Westminster Annotations, Jeremiah · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Vers. 1. O Ye children of Benjamin] Which Tribe had cleaved still to Judah, when the other ten revolted from them, 2 Chron. 11. 12. Chap. 17. 26.
gather your selves] Isa. 10. 31. Chap. 4. 5.
to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem] Or, out of Jerusalem. as Num. 14. 44. As before they were advised to flie to Jerusalem for succour and safeguard, as a place of most strength, Chap. 4. 5, 6. thereby intimating the enemies neer approach to them: so now they are warned to quit her, lest they be destroyed with her: (as Isa. 52. 11. Chap. 10. 17. & 51. 6.) thereby intimating, what should become of her, whom they had repaired unto for safety, Isa. 23. 12.
blow the trumpet] Chap. 4. 5. Hos. 5. 8. & 8. 1.
in T…koa] A citie of Judah, 1 Chron. 2. 24. 2 Chron. 11. 6.
set up a sign of fire] A beacon: to give warning of the enemies approach.
in Beth-haccerem] A town, or fort, of Judah; situate, as the former, on the confines of Benjamin, Nehem. 3. 14.
evill appeareth out of the north] Chap. 1. 14. & 3. 18. & 4. 6.
great destruction] Heb. a great breach; or, breaking. Chap. 4. 20. and 48. 3.
V. 2. I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman] Or, to a woman dwelling at home and delicate. She hath hitherto lived plentifully and daintily in her own land, Chap. 5. 7.
V. 3. The shepherds] The Princes and Chieftains of Babylon, with their armies, Chap. 12. 10.
with their flocks] Their Camp, Chap. 4. 12.
they shall feed] Pitch and wast.
every one] Heb. a man. as Chap. 1. 16.
in his place] Or, at his side. in his quarter. Heb. band. Num. 2. 17. Deut. 23. 12.
V. 4. Prepare ye warre] Heb. Sanctifie. as Chap. 12. 3. and 22. 7. Joel 3. 9.
arise and let us go up at noon, &c.] The speech of the Babylonians, hastening to come before Jerusalem; and complaining, that they burn day-light; as doubting lest the night overtake them; but resolving, rather then fail, to set on her by night, Isa. 51. 27.
the shadowes of the evening are stretched out] Or, decline. Psal. 102. 11. & 109. 23.
V. 5. let us destroy her palaces] Chap. 9. 20.
V. 6. H…w ye down trees] To raise works for the siege, Deut. 20. 19, 20. He turneth his speech to the Chaldeans; as vers. 4. in whose person also he there speaketh.
cast a mount] Or, pour out the engine of shot. Isa. 37. 33. Ezek. 26. 8.
this is the …iti… to be visited] Or, punished. Chap. 5. 9, 29.
she is wholly oppression in the midst of her] There is nothing but oppression in her. Or, she is full of it from the one end to the other. 2 King. 21. 16. & 24. 4.
V. 7. As a fountain casteth out her waters, &c.] Wickednesse, violence and oppression flow incessantly with her, as water from a spring, Psal. 55. 9, - 11. Isa. 57. 20.
violence and spoil is heard in her] Chap. 20. 8.
before me continually is grief and wounds] Or▪ strokes. Chap. 30. 14. Their cruell courses in vexing and oppressing one another, are continually in mine eye, provoking me to proceed with all severitie against them, Psal. 109. 15. Isa. 3. 8, 14, 15. & 65. 3.
V. 8. Be thou instructed, &c.] Heb. corrected. Pro. 29. 15. They are warned to amend by Gods chastisements, Chap. 31. 18. lest he forsake them; and expose them to destruction, Psal. 94. 12, 13.
lest my soul depart from thee] Heb. be loosed. or, disjoynted from thee. Gen. 32. 25. Ezek. 23. 17, 18.
V. 9. They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine] Heb. gleaning glean. The Chaldeans, after that they have once spoiled, or captived them, shall glean them again the second time, and the third, 2 King. 24. 16, 17. & 25. 4, 6, 8, 9, 11. Chap. 16. 16. & 52. 28, - 30.
turn back thine hand as a grape-gatherer into the baskets] Gods speech to the Prophet, bidding him pull off the clusters of grapes from a vine represented unto him in a vision, untill he have pluckt all, and bestowed them in the basket: Or, to the Chaldeans, enjoyning them to spoil and plunder again and again, untill they have made havock of all: Or, of the Chaldeans, encouraging one another so to do: as vers. 4.
V. 10. To whom shall I speak, &c.] Isa. 28. 9.
their eare is uncircumcised] They regard no more the messages brought them from God, then as if they had some thick skin or film drawn over their ears, by means whereof they could not hear. Or, they have a meer carnall and fleshlie ear, that apprehendeth not, nor admitteth, any spirituall thing, Chap. 7. 26. and 9. 26. Act. 7. 51. 1 Cor. 2: 14. Col. 2. 13.
the word of the LORD is unto them a reproch] Chap. 20. 8.
they have no delight in it] They desire to hear vanities, Chap. 5. 31. but Gods word they cannot brook, 2 Tim. 4. 3.
V. 11. I am full of the fury of the LORD] The fire of Gods wrath before mentioned, Chap. 5. 14. which he beginneth now to cast abroad among them; as seeing no remedie. 2 Chron. 36. 16, 17.
I am weary with holding] Job 32. 18, 20. Chap. 15. 17. and 20. 9.
I will poure it out] Heb. pouring, or, pouring I will pour: that is, I will surely poure; or without more ado, or further delay pour: A defective form of speech: the like see, Isa. 59. 13. Chap. 14. 5.
upon the children] Shewing, that the Chaldeans should have no mercy upon any, old or young, 2 Chron. 36. 17. Psal. 137. 8, 9. Vers. 21. Hos. 10. 14.
abroad] Or, in the streets. where children are wont to play together, Chap. 9. 21. Zech. 8. 5.
upon the assembly of young men together] The places where they meet to make merry together, Chap. 5. 7. & 31. 13.
the husband with the wife shall be taken] Or, man and woman. Heb. man with woman. The one sex with the other: no regard being had more to the one then to the other, Isa. 32. 9, 10.
that is full of dayes] Isa. 56. 20.
V. 12. their houses shall be turned unto others] Deut. 28. 30.
for I will] Or, when I shall. as Gen. 4. 12.
stretch out my hand] Isa. 5. 25. Chap. 15. 6.
V. 13. For] Or, Because. as Chap. 3. 25.
from the least of them even unto the greatest] A phrase used to expresse the generality of some qualitie or practise, good or bad, among all sorts of persons, 2 Chron. 34. 30. Esth. 1. 5, 20. Chap. 31. 34. & 42. 8.
every one is given to covetousnesse] Isa. 56. 11. Chap. 8. 10.
from the prophet even unto the priest, &c.] Chap. 5. 31.
V. 14. They have healed also the hurt, &c.] Heb. bruise. or, breach. Chap. 10. 19. & 30. 12.
slightly] As if it were but some slight hurt, that might easily be helpt, Chap. 8. 11. Lam. 2. 14. Ezek. 13. 10.
Peace, peace] Thus by their flatteries and vain glosings, bearing them in hand that all should be well, they hardned the people against the menaces of Gods prophets, Chap. 4. 10.
V. 15. Were they ashamed] Or, made they them ashamed. Were they ashamed themselves? Or, did they endevour to bring the people to a sight and shame of their sinnes? Chap. 3. 3. & 8. 12.
they were not at all ashamed] Heb. ashaming ashamed.
neither could they blush] Heb. knew they to blush. as Isa. 56. 11. Chap. 8. 12.
they shall fall] Or, be slain.
among them that fall] Or, are slain. Psal. 63. 10.
at the time that I visit them] Or, punish them. Chap. 5. 9.
V. 16. Stand ye in the wayes and see] Consider seriously the severall courses, that men take or have taken in times past; that upon due examination, having discovered which is the right way, that leadeth to life and safetie, and which all Gods faithfull people have from time to time walked in, ye may keep constantly to it, Deut. 32. 7. 1 Thes. 5. 21. 1 Joh. 4. 1.
ask for the old paths] Heb. paths of age, or, antiquitie. Isa. 8. 20. Mal 4. 4. Luk. 16. 29.
where is the good way] Or, which of them is the right, or, the best way. 1 Thes. 5. 21.
ye shall find rest] Isa. 28. 12. Matth. 11. 29.
for your souls] Or, your selves. Isa. 55. 2, 3.
We will not walk therein] Chap. 18. 12.
V. 17. I set watchmen over you] Prophets and Ministers, to give warning of what they see approaching, Ezek. 2. 17. and 33. 2, 7.
Hearken to the sound of the trumpet] Isa. 58. 1. Chap. 4, 5.
We will not hearken] Chap. 22. 21. & 44. 16.
V. 18. hear ye nations] God taketh all the world to witnesse, even the senslesse creatures, of the obstinacie of his people, and the equitie of his carriage towards them: turning his speech to others, because they will not hear. So Isa. 1. 2.
what is among them] Or, how is it with them.
V. 19. Hear, O earth] Chap. 22. 29.
the fruit of their thoughts] Pro. 1. 31.
nor to my law, but rejected it] Or, and as for my law, they have also rejected it. as Isa. 32. 1. & 59. 21.
V. 20. To what purpose, &c.] Isa. 1. 11. & 66. 3. Amos 5. 21. Mic. 6. 6, &c.
incense from Sheba] Isa. 60. 5.
the sweet cane] Isa. 43. 24.
your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, &c.] Chap. 7. 21.
V. 21. I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people, &c.] Means and instruments of ruine and destruction: to wit, the enemies forces. Vers. 22.
the fathers and the sonnes together shall fall, &c.] They shall perish promiscuously, one with another. 2 Chron. 36. 17. vers. 11. Chap. 13. 14.
V. 22▪ Behold a people cometh] Chap. 5. 15. & 50. 41.
from the north-countrey] From Babylon. Chap. 1. 15. & 5. 15. & 10. 22. & 25. 9.
V. 23. They shall lay hold on bow and spear] Chap. 50. 42.
they are cruel] Chap. 21. 7.
their voyce roreth like the sea] Isa. 17 12.
V. 24. our hands wax feeble] Through fear of the enemy, Chap. 30. 5, 6. & 50. 43.
anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail] Chap. 4. 31. & 13. 21.
V. 25. Go not forth into the field] Keep within the fenced cities, and places of fastnesse. Chap. 4. 5, 6. & 8. 14.
nor walk by the way] Shun the common roads; and betake your selves to by-wayes: as people are wont to do, when the passage… are dangerous, Judg. 5. 6.
fear is on every side] Chap. 20. 3. & 46. 5.
V. 26. gird thee with sackcloth] Chap. 4. 8. & 25 34.
wallow thy self in ashes] Mic. 1. 10.
make thee mourning, as for an onelyonly sonne] Zech. 12. 10.
most bitter lamentation] Heb. lamentation of bitternesses] Chap. 31. 15.
the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us] Or, is come upon us. The King of Babylon, with his forces, Chap. 48. 8.
V. 27. I have set thee for a towre, and a fortresse] Or, To try have I set thee, as a fortresse; or, on a watch tower. Isa. 23. 13. and 32. 14. I the Lord have appointed thee my Prophet, (sufficiently supported and fenced, that thou needest not fear: Chap. 1. 18. and 15. 20.) as a sentinel standing on a watch-towre, Isa. 21. 5, 8. Hab. 2. 1. to espie and descrie the manners and courses of this people.
that thou mayest know and try their way] To search and sift them: and to try them, as a founder doth metal; Psal. 66. 10. that thou maist discover, what they are; sever the good from the bad; and work out of the bad their wickednesse, if it may be. Chap. 15. 19.
V. 28. They are all, &c.] The Prophets censure of them, upon his search and surveigh.
grievous revolters] Heb. revolters …of revolters; as Hos. 10. 15.
they are brasse and iron] Base metall; drossie matter. Isai. 1. 21. Ezek. 22. 18.
corrupters] Or, corrupt. Isa. 1. 4.
V. 29. The bellows are burnt, &c.] All the pains and labour that hath been taken about refining of them, is lost. Isai. 49. 4.
the lead] Or, time; used for separation of metals; is wasted, or spent.
the wicked] Or, their wickednesses. Heb. evill things; as Psa. 78. 49.
are not plucked away] Their drossie wickednesse will not be wrought out of them. Ezek. 24. 12, 13.
V. 30. Reprobate silver] Or, refuse silver. Psal. 15. 4. Isai. 1. 22. Prov. 26. 23. Lam. 3. 45.
shall men call them] Or, shall they be called; as Mal. 1. 4.