Jeremiah6
New American Standard
1“Flee to safety, you sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a warning signal over Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the north, Along with a great destruction.
2The beautiful and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, I will destroy.
3Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will pitch their tents around her, They will pasture, each in his place.
4‘Prepare for war against her; Arise, and let’s attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!
5Arise, and let’s attack by night And destroy her palaces!’”
6For this is what the Lord of armies says: “Cut down her trees And pile up an assault ramp against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only oppression.
7As a well keeps its waters fresh, So she keeps fresh her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her; Sickness and wounds are constantly before Me.
8Be warned, Jerusalem, Or I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, An uninhabited land.”
9This is what the Lord of armies says: “They will thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like the vine; Pass your hand over the branches again Like a grape gatherer.”
10To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become for them a rebuke; They take no delight in it.
11But I am full of the wrath of the Lord; I am weary of holding it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street And on the gathering of young men together; For both husband and wife shall be taken, The old and the very old.
12Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord.
13“For from the least of them to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
14They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.
15Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They were not ashamed at all, Nor did they know even how to be ashamed. Therefore they will fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They will collapse,” says the Lord.
16This is what the Lord says: “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find a resting place for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18Therefore hear, you nations, And know, you congregation, what is among them.
19Hear, earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My Law, they have rejected it also.
20For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”
21Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am placing stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish.”
22This is what the Lord says: “Behold, there is a people coming from the north land, And a great nation will be stirred up from the remote parts of the earth.
23They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Lined up as a man for the battle Against you, daughter of Zion!”
24We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.
25Do not go out into the field, And do not walk on the road; For the enemy has a sword, Terror is on every side.
26Daughter of my people, put on sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A most bitter mourning. For suddenly the destroyer Will come against us.
27“I have made you an assayer and an examiner among My people, So that you may know and put their way to the test.”
28All of them are stubbornly rebellious, Going about as a slanderer; They are bronze and iron. They are, all of them, corrupt.
29The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the wicked are not separated.
30They call them rejected silver, Because the Lord has rejected them.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 6.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The invasion of Judea. (1-8). The justice of God's proceedings. (9-17). All methods used to amend them had been without success. (18-30).
vv1-8
Whatever methods are used, it is vain to contend with God's judgments. The more we indulge in the pleasures of this life, the more we unfit ourselves for the troubles of this life. The Chaldean army shall break in upon the land of Judah, and in a little time devour all. The day is coming, when those careless and secure in sinful ways will be visited. It is folly to trifle when we have eternal salvation to work out, and the enemies of that salvation to fight against. But they were thus eager, not that they might fulfil God's counsels, but that they might fill their own treasures; yet God thereby served his own purposes. The corrupt heart of man, in its natural state, casts out evil thoughts, just as a fountain casts out her waters. It is always flowing, yet always full. The God of mercy is loth to depart even from a provoking people, and is earnest with them, that by repentance and reformation, they may prevent things from coming to extremity.
vv9-17
When the Lord arises to take vengeance, no sinners of any age or rank, or of either sex escape. They were set upon the world, and wholly carried away by the love of it. If we judge of this sin by God's word, we find multitudes in every station and rank given up to it. Those are to be reckoned our worst and most dangerous enemies, who flatter us in a sinful way. Oh that men would be wise for their souls! Ask for the old paths; the way of godliness and righteousness has always been the way God has owned and blessed. Ask for the old paths set forth by the written word of God. When you have found the good way, go on in it, you will find abundant recompence at your journey's end. But if men will not obey the voice of God and flee to his appointed Refuge, it will plainly appear at the day of judgment, that they are ruined because they reject God's word.
vv18-30
God rejects their outward services, as worthless to atone for their sins. Sacrifice and incense were to direct them to a Mediator; but when offered to purchase a license to go on in sin, they provoke God. The sins of God's professing people make them an easy prey to their enemies. They dare not show themselves. Saints may rejoice in hope of God's mercies, though they see them only in the promise: sinners must mourn for fear of God's judgments, though they see them only in the threatenings. They are the worst of revolters, and are all corrupters. Sinners soon become tempters. They are compared to ore supposed to have good metal in it, but which proves all dross. Nothing will prevail to part between them and their sins. Reprobate silver shall they be called, useless and worthless. When warnings, corrections, rebukes, and all means of grace, leave men unrenewed, they will be left, as rejected of God, to everlasting misery. Let us pray, then, that we may be refined by the Lord, as silver is refined.
Key Words
עוּז: to be strong; causatively, to stregthen, i.e. (figuratively) to save (by flight)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
בִּנְיָמִין: Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
קֶרֶב: properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
תָּקַע: to clatter, i.e. slap (the hands together), clang (an instrument); by analogy, to drive (a nail or tent-pin, a dart, etc.); by implication, to become bondsman by handclasping)
שׁוֹפָר: a cornet (as giving a clear sound) or curved horn
תְּקוֹעַ: Tekoa, a place in Palestine
נָשָׂא: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
Cross References
Jeremiah 6Jesus directly adapts the phrase 'find rest for your souls' from this verse.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Textual link: the Pentateuchal warning of an 'uncircumcised heart' (or ear).
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Jeremiah repeats this exact verbal formula of false peace later in his own temple discourse.
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Direct realization of the covenant curses warned of in Deuteronomy.
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Verbal echo: the identical description of a cruel nation coming from the north.
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Ezekiel employs the same metallurgical metaphor of dross, brass, and iron.
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Connects the warning of evil from the north back to Jeremiah's call.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The tragic departure of God's soul from His people.
Supported by JFB
The historical fulfillment of the repeated 'gleaning' of Judean captives.
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The word of the Lord is made a 'reproach' in both texts.
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Stephen's speech echoes the indictment of 'uncircumcised ears'.
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Jeremiah expresses the same burning inability to hold in God's fury.
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Repeats Jeremiah's designation as a fortified tower and fortress.
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Parallels the metaphor of wickedness continuously casting up evil like waters.
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The loss of a 'whore's forehead' matches the inability to blush.
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