Jeremiah 6:4-14

4 Set [them] apart for war[a] against her; rise up, let's attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day is passing; the evening shadows grow long.
5 Rise up, let's attack by night. Let us destroy her fortresses."
6 For this is what the Lord of Hosts says: Cut down the trees; raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished. There is nothing but oppression within her.
7 As a well gushes out its water, so she pours forth her evil.[b] Violence and destruction[c] resound in her. Sickness and wounds keep coming to My attention.
8 Be warned, Jerusalem, or I will be torn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land devoid of inhabitant.

Wrath on Israel

9 This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Glean as thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches.
10 Who can I speak to and give such a warning[d] that they will listen? Look, their ear is uncircumcised,[e][f] so they cannot pay attention. See, the word of the Lord has become contemptible to them- they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the Lord's wrath; I am tired of holding it back. Pour [it] out on the children in the street, on the gang of young men as well. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old with the very old.[g]
12 Their houses will be turned over to others, [their] fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the residents of the land. [This is] the Lord's declaration.
13 For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is gaining profit unjustly.[h] From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
14 They have treated My people's brokenness superficially, claiming: Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 6:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 6

This chapter is of the same argument with the former; and contains two things in it, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and the causes of it, which are intermixedly handled in it; a lively description is made of the notice of the approach of the enemy by blowing of trumpets and firing of beacons, Jer 6:1, and of the siege of the city, by pitching tents around it, casting up a mount against it, and scaling its walls at noon and by night, Jer 6:2-6, and this destruction is illustrated by the simile of gleaning of grapes, Jer 6:9, and amplified by the universality of it, with respect to persons and things; it reaching to persons of every age, and in every state, as old men, young men, and children, husbands and wives, and to all sorts of possessions, houses and fields, Jer 6:11,12,21, a description is given of the instruments of it, the Chaldeans, Jer 6:22,23 and it is aggravated by the anxiety, distress, and sorrow, the Jews would be in on account of it, Jer 6:24-26, the causes of it are in general the great aboundings of sin and wickedness in the midst of them, illustrated by a fountain casting out its waters, Jer 6:6,7, in particular, their neglect and contempt of the word of the Lord, Jer 6:10, the sin of covetousness, which prevailed among all sorts of people, high and low, in civil or religious life, Jer 6:13, the unfaithfulness of the prophets to the people, declaring peace, when there was none, Jer 6:14, their impenitence and hardness, Jer 6:15, their disregard to all instructions and warnings, Jer 6:16,17, their rejection of the law, and the precepts of it, Jer 6:18,19, their hypocritical sacrifices, Jer 6:20, and the chapter is concluded with an address to the prophet, setting forth his character and office, and the end of it, Jer 6:27 and his testimony concerning the people, showing their obstinacy and stubbornness, illustrated by a simile of refining metal in a furnace without success, Jer 6:28-30.

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Jr 51:27; Mc 3:5
  • [b]. Or well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps her evil fresh
  • [c]. Jr 20:8; Am 3:10; Hab 1:3
  • [d]. Or and bear witness
  • [e]. unresponsive to God
  • [f]. Jr 9:26; Lv 26:41; Ezk 44:7,9
  • [g]. Lit with fullness of days
  • [h]. Pr 1:19; 15:27; Hab 2:9
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.