Jeremiah 4:16

16 concitate gentes ecce auditum est in Hierusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua et dare super civitates Iuda vocem suam

Jeremiah 4:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 4:16

Make ye mention to the nations
This, according to Kimchi, is the sum and substance of the voice from Dan. It seems to be a summons to the nations to gather together to join the king of Babylon in his enterprise against Jerusalem; see ( 2 Kings 24:2 ) : publish against Jerusalem;
what follows: that watchers come from afar country;
from Babylon, which is said to be a far country, ( Isaiah 39:3 ) , these are the soldiers of the king of Babylon; they are called Notzerim; which word agrees with the latter part of Nebuchadnezzar's name; to which some F2 think there is some reference, showing that his army is meant. It should be rendered "besiegers", as it is by some F3; for these were not Nebuchadnezzar's bodyguard, but his whole army, who were come up to besiege Jerusalem; and they are compared to watchers and keepers of a field in the next verse, where another word is used. The Targum is,

``the army of a rapacious people, like the grape gatherers, come from a far country:''
and give out their voice against the cities of Judah;
threaten the ruin of them; blow the trumpet, the alarm of war; give the orders to besiege; and, being sure of victory, triumph before the attack is made.
FOOTNOTES:

F2 R. Joseph Kimchi, R. Jonah, and Ben Melech, but disapproved of by Abarbinel.
F3 (Myrun) "obsessores", Calvin, Buxtorf; a (rwu) , vel (rru) , "obsedit"; so Jarchi.

Jeremiah 4:16 In-Context

14 lava a malitia cor tuum Hierusalem ut salva fias usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiae
15 vox enim adnuntiantis a Dan et notum facientis idolum de monte Ephraim
16 concitate gentes ecce auditum est in Hierusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua et dare super civitates Iuda vocem suam
17 quasi custodes agrorum facti sunt super eam in gyro quia me ad iracundiam provocavit ait Dominus
18 viae tuae et cogitationes tuae fecerunt haec tibi ista malitia tua quia amara quia tetigit cor tuum
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.