Jeremiah 6: Edit history

Chapters 4–6 of the book of Jeremiah form a unit warning of "evil from the north," and chapter 6 concludes it. After chapter 5 rebukes Jerusalem because no one there does justice, chapter 6 depicts the enemy's siege and the coming judgment in concrete terms.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: The children of Benjamin are warned to flee from Jerusalem. The enemies prepare to attack Zion, urging one another to go up at noon and again by night.
• Verses 6–8: The LORD commands that a mount (a siege ramp) be cast up against Jerusalem. The city casts out wickedness as a fountain casts out its waters. Jerusalem is warned to receive instruction.
• Verses 9–15: The remnant will be gleaned like a vine. The people cannot hear because their ear is uncircumcised. From the least to the greatest they are given to covetousness. The prophets and priests say "Peace" when there is no peace, and they are not ashamed even of their abominations.
• Verses 16–21: The people refuse the call to walk in the old paths, the good way, and they refuse to heed the trumpet of the watchmen. The nations and the earth are summoned as witnesses. The LORD does not accept incense and burnt offerings presented without obedience.
• Verses 22–26: A great and cruel nation comes from the north. The people writhe in anguish like a woman in travail and mourn as for an only son.
• Verses 27–30: The LORD has appointed the prophet to test the people. Though they are refined in the furnace, their wickedness is not removed, and they become "reprobate silver."

Key verses

• Jeremiah 6:14: "Peace, peace; when there is no peace" (KJV). The words condemn false comfort, and nearly the same words recur in Jeremiah 8:11.
• Jeremiah 6:16: "Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein" (KJV). The verse shows both the invitation to repentance and its rejection.

People and places

• Jeremiah: The prophet, appointed in verse 27 to test the people.
• Jerusalem, Zion: The city that is the object of judgment.
• The children of Benjamin: The tribe living north of Jerusalem. Jeremiah's hometown, Anathoth, lay in this territory (Jeremiah 1:1).
• Tekoa: A town south of Jerusalem and the hometown of Amos.
• Beth-haccerem: Thought to be a village near Jerusalem, though its exact location is uncertain.
• Sheba: A region of southern Arabia known for producing frankincense.

Points for reflection

• The text does not identify the "enemy from the north." It is commonly understood to be Babylon, but Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar are not named explicitly until later in the book (Jeremiah 25:9).
• The rejection of sacrifices in verse 20 is generally interpreted not as a repudiation of sacrifice itself but as a criticism of sacrifice offered without obedience. The same concern appears in Amos 5:21–23 and Micah 6:6–8.
• The promise in verse 16, "ye shall find rest for your souls," is read alongside Matthew 11:29–30, "ye shall find rest unto your souls." The expression "uncircumcised ear" in verse 10 also appears in the speech of Stephen (Acts 7:51).

In Korean churches

In Korean churches, verse 14 is often cited in sermons that criticize false prophets and false comfort that ignores reality. Verse 16 is used as a sermon text calling believers to return to the right path of faith.