Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 6:1-3

"Flee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth-haccherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction. The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off. Shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place." — Jeremiah 6:1-3 (ASV)

1. Here, the prophet excludes the second source of help on which the people might have relied: namely, the strength of the royal city, whose destruction he prophesies in this chapter. Regarding this, he makes two points.

   First, he speaks of the citizens’ preparation to resist with the words be strengthened. This shows how they would encourage one another as the enemy approached, though the prophet may also be speaking ironically. He mentions the Sons of Benjamin because the upper part of Jerusalem was in the territory of that tribe, while its lower part was in Judah’s, as noted in the description: And it goes up through the valley of the sons of Hinnom, from the side of Jebus to the south; this is Jerusalem (Joshua 15:8).

   The commands, And sound the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise the banner over Beth Accarem, refer to fortified places near Jerusalem. This is similar to the earlier call to raise a sign in Zion (Jeremiah 4:6).

   Second, he speaks of the destruction of the city itself, beginning with the verse, I have likened the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and charming woman.

   In describing this destruction, he first speaks of the nature of the destroying enemy using a number of metaphors. Second, the enemies are described plainly and explicitly, beginning with the words, thus says the LORD (Jeremiah 6:9).

   Regarding the first point on the metaphors, there are two aspects. First, he describes the siege of the city. Second, he describes the attack, with the words, sanctify a war against her (Jeremiah 6:4).

   Regarding the description of the siege, there are three elements.

   First, he describes the beauty of the city. It is like a beautiful woman in terms of its beautiful buildings and large number of inhabitants, and it is charming, referring to the fertility of the land. As it is written, The finest wheat, honey and oil you have eaten, and you have become exceedingly fair (Ezekiel 16:13).

   Second, he describes the siege itself. The shepherds shall come to her are, metaphorically, the princes of the Chaldeans, as if drawn by the fertile pastures. As it says elsewhere: many shepherds have torn down my vineyard, they have trampled my portion (Jeremiah 12:10). The phrase They have pitched their tents refers to the blockade of the city.

   Third, he describes the orderly arrangement of the army. The phrase each one shall pasture means that each leader will rule those which are under his hand with power. This indicates there were different princes for the different squadrons.