Jeremiah 6:27-30

Jeremiah Appointed as an Examiner

27 I have appointed you to be an assayer among My people- a refiner[a]- so you may know and assay their way of life.[b]
28 All are stubborn rebels spreading slander.[c] [They are] bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.[d]
29 The bellows blow, blasting the lead with fire. The refining is completely in vain; the evil ones are not separated out.
30 They are called rejected silver, for the Lord has rejected them.[e]

Jeremiah 6:27-30 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 5

  • [a]. Text emended; MT reads fortress
  • [b]. 1 Ch 29:17; Ps 7:9; Pr 17:3
  • [c]. Lv 19:16; Pr 11:13; 20:19
  • [d]. 2 Ch 27:2; Isa 1:4
  • [e]. Jr 2:37; 7:29; 1 Sm 15:23,26
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