Jeremiah 6:19

19 Hear this, people of the earth: I am going to bring disaster to the people of Judah because of the evil they plan. They have not listened to my messages and have rejected my teachings.

Jeremiah 6:19 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 6:19

Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people,
&c.] The people of the Jews; the evil of punishment, for the evil of sin committed by them; wherefore the earth, and the inhabitants of it, are called upon to bear witness to, the righteousness of such a procedure: even the fruit of their thoughts;
which they thought of, contrived, and devised; which shows that they did not do what they did inadvertently, but with thought and design. Kimchi interprets it of sinful deeds and actions, the fruit of thoughts; but his father, of thoughts themselves. The Talmudists, ^F25 comment upon it thus,

``a thought which brings forth fruit, the holy blessed God joins it to an action; but a thought in which there is no fruit, the holy blessed God does not join to action;''

that is, in punishment; very wrongly. For the sense is, that God would bring upon them the calamities and distresses their thoughts and the evil counsels of their minds deserved. The Targum renders it,

``the retribution or reward of their works.''

Because they have not hearkened unto my words;
spoken to them by the prophets: nor to my law, but rejected it;
neither hearkened to the law, nor to the prophets, but despised both. The Targum is,

``because they obeyed not the words of my servants, the prophets, and abhorred my law.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 40. 1.

Jeremiah 6:19 In-Context

17 I set watchmen over you and told you, 'Listen for the sound of the war trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

18 So listen, all you nations, and pay attention, you witnesses. Watch what I will do to the people of Judah.

19 Hear this, people of the earth: I am going to bring disaster to the people of Judah because of the evil they plan. They have not listened to my messages and have rejected my teachings.

20 Why do you bring me offerings of incense from the land of Sheba? Why do you bring me sweet-smelling cane from a faraway land? Your burnt offerings will not be accepted; your sacrifices do not please me."

21 So this is what the Lord says: "I will put problems in front of Judah. Fathers and sons will stumble over them together. Neighbors and friends will die."