Глава 6

1–8. The enemies are already under the walls of Jerusalem. 9–21. The depth of the moral decline of the Jews. 22–26. Danger threatening Jerusalem. 27–30. Conclusion. Jeremiah 6:1–8. The state of affairs in Judea is becoming more and more alarming. It is no longer safe to remain even in Jerusalem - and from here you need to flee - of course, to the south, since the enemy is coming from the north. The enemies are rushing to Jerusalem to destroy this city. Jer.6:1. Flee, children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Tekoah, and let it be known by fire in Bethkarem, for from the north comes trouble and great destruction. "Children of Benjamin". The inhabitants of Jerusalem are so named because initially Jebus or Jerusalem belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 15.8) and the Benjamites in ancient times made up the majority of the city's population (Judges 1.26). - "Tekoya" - a village southeast of Bethlehem, lay on the mountains and therefore it was convenient to send signals from there (probably by fire). The same can be said about Bethkarem, under whose name Blessed. Jerome meant the mountainous area between Tekoa and Jerusalem. Jer.6:2. I will destroy the daughter of Zion, beautiful and pampered. Jer.6:3. The shepherds with their flocks will come to her, pitch their tents around her; everyone will graze their own plot. Jerusalem is threatened by the invasion of enemy hordes. – “Shepherds” are military leaders. Jer.6:4. Prepare war against her; get up and let's go at noon. Woe to us! The day is already declining, the evening shadows are spreading. Jer.6:5. Get up, let's go at night and destroy her palaces! Enemies encourage each other. You need to go quickly, otherwise night will catch you on the road. And they go despite the midday heat... - “Prepare... war” - more precisely: “sanctify war.” Among the eastern peoples, war was often viewed as a sacred feat, as a kind of divine service (cf. 1 Samuel 21.5; Exodus 19.10; Josh 3.5). The evening shadows are spreading. As night approaches, shadows from objects become longer. Jer.6:6. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Cut down trees and build a rampart against Jerusalem: this city must be punished; there is every kind of oppression in it. Jer.6:7. Just as a spring spews out water, so it spews out evil: violence and robbery are heard in it, and insults and wounds are always before My face. Jer.6:8. Take heed, O Jerusalem, lest My soul depart from you, lest I make you a desert, an uninhabited land. Now Jehovah Himself encourages the enemies to take possession of Jerusalem as soon as possible, because Jerusalem cannot restrain itself from atrocities, just as a spring cannot stop pouring out water. However, Jehovah still invites the people of Jerusalem to correct their lives. Jeremiah 6:9–21. The sins of the Jews are extremely great and therefore the wrath of God will fall on both adults and children. They, the Jews, did not want to listen to any warnings from God, and for this they would be destroyed. Jer.6:9. Thus says the Lord of hosts: The remnant of Israel will be brought to the end like grapes; work with your hand like a grape picker, filling baskets. “The remnant of Israel - that is, the kingdom of Judah, which in the days of Jeremiah still retained its independence, while the larger kingdom of Israel was already devastated. Jer.6:10. To whom should I speak and who should I exhort so that they will listen? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hear; Behold, the word of the Lord is mocked among them; it is unpleasant for them. From here (up to verse 16) the prophet speaks. He sees no hope for the kingdom of Judah. It would be in vain for him to turn to the Jewish people with calls for repentance. The Jews have an uncircumcised ear, that is, it is as if overgrown with skin, and they are not able to listen to the teachings of the prophet, but only laugh at him. Jer.6:11. Therefore, I am filled with the wrath of the Lord, I cannot keep it within myself; I will pour it on the children in the street and on the congregation of young men; Husband and wife will be taken, old man and old man will be taken. Jer.6:12. And their houses will pass to others, as well as fields and wives; for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord. The prophet himself is so filled with the heat of divine wrath that he can no longer contain it within himself and will now proclaim death to everyone. Jer.6:13. For from the least to the greatest, each of them is devoted to self-interest, and from the prophet to the priest, they all act deceitfully; Jer.6:14. They heal the wounds of My people lightly, saying: “Peace! peace!”, but there is no peace. Jer.6:15. Are they ashamed when they do abominations? no, they are not at all ashamed and do not blush. Therefore they will fall among the fallen, and during My visit they will be overthrown, says the Lord. Even priests and prophets (false) all act against the requirements of honor and conscience. They promise the people peace, that is, reconciliation with God and hence complete external security, whereas now there can be no talk of such peace. Jer.6:16. Thus says the Lord: Stand still in your ways and consider, and ask about the ancient ways, where is the good way, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said: “We won’t go.” Jer.6:17. And I appointed guards over you, saying, “Listen to the sound of the trumpet.” But they said: “We won’t listen.” The Lord inspired the people to follow the ancient path, that is, to imitate the patriarchs who pleased God. He appointed guards, that is, prophets, who from time to time with the sound of a trumpet were supposed to warn unwary travelers who wanted to follow new paths. But nothing had any effect on the Jews! Jer.6:18. Hear therefore, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Jer.6:19. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring destruction upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts; for they did not listen to My words and rejected My law. Jer.6:20. Why do I need the incense that comes from Sheba, and the fragrant reeds from a distant country? Your burnt offerings are displeasing, and your sacrifices are displeasing to Me. Jer.6:21. Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am setting up stumbling blocks for this people, and because of them fathers and children together, their neighbor and their friend, will stumble and perish. All nations are invited to listen to God's judgment on the Jews. The Jews did not listen to the words of Jehovah, thinking to cover all their crimes by bringing selected incense and sacrifices ("incense... from Sheba" or Happy Arabia and "fragrant reed" from abroad were not obligatory offerings). Therefore, God will place stumbling blocks before the Jewish people, that is, He will send nations from the north against them. Jeremiah 6:22–26. The Lord announces to the Jews that a terrible people from the north is approaching Jerusalem, and the Jews are horrified by this news. The Prophet, for his part, invites his people to lament. Jer.6:22. Thus says the Lord: Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation is rising up from the ends of the earth; Jer.6:23. holding a bow and a spear in their hands; they are cruel and unmerciful, their voice roars like the sea, and they rush on horses, arrayed as one man to fight with you, daughter of Zion. The Prophet here obviously means the Babylonians (cf. Jer 1.15; Jer 4.15) “Daughter of Zion” - mainly the population of Jerusalem. Jer.6:24. We heard the news about them, and our hands dropped, grief overwhelmed us, torment, like a woman in childbirth. Jer.6:25. Do not go out into the field or walk along the road, for the sword of the enemy is terror on all sides. This is what the people living in Zion say. Jer.6:26. Daughter of my people! gird yourself with sackcloth and sprinkle yourself with ashes; lament, as if over the death of your only son, weep bitterly; for the destroyer will suddenly come upon us. The prophet invites the Jews to mourn their death as completely certain. Jer.6:27–30. In conclusion, the prophet says that, at the command of God, he examined the moral state of his people and found that this people fully deserved rejection from God. Jer.6:27. I have made you a tower among my people, a pillar, that you may know and follow their way. “Tower” – more precisely with the Hebrew: tester (in glorified tempter) if instead of bochon tower you read: bochen. – “Pillar” – in Hebrew: mebazer. This expression is obviously parallel to the expression bochen, but its exact meaning cannot be established. Jer.6:28. All of them are stubborn apostates, living by slander; these are copper and iron - they are all corrupters. These are the words of the prophet. According to his observations, the Jews are only copper and iron and cannot be compared with any noble metals. Jer.6:29. The blower was burnt, the lead was destroyed by the fire: the smelter smelted in vain, for the evil ones were not separated; Jeremiah 6:30. They will be called rejected silver, for the Lord has rejected them. Comparing his people to metal ore, the prophet, like a smelter, wanted to separate the slag or impurities from the silver. But it was all in vain - the slags or evil people did not separate - all the Jews turned out to be a completely homogeneous mass. One lead! You might be interested in: