rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass 28 the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these 29 things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30, 31. Prophets, priests and people share the guilt.

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 30 the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by 31 their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

28. waxen fat] Fatness was looked on as a mark of prosperity. Compare Deut. xxxii. 15 ("Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked"); Ps. xcii. 14 (They shall be fat and flourishing"); Prov. xxviii. 25 ("He that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat").

shine] referring to their sleekness of skin.

overpass the deeds of the wicked] go beyond bound in wickedness. yet they prosper] that they may prosper, i.e. that the orphans by their help may receive succour.

29. The refrain taken up again from ver. 9.

30, 31.

PROPHETS, PRIESTS AND PEOPLE SHARE THE GUILT. 30. This verse and the following contain a summing up of the charge against the people. Leaders and people unite in disaffection.

wonderful] terrible. The word properly means desolation, de

struction.

31. "When Amos and Isaiah attacked the priesthood of Judah, they still felt that there remained the Prophets on whom the nation could fall back. But when Jeremiah mourned for Israel, he felt that there was no reserve in Judah. And when the Priesthood closed in hostile array around him, he felt that, as far as Jerusalem was concerned, the Prophets were no supporters." (Stanley's Jewish Church, II. 441.)

by their means] at their hands.

and my people love to have it so] The subject class are only too willing to be misled by their rulers. Love of idolatry has led the whole nation to turn their backs upon Him who chose them as His own. CHAP. VI. 1—8. THE FOREIGN ARMY APPROACHES AND PREPARES TO BESIEGE JERUSALEM. A BRIEF INVITATION TO LEARN

WISDOM EVEN NOW.

In this chapter Jeremiah furnishes the people with a lively representation of the troubles that were at hand. The chapter may be divided into four sections, each, after the first, beginning with the words, "Thus saith the Lord." The first (1-8) depicts the approach of the army and the preparations for a siege; the second (9-15) describes the capture of

CHAP. VI. 1-8.

The Foreign Army approaches and prepares to besiege Jerusalem. A brief invitation to learn wisdom even now.

6 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth 2 out of the north, and great destruction. I have likened the the city; the third (16—21) declares that the formal offerings made to God shall not help them in the day of their trouble; the fourth (22—30) sets out the cruelty with which the enemy shall treat them.

Calvin considers the lively description of the invasion and siege as a last attempt to reach ears, which had shewn themselves too dull to attend to the simple announcement of impending disaster.

1. O ye children of Benjamin] (a) Jeremiah was himself a Benjamite (chap. i. 1), (b) Jerusalem was in Benjamin, the boundary between that tribe and Judah lying in the valley of Hinnom, to the south of the city. Tekoa] A village on an elevated and spreading hill about eleven miles south of Jerusalem forming part of the range which stretches from Hebron towards the Dead Sea. St Jerome writing in Palestine speaks of it as daily before his eyes. The name, derived from a Hebrew root meaning to strike, doubtless refers to the fastening of tent-pegs into the ground, and thus denotes the pastoral character of the inhabitants. From Tekoa came Joab's "wise woman" (2 Sam. xiv. 2). It was the birthplace of Amos (Am. i. 1), and it or its inhabitants are mentioned on several other occasions. It is still known by the same name (Tekû'a). The ruins which are found there however are probably all of Christian times. There is a play on words in the original, depending on the close similarity between the proper name and the Hebrew for "blow the trumpet. Doubtless therefore it is partly for this reason that Tekoa is mentioned, although it is also thoroughly appropriate as a town far south in Judea, and thus in the direction which would be taken by the inhabitants in the event of flight before an invading host from the north.

a sign of fire] Although the Hebrew word denotes properly a signal, and has no necessary reference to fire, the English is probably correct, as a word closely connected with this one is used in later Hebrew to denote the fire lighted to give notice of the appearance of the new moon. The same word as that used here is found (Judges xx. 38, 40), to denote a pillar of smoke agreed upon as a signal.

Beth-haccerem] (House of the vineyard) mentioned elsewhere only in Neh. iii. 14. St Jerome speaks of a village Beth-acharma on a hill between Jerusalem and Tekoa. This position corresponds to a conicalshaped hill called the Frank mountain, conspicuous from Bethlehem, and would be a very suitable spot for a beacon station.

28

appeareth] is looking forth, implying eagerness. Compare Judges v. looked out").

2.

I have likened] I have destroyed. The Hebrew verbs are identical in form, but the sense here requires the latter.

The 3

daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. 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. Prepare ye war against her; arise, 4 and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her pa- 5 laces. For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down 6 trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city

to a comely and delicate woman] comely and delicate (as she is). This is probably right, the verse constituting a tender lament over the ill-fated city, and the feminine singular being used in accordance with Hebrew idiom to denote the inhabitants collectively. Another rendering which is quite possible is "to a pasturage, yea, a luxurious pasturage have I likened the daughter of Zion."

3. The devastation produced by the enemy is spoken of under the figure of shepherds, whose flocks eat up the herbage on every side. For shepherds in the sense of persons in authority, compare chap. iii. 15. There is, as elsewhere, a mixing of metaphor and fact. See Introd. chap. ii. § 8 d.

every one in his place] The Hebrew is literally, each his hand. They shall not need to encroach upon one another. They will each be able

abundantly to satisfy themselves in their own portion. 4. Prepare] Sanctify. Compare Is. xiii. 3, "my sanctified ones," said of the armies summoned to destroy Babylon. See also Jer. li. 27, 28. The entering upon war was looked upon as a solemn religious act, and was accompanied by corresponding ceremonies. For those used by the Jews in accordance with the Mosaic Law see Deut. xx. 2, etc. For the employment of rites on such an occasion by the Babylonians, compare Ezek. xxi. 21-23.

at noon] At this time an army would generally be resting after the morning march, and awaiting the cooler time of the day to resume active operations. Such is the eagerness of the enemy in this case however that they will brave the full power of the sun's rays. Noon also would be an unlikely time to be attacked, and so would be in favour of the besiegers. Compare xx. 16.

5. The impatience of the soldiers at the delay takes the form of a demand for a night assault.

6. Hew ye down trees] It is true that the Jews cut down trees for the purpose of using the wood in making their approaches to a city. Compare "Thou shalt build bulwarks (with trees not being fruit trees) against the city that maketh war with thee," Deut. xx. 20. It cannot however be discovered from the Assyrian monuments that such was the custom of that nation. We must therefore suppose the command to imply simply a clearing away of all obstacles to the approach of the enemy. trees] probably her (the city's) trees.

cast a mount] Earth was carried in baskets, and poured in a heap,

to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. 7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me 8 continually is grief and wounds. Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

9

9-30. Sin, hardness of heart, and the absence of any save formal service are bringing this punishment on the people. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a

until it was on a level with the walls. The assault was then made. Compare for this method, 2 Kings xix. 32; Is. xxix. 3. Herodotus speaks of it thus, in describing the campaign of Harpagus, general of Cyrus in Ionia: "Forcing the enemy to shut themselves up within their defences, he heaped mounds of earth against their walls, and thus carried the towns" (I. 162, Rawlinson's Trans.).

to be visited] literally, visited (with punishment).

7.

This verse expands the thought of the last clause of ver. 6.

As a fountain casteth out] The Hebrew verb here used occurs very rarely elsewhere, and then in the sense of digging for water. A substantive however derived from the root, and bearing the undoubted sense of spring or well, seems to make the interpretation of Hebrew commentators the more likely, viz.-as the Eng. Version renders. The other translation proposed is as a cistern cooleth, referring to the store of rain water preserved fresh and cool in the cistern of a Jewish house for many months at a time. This however would be rather forced when applied to the next clause, where the verb recurs.

grief and wounds] sickness and smiting, i. e. disease produced by want, and deeds of violence.

8. instructed] The word is elsewhere translated reformed, or corrected, which illustrates its meaning here; e.g. Lev. xxvi. 23; Prov. xxix. 19.

lest my soul depart] The verb in the original is much stronger than depart. lest my soul be parted.

9-30. SIN, HARDNESS OF HEART, AND THE ABSENCE OF ANY SAVE FORMAL SERVICE ARE BRINGING THIS PUNISHMENT ON THE PEOPLE.

9. The beginning of the second of the four sections. See ver. 1. The spoiling shall be thorough. The gleaners shall go over and over again. Calamity shall not visit the land once only, but many times. remnant of Israel] "Not the kingdom of Judah at large, but Judah already reduced by judgments" (Keil).

turn back thine hand] addressed to Nebuchadnezzar, or in general to the leader of the attack upon the land.

To whom shall I speak, 10

grapegatherer into the baskets. and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am 11 weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. And their houses shall be 12

baskets] tendrils. The Hebrew word occurs only in this place. It bears a certain resemblance to the word used for basket, Gen. xl. 16-18, and comes from a root meaning to twine. It is still more like however to another word, whose meaning of vine-shoots is undoubted.

10. The thought of the indifference of the people suddenly lays hold on Jeremiah, and causes him to despair of finding any one to heed his warnings.

give warning] testify.

their ear is uncircumcised] not hallowed or dedicated to God's service, but devoted to profane uses only. This epithet is applied to the ear but once elsewhere (Acts vii. 51), and there it is used of the ear in conjunction with the heart, of which it is frequently spoken. It is applied in the Bible to the lips also.

a reproach] They treat it with contempt, and utterly fail to recognise its solemn importance.

11. Therefore] But.

the fury of the Lord] not, I am inspired with ardour for His cause, but, The wrath which He feels has been infused into me His prophet, that I may make it known to men.

I will pour it out] pour it out (imperative). This command is addressed by the prophet to himself, rather than by God to the prophet. The declaration is made without distinction of age, because the approaching punishment includes all alike. Five periods of life are mentioned.

abroad] in the street, at play. Compare Zech. viii. 5.

taken] detected, overtaken by punishment, not necessarily, taken captive. Compare viii. 9; Josh. vii. 15; 1 Sam. xiv. 41.

full of days] more than merely aged, one who has filled up the measure of life and is in the last stage of existence. See 1 Chron. xxix. 28.

All

12. These verses are almost identical with chap. viii. 10-12. that they hold most dear shall be taken from them and given to others. The possessions thus to be transferred are enumerated as those which will be considered most desirable by their new possessors, for they stand at the beginning of the list in that form of the tenth commandment which appears in Deut. (v. 21).