John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 6

O you children of Benjamin The tribe of Benjamin was with the tribe of Judah, and continued with that in the pure worship of God when the ten tribes revolted; and in the land of Israel, when they were carried captive; and besides, Jerusalem, at least part of it, was in the tribe of Benjamin, and particularly Anathoth, which was Jeremiah's native place, was in that tribe; and this altogether is a reason why the children of Benjamin are so distinctly addressed:

gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem ; where some of this tribe lived, or had betaken themselves for safety: or the Jews in general may be meant; for, as Ephraim is often put for the ten tribes, so Benjamin may be put for the two tribes, as Judah frequently is: or the words may be rendered, "be you strong" ^F9 "out of the midst of Jerusalem"; as by the Septuagint, and others; and the sense may be, gather together in bodies out of Jerusalem, and form yourselves into companies, and into an army, and be prepared to meet the enemy, and fight him, who is near at hand; quit yourselves like men, and be strong; show courage and valour; perhaps this is spoken ironically, as Kimchi thinks it is; though he interprets the word, "flee you"; that is, if you can find a place to flee to; and the Targum is, ``remove out of the midst of Jerusalem;'' but it seems rather to be a direction to go forth and meet the enemy, by what follows:

and blow the trumpet in Tekoa ; as an alarm of war, to give the people notice of an invasion; that the enemy was at hand, and therefore should provide themselves with armour, and gather together to meet and oppose him. Tekoa was a city in Judah, (2 Chronicles 11:5 2 Chronicles 11:6) , famous, for a wise woman in it, in the times of David, (2 Samuel 14:2) . Jerom says it was twelve miles from Jerusalem, and might be seen with the eye; so that probably it was built on a very high hill, and for that reason chosen to blow the trumpet on, that it might be heard far and near; and which may be confirmed from its being said ^F11 to be the chief place in the land of Israel for the best oil, since olives grow on hills and mountains. There is in the clause a beautiful play on words ^F12 , which those, who understand the Hebrew language, will easily observe:

and set up a fire in Bethhaccerem . This place, as Jerom says, lay between Jerusalem and Tekoa; one of this name is mentioned in (Nehemiah 3:14) . The Targum renders it, ``the house of the valley of the vineyards;'' and in the Misnah ^F13 mention is made of the valley of Bethhaccerem, the dust of which was red, and, when water was poured upon it, became hard; and this valley perhaps took its name from the town, which might be built upon a hill, and was famous for vines, from which it was so called; and here might be a very high tower; for, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, it signifies a high tower, for the keepers of the vines to sit and watch the vines all about; and this was a very proper place to set up the sign of fire in, to give notice to the country all around; for it was usual with all nations, Persians, Grecians, and Romans, to signify in the night, by signs of fire, by burning torches, and the like, either the approach of an enemy, or help from friends; the former was done by shaking and moving their torches, the latter by holding them still ^F14 ; see (Judges 20:38Judges 20:40) :

for evil appeareth out of the north ; Nebuchadnezzar and his army out of Babylon, which lay north of Jerusalem: and great destruction; see (Jeremiah 1:14) (4:6) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (wzyeh) (eniscusate) , Sept. "confortamini", V. L. "fortes estote", Tigurine version.
• F11: Misn. Menachot c. 8. sect. 3.
• F12: (weqt ewqtb) .
• F13: Misna Nidda, c. 2. c. 5. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.
• F14: Vid. Lydium de re Militari, l. 5. c. 3. p. 185, 186. & Van Tillin ib. p. 52.

I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate
woman .

That dwells at home and lives in pleasure, and deliciously, in great peace and quietness, in entire ease and security, in no fear of enemies, or apprehension of danger; and so it describes the secure state of the Jews. Kimchi and Ben Melech supply the word "woman" as we do.

But others supply "land" or "pasture"; and think that the Jewish nation is compared to pleasant and delightful lands and pastures, which are inviting to shepherds to come and pitch their tents about them; as follows.

The words are by some rendered, "O beautiful and delicate one, I have cut off, or destroyed the daughter of Zion" ^F15 ; in which sense the word is used in (Isaiah 6:5) (Hosea 4:5) and to this purpose is the Targum, "O beautiful and delicate one, how has you corrupted your ways? therefore the congregation of Zion is confounded;"

But the former senses seem to be best; in which the word used is understood as having the signification of likening or comparing; for which see (Song of Solomon 1:9) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F15: So Jarchi and Joseph Kimchi. Vid. Gataker in loc.

The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her
Kings and their armies, as the Targum paraphrases it; kings and generals are compared to shepherds, and their armies to flocks, who are under their command and direction; here they design Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with his generals and armies, who should come up against Jerusalem, as to a good pasture: they shall pitch their tents against her round about ;
their military tents, in allusion to pastoral ones. The phrase is expressive of the Chaldean army surrounding and besieging Jerusalem: they shall feed everyone in his place ;
where he is ordered and fixed by his head general: or, "everyone shall feed his hand" ^F16 : the sheep of his hand; see (Psalms 95:7) , "them that are under his hand", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; who are committed to his care and charge. The meaning is, he shall direct the company or companies of soldiers under him, where to be, and what part to take in the siege; or "with his hand", as the Septuagint, with the skilfulness of his hands, (Psalms 78:72) , or with might and power; or "at his hand", as the Arabic version; what is at hand, what is nearest to him; or according to his will and pleasure. The Targum is,

Prepare ye war against her Not only proclaim it, but prepare themselves for it; get everything ready for the siege, and begin it. These are either the words of the Lord, calling upon the Chaldeans in his providence to act such a part against Jerusalem; or of the Chaldeans themselves, stirring up one another to it; which latter seems to be the sense; since it follows:

arise, and let us go up at noon ; scale the walls, and take the city; which, though in the heat of the day, and not so proper a time, yet such was the eagerness of the army, and their confidence of carrying the place at once; and concluding there was no need of waiting till the evening, or of taking any secret measures for the siege; they propose to go up at noon, in the heat of the day, and in the sight of their enemies, and storm the city:

woe unto us, for the day goes away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out ; which some take to be the words of the besiegers, lamenting they had lost time, had not proceeded according to their first purpose, had neglected going up at noontime, and now the evening was coming upon them; or as being angry, and out of humour, that the city was not taken by them so soon as they expected: though, according to Kimchi, they are the words of the prophet; and he may represent the besieged, mourning over their unhappy case and circumstances; the day of prosperity declining, and nothing but darkness and distress coming upon them.

Arise, and let us go up by night Since they could not take the city at noon, and by day, as they expected, they propose to attempt it by night; they would lose no time, but proceed on, day and night, until they had accomplished their end; this shows how much they were resolved upon it, and that nothing could discourage from it; and that they were sure of carrying their point: and therefore it follows, and let us destroy her palaces ;

the tower and strong hold of Zion, the temple of Jerusalem, the king's palace, the houses of the high priest, judges, counsellors, and other civil magistrates, as well as the cottages of the meaner sort of people; for the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "her houses"; which, notwithstanding her strong walls, were not secure from the enemy.