John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 6:4-5

"Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces." — Jeremiah 6:4-5 (ASV)

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.