John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 6:9

"Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn again thy hand as a grape-gatherer into the baskets." — Jeremiah 6:9 (ASV)

God here confirms the former statement, as if he had said that he dreaded a sight so sad and mournful, which the Jews nonetheless disregarded. He then shows that he did not exhort the Jews in vain to repent, even though late, for he foresaw how dreadful their calamities would be.

Hence he says, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Gleaning they shall glean; for the word here does not mean to gather the vintage, but to glean, grapiller, after the vintage. Just as after the harvest the poor follow and gather ears of corn here and there until nothing remains in the field, so also in vintages when there is a gleaning, nothing remains. For this reason, God in the law forbade the vineyards to be gleaned, so that there might be something left for the poor (Leviticus 19:10; Deuteronomy 24:21). But he says here, Gleaning they shall glean as a vine; he speaks not of the people but of the remnant.

The ten tribes had been plundered, and at length their whole country had been laid waste. Most of them had been led into exile, but a few had sought hiding places for a time. And he says that they were like gleanings: "Though," he says, "there be a few grapes, yet these shall follow." In short, the Prophet sets before the Jews that vengeance of God, which was already known to them as much as to the Israelites, the ten tribes. And yet he shows that God’s vengeance was not completed, for there were still a few remaining, a gleaning:

"What then will become of you? What indeed! You have seen that your brethren have been plundered; you have seen that they and their children have been slain; you have seen that all kinds of cruelty have been exercised towards them. And yet, after the name of Israel has been obliterated, and their country, now deserted, has become a waste, God will still punish the remnant, and you will see that his judgment will shortly overtake them. And what do you, wretched beings, still look for? And how great is your torpidity, which never comes to an end? Why do you not seek to be reconciled to God when such an opportunity is offered to you?"

We now, then, apprehend the Prophet’s object. And then he says, Return thy hand as a vintager to the baskets; that is, "Behold the vintagers, they stimulate one another, so that there is no end of gleaning, as they continually return to their baskets, until they gather everything, until not a grape remains on the vine."

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since you kindly invite us to repentance, and also urge us by setting before us examples of your wrath, O grant that we may not continue perversely disobedient, but make ourselves teachable and submissive to you, so that we may not encounter that dreadful severity which you threatened to your ancient people, but instead forestall the wrath which you formerly denounced on them. May we thus with a pious heart return to you, that we may find by experience that you are always a propitious Father to sinners, whenever with a sincere heart and without deceit they return to you, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.