Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 9:2-9

"Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. And they bend their tongue, [as it were] their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah. Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith Jehovah. Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how [else] should I do, because of the daughter of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him. Shall I not visit them for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" — Jeremiah 9:2-9 (ASV)

From their punishment the prophet now turns to their sins.

(Jeremiah 9:2) The prophet utters the wish that he might be spared his daily striving, and in some lone wilderness give way to his sorrow, without restraint.

A lodging place - It was usual to build caravanserais in the desert, either by private charity or at public expense, to receive travelers for a single night, who, however, had to bring their own supplies with them.

An assembly - Or, a gang.

Treacherous - Faithless toward one another.

(Jeremiah 9:3) Rather, And they bend their tongue to be their bow of lies, that is, just as men before a battle get their bows ready, so they intentionally prepare to do mischief, only their arrows are lying words: neither do they rule faithfully in the land, that is, Judea.

(Jeremiah 9:4) In a state of such utter lawlessness, the bonds of mutual confidence are relaxed, and suspicion takes its place.

Utterly supplant - An allusion to the name of Jacob (Genesis 27:36). It might be rendered, “every brother is a thorough Jacob.”

Will walk with slanders - Or, slanders.

(Jeremiah 9:6) This is a continuation of the warning given in Jeremiah 9:4. “Trust no one: for you dwell surrounded by deceit on every side.” Their rejection of God is the result of their lack of honesty in their dealings with one another (1 John 4:20).

(Jeremiah 9:7) I will melt them, and try them - The punishment is corrective rather than retributive. The terms used are those of the refiner of metals: the first is smelting, to separate the pure metal from the ore; the second is testing, to see whether the metal is pure or still mixed with alloy. God will put the nation into the crucible of tribulation, so that whatever is evil is consumed in the fire, and all the good in them may be purified.

For how shall I do ... - Rather, for how else could I act with reference to the daughter of my people?

(Jeremiah 9:8) An arrow shot out - Rather, “a murderous arrow.”

In heart he layeth his wait - Rather, “inwardly he lays his ambush.”