Jeremiah 6:1

ye children of Benjamin Jeremiah was himself a Benjamite (ch. Jeremiah 1:1), and Jerusalem was in Benjamin, the boundary between that tribe and Judah lying in the valley of Hinnom, to the south of the city.

and blow … Beth-haccherem these two clauses interrupt the Ḳinah measure, and break into the context which deals with Jerusalem only. Hence Du. and Co. (not so Gi.) consider them a later insertion. "Blow the trumpet" and the proper name Tekoa involve a play on words in the Heb. (tik-û, tĕkoa-). Tekoa(Tekû"a) is about twelve miles S. of Jerusalem, on a hill forming part of the range which stretches from Hebron towards the Dead Sea. St Jerome writing in Palestine speaks of it as daily before his eyes. It was the birthplace of Amos (Amos 1:1), and it or its inhabitants are mentioned on several other occasions. The ruins which are found there, however, are probably all of Christian times. It is in the direction which would be naturally taken by the inhabitants in the event of flight before an invading host from the north.

a signal Though the Hebrew word has no necessary reference to fire, a word (Massû"ah) closely connected with this one is used in later Hebrew to denote the fire lighted to give notice of the appearance of the new moon. The word used here occurs in Judges 20:38; Judges 20:40, to denote a pillar of smoke agreed upon as a signal. In this clause also a play on words seems intended between the imperative and its object.

Beth-haccherem (House of the vineyard) mentioned elsewhere only in Nehemiah 3:14, and to be identified in position with a conical-shaped hill called the Frank mountain, between Bethlehem and Tekoa, so named as having been used for military purposes in the Crusades; a very suitable spot for a beacon station.