Jeremiah 6

Jerusalem Under Siege

1 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction.

2 I will destroy Daughter Zion, so beautiful and delicate.

3 Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her, each tending his own portion.”

4 “Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long.

5 So arise, let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses!”

6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Cut down the trees and build siege ramps against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression.

7 As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.

8 Take warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you and make your land desolate so no one can live in it.”

9 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes.”

10 To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed^[a]so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

11 But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years.

12 Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD.

13 “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.

15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD.

16 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’

18 Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them.

19 Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.

20 What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.”

21 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I will put obstacles before this people. Parents and children alike will stumble over them; neighbors and friends will perish.”

22 This is what the LORD says: “Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth.

23 They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion.”

24 We have heard reports about them, and our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

25 Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side.

26 Put on sackcloth, my people, and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

27 “I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore, that you may observe and test their ways.

28 They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.

29 The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.

30 They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”

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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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 72

1. S Numbers 10:7; S Jeremiah 4:21
2. 2 Chronicles 11:6; Amos 1:1
3. Nehemiah 3:14
4. S Jeremiah 4:6
5. S Psalms 9:14
6. Lamentations 4:5
7. Jeremiah 12:10
8. S 2 Kings 25:4; Luke 19:43
9. Jeremiah 15:8; Jeremiah 22:7
10. Deuteronomy 20:19-20
11. S 2 Samuel 20:15; Jeremiah 32:24; Jeremiah 52:4; Ezekiel 26:8
12. S Deuteronomy 28:33; Jeremiah 25:38; Zephaniah 3:1
13. S Psalms 55:9; S Isaiah 58:4; Ezekiel 7:11,23
14. Jeremiah 20:8
15. Ezekiel 23:18; Hosea 9:12
16. S Genesis 45:7
17. Jeremiah 7:13,24; Jeremiah 35:15
18. Jeremiah 4:4; Acts 7:51
19. S Isaiah 42:20
20. Jeremiah 15:10,15; Jeremiah 20:8
21. Jeremiah 7:20; Jeremiah 15:17
22. Job 32:20; Jeremiah 20:9
23. S 2 Chronicles 36:17; S Isaiah 40:30; Jeremiah 9:21
24. Lamentations 2:21
25. S Deuteronomy 28:30; Micah 2:4
26. 1 Kings 11:4; Jeremiah 8:10; Jeremiah 29:23; Jeremiah 38:22; Jeremiah 43:6; Jeremiah 44:9,15
27. Isaiah 5:25; Jeremiah 21:5; Jeremiah 32:21; Ezekiel 6:14; Ezekiel 35:3; Zephaniah 1:4
28. S Jeremiah 2:29
29. S Isaiah 56:11
30. Lamentations 4:13; Jeremiah 8:10
31. S Isaiah 30:10; S Jeremiah 4:10; Jeremiah 8:11; Ezekiel 13:10
32. Jeremiah 3:3; Jeremiah 8:10-12; Micah 3:7; Zechariah 13:4
33. 2 Chronicles 25:16; Jeremiah 27:15
34. Jeremiah 18:15
35. S 1 Kings 8:36; S Psalms 119:3
36. S Joshua 1:13; S Isaiah 11:10; Matthew 11:29
37. S Isaiah 52:8; Ezekiel 3:17
38. S Exodus 20:18
39. Jeremiah 11:7-8; Jeremiah 25:4; Ezekiel 33:4; Zechariah 1:4
40. S Deuteronomy 4:26; Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 22:29; Micah 1:2
41. S Joshua 23:15; Jeremiah 11:11; Jeremiah 19:3
42. Proverbs 1:31
43. Jeremiah 29:19
44. Jeremiah 8:9; Ezekiel 20:13; Amos 2:4
45. S Genesis 10:7
46. S Exodus 30:23
47. Amos 5:22; Malachi 1:9
48. Psalms 50:8-10; Jeremiah 7:21; Micah 6:7-8
49. S Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 14:12; Hosea 8:13; Hosea 9:4
50. S Leviticus 26:37; S Isaiah 8:14
51. S Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 1:15; Jeremiah 10:22
52. S Deuteronomy 28:49
53. S Isaiah 13:18
54. S Psalms 18:4; S Psalms 93:3
55. S Jeremiah 4:29
56. S Isaiah 10:32
57. Isaiah 13:7
58. S Jeremiah 4:19
59. S Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 50:41-43
60. S Job 15:21; S Psalms 31:13; Jeremiah 49:29
61. S Jeremiah 4:8
62. S Job 2:8; Jeremiah 25:34; Ezekiel 27:30; John 3:6; Micah 1:10
63. Jeremiah 9:1; Jeremiah 18:22; Jeremiah 20:16; Jeremiah 25:36
64. S Genesis 21:16; Zechariah 12:10
65. S Exodus 12:23; S Jeremiah 4:7
66. Jeremiah 9:7; Zechariah 13:9
67. Jeremiah 5:23
68. S Leviticus 19:16; Jeremiah 9:4
69. Ezekiel 22:18
70. Malachi 3:3
71. Proverbs 17:3; Ezekiel 22:18
72. Psalms 53:5; Psalms 119:119; Jeremiah 7:29; Lamentations 5:22; Hosea 9:17

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew "uncircumcised"

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.