Jeremiah 6:16-30

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 6:9-17

The heads of this paragraph are the very same with those of the last; for precept must be upon precept and line upon line. I. The ruin of Judah and Jerusalem is here threatened. We had before the haste which the Chaldea army made to the war (Jer. 6:4, 5); now here we have the havoc made by the war. How lamentable are the desolations here described! The enemy shall so long quarter among them, and be so insatiable in their thirst after blood and treasure, that they shall seize all they can meet... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 6:18-30

Here, I. God appeals to all the neighbours, nay, to the whole world, concerning the equity of his proceedings against Judah and Jerusalem (Jer. 6:18, 19): ?Hear, you nations, and know particularly, O congregation of the mighty, the great men of the nations, that take cognizance of the affairs of states about you and make remarks upon them. Observe now what is doing among those of Judah and Jerusalem; you hear of the desolations brought upon them, the earth rings of it, trembles under it; you... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:16

Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see ,.... These are the words of the Lord to the people, whom he would have judge for themselves, and not be blindly led by the false prophets and priests; directing them to do what men should, when they are in a place where two or more ways meet, and know not which way to take; they should make a short stop, and look to the way mark or way post, which points whither each path leads, and so accordingly proceed. Now, in religious things, the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:17

Also I set watchmen over you ,.... That is, prophets, as Jarchi; true prophets, as Kimchi; such an one was Ezekiel, Jeremiah 3:17 . The Targum interprets it teachers; such were the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel; and all faithful preachers of it, who teach men good doctrine and watch for their souls, give them warning of their danger, and exhort them to flee to Christ for rest and safety; and these are of the Lord's appointing, constituting, and setting in his churches; see 1... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:18

Therefore hear, ye nations ,.... Since the Jews refused to hearken to the word of the Lord, the Gentiles are called upon to hear it, as in Acts 13:45 , this is a rebuke to the Jews, that the Gentiles would hear, when they would not: and know, O congregation ; either of Israel, as the Targum and Kimchi explain it; or of the nations of the world, the multitude of them; or the church of God in the midst of them: what is among them ; among the Jews: either what evil is among them; what... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:19

Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people ,.... The people of the Jews; the evil of punishment, for the evil of sin committed by them; wherefore the earth, and the inhabitants of it, are called upon to bear witness to, the righteousness of such a procedure: even the fruit of their thoughts ; which they thought of, contrived, and devised; which shows that they did not do what they did inadvertently, but with thought and design. Kimchi interprets it of sinful deeds and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:20

To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba ,.... In Persia or Arabia, from whence incense was brought, and perhaps the best; see Isaiah 60:6 , and yet the offering of this was of no esteem with God, when the words of the prophet, and the law of his mouth, were despised; see Isaiah 1:13 , and the sweet cane from a far country ? either from the same place, Sheba, which was a country afar off, Joel 3:8 , or from India, as Jerom interprets it; this was one of the spices in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:21

Therefore thus saith the Lord ,.... Because of their immorality and hypocrisy, their contempt of his word, and confidence in legal rites and ceremonies: behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people ; by which may be meant the judgments of God upon them, raising up enemies against them, and suffering them to invade their land; particularly the Assyrians, as the following words show. Moreover, the prophecies of the false prophets, and the doctrines which they were permitted to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:22

Thus saith the Lord, behold, a people cometh from the north country ,.... The Assyrians from Babylon, which lay north of Judea, as in Jeremiah 1:14 , and a great nation shall be raised ; that is, by the Lord, who would stir them up to this undertaking. The Targum is, "many people shall come openly:' from the sides of the earth ; afar off, as Babylon was, Jeremiah 5:15 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 6:23

They shall lay hold on bow and spear ,.... That is, everyone of them should be furnished with both these pieces of armour, that they might be able to fight near and afar off; they had bows to shoot arrows at a distance, and spears to strike with when near. The Targum renders it bows and shields. "They are cruel, and have no mercy"; this is said, to strike terror into the hearts of the hardened Jews: their voice roareth like the sea ; the waves of it, which is terrible, Luke 21:25 , ... read more

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