Jeremiah 6:17-27

17 "And I set 1watchmen 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 "2Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The 3fruit of their plans, Because * they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have 4rejected it also.
20 "5For what purpose does 6frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the 7sweet cane from a distant land? 8Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."
21 Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, 9I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, 10Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish."

The Enemy from the North

22 Thus says the LORD, "Behold, 11a people is coming from the north land, And a great nation will be aroused from the 12remote parts of the earth.
23 "They seize 13bow and spear; They are 14cruel and have no mercy; Their voice 15roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!"
24 We have 16heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. 17Anguish has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.
25 18Do not go out into the field And 19do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword, 20Terror is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, 21put on sackcloth And 22roll in ashes; 23Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us.
27 "I have 24made you an assayer and a tester among My people, That you may know and assay their way."

Jeremiah 6:17-27 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.

Cross References 24

  • 1. Isaiah 21:11; Isaiah 58:1; Jeremiah 25:4; Ezekiel 3:17; Habakkuk 2:1
  • 2. Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 19:3, 15; Jeremiah 22:29
  • 3. Proverbs 1:31
  • 4. Jeremiah 8:9
  • 5. Psalms 50:7-9; Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 66:3; Micah 6:6
  • 6. Isaiah 60:6
  • 7. Exodus 30:23
  • 8. Psalms 40:6; Amos 5:22
  • 9. Isaiah 8:14; Jeremiah 13:16
  • 10. Isaiah 9:14-17; Jeremiah 9:21, 22
  • 11. Jeremiah 1:15; Jeremiah 10:22; Jeremiah 50:41-43
  • 12. Nehemiah 1:9
  • 13. Isaiah 13:18; Jeremiah 4:29
  • 14. Jeremiah 50:42
  • 15. Isaiah 5:30
  • 16. Isaiah 28:19; Jeremiah 4:19-21
  • 17. Isaiah 21:3; Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 13:21; Jeremiah 30:6; Jeremiah 49:24; Jeremiah 50:43
  • 18. Jeremiah 14:18
  • 19. Judges 5:6
  • 20. Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 46:5; Jeremiah 49:29
  • 21. Jeremiah 4:8
  • 22. Jeremiah 25:34; Micah 1:10
  • 23. Amos 8:10; Zechariah 12:10
  • 24. Jeremiah 1:18; Jeremiah 15:20

Footnotes 5

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