Jeremiah 6:1. O ye children of Benjamin— Jeremiah continues to inveigh against the disorders of the Jews; he addresses himself to the tribe of Benjamin, to prepare to defend themselves and their city against the Chaldeans; and for that purpose to flee out of the city, and erect their standards in Tekoa, and Beth-haccerem. The Benjamites were always remarkable for their skill and address in war. Jerusalem belonged to this tribe, as well as to that of Judah. Tekoa was a village about twelve miles from Jerusalem; and Beth-haccerem was a village between Tekoa and Jerusalem. It was built upon a mountain situate in the way which led to Jerusalem from Chaldea.

Jeremiah 6:2. I have likened the daughter of Zion— There seems to be nothing in the simile in this verse, that can at all suit with the continuation of it in the third; and therefore I cannot but approve the interpretation which Houbigant and several others give; I have likened the daughter of Sion to pleasant pasture, wither the shepherds with the flocks come to feed, that is to say, "the Chaldeans with their army, who were to feed upon and devour Jerusalem." Houbigant reads the latter part of the next verse, They have pitched their tents near it, and they feed round it, every one in his place.

Jeremiah 6:4. Woe unto us, &c.— This is the complaint of the enemy, that they are retarded from their intended expedition by the approach of the night. In the next verse they determine to go up, though it be by night; whereby the great eagerness of the Chaldeans to undertake the siege, from their confidence of success, is signified.

Jeremiah 6:6. Cast a mount— The margin of our Bibles reads, Pour out the engine of shot. The original word סללה solelah, signifies a warlike engine used in sieges for casting stones or missile weapons. See Pilkington's Remarks, and Calmet's Dissertation, Sur la Milice des anciens Hebreux.

Jeremiah 6:8. Lest my soul depart from thee— That is to say, "Lest my affections be utterly alienated from thee, so that I cast off all bowels of compassion towards thee, and give thee up to ruin and desolation." Houbigant renders it, Lest my soul be alienated, &c. See Psa 81:12-13 and chap Jeremiah 51:9.

Jeremiah 6:9. They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine— As much as to say, "Come, ye Chaldeans, into my vineyard; make the vintage; gather even to the very last grapes." The people of the Lord are very frequently represented under the figure of a vine, and their enemies as vintagers, or gatherers of the grapes.

Jeremiah 6:11. Therefore, &c.— Houbigant is of opinion, that these words cannot with any propriety be applied to the prophet; but that they are a continuation of the discourse from Jeremiah 6:9. Accordingly he renders them, Therefore, I will fulfil my fury, I am weary with bearing these things, I will pour out my anger, &c.

Jeremiah 6:14. They have healed also the hurt, &c.— But they apply only a slight medicine to the wounds of the daughter of my people; saying, Peace, peace, when there shall be no peace. See chap. Jeremiah 8:11. Houbigant renders the latter part of the next verse, Therefore they shall fall, when I bring their ruin upon them; They shall entirely fall, when I visit them, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 6:16. Stand ye in the ways— "Imitate the traveller, when at a loss which way to direct his steps; inquire in what way the patriarchs of old walked: imitate their practices, wherein you will find true comfort and satisfaction." See Lowth and Calmet.

Jeremiah 6:17. Also I set watchmen over you— "I have given you prophets, as watchmen or centinels, to advertise you of the approach of the enemy, that you may obey their voice, and prevent the evils which they threaten. But all this has answered no end with you." See Isaiah 56:10.

Jeremiah 6:18. Therefore hear, ye nations— "You, Chaldeans, and all the various people who compose the army coming against Jerusalem; nay, let all the world (Jeremiah 6:19.) be witnesses of the resolutions which I have taken against my people, in just vengeance for their sins,"

Jeremiah 6:20. To what purpose, &c.— Sheba was part of Arabia Felix, and famous for its incense and perfumes. Respecting the sweet cane, see Isaiah 43:24. The prophet here reproves the hypocrisy of the Jews, who endeavoured to cover their inward corruption by the external appearances of religion:—which the prophets often declare to be of no value, when they do not proceed from a devout mind;—and thereby paved the way for the abolition of the external ceremonies of the Mosaic Dispensation, and for the practice of that spiritual worship recommended by the Gospel. See chap. Jer 5:2 Jeremiah 7:2, &c. and Isaiah 1:11.

Jeremiah 6:22. Behold, a people, &c.— The Chaldeans are here again described as in chap. Jeremiah 5:15, &c. a distant nation, violent, cruel, armed with bows and spears, and well mounted: Instead of sides of the earth, we may read, the coasts, ends, or extremities.

Jeremiah 6:26. Gird thee with sackcloth— As the wearing of sackcloth girt round the body next the flesh (see 2 Kings 6:30.) is often mentioned in Scripture as usual in times of mourning and lamentation, and appears, according to our notions, a very harsh kind of discipline, it may not be amiss to take notice what kind of sackcloth is meant. Mr. Harmer cites Sir John Chardin's manuscript, to shew that the sacks used by travellers in the East for carrying their necessaries with them, were made of coarse wool, guarded with leather; and then proceeds to infer with great probability, that "if the sacks were woollen, the sackcloth, with which the Eastern people were wont to clothe themselves at particular times, means coarse woollen cloth, such as they made sacks of, and neither hair-cloth, nor rough harsh cloth of hemp, as we may have been ready to imagine; for it is the same Hebrew word שׂק sak, which signifies sack, that is here rendered sackcloth. And as the people of very remote antiquity commonly wore no linen, there was not that affectation in what they put on in times of humiliation, as we in the West may perhaps have apprehended. They only put on very coarse mean woollen garments, instead of those that were finer, but of the same general nature." Harmer's Observ. ch. 5: Obs. 4:—Sitting or lying down in ashes was another custom observed on the like occasions. See Esther 4:3.Job 2:8; Job 2:8; Job 42:6. Isaiah 58:5.Jonah 3:6; Jonah 3:6. &c. &c.
As for an only son— A proverbial expression among the Hebrews, to denote the greatest grief. See Amos 8:10. Zechariah 12:10.