Jeremiah 49:19
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan,.... The Targum rightly interprets it of a king and his army, paraphrasing the words thus,
"behold, a king with his army shall come up against them, as a lion comes up from the height of Jordan;''
not the king of Edom that should come up against Judea, or to defend himself against those that invaded him; but Nebuchadnezzar and his army that should come up against the Edomites from the land of Judea, where Jordan was, having first subdued that; or should come with that strength, fury, and fierceness, as a lion when forced out of its covert near the river Jordan, by the overflowing of its banks, and obliged to betake himself to higher grounds; who, being enraged, roars and tears in pieces all in his way. Monsieur Thevenot {w} says, that Jordan is beset on both sides with little, thick, and pleasant woods; and Mr. Maundrell {x} observes, that
"there is a first and outermost bank to the river, about a furlong, upon a level, before you come to the second bank, to which it may be supposed the river did, and still does, overflow; and the second bank is so beset with bushes and trees, such as tamarisk, willows, and oleanders, &c. that you can see no water till you have made your way through them. In this thicket anciently (and the same is reported of at this day) several sorts of wild beasts were wont to harbour themselves, whose being washed out of the covert, by the over flowings of the river, gave occasion to the allusion,
So Jerom {y} speaks of lions, in his time, taking up their abode by the river Jordan, near which were desert places, reeds, and sedges:
against the habitation of the strong; the land of Edom, a country well fortified, in which mighty men dwelt; particularly Mount Seir, where their king was, and which was "the fold of the mighty"; either of the mighty shepherd, as it may be rendered {z}; or of the strong place {a}; but what is this to a lion?
but I will make him suddenly run away from her; that is, either the mighty shepherd, the king of Edom, from his fold, upon the approach of the lion, the king of Babylon; or else, as it may be rendered, "and I will cause him to run upon it {b} suddenly": that is, cause the king of Babylon to come speedily into the land of Edom, and seize upon it, overrun it, prevail over it, and be master of it, as Jarchi interprets it:
and who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? a choice person in Nebuchadnezzar's army, fit to be made a deputy governor over the land of Edom:
for who is like me? for wisdom and power; able to do whatever I please, and to furnish those with proper abilities to perform and accomplish whatever I give them in charge and commission to do:
and who will appoint me the time? set a time to dispute the matter with me, or engage in war against me?
and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? or king, as the Targum and Ben Melech; any king, prince, or potentate, who, both in Scripture and in other writings, are often called shepherds; the king of Edom is particularly pointed at, whose habitation or fold is before observed: alas! what could such a shepherd do? or how could he stand before the almighty God, or any lion he should send?
{w} Travels, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 41. p. 193.
{x} Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 82. Ed. 7.
{y} Comment. in Zech. xi. 3.
{z} Ntya hwn la "ad caulam fortis", i.e. "pastoris validi et fortis", Schmidt.
{a} "Sub. loci robusti", Vatablus; so Ben Melech.
{b} hylem wnuyra heygra yk "nam momento currere faciam cum (nempe Nebuchadanosarem) supra eam", De Dieu, Gataker.