Jeremiah 6:1

CHAPTER VI

Jeremiah, in the spirit of prophecy, seeing the Chaldeans on

their march, bids his people set up the usual signals of

distress, and spread the general alarm to betake themselves to

flight, 1.

Then, by a beautiful allusion to the custom of shepherds moving

their flocks to the richest pastures, Jerusalem is singled out

as a place devoted to be eaten up or trodden down by the armies

of the Chaldeans, who are called up against her, and whose

ardour and impatience are so great that the soldiers, when they

arrive in the evening, regret they have no more day, and desire

to begin the attack without waiting for the light of the

morning, 2-5.

God is then represented as animating and directing the

besiegers against this guilty city, which sinned as incessantly

as a fountain flows, 6, 7,

although warned of the fatal consequence, 8.

He intimates also, by the gleaning of the grapes, that one

invasion should carry away the remains of another, till their

disobedience, hypocrisy, and other sins should end in their

total overthrow, 9-15.

And to show that God is clear when he judgeth, he mentions his

having in vain admonished and warned them, and calls upon the

whole world to witness the equity of his proceedings, 16-18,

in punishing this perverse and hypocritical people, 19, 20,

by the ministry of the cruel Chaldeans, 21-23.

Upon this a chorus of Jews is introduced expressing their fears

and alarm, 24, 25;

to which the prophet echoes a response full of sympathy and

tenderness, 26.

The concluding verses, by metaphors taken from the process of

refining gold and silver, represent all the methods hitherto

used to amend them as wholly ineffectual, 27-30.

NOTES ON CHAP. VI

Verse Jeremiah 6:1. O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee] As the invading armies are fast approaching, the prophet calls on the inhabitants of Jerusalem to sound an alarm, and collect all the people to arm themselves and go against the invaders. They are called the children of Benjamin, because Jerusalem was in the tribe of Benjamin.

Tekoa] Was a city about twelve miles to the south of Jerusalem.

Beth-haccerem] Was the name of a small village situated on an eminence between Jerusalem and Tekoa. On this they were ordered to set up a beacon, or kindle a large fire, which might be seen at a distance, and give the people to understand that an enemy was entering the land.

Out of the north] From Babylon. The Scythians. - Dahler.