Jeremiah 6

Destruction of Jerusalem Impending

1 "Flee for safety, O sons of ¹Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal over ²Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the ³north, And a great destruction.

2 "The comely and ⁴dainty one, ⁵the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.

3 "⁶Shepherds and their flocks will come to her, They will ⁷pitch their tents around her, They will pasture each in his place.

4 "⁸Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at ⁹noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

5 "Arise, and let us attack by night And ¹⁰destroy her palaces!"

6 For thus says the LORD of hosts, "¹¹Cut down her trees And cast up a ¹²siege against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only ¹³oppression.

7 "¹⁴As a well keeps its waters fresh, So she keeps fresh her wickedness. ¹⁵Violence and destruction are heard in her; ¹⁶Sickness and wounds are ever before * Me.

8 "¹⁷Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or ¹⁸I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited."

9 Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They will ¹⁹thoroughly glean as the vine the ²⁰remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer Over the branches."

10 To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ²¹ears are closed And they cannot * listen. Behold, ²²the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.

11 But I am ²³full of the wrath of the LORD; I am ²⁴weary with holding it in. "²⁵Pour 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 aged and the very * old *.

12 "Their ²⁶houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will ²⁷stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD.

13 "For ²⁸from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is ²⁹greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.

14 "They have ³⁰healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.

15 "Were they ³¹ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD.

16 Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ³²ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And ³³you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

17 "And I set ³⁴watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

18 "Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them.

19 "³⁵Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The ³⁶fruit of their plans, Because * they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have ³⁷rejected it also.

20 "³⁸For what purpose does ³⁹frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the ⁴⁰sweet cane from a distant land? ⁴¹Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."

21 Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, ⁴²I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, ⁴³Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish."

The Enemy from the North

22 Thus says the LORD, "Behold, ⁴⁴a people is coming from the north land, And a great nation will be aroused from the ⁴⁵remote parts of the earth.

23 "They seize ⁴⁶bow and spear; They are ⁴⁷cruel and have no mercy; Their voice ⁴⁸roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!"

24 We have ⁴⁹heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. ⁵⁰Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.

25 ⁵¹Do not go out into the field And ⁵²do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, ⁵³Terror is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, ⁵⁴put on sackcloth And ⁵⁵roll in ashes; ⁵⁶Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us.

27 "I have ⁵⁷made you an assayer and a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way."

28 All of them are stubbornly rebellious, ⁵⁸Going about as a talebearer. They are ⁵⁹bronze and iron; They, all of them, are corrupt.

29 The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the ⁶⁰wicked are not separated.

30 ⁶¹They call them rejected silver, Because the ⁶²LORD has rejected them.

Jeremiah 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

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)

Verses 1-8 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.

Verses 9-17 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.

Verses 18-30 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.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 18:28
• 2. Nehemiah 3:14
• 3. Jeremiah 1:14; Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:22
• 4. Deuteronomy 28:56
• 5. Isaiah 1:8; Jeremiah 4:31
• 6. Jeremiah 12:10
• 7. 2 Kings 25:1; Jeremiah 4:17; Luke 19:43
• 8. Jeremiah 6:23; Joel 3:9
• 9. Jeremiah 15:8; Zephaniah 2:4
• 10. Isaiah 32:14; Jeremiah 52:13
• 11. Deuteronomy 20:19, 20
• 12. Jeremiah 32:24; Jeremiah 33:4
• 13. Jeremiah 22:17
• 14. James 3:11
• 15. Jeremiah 20:8; Ezekiel 7:11, 23
• 16. Jeremiah 30:12, 13
• 17. Jeremiah 7:28; Jeremiah 17:23
• 18. Ezekiel 23:18; Hosea 9:12
• 19. Jeremiah 16:16; Jeremiah 49:9; Obad 5, 6
• 20. Jeremiah 8:3; Jeremiah 11:23
• 21. Jeremiah 5:21; Jeremiah 7:26; Acts 7:51
• 22. Jeremiah 20:8
• 23. Job 32:18, 19; Micah 3:8
• 24. Jeremiah 15:6; Jeremiah 20:9
• 25. Jeremiah 7:20; Jeremiah 9:21
• 26. Deuteronomy 28:30; Jeremiah 8:10; Jeremiah 38:22, 23
• 27. Jeremiah 15:6
• 28. Jeremiah 8:10
• 29. Isaiah 56:11; Isaiah 57:17; Jeremiah 8:10; Jeremiah 22:17
• 30. Jeremiah 8:11; Ezekiel 13:10
• 31. Jeremiah 3:3; Jeremiah 8:12
• 32. Isaiah 8:20; Jeremiah 12:16; Jeremiah 18:15; Jeremiah 31:21; Malachi 4:4; Luke 16:29
• 33. Matthew 11:29
• 34. Isaiah 21:11; Isaiah 58:1; Jeremiah 25:4; Ezekiel 3:17; Habakkuk 2:1
• 35. Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 19:3, 15; Jeremiah 22:29
• 36. Proverbs 1:31
• 37. Jeremiah 8:9
• 38. Psalms 50:7-9; Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 66:3; Micah 6:6
• 39. Isaiah 60:6
• 40. Exodus 30:23
• 41. Psalms 40:6; Amos 5:22
• 42. Isaiah 8:14; Jeremiah 13:16
• 43. Isaiah 9:14-17; Jeremiah 9:21, 22
• 44. Jeremiah 1:15; Jeremiah 10:22; Jeremiah 50:41-43
• 45. Nehemiah 1:9
• 46. Isaiah 13:18; Jeremiah 4:29
• 47. Jeremiah 50:42
• 48. Isaiah 5:30
• 49. Isaiah 28:19; Jeremiah 4:19-21
• 50. Isaiah 21:3; Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 13:21; Jeremiah 30:6; Jeremiah 49:24; Jeremiah 50:43
• 51. Jeremiah 14:18
• 52. Judges 5:6
• 53. Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 46:5; Jeremiah 49:29
• 54. Jeremiah 4:8
• 55. Jeremiah 25:34; Micah 1:10
• 56. Amos 8:10; Zechariah 12:10
• 57. Jeremiah 1:18; Jeremiah 15:20
• 58. Jeremiah 9:4
• 59. Ezekiel 22:18
• 60. Jeremiah 15:19
• 61. Psalms 119:119; Isaiah 1:22
• 62. Jeremiah 7:29; Hosea 9:17; Zechariah 11:8

Footnotes

• [a]. I.e. house of the vineyard
• [b]. Lit "against her round about"
• [c]. Lit "hand"
• [d]. Lit "Sanctify"
• [e]. Lit "go up"
• [f]. Lit "go up"
• [g]. Or "fortified towers"
• [h]. Lit "keeps cold"
• [i]. Lit "keeps cold"
• [j]. Lit "my soul"
• [k]. Lit "uncircumcised"
• [l]. Lit "council"
• [m]. Lit "with fullness of days"
• [n]. Or "makes lies"
• [o]. Or "devices"
• [p]. Lit "good"
• [q]. Lit "giving"
• [r]. Lit "his friend"
• [s]. Lit "Make for yourself mourning"
• [t]. Or "drawn off"

Chapter Summary

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.