Jeremiah 6:1

JEREMIAH CHAPTER 6 God sendeth and strengtheneth the Babylonians against Judah, Jeremiah 6:1; for her oppression and spoils, Jeremiah 6:6, and obstinacy; which provoke God's wrath and their destruction, Jeremiah 6:9. Their covetousness, false confidence, and impudence; people and priests refuse to obey God, Jeremiah 6:13. Their hypocritical worship shall not prevent their sure destruction, Jeremiah 6:18. The people called to mourn, Jeremiah 6:26. The prophet encouraged under their wickedness and the fruitlessness of his ministry among them, Jeremiah 6:27. Children of Benjamin: he means either the inhabitants of Jerusalem, because part of it stood in the lot of Benjamin, Joshua 18:28; or else he means all Judah, because when the ten tribes fell off, the tribe of Benjamin adhered to Judah, and was incorporated into them. If it be asked why the prophet rather speaks here to Benjamin than to Judah, the reason probably may be, because he being of Anathoth was of that tribe, and therefore mentions them as his own countrymen. Gather yourselves to flee; spoken either ironically, that they should set themselves in array, and make head against the enemy, that is now at hand; or rather, that they should flee away together at once, make haste out of Jerusalem in troops, as the next expressions intimate; not counselling them what they should do, viz. for succour, Jeremiah 4:5,6, but rather telling them what they must expect, viz. to be forced to flee out of it, if they may escape. Blow the trumpet in Tekoa: q.d. Gather yourselves together by the sound of the trumpet at Tekoa, possibly alluding to the name, which signifies trumpeting; or rather, it being one of those fenced cities twelve miles from Jerusalem that Rehoboam built, and made exceeding strong for and with his warlike provisions, 2 Chronicles 11:6,11,12, and being built upon the advantage of a hill toward the north of Judea in the way that the Babylonians were to come, q.d. There furnish yourselves out of that armoury, and see if you can make head against them: an irony. A place noted in Scripture, where dwelt that Tekoitish woman that interceded with David for Absalom by the subornation of Joab, 2 Samuel 14:2; and also for the herdsmen of whom Amos was, Amos 1:1, and (it is probable) a place where in time of danger their were wont, by the sound of the trumpet, to summon the people together. Setup a sign of fire: the word used is of very large extent; maset is used for any thing that is lifted up, neither is there any more in the text. The LXX also render it only a sign and the sign of fire possibly is mentioned rather than any other, by a metonymy of the subject, because, partly in time of danger of invasion it is the most usual and commodious sign, being seen, in regard of its lifting or raising up of itself, at once afar off; q.d. fire a beacon; and a sign whereby the Benjamites themselves once found they were surprised, Judges 20:38,40

2. It is a sign soonest given of any.

3. Possibly as being a more proper sign than any other would be to the vine-dressers, that they should secure themselves in some safe place, which seems to be pointed at by the next word, Beth-haccerem. It signifies the house of the vineyard, probably some high tower built among the vineyards for the keeper or keepers of them to watch them, that no damage came to them, this seeming to be usual, Isaiah 5:2. Or it may be the name of a town, such a one as some report to lie between Jerusalem and Tekoa, the same mentioned Nehemiah 3:14, though that seems to be adjoining to Jerusalem. Whichsoever it be, it is probable it relates to some place noted for vineyards, which were wont to be planted upon hills, and lying in the way that the Chaldeans were to come; and by these two we are to understand all other places that lie in that coast. Evil appeareth out of the north; that they may know whence their misery will come, he doth as it were point it out with the finger: see Jeremiah 1:14, Jeremiah 4:6.