John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 6

We have already seen that often punishment is not only mentioned by this Prophet as being near, but is also set, as it were, before our eyes. We have shown the reason for this—because men are not only deaf but wholly thoughtless whenever God threatens them. As reproofs make no impression, and even threats are not sufficient to arouse and awaken them, it is necessary to set before them vivid descriptions and to represent the event as present.

Jeremiah continues this mode of teaching. He addresses the tribe of Benjamin, for one half of Jerusalem was in the territory of that tribe. As he was from Anathoth, he addresses his own people and relatives rather than others, as he could use greater freedom. Had he directly reproved the Jews, they might not have tolerated him so well; but as he begins with his neighbors, the tribe of Benjamin, it became easier to bear his reproofs.

Some understand the words as Be ye assembled, and flee; others read, Go ye in haste, but for what reason I do not know. I do not think that flight is meant here; I rather regard the Prophet as ironically encouraging the citizens of Jerusalem and their neighbors to go forth, as is usual, to meet their enemies. This we may easily learn from the context: Be ye assembled, he says, from the midst of Jerusalem; that is, be aroused and go forth. He indirectly condemns their indulgences, for they had been lying, as it were, in the bosom of their mother. Like infants in the womb, the Jews were not apprehensive of any danger; they indulged themselves and were wholly secure and thoughtless. Hence he says, From the midst of Jerusalem be ye assembled.

Then he says, Blow ye the trumpet in Tekoa. They were accustomed, no doubt, when any danger was near, to blow the trumpet in that town. Then the citizens of Jerusalem went forth in large bodies to resist their enemies, for the Prophet follows the usual custom and speaks as of things well-known.

And set up a sign on the house of Haccerem, הכרם. No doubt this place was so called because many forces were planted there. It means literally “the house of the vineyard.” It is, indeed, a proper name, but its etymology ought to be kept in mind, for as vines were usually planted on hills, it is probable that this place stood high, and a sign might have been given from there to many around.

He therefore says, Set up a sign, משאת, meshat, a word derived from נשא, nesha, which is also found here. But some interpreters render it “fire” or “bonfire”; others “banner”; and others “tower.” Those who render it “tower” or “citadel” have no reason in their favor, for towers could not have been suddenly raised up. But it is probable, as I have already said, that a sign was given from there to those around, as from a watchtower, whenever there was any cause of fear. I am therefore inclined to take the word as meaning a sign, for the word “banner” would have been too restricted. Literally it is, “Elevate an elevation.” The word “sign,” then, is the most suitable.

For an evil, he says, from the north has appeared. The Prophet points out from where ruin would soon come, even from the Chaldeans, for God had appointed them as the ministers and the executioners of his vengeance in destroying Jerusalem and the whole tribe of Judah.

Hence we see what the Prophet means: he ridicules the Jews, who were asleep in their vices, promising themselves impunity and despising all the judgments of God. Be now assembled from the midst of Jerusalem, he says, as though he said that they could not be safe in the city without going forth to meet their enemies. Blow ye the trumpet in Tekoa. And then he adds, Let the inhabitants of Bethhaccerem (that is, of the house of the vineyard) set up signals; for an evil is near and a great distress—from whom? From the Chaldeans. The prediction was more likely to be believed when he thus pointed out their enemies, as it were, with his finger.

As the place where the Prophet was born was pastoral, he retained many expressions derived from his education, for God did not divest his servants of every natural endowment when he appointed them to teach his people. Hence the Prophet here speaks according to notions imbibed in his early age and childhood. The daughter of Zion, he says, is like a quiet maiden, that is, one dwelling at leisure and enjoying herself; and yet she would be exposed to many indignities, for shepherds shall come and fix their tents around, and the whole country would be subjected to plunder. But it is doubtful whether the Prophet says that the daughter of Zion might be compared to a maiden, tender and delicate, dwelling at ease and cheerful, or whether he means that rest had been granted to the people for a time. There seems, indeed, to be no great difference, though there is some, between the two explanations.

If we take the verb דמיתי, damiti, in the sense of comparing, as interpreters do, then it is as though the Prophet had said, “I seem to see in the state of Jerusalem the image of a tender and delicate maiden.” Thus Jeremiah speaks in his own name. But the sentence may be more fitly applied to God—that he had made the daughter of Zion quiet for a time, and had given her peace with her enemies, so that she lived at ease and cheerfully.

Though these two views differ, yet the subject itself is nearly the same. The Prophet, no doubt, condemns the Jews here for their extreme lethargy, since they had completely misused the quietness granted them by God. He then proves that they were very thoughtless and stupid in thinking that their tranquility would be perpetual, for it was God’s favor, and only for a time.

Hence he says that the Jews were, up to that very day, like a tender maiden. For though the country of the ten tribes had been laid waste, and all had been driven away into exile, yet the kingdom of Judah continued safe. They had, indeed, been plundered by enemies, but in comparison with their brethren, they had been very kindly treated. This, then, is the reason why he says that they were like a maiden, delicate and tender.

But he afterwards adds, Come shall shepherds, etc.; that is, there is no ground for the Jews to deceive themselves because God has until now spared them and restrained the assaults of enemies, for now shall come shepherds. He keeps to the same metaphor: “Come,” he says, “shall shepherds,” together with their flocks; that is, leaders of armies shall come with their forces.

But I have already reminded you that the Prophet here is mindful of the city where he had been born and adopts a pastoral language. Come then shall shepherds with their flocks; fix shall they their tents, and feed shall each in his place. He means that the whole of Jerusalem would be so much in the power of enemies that each one would freely choose his own part or his own portion.

For when there is any fear, then the shepherds gather their flocks that they may assist one another; but when everything is in their own power, they move here and there as they please. This free acting then intimates that the Jews would have no strength and would be helped by no aid, but that the shepherds would surround the whole city and besiege it: every one, he says, would be in his own place.

The Prophet here leaves the analogy he had adopted, for he no longer speaks of shepherds but expressly describes the enemies as coming with great force, furiously attacking and devastating both the city and the whole of Judea. He was previously like God’s herald, proclaiming war; but now, by a sort of personification, he introduces the Chaldeans encouraging one another to fight.

Sanctify, he says, war against her. This is how the Hebrews speak; for in all ages, as we know, wars were proclaimed by a solemn rite. God, undoubtedly, has implanted this feeling in all nations: that wars should not be undertaken suddenly, and that arms should not be taken up except for a lawful reason. For the proclamation of war was a testimony that they did not contend with one another except for just and necessary causes.

It is indeed true that wars have often been undertaken rashly and for no just causes; yet it was God’s will that this custom should remain and continue in use, in order to remove any excuse from people given to cruelty, or led by ambition to disturb the world and harass others.

This, then, is the reason for this manner of speaking, Sanctify war; it is the same as if they declared and proclaimed a just war by a solemn ceremony. The Prophet spoke according to the common practice when he said, Sanctify war against her, just as we say in our language, Sommez — la.

Then follows the readiness of the enemies, indeed, their incredible quickness, for he shows that they were extremely swift: Arise, you, and let us ascend at mid-day. But those who come to attack a city usually do so in the morning. When the heat is intense, it is not a suitable time, as the sun's heat weakens the body. Then enemies rest when night comes, unless an unexpected advantage presents itself; but having been refreshed, they rise early with renewed strength for fighting. They scale the walls, attack the city by other means, or batter down the walls with war machines.

But to begin the work at mid-day, when a city is to be attacked, is by no means usual. Hence the Prophet intimates that God’s judgment was so ripe that the Chaldeans, after arriving at the city walls, would not wait, not even for a few hours: Arise, you, and let us ascend at mid-day.

He then adds, Alas for us, for declined has the day, and the evening shadows are extended. He uses military language, for soldiers, as we know, are mostly fierce and barbarous and never speak in moderate terms. They always have in their mouths, Alas for us! or they use other words, reproachful either to God or to people. The Prophet then expresses the words of the soldiers, for he describes the Chaldeans and, as I have said, presents the scene to the Jews as if it were happening now, so that he might dispel their delusions, in which they were completely asleep.

Alas, then, for us! For declined has already the day, and already have the evening shadows extended: those who have added Too far (interpreting it as the shadows having extended more than usual) have mistaken the Prophet's meaning. It is as if he had said, Already the night is near. Why should we stop? And why do we not make such a fierce assault as to take the city in a moment? This is the real meaning of the words.

Afterwards, he adds, Arise, you, and let us ascend in the night; that is, As we cannot take the city in six hours (from mid-day to night was six hours, as they divided the day into twelve hours, with the first hour beginning at sunrise and the twelfth hour ending the day), since then we cannot take the city in six hours, let us attack it in the night. We see here how graphically the extreme ardor of their enemies is described, for they were urged on by the hidden power of God; and this is what Jeremiah intended to express.

The Prophet now points out the cause why a near calamity awaited both the city and the whole of Judea. Two things were necessary: since the Jews had hardened themselves in their thoughtlessness, so that they disregarded all the threats of the prophets, it was necessary to expose and reprove this stupidity. This is what the Prophet has until now done.

But the other thing necessary to do was to make the Jews know that they were not dealing with the Chaldeans or other nations, but with God Himself, with whom they had for a long time carried on war. The Prophet then, after having set before the eyes of his own people the calamity which was then near at hand, now shows that God was its author.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts. He reminds them here of the judgment of God, lest they should think that they could overcome their enemies, even if they fought with the greatest ardor and the greatest courage, for they could not overcome God. Thus then says the God of hosts; as if he had said, “The Chaldeans will indeed bring their forces, which will be great and strong; but the contest will now be with God, whom you have so often and for a long time and so stubbornly provoked.” Thus then says now the God of hosts:

Cut ye down wood; that is, “The Chaldeans will not of themselves attack you, but they will fight for God, and serve him as hired soldiers.” As we have seen elsewhere that God blows the trumpet, and sends by a hiss for whomever he pleases, so also he says now that the Chaldeans would carry on war under the authority and banner of God. Then God commanded them to cut down wood and to cast up a mound. We indeed know that warlike engines were made of timber, but the most suitable word here, as it is evident, is mound.

It follows, She is the city of visitation. Jeremiah shows here that God would justly act towards the Jews, though with much severity, because they had nearly become putrid in their vices; for this reason he calls it the city of visitation. Therefore, those who render the words, “that it may be laid waste,” or, “it is laid waste,” misconceive the meaning; and indeed they touch neither heaven nor earth, for they do not consider the Prophet’s design, but only dwell on the words.

But it is certain that Jerusalem is called the city of visitation because God had exercised long patience and suspended punishment until the ripened time of vengeance came, so that this state of affairs could no longer be endured, as it had become more and more corrupt through the forbearance of God.

It is, he says, the city of visitation; that is, “The time of extreme vengeance has now come; for I (God) have tried all means to see whether there was any hope of repentance, but I now find that she (Jerusalem) is wholly irreclaimable. She is then the city of visitation; its ruin cannot be suspended any longer.”

The Prophet here addresses beforehand, as I have already said, all those complaints which the Jews were ever ready to make. For they were accustomed to murmur when any severity appeared, and say, “God deals cruelly with us; where is his covenant? Where is that paternal kindness which he has promised to us?” As the Jews were accustomed to expostulate with God in this way, the Prophet says that it was the city of visitation, and the whole of it, not just a part.

Since, then, there was nothing pure in it, he says that it could no longer be spared. He adds one kind of evil; but by stating a part for the whole, he means (as it is said elsewhere, Jeremiah 7:11) that Jerusalem was a den of thieves. He therefore says that it was full of plunder, and that oppression was in its very depths.

The Prophet expands on what he had said in the last verse, for he had shown, by mentioning one kind of evil, that Jerusalem was a den of thieves, as oppression dwelt in its midst. But he now, by a comparison, amplifies his former statement and says that violence, oppression, devastation, grief, and smiting streamed forth like waters from a fountain.

It is possible for many vices to break out from a place, but repentance afterwards follows. However, when men do not cease and heap vices on vices, it then appears that they swell with wickedness and even burst with it, as they cannot repress it. They are like a fountain that always bubbles up and cannot contain its own waters. Thus, we see the Prophet's purpose.

The word בור, bur, means a fountain, and באר, bar, also means a fountain or a well, and they are undoubtedly synonymous. Thus, the mistake of a very learned man among the Hebrews becomes apparent, who distinguishes between the two and says that the first is a cistern, which receives water but does not stream. That this is false is clear from the Prophet's words, for a cistern does not cast forth water.

But with regard to what is taught, we sufficiently understand that what the Prophet means is that the Jews had so abandoned themselves to their vices that they were always contriving some new way of doing evil, just as waters never cease to stream forth from the fountain. This is a proof, as I have said, that a nation is wholly irreclaimable when there is no cessation from evil deeds, when there is no intermission of injuries, when men always indulge in their vices.

And as the Jews could not deny that this was the atrocity of their wickedness, the Prophet again speaks in God's name and says, Heard have been oppressions, and smitings are before me. This is as if he were saying, “They will gain nothing by evasions, for if they make a hundred excuses before men, it will be completely useless to them when they come before God’s tribunal.”

And he again adds the adverb dymt, tamid, continually, which corresponds to the perpetual streaming of waters.