within us there is a portion of God from Above; and just as the Divine is never extinguished, so too the portion of God from Above within every Jew will never be destroyed.
Therefore, "Yet even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I did not despise them nor reject them to destroy them completely." There is exile, there are harsh blows, there are persecutions and massacres, but complete destruction will never befall the Jewish people. This is the promise the Holy One made to Avraham Avinu at the Covenant Between the Parts: that the innermost holy point of the Jewish people will never be extinguished from them, and that there will never be absolute spiritual annihilation for Israel. And as it is said, if the Jewish people should ever cease from being a nation before Me for all time, it would be as if the heavens and the earth ceased to stand before Me. Just as the heavens and earth endure forever, so too the Jewish people endure forever. We have elaborated on this elsewhere, based on the teachings of Rav Dessler in explaining the concept of Zechut Avot.
The Book of Yirmiyahu is among the books of the Later Prophets (Nevi'im Acharonim). The Early Prophets - Yehoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel, and Melachim - recount what occurred in the earlier generations, whereas the Book of Yirmiyahu already speaks of what befalls the later generations. It contains prophecies and consolations for the final generations so that we yearn for the redemption, for everything depends on repentance (teshuvah). The conclusion of the book addresses the flourishing of the horn of the Davidic dynasty, which will sprout and blossom anew, from which a shoot shall emerge from the house of Yishai, and Melech HaMashiach will flourish swiftly in our days, Amen.
As an introduction to studying the book, we want to examine the era in which Yirmiyahu operated, the kings who reigned in his time, and the prophets who were active alongside him. This will greatly assist us in understanding the book, the historical period, and its events. For this purpose, we turn to a passage from the opening of the Me'am Lo'ez, which organized this entire timeline, and we will review its main points.
King Chizkiyahu reigned fifteen years, and after him reigned his son Menashe. Menashe was among the kings who reigned the longest period - fifty-five years. In his early years, he did evil in the eyes of Hashem and erected an idol in the Sanctuary on the sixteenth of Tammuz. Several prophets prophesied in his time, rebuked him, spoke with him and with the people, and tried to bring them back in repentance, but the people did not listen, as recounted in Melachim. Chazal say that Yoel, Nachum, and Chavakuk prophesied during the days of Menashe.
In the twenty-second year of Menashe's reign, the army commanders of the king of Ashur captured him, bound him in copper chains, and took him down to Babylon. There, they placed him inside a cauldron and kindled a fire beneath it. At that moment, he began calling out the names of all the false gods - "God of Dagon, answer me!" and likewise all the other idols of his time - but none answered him. Finally he said: "When I was a child, my father told me that there is a God about Whom it is said, 'When you are in distress and all these things have befallen you... you will return to Hashem your God.' If He answers me, there is a God; and if not, heaven forbid, it is as though He is no better than any other deity - dust to his mouth!"
See the terrible state this man was in: the fire was already scorching his feet from below, in a moment he would be roasted, and he was still making conditions with the Holy One, blessed be He! "If He answers me, it is a sign that there is truth in Him." Is this a time to set conditions? Now is the time to plead and grovel! Even so, when the ministering angels wanted to shut the gates of prayer before him, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that they be opened for him, and dug an opening for him beneath the Throne of Glory; otherwise, people might say that there is no opening for penitents. In the end, Hashem restored him to his kingdom, and when he returned to his throne, Scripture records that he repented. There is a dispute regarding the extent of his repentance, whether it was complete or not, and whoever wishes can find this in our discussion of Sefer Melachim citing the Malbim and others.
After him reigned his son Amon, who ruled for two years. His servants conspired against him and killed him, whereupon the people killed his assassins and crowned his son, Yoshiyahu ben Amon, in his place. Amon himself was wicked, but his son Yoshiyahu was a righteous king. He was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years. In his day, Tzephanyah prophesied concerning the destruction of Yerushalayim. In the eighth year of his reign, Yoshiyahu began to seek Hashem, as recorded in Divrei HaYamim, and four years later he began to purge Yerushalayim of the high places (bamot) and the idolatry present there, as well as the hill country of Menashe and the hill country of Efraim.
In the thirteenth year of Yoshiyahu, in the year 3298 from Creation, we are introduced to the prophet Yirmiyahu. Yirmiyahu is regarded as the prophet of wrath and calamity, whereas Yeshayahu, whom we have already studied, was a prophet who delivered words of consolation. Yirmiyahu's prophecies were exceptionally harsh, and he even authored Megillat Eichah (Lamentations), which describes harrowing events, all of which was written even before the Destruction.
Yirmiyahu was a prophet throughout the days of Yoshiyahu, and according to Chazal, he prophesied all the days of Yoshiyahu, the days of his son Yehoyakim, and his son Tzidkiyahu, until the exile of Yerushalayim in the year 3338. Three prophets prophesied in that generation, and Chazal state: Yirmiyahu would prophesy in the marketplaces; Tzephanyah inside the synagogues - Tzephanyah deriving from tzafun (sheltered); and Chuldah would prophesy to the women.
In the eighteenth year of Yoshiyahu's reign, Chilkiyahu the Kohen informed Shafan the scribe that he had found a Sefer Torah in the House of Hashem - and later on we will see that there is a connection between Yirmiyahu and Chilkiyahu, and we will touch upon this matter. Shafan brought the scroll to the king, and the king tore his clothes, realizing that Hashem's wrath was great. Why? Because he saw the scroll rolled to the passage of the Tochacha (the Rebuke), "Hashem will lead you and your king," whereas they would normally roll the scroll to its beginning.
The Metzudat David notes an interesting detail: that verse, "Hashem will lead you and your king," was what appeared at the top of the column. The only Sifrei Torah in which "Hashem will lead you and your king" appears at the top of a column are the scrolls of the Yemenite community. All other scrolls follow the tradition of vavei ha'amudim (columns beginning with the letter vav) and do not have a column opening with "Hashem will lead"; only in the Yemenite scrolls does this appear at the head of a column. This serves to demonstrate the authenticity of those scrolls.
In that same year, according to one opinion in Chazal, Yirmiyahu brought back the ten exiled tribes, and Yoshiyahu reigned over them. There is a dispute in Chazal over whether Yirmiyahu brought them back or not, but according to this view, he brought them back in the eighteenth year of Yoshiyahu's reign, and Yoshiyahu ruled over those ten tribes.
In the thirty-first year of Yoshiyahu's reign, Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, went out to battle the king of Assyria at Carchemish on the Euphrates River; this was Yoshiyahu's final year. Yoshiyahu marched out against him. The reason he went out, as we have studied at length, was that he was convinced the people were righteous, and when the people are righteous, "no sword shall pass through your land." Chazal ask: Does this mean a sword of war? But it is already stated explicitly, "And I will grant peace in the land." Rather, it means even a sword of peace - that foreign armies should not even pass through our land merely in transit to wage war against others. Yoshiyahu therefore said: How can they pass through our land? And he confronted him. Pharaoh Necho said to him: I am not coming against you today; do not interfere. But Yoshiyahu did not heed him, because he was confident in the righteousness of his generation.
However, Yoshiyahu did not realize that this generation was not truly worthy. Outwardly, they presented themselves as righteous. Yoshiyahu would send inspection patrols to search the houses. They had double doors that opened inward into the house, and on the inside of the doors, an idol was engraved. When the inspectors arrived to verify that there was no idolatry in the homes, the doors swung inward, concealing the idols behind them. They inspected the house, saw no idols, and left; and when the occupants shut the door, their idol stood revealed once again. Yoshiyahu did not know the true state of his generation, and therefore thought he could march out against Pharaoh, which was a grave mistake. Ultimately, in the valley of Megiddo, the archers shot him and wounded him mortally; Chazal write that they made his body like a sieve. They brought him for burial in Jerusalem. Yirmiyahu lamented over him: "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Hashem, was captured in their corruptions" - meaning, through the corruption of the people he was ensnared, for he was in the aspect of "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Hashem, of whom we said: 'In his shadow we shall live among the nations.'" He was meant to be the Mashiach, but that generation was not worthy of it.
The people took Yeho'achaz the son of Yoshiyahu and crowned him in place of his father, but he reigned for only three months. Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him at Rivlah because he feared him: if he is the son of Yoshiyahu, it is quite possible he will seek vengeance against me. He took him to Egypt, where he died, and in his place made Yehoyakim - also called Elyakim - king.
Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu, brother of Yeho'achaz, reigned for eleven years. In his days, Uriyahu son of Shemayahu of Kiryat Ye'arim prophesied against him just as Yirmiyahu had spoken. Yehoyakim sought to put Uriyahu to death, and Uriyahu fled to Egypt; Yehoyakim dispatched men to bring him back from Egypt, and had him executed. Yirmiyahu then prophesied about the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, and the kohanim and the false prophets sought to put him to death, for no one liked hearing that Hashem was about to exile them and that their deeds were evil.
They greatly favored the false prophets, who constantly told them: "You are fine, you are good; on the contrary, Hashem will soon restore the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash to their place and bring back the exiles." These were the voices the media of that day loved to hear - much like Reform, Conservative, and pet rabbis today who always say what the media likes to hear, converting whomever the media wants converted, and welcoming everyone in. But those who spoke words of rebuke were never popular. For this reason they sought to kill Yirmiyahu HaNavi, and Achikam son of Shafan rescued him.
Yirmiyahu prophesied that Nevuchadnezzar would rule, foretold the exile of Yehoyachin, and prophesied regarding Tzidkiyahu, whom Nevuchadnezzar would place in power. Fifteen years later, he made straps and yoke-bars and placed them upon his neck, to demonstrate that they must submit to the yoke of Nevuchadnezzar's straps; however, Chananyah ben Azzur, a false prophet, broke those straps and yoke-bars to signal that none of this would come to pass. Yirmiyahu prophesied regarding the destruction of the Temple, saying, "Hashem roars from on high," and also prophesied about the Rechabites who drank no wine - and we will discuss this, bli neder. He then commanded Baruch ben Neriyah to record all the prophecies from the days of Yoshiyahu until that day, so that the words would be clearly organized before the people and they would see that there were clear, detailed prophecies through which the Holy One, Blessed be He, made known everything that was to take place.
In the fifth year of Yehoyakim, Baruch ben Neriyah read all of Yirmiyahu's prophecies from the scroll in the hearing of the people. Yehoyakim, who was a wicked king, was displeased by these words; he tore the scroll and cast it into the burning hearth, burning it. He burned Megillat Eichah there, and as a result, additional columns ("deletot") were added to the scroll, as he added further harsh prophecies as an addition to what had originally been stated. These are the additions added to the Book of Eichah following Yehoyakim's burning of the scroll.
In that same year, Nevuchadnezzar arrived and conquered Yehoyakim. He did not exile him, but rather left him there as his vassal for three years. In Yehoyakim's eighth year, he rebelled against Nevuchadnezzar, and his rebellion lasted three years. In Yehoyakim's eleventh year, the king of Babylon bound him in copper chains to take him to Babylon. Yirmiyahu had prophesied about him that he would be buried with the burial of a donkey. And so it was fulfilled: as soon as they bound him, he died; they dragged him out and buried him with the burial of a donkey.
The king of Babylon installed his son Yehoyachin - also called Yoyachin, Yechanyahu, and Conyahu - to reign after him. His reign was also very brief: three months and ten days. Following a siege, they took him and all that belonged to him, stripped the treasures of the House of Hashem and the treasures of the royal palace, and exiled Yechanyah along with several thousand inhabitants of Jerusalem to Babylon. Exiled along with him were Daniel, Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, while they were still youths.
After him, Nevuchadnezzar crowned Matanyah, Yehoyachin's uncle and the son of Yoshiyahu, changing his name to Tzidkiyahu. Tzidkiyahu was a righteous king. Yirmiyahu prophesies about Shallum son of Yoshiyahu - who is Tzidkiyahu - about Yehoyakim, and about Conyahu, and he also prophesies about the return to Zion. He sends a letter to the exile in Babylon and tells them: Build houses and settle down; do not imagine that you are about to be redeemed immediately, as the false prophets claim, for you will not return until seventy years for Babylon are completed. Do not expect a false salvation, and know that the false prophets' predictions of an imminent redemption are not true prophecies. And here he also delivers prophecies of consolation.
In the fourth year of Tzidkiyahu, Tzidkiyahu went down to Babylon together with Serayah ben Neriyah. Yirmiyahu wrote a scroll concerning the calamity that would befall Babylon, instructing Serayah to read the scroll in Babylon and then throw it into the Euphrates River, as we will see in Yirmiyahu 51. At that time, Chananyah ben Azur delivered a false prophecy claiming that within two years Hashem would break the yoke of the king of Babylon, the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash would be returned, and Yechanyah would return from exile. Yirmiyahu prophesied against him that Chananyah ben Azur would die that very year.
And what happened in the end? He died. But what did he do? He asked his sons not to publicize his death, so that people would say: Look, a year passed and only afterward did he die, not within that year. See the mindset of a false prophet: even facing death, and even when seeing that his falsehood is about to be exposed, what matters to him? That people continue to believe his lie, even though he himself knows that his words are not true.
In the fifth year of Yehoyachin's exile, Yechezkel began prophesying prophecies of retribution. In the eighth year of Tzidkiyahu, the king of Babylon came and besieged Jerusalem; the Egyptian army came to their aid but ultimately retreated and returned to its land. Tzidkiyahu then turned back and subjugated the servants who had previously been emancipated. Regarding this, Yirmiyahu delivers a harsh prophecy in chapter 34, for having once freed the servants, re-subjugating them under your control was entirely contrary to the will of Hashem.
Afterward, when the Chaldean army went to confront Egypt, Yirmiyahu left Jerusalem. They seized him and put him in prison in the house of Yehonatan the scribe. At that point, Yirmiyahu prophesied concerning the Philistines, Moav, the children of Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, and the kingdoms of Chatzor, that Nevuchadnezzar would strike them. Thus we see clearly in the verse "I appointed you a prophet to the nations," that Yirmiyahu did not prophesy solely concerning the Jewish people, but also concerning the other nations.
In the ninth year of Tzidkiyahu, on the tenth of Tevet, Nevuchadnezzar and his entire army marched against Jerusalem and besieged it, an event Yechezkel also prophesied about. Tzidkiyahu sent secretly to take Yirmiyahu out of prison and bring him to his house, asking him: What is the word of Hashem? Yirmiyahu delivered very harsh prophecies to him, and as a consequence, Tzidkiyahu's ministers cast him into the pit. See how kings behave: you summon him so he will tell you the word of Hashem, and when he says things that are displeasing to your ears, you throw him into a pit. In the end, we will see that Eved-melech HaKushi rescued him from the pit, where he was sinking into the mire.
Incidentally, there was also a certain logic from the king's perspective: he wanted to know what the future held, but he desperately did not want the people to know, because if the people knew, it would spark widespread opposition against him. Therefore, he reasoned: Whatever I know, let only me know. And if he were to be released, a prophet is forbidden to suppress his prophecy and would be obligated to proclaim it to the people, creating agitation against me. They therefore cast him into prison and into the pit to silence him.
In the tenth year of Tzidkiyahu, in the midst of the siege, Yirmiyahu is commanded by Hashem to purchase a field from Chanamel, his cousin, and he gives the deeds of purchase to Baruch ben Neriyah. This was intended to strengthen and encourage the people, assuring them that fields would once again be bought in Yehudah - meaning, that they are destined to return. At that time, Yechezkel also prophesied concerning Egypt, Tzor, and Tzidon.
Afterward, the famine grew severe, the city was breached, and they captured Tzidkiyahu, his sons, and all the nobles of Yehudah. They slaughtered Tzidkiyahu's sons before his eyes and blinded Tzidkiyahu. On the seventh of Av, the gentiles entered the Sanctuary; they took the bronze Sea, the water basins, and the pillars, and rampaged within it on the seventh, eighth, and ninth until the day waned. With the darkness of the ninth - that is, Tisha B'Av - they set it on fire, and it burned through the darkness of the ninth and all through the tenth, blazing in flames. All through the tenth of Av the Beit HaMikdash burned, yet we observe the mourning on Tisha B'Av because it marks the onset of the tragedy (atchalta de-puranuta).
After Nevuchadnezzar destroyed the Beit HaMikdash and burned its Sanctuary, he commanded Nevuzaradan to look after Yirmiyahu, as he recognized his prophecies as true and saw that his words had been fulfilled. He removed him from the courtyard of the guard and placed him in the care of Gedalyah ben Achikam. Yirmiyahu came to him from Ramah to Mitzpah, joined by the army commanders and other Jews who returned from Moav and Ammon. The army commanders warned Gedalyahu that an assassination was being plotted against him, telling him that Ba'alis, king of the Ammonites, had sent Yishmael ben Netanyah to assassinate him, but he refused to accept lashon hara and did not believe them. In the seventh month, on the third of Tishrei, Gedalyahu ben Achikam was murdered, and because of this we fast Tzom Gedalyah.
The people asked Yirmiyahu whether to go down to Egypt, and Yirmiyahu told them not to go down, but once again they did not listen to him and descended to Egypt. Then a fugitive came from Jerusalem to Babylon and reported that the city had been struck down. It was then that Yechezkel also prophesied about the dry bones, and prophesied concerning the downfall of Egypt and Tzor. In the twenty-seventh year of Nevuchadnezzar, he exiled Yirmiyahu and Baruch ben Neriyah to Babylon. Fourteen years later, Yechezkel prophesied about the building of the Third Beit HaMikdash - and Yechezkel, as is well known, was in Babylon, prophesying as he stood by the Kevar River in Babylon.
In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Yehoyachin, on the twenty-seventh of Adar, Nevuchadnezzar died. The next day, Evil-Merodach had him removed from his grave and dragged his bones, fulfilling what was said of him: "And you were cast out of your grave like an abhorred shoot." A day later, he released Yechonyah from prison. At that time Tzidkiyahu died, and they eulogized him. Concerning King Tzidkiyahu, Seder Olam states that he drank the dregs of all the generations: all the refuse that had accumulated from all the generations that rebelled against Hashem - the one who drank it all to the very dregs was King Tzidkiyahu.
In his introduction, the Malbim turns every claim of the critics into praise: the abundance of keri and ketiv variations testifies to a depth rich with homiletic meaning; the scattered arrangement of subjects points to an inner connection that will be revealed through study; the absence of chronological order equates Yirmiyahu to the Torah of Moshe, in which there is no strict chronological sequence; and the repetition of prophecies teaches that the decree was sealed and poised for immediate fulfillment. Yirmiyahu himself is a prophet with a fire shut up in his bones, who fearlessly rebuked kings, princes, kohanim, and false prophets, suffering humiliation and mortal danger; yet alongside all his prophecies of wrath, he also sounded messages of comfort and the return to Zion. And amidst all the catastrophe stands the promise that the Jewish people will never face total annihilation, for the divine portion from Above within us can never be destroyed. With this historical background of the era surveyed - from the days of Menasheh and Yoshiyahu through the destruction of the Temple and the Babylonian exile - we now turn, with God's help, to the study of the book itself.