And say unto the people of the land
Of Chaldea, where the prophet now was; not the natives of the land, but the Israelites, who were captives in it; who were ready to murmur and repine at their own case, as miserable; and at that of the Jews at Jerusalem, as happy; and therefore they are taught by this sign, as well as by the following prophecy, that they were mistaken: thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
or to them, or "concerning" them F25; whom the captives in Chaldea thought lived so happily, and would continue so: [and] of the land of Israel;
or, "upon the land of Israel" F26; inhabitants on it; to this sense the Targum and Septuagint Version interpret it, and also Kimchi: they shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with
astonishment;
meaning at the siege of Jerusalem, when they could not eat and drink in peace; but, while they were eating and drinking, were disturbed and put into fear and surprise by the besiegers; and also, hearing that their provisions would not hold out, were careful how they ate and drank, and were frightened with the thoughts of being reduced to extreme want: that her land may be desolate from all that is therein;
or, "from its fulness" F1; men and cattle, cities, towns, houses, vineyards, fields, fruits, and plenty of all good things. Jarchi expounds it of riches: because of the violence of all them that dwell therein;
not the violence of the Chaldeans, making a prey of all they met with, plundering cities and towns, and making forage of the fruits of the earth, by which means the land was desolate; but the rapine, oppression, and injustice of the Jews, which were the cause of all these calamities which came upon their country.