King James Version
Jeremiah 6
30 verses with commentary
Jerusalem Under Siege
O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
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KJV Study Commentary
This urgent warning calls for flight from Jerusalem, employing three methods of alarm: gathering, trumpet blowing, and fire signals. The tribe of Benjamin, whose territory included Jerusalem, receives special address as judgment approaches 'out of the north'—a reference to Babylon. The Hebrew imperative mood throughout this verse creates urgency, emphasizing that God's judgment, though patient, ev...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
VI.
(1) The new discourse, or section of a discourse, deals more locally with the coming desolation of Jerusalem.
**O ye children of Benjamin.**—The city, though claimed as belonging to Judah, was actually on the border of the two tribes, the boundary running through the valley of Ben-Hinnom (Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16), and its northern walls were in that of Benjamin. It was natural that the proph...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
20. (Compare Is 10:11; 2Ch 32:19). Here he contradicts his own assertion (Is 36:10), that he had "come up against the land with the Lord." Liars need good memories. He classes Jehovah with the idols of the other lands; nay, thinks Him inferior in proportion as Judah, under His tutelage, was less than the lands under the tutelage of the idols.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. comely: or, dwelling at home
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KJV Study Commentary
The comparison of Zion to a 'comely and delicate woman' establishes a contrast: her beauty and delicacy make the coming destruction more tragic. The Hebrew 'navah' (comely) and 'anug' (delicate) suggest both physical beauty and luxurious living. This metaphor prepares for the invasion imagery in the following verses—Zion's delicate state makes her vulnerable to the warrior shepherds approaching. F...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **To a comely and delicate woman.**—“Woman” is not in the Hebrew, and the word translated “comely” is elsewhere (Isaiah 65:10; Jeremiah 23:3; Exodus 15:13) rendered “fold” or “habitation;” and the passage should probably stand thus, *I have likened the daughter of Zion to a fair pasturage, *thus suggesting the imagery which is developed in the next verse. The clause is, however, rendered by so...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. not a word--**so as not to enter into a war of words with the blasphemer (Ex 14:14; Jude 9).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her</strong>—the image of <em>ro'im</em> (רֹעִים, shepherds) here refers to enemy military commanders who will lead their armies (<em>edrehim</em>, עֶדְרֵיהֶם, flocks) against Jerusalem. <strong>They shall pitch their tents against her round about</strong> depicts the siege tactics where armies surrounded the city completely, cutting off esca...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Shall come unto her.**—Better, *Unto it *(*sc*., the pasture) *shall come shepherds with their flocks*—*i.e., *the leaders and the armies of the invaders. The other verbs are in the past tense, the future being seen, as it were realised, *They have pitched, they have pastured.*
**Every one in his place.**—Literally, *each on his hand, *or perhaps, “they shall feed, *each his hand,” i.e., *sh...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. clothes rent--**in grief and horror at the blasphemy (Mt 26:65).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
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KJV Study Commentary
The invaders' words reveal their eagerness for battle. The phrase 'prepare ye war' (Hebrew 'qadash'—literally 'sanctify' or 'consecrate') shows pagan nations viewed warfare as having religious dimensions. Their complaint 'Woe unto us!' at the fading daylight exposes bloodthirsty impatience for plunder. The 'shadows of the evening' create urgency—they fear missing their opportunity. This portrays t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Prepare ye war.**—Literally, *Sanctify. *The opening of the battle was accompanied by sacrifices, divinations, and prayers. Compare Deuteronomy 20:1-3 for the practice of the Israelites, and Ezekiel 21:20-22 for that of the Chaldæans, which was, of course, present to Jeremiah’s mind. The cry thus given with dramatic force comes from the soldiers of the invading army impatient for the fight. ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
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KJV Study Commentary
The decision to attack at night, despite its dangers, reveals the invaders' determination. Their target 'her palaces' indicates they seek to destroy symbols of authority and wealth. This night attack motif emphasizes the unexpected, overwhelming nature of God's judgment. From a Reformed perspective, this illustrates that when God's patience ends, His judgment cannot be evaded or postponed. The des...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 37 Is 37:1-38. Continuation of the Narrative in the Thirty-sixth Chapter.
**1. sackcloth--**(See on Is 20:2).
**house of the Lord--**the sure resort of God's people in distress (Psa 73:16, 17; 77:13).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. cast: or, pour out the engine of shot
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KJV Study Commentary
The LORD directly commands the invasion, identifying the Babylonians as His instruments. The command to 'hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem' describes siege warfare tactics. God calls Jerusalem a 'city to be visited'—the Hebrew 'paqad' can mean both 'visit' and 'punish,' indicating divine inspection resulting in judgment. The accusation 'she is wholly oppression in the midst of ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount.**—The words describe graphically the process of an Eastern siege as seen in the Assyrian bas-reliefs (Layard, *Mon. of Nineveh, *i. 73-76). Compare 2Samuel 20:15; Job 19:12; Isaiah 29:3; Ezekiel 4:2. First the neighbouring country is cleared by cutting down the trees; next, either by piling earth on these as a timber framework, or using the earth alone, a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. unto Isaiah--**implying the importance of the prophet's position at the time; the chief officers of the court are deputed to wait on him (compare 2Ki 22:12-14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.
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KJV Study Commentary
Using the metaphor of a well continually producing fresh water, God describes Jerusalem as constantly generating wickedness. The parallel phrases 'violence and spoil' with 'grief and wounds' reveal both the actions (violence/spoil) and their consequences (grief/wounds). The phrase 'is heard in her' suggests that violence has become so commonplace it's the defining sound of the city. This illustrat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **As a fountain casteth out her waters.**—The English is plain enough, but the Hebrew presents two difficulties: (1) The word rendered “fountain” (better, *cistern*) is not spelt with the usual vowels, and the etymology of the verb is quite uncertain. It has been rendered, *As a cistern *“*gathers” *or “*keeps in,” *or “*keeps its waters cool,” *or “*lets them flow.” *The general meaning is pr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. rebuke--**that is, the Lord's rebuke for His people's sins (Psa 149:7; Ho 5:9).
**blasphemy--**blasphemous railing of Rab-shakeh.
**the children, &c.--**a proverbial expression for, We are in the most extreme danger and have no power to avert it (compare Ho 13:13).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. depart: Heb. be loosed, or, disjointed
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KJV Study Commentary
Despite the severe condemnation, God offers a final warning: 'Be thou instructed' (Hebrew 'yasar'—disciplined, corrected). This demonstrates divine patience, giving opportunity for repentance even as judgment approaches. The threat 'lest my soul depart from thee' uses anthropomorphic language to describe God withdrawing His covenant presence. The consequences are stark: desolation and abandonment ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Be thou instructed.**—Better, *Be thou corrected, *or, *chastened. *Comp. Psalm 2:10; Leviticus 26:23 (where we have “reformed”); and Proverbs 29:19.
**Lest my soul.**—As in Jeremiah 4:19, the Hebrew formula for emphasised personality. The word for “depart” may be better rendered *tear itself away.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. hear--**take cognizance of (2Sa 16:12).
**reprove--**will punish him for the words, &c. (Psa 50:21).
**remnant--**the two tribes of the kingdom of Judah, Israel being already captive. Isaiah is entreated to act as intercessor with God.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
The invasion of Judea. (Jr 6:1-8) The justice of God's proceedings. (Jr 6:9-17) All methods used to amend them had been without success. (Jr 6:18-30)
**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 ...
Read full commentary →Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
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KJV Study Commentary
The LORD commands thorough gleaning of Israel's remnant like grapes left after harvest. The phrase 'turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets' suggests multiple passes to ensure nothing is missed. This can be understood in two ways: either as thoroughgoing judgment leaving nothing, or as God's careful gathering of a faithful remnant. Reformed theology emphasizes God's sovereignty in...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Turn back thine hand.**—The image of the grape-gatherer carrying on his work to the last grape or tendril was a natural parable of unsparing desolation. The command is addressed to the minister of destruction, Nebuchadnezzar, or, it may be, to the angel of death.
**Into the baskets.**—The noun is found here only, and probably means, like a kindred word in Isaiah 18:5, *the tendrils of the vi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jeremiah's question reveals his prophetic dilemma: he has a message to deliver, but the audience is spiritually incapable of receiving it. The phrase 'their ear is uncircumcised' employs covenant language—just as physical circumcision marked covenant membership, an uncircumcised ear indicates spiritual inability to hear God's word (cf. Acts 7:51). The description of God's word as 'a reproach; they...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **To whom shall I speak . . .**?—The prophet, who now speaks in his own name, has heard the message from the Lord of Hosts; but what avails it? who will listen? As elsewhere the lips (Exodus 6:30) and the heart (Leviticus 26:41; Ezekiel 44:7), so here the ear of Israel was uncircumcised, as though it had never been brought into covenant with Jehovah or consecrated to His service.
**A reproach...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. servants--**literally, "youths," mere lads, implying disparagement, not an embassy of venerable elders. The Hebrew is different from that for "servants" in Is 37:5.
**blasphemed me--**(Is 36:20).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jeremiah describes being 'full of the fury of the LORD' and weary of holding it back. This reveals the prophet's burden: he carries God's message of judgment, which demands proclamation despite opposition. The command 'pour it out' indicates judgment will be comprehensive, affecting all ages ('child in the street' to 'aged with him that is full of days'). The phrase 'husband with the wife' emphasi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **I am full of the fury . . .**—The prophet feels himself filled, frail vessel as he is, with the righteous wrath of Jehovah. It will not be controlled.
**I will pour it out.**—Better, as the command coming from the mouth of Jehovah, *Pour it out. *The words that follow describe the several stages of man’s life, upon all of which that torrent of wrath is to flow forth—the children abroad, *i....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. blast--**rather, "I will put a spirit (Is 28:6; 1Ki 22:23) into him," that is, so influence his judgment that when he hears the report (Is 37:9, concerning Tirhakah), he shall return [Gesenius]; the "report" also of the destruction of his army at Jerusalem, reaching Sennacherib, while he was in the southwest of Palestine on the borders of Egypt, led him to retreat.
**by the sword--**(Is 37:...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
The consequences of judgment include transfer of property: 'their houses shall be turned unto others.' The phrase 'with their fields and wives together' indicates total dispossession. God will 'stretch out my hand' (a gesture of judgment throughout Scripture) upon Judah's inhabitants. This reflects covenant curses from Deuteronomy 28:30-33, where disobedience results in others enjoying what you bu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. returned--**to the camp of his master.
**Libnah--**meaning "whiteness," the Blanche-garde of the Crusaders [Stanley]. Eusebius and Jerome place it more south, in the district of Eleutheropolis, ten miles northwest of Lachish, which Sennacherib had captured (see on Is 36:2). Libnah was in Judea and given to the priests (1Ch 6:54, 57).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
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KJV Study Commentary
God indicts both religious and civil leaders: 'from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness.' The phrase connects prophets and priests with 'falsehood' (Hebrew 'sheqer'—deception, lie). This demonstrates how corruption infiltrates religious leadership when materialism takes root. The pairing of 'covetousness' with 'falsehood' shows how greed inevitably l...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Is given to covetousness.**—Literally, *gained gain. *The Hebrew word (as in Genesis 37:26; Job 22:2) does not necessarily involve the idea of dishonest gain, though this (as in Proverbs 1:19; Habakkuk 2:9) is often implied. What the prophet condemns is the universal desire of gain (*rem** . . .** rem** . . .*** *quocunque modo rem*)*, *sure to lead, as in the second clause, to a gratificat...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. Tirhakah--**(See on Is 17:12; Is 18:6). Egypt was in part governed by three successive Ethiopian monarchs, for forty or fifty years: Sabacho, Sevechus, and Tirhakah. Sevechus retired from Lower Egypt owing to the resistance of the priests, whereupon Sethos, a prince-priest, obtained supreme power with Tanis (Zoan in Scripture), or Memphis, as his capital. The Ethiopians retained Upper Egypt u...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. hurt: Heb. bruise, or, breach
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KJV Study Commentary
This is one of Scripture's most devastating critiques of superficial ministry. The phrase 'healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly' (Hebrew 'qalal'—lightly, cheaply) indicates offering inadequate solutions to serious problems. Crying 'Peace, peace; when there is no peace' describes false prophets who promised security while judgment approached. This verse exposes the danger of therap...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **They have healed . . . slightly.**—Literally, *as a thing of nought, a light matter. *The words “of the daughter” are in italics, as indicating that the marginal reading of the Hebrew omits them. They are found, however, in the present text.
**Peace, peace.**—The word is taken almost in the sense of “health,” as in Genesis 43:27-28, and elsewhere. The false prophets were as physicians who t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. He tries to influence Hezekiah himself, as Rab-shakeh had addressed the people.
**God ... deceive--**(Compare Nu 23:19).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
The rhetorical question expects a negative answer: they are not ashamed of their abominations. The phrase 'neither could they blush' indicates such deep corruption that natural moral sense is deadened. Therefore, judgment is certain: 'they shall fall among them that fall' and 'be cast down' at the time of divine visitation. This illustrates the Reformed doctrine of the seared conscience (1 Timothy...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Were they ashamed . . .?**—The Hebrew gives an assertion, not a question—*They are brought to shame *(as in Jeremiah 2:26), *because they have committed abominations. *And yet, the prophet adds, “they were not ashamed” (the verb is in a different voice). There was no inward feeling of shame even when they were covered with ignominy and confusion. They had lost the power to blush, and were c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. all lands--**(Is 14:17). He does not dare to enumerate Egypt in the list.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands His people to 'stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way.' This call to return to ancient covenant faithfulness contrasts with innovation and compromise. The promise 'ye shall find rest unto your souls' (echoed by Jesus in Matthew 11:29) offers peace through obedience. However, the people's response—'We will not walk therein'—demonstrates willful ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Stand ye in the ways.**—In the prophet’s mind the people were as a traveller who has taken a self-chosen path, and finds that it leads him to a place of peril. Is it not well that they should stop and ask where the old paths (literally, *the eternal paths; *the words going, as in Jeremiah 18:15, beyond the mere antiquity of the nation’s life) were, on which their fathers had travelled safel...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. Gozan--**in Mesopotamia, on the Chabour (2Ki 17:6; 18:11). Gozan is the name of the district, Chabour of the river.
**Haran--**more to the west. Abraham removed to it from Ur (Ge 11:31); the Carroe of the Romans.
**Rezeph--**farther west, in Syria.
**Eden--**There is an ancient village, Adna, north of Baghdad. Some think Eden to be the name of a region (of Mesopotamia or its vicinity) ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
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KJV Study Commentary
God appoints watchmen (prophets) with the responsibility to sound the alarm ('hearken to the sound of the trumpet'). These watchmen give warning of approaching danger. However, the people's response is defiant: 'We will not hearken.' This demonstrates that the problem is not lack of warning but willful rejection of the warning. The watchman motif appears throughout Ezekiel 3 and 33, emphasizing th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Watchmen.**—i.e., the sentinels of the army, as in 1Samuel 14:16, giving the signal in this case, not for advance but for retreat (comp. Jeremiah 6:1, and Amos 3:6). The watchmen are, of course (as in Isaiah 52:8; Isaiah 56:10; Ezekiel 3:17; Habakkuk 2:1), the prophets blowing the trumpet of alarm, proclaiming, as in Jeremiah 6:1, the nearness of the invader, and calling on them to flee fro...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13. Hena ... Ivah--**in Babylonia. From Ava colonists had been brought to Samaria (2Ki 17:24).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
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KJV Study Commentary
God calls the nations (Gentiles) as witnesses to His judgment against Judah. The phrase 'hear, ye nations' and 'know, O congregation, what is among them' summons the world to observe God's righteous judgment. This serves multiple purposes: it vindicates God's justice before all peoples, demonstrates that covenant breaking brings consequences, and warns other nations. The appeal to witnesses reflec...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Therefore hear, ye nations . . .**—The obstinate refusal with which the people met the summons of the prophet leads him once more to a solemn appeal (1) to the heathen nations, then (2) to the “congregation” of Israel (as in Exodus and Numbers *passim*)*, *or, possibly, of mankind collectively, (3) to earth as the witness of the judgments of Jehovah.
**What is among them.**—Better, *what co...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. spread--**unrolled the scroll of writing. God "knows our necessities before we ask Him," but He delights in our unfolding them to Him with filial confidence (2Ch 20:3, 11-13).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
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KJV Study Commentary
God summons the earth itself to witness, emphasizing the cosmic significance of His judgment. The declaration 'I will bring evil upon this people' uses 'evil' in the sense of calamity or disaster as judicial punishment. The key phrase 'the fruit of their thoughts' reveals the root: judgment comes as the natural consequence of their mental and spiritual orientation. Their rejection is comprehensive...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
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KJV Study Commentary
God rejects their worship as meaningless: incense from Sheba (southwestern Arabia) and sweet cane from distant countries cannot compensate for covenant unfaithfulness. The rhetorical question 'To what purpose...?' exposes the futility of religious ritual without obedience. Their offerings are 'not acceptable' and sacrifices give no 'delight.' This illustrates the prophetic principle that God desir...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Incense from Sheba.**—The land that had a proverbial fame both for gold and frankincense (Isaiah 60:6; Ezekiel 27:22), the *thus Sabæum of *Virg., *Æn. *i. 416, 417. So Milton, *Par. Lost, *4—
“Sabæan odours from the spicy shores
Of Araby the blest.”
So the Queen of Sheba brought spices and gold (1Kings 10:10).
**The sweet cane.**—Literally, *the good cane, *or, as in Exodus 30:23, *sweet c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. dwellest--**the Shekinah, or fiery symbol of God's presence, dwelling in the temple with His people, is from shachan, "to dwell" (Ex 25:22; Psa 80:1; 99:1).
**cherubim--**derived by transposition from either a Hebrew root, rachab, to "ride"; or rather, barach, to "bless." They were formed out of the same mass of pure gold as the mercy seat itself (Ex 25:19, Margin). The phrase, "dwellest b...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
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KJV Study Commentary
God promises to 'lay stumblingblocks before this people' so that comprehensive judgment falls: 'the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.' The 'stumblingblocks' may be God actively blinding them (judicial hardening) or the obstacles inherent in their sin-chosen path. The inclusiveness of the judgment ('fathers and sons,' 'neighbour and frien...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **And the fathers and the sons together . . .**—Better, *I give unto this people stumbling blocks, and they shall stumble over them: fathers and sons together, neighbour and his friend, shall perish.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. ear ... eyes--**singular, plural. When we wish to hear a thing we lend one ear; when we wish to see a thing we open both eyes.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
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KJV Study Commentary
A people comes 'from the north country' (Babylon), described as a 'great nation' being 'raised from the sides of the earth.' The phrase 'raised' (Hebrew 'ur') suggests God's sovereign stirring up of this nation for His purposes. This mighty army serves as God's instrument of judgment, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over all nations. Reformed theology emphasizes God's meticulous providence—...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **From the north country . . .**—**The words **point, as in Jeremiah 1:13-15, to the Chaldæan, perhaps, also, to the Scythian, invasion. So the “north quarters” are used in Ezekiel 38:6; Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2 of the home of Gog as the representative of the Scythian tribes.
**Shall be raised.**—Literally, *shall be roused, *or *awakened.*
**The sides of the earth.**—*sc*., its ends, *or ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18. have laid waste--**conceding the truth of the Assyrian's allegation (Is 36:18-20), but adding the reason, "For they were no gods."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
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KJV Study Commentary
The invading army is described with terrifying imagery: 'They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy.' Their voice 'roareth like the sea,' suggesting overwhelming force. They come equipped for war, 'riding upon horses, set in array as men for war.' All this is directed 'against thee, O daughter of Zion.' This vivid description emphasizes the horror of the coming judgmen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Bow and spear.**—As before (Jeremiah 5:16), the special weapons of the Chaldæans. The “spear” was a javelin, shot or hurled against the enemy.
**Cruel.**—The ferocity of the Chaldæans seems to have been exceptional. Prisoners impaled, or flayed alive, or burnt in the furnace (Jeremiah 29:22; Daniel 3:11), were among the common incidents of their wars and sieges.
**They ride upon horses.**—T...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. cast ... gods into ... fire--**The policy of the Assyrians in order to alienate the conquered peoples from their own countries was, both to deport them elsewhere, and to destroy the tutelary idols of their nation, the strongest tie which bound them to their native land. The Roman policy was just the reverse.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
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KJV Study Commentary
The response to news of invasion shows terror: 'We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble.' Physical weakness ('feeble hands') accompanies psychological distress: 'anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.' The childbirth metaphor appears frequently in judgment contexts, suggesting both intensity and inevitability of the coming pain. This verse captures the help...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **We have heard the fame.**—Another dramatic impersonation of the cry of terror from the dwellers in Jerusalem, when they shall hear of the approach of the army. The imagery of the woman in travail is reproduced from Jeremiah 4:31.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
20. The strongest argument to plead before God in prayer, the honor of God (Ex 32:12-14; Psa 83:18; Da 9:18, 19).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
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KJV Study Commentary
The warning against normal activity—'Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way'—indicates that danger is everywhere. The specific threat, 'the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side,' shows comprehensive danger. The Hebrew phrase 'magor missabib' (fear/terror on every side) becomes a recurring theme in Jeremiah's prophecy. This total insecurity illustrates life under God's judgment: n...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **The field.**—*i.e., the open country. *To pass beyond the walls of the beleaguered city would be full of danger. The warning has its parallel in Matthew 24:17-18. In the same chapter we find also an echo of the prophet’s reference to the pangs of childbirth (Matthew 24:8).
**Fear is on every side.**—The words are more notable than they seem. They impressed themselves on the prophet’s mind, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. Whereas thou hast prayed to me--**that is, hast not relied on thy own strength but on Me (compare 2Ki 19:20). "That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib, I have heard" (Psa 65:2).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
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KJV Study Commentary
The call to 'gird thee with sackcloth' and 'wallow thyself in ashes' prescribes extreme mourning practices. The reason: 'the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.' The description of the expected mourning—'as for an only son, most bitter lamentation'—evokes the deepest grief. Loss of an only son meant the end of family line and inheritance, representing total loss. This intensity of mourning reflec...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Wallow thyself in ashes.**—So in Jeremiah 25:34; Ezekiel 27:30. The ordinary sign of mourning was to sprinkle dust or ashes on the head (2Samuel 1:2; 2Samuel 13:19; Joshua 7:6). This, as in Jeremiah 25:34; Micah 1:10; Job 2:8, indicated more utter wretchedness and prostration. The English verb belongs to the class of those which were once used reflexively, and have now come to be intransiti...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22. Transition to poetry: in parallelism.
**virgin ... daughter--**honorable terms. "Virgin" implies that the city is, as yet, inviolate. "Daughter" is an abstract collective feminine personification of the population, the child of the place denoted (see on Is 23:10; Is 1:8). Zion and her inhabitants.
**shaken ... head--**in scorn (Psa 22:7; 109:25; Mt 27:39). With us to shake the head is a si...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
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KJV Study Commentary
God appoints Jeremiah as an assayer ('I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people') to test and know their way. The metallurgical language continues: Jeremiah will examine the people as one tests metal for purity. This verse reveals the prophet's dual role: both messenger and examiner. The phrase 'mayest know and try their way' indicates thorough investigation of conduct. God alread...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **I have set thee . . .**—The verse is difficult, as containing words in the Hebrew which are not found elsewhere, and have therefore to be guessed at. The following rendering is given on the authority of the most recent commentators, and has the merit of being in harmony with the metallurgic imagery of the following verses. *As a prover of ore I have set thee among my people, and thou shalt ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. Whom--**not an idol.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
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KJV Study Commentary
The metallurgical metaphor continues: the people are 'all grievous revolters,' walking about as 'slanderers' (Hebrew 'rakil'—talebearers, gossips). The metals 'brass and iron' suggest inferior quality—not gold or silver. The phrase 'they are all corrupters' indicates comprehensive moral failure. This verse shows that examination reveals not pure metal but dross. The emphasis on slander connects sp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Grievous revolters . . .**—Literally, *rebels of rebels, *as a Hebraism for the worst type of rebellion.
**Walking with slanders.**—The phrase was a common one (Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 20:19), and pointed to the restless eagerness of the tale-bearer to spread his falsehoods. (Comp. 1Timothy 5:13, “wandering about** . . .** idle tattlers.”)
**Brass and iron.**—Base metals s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. said--**virtually. Hast thou within thyself?
**height--**imagery from the Assyrian felling of trees in Lebanon (Is 14:8; 33:9); figuratively for, "I have carried my victorious army through the regions most difficult of access, to the most remote lands."
**sides--**rather, "recesses" [G. V. Smith].
**fir trees--**not cypresses, as some translate; pine foliage and cedars are still found ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire ; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.</strong><br><br>Jeremiah employs metallurgical imagery to describe Judah's incorrigible wickedness. The Hebrew <em>mapeach</em> ("bellows") pumped air to intensify furnace heat for refining silver. <em>Nachar</em> ("burned") suggests the bellows themselves are damaged...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **The bellows are burned.**—Better, *burn, *or *glow. *In the interpretation of the parable the “bellows” answer to the life of the prophet as filled with the breath or spirit of Jehovah. He is, as it were, consumed with that fiery blast, and yet his work is faulty.
**The lead is consumed . . .**—Better, *from their fire is lead only. *A different punctuation gives, *The bellows burn with fir...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25. digged, and drunk water--**In 2Ki 19:24, it is "strange waters." I have marched into foreign lands where I had to dig wells for the supply of my armies; even the natural destitution of water there did not impede my march.
**rivers of ... besieged places--**rather, "the streams (artificial canals from the Nile) of Egypt." "With the sole of my foot," expresses that as soon as his vast armies...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. Reprobate: or, Refuse silver
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KJV Study Commentary
The conclusion of the metallurgical metaphor: 'Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.' The term 'reprobate' (Hebrew 'ma'as'—rejected, refused) indicates silver that fails purity standards. Despite refining attempts, the material proves worthless and must be discarded. The phrase 'the LORD hath rejected them' is the ultimate verdict. This doesn't mean individuals...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Reprobate silver.**—Better, as in the margin, *refuse silver; *the dross and not the metal; so worthless that even Jehovah, as the great refiner, rejects it utterly, as yielding nothing. The adjective and the verb have in the Hebrew the emphasis of being formed from the same root, *Refuse silver** . . .*** *because Jehovals had refused them.*
**Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Tex...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
26. Reply of God to Sennacherib.
**long ago--**join, rather, with "I have done it." Thou dost boast that it is all by thy counsel and might: but it is I who, long ago, have ordered it so (Is 22:11); thou wert but the instrument in My hands (Is 10:5, 15). This was the reason why "the inhabitants were of small power before thee" (Is 37:27), namely, that I ordered it so; yet thou art in My hands, a...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**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...
Read full commentary →