Jeremiah 6#Verse 1

The original text of this chapter, as with the rest of the Book of Jeremiah, was written in Hebrew language. Since the division of the Bible into chapters and verses in the late medieval period, this chapter is divided into 30 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}} Some fragments possibly containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, i.e.,

4QJer^a (4Q70; 225-175 BCECross, F.M. apud Freedman, D.N.; Mathews, K.A. (1985). The Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev). Winona Lake, Indiana. p. 55{{cite book

|last = Sweeney

|first = Marvin A.

|title =Form and Intertextuality in Prophetic and Apocalyptic Literature

|volume = 45

|series=Forschungen zum Alten Testament

|issn = 0940-4155

|edition=reprint

|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers

|year= 2010

|pages=66

|isbn=9781608994182

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KIxMAwAAQBAJ

}}), with the extant verse 30.Noted with "?" in {{Cite book|title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature|last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.| author-link = Joseph Fitzmyer | publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008 | pages = 37 |isbn = 9780802862419 | location = Grand Rapids, MI | access-date= February 15, 2019}}

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^Q; 6th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex.As reflected in the [http://mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0.htm Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English]. Jeremiah 6 is a part of the Third prophecy (Jeremiah 3:6-6:30) in the section of Prophecies of Destruction (Jeremiah 1-25). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.

: [{S} 5:30-31] 6:1-5 {P} 6:6-8 {P} 6:9-15 {S} 6:16-21 {P} 6:22-30 {P}

Whereas the whole chapter 6 functions as a massive announcement of Judah's 'final outcome' for the reasons of destruction identified in chapter 5, this section and the last section of the chapter (6:22–30) are closely matched to form 'literary amalgamations' bracketing the single complex unit in the middle (6:16–21).{{sfn|Allen|2008|p=84}}

: 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 Bethhaccerem:

: for evil appeareth out of the north,

:: and great destruction.{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|6:1|KJV}} KJV

Tekoa (Tuqu') was about {{convert|5|miles}} south of Bethlehem in the hill country of Judah.{{cite book |title= Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land |first1= Avraham |last1= Negev |first2= S. |last2= Gibson |authorlink2= Shimon Gibson|year= 2001 |location= New York and London |publisher= Continuum |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=l3JtAAAAMAAJ |isbn=0-8264-1316-1 }} The location of Bethhaccerem is debated. Jerusalem was in the territory allocated to the tribe of Benjamin.{{bibleverse||Joshua|18:28|NKJV}}

:As a fountain casts out her waters,

::so she casts out her wickedness.

:Violence and devastation are heard in her;

::before Me continually are grief and wounds.{{bibleref2|Jeremiah|6:7|MEV}} MEV

The first sentence in Hebrew can be rendered as "As a well makes cool/fresh its water, she makes cool/fresh her wickedness," with the word "well" written (kethib) in an unusual form ({{lang|he|בּוֹר}}, bor, "cistern", a masculine noun), but the reading proposed by the Masoretes (qere) is {{lang|he|בַּיִר}}, bayir, for {{lang|he|בְּאֵר}}, beʾer, "well", a feminine noun, which agrees in gender with the pronoun ('it also forms a more appropriate comparison since cisterns do not hold fresh water').Note [a] on Jeremiah 6:7 in NET Bible.

A marginal note in the Masoretic Text tradition indicates that the middle letter of the Tanakh (the whole Hebrew Bible) resides within this verse.{{cite book| last= Shepherd|first= Michael |title= A Commentary on the Book of the Twelve: The Minor Prophets | series= Kregel Exegetical Library | publisher= Kregel Academic | year= 2018 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=_iNZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA13|isbn= 978-0825444593 | page=23}}

This section contains 'the message of the grounds and the announcement of disaster', reinforced by 'the initial quotation formulas in verses 16 and 21.{{sfn|Allen|2008|p=88}} Some terms found in the first section (6:1–15) recur clustered in verses 18–19, such as 'a bad fate' (verse 1), terms of warning or listening, as well as the "message(s)" from YHWH (verse 10).{{sfn|Allen|2008|p=84}}

: To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba,

:: and the sweet cane from a far country?

: your burnt offerings are not acceptable,

:: nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|6:20|KJV}} KJV

Despite 'rich liturgical offerings' that simply show their duplicity, the people 'bring the verdict upon themselves'.{{sfn|O'Connor|2007|p=495}} Although the frankincense from the Sabeans in South Arabia is a prescribed ingredient for incense ({{bibleverse|Exodus|30:34–38|9}}) and the sweet cane ("aromatic grasses") an ingredient for the anointing oil ({{bibleverse|Exodus|30:23|9}}), it is later explained in {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|7:21–24|9}} that the use of those for worship can only work when 'meshed with a more broadly based journey through life' (cf. {{bibleverse|1 Samuel|15:22|9}}).{{sfn|Allen|2008|p=89}}

Following a pattern in first section (6:1–5) this section describes the eventual disaster because the people failed the test of purity, metaphorically described as the analytical testing of metallic purity.{{sfn|Allen|2008|pp=90–91}}

: They shall lay hold on bow and spear;

:: they are cruel, and have no mercy;

: their voice roareth like the sea;

:: and they ride upon horses,

: set in array as men for war against thee,

:: O daughter of Zion.{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|6:23|KJV}} KJV

Here, the voice of YHWH warns about the approaching foe, a 'merciless military force crossing the earth', with a sound like 'the roaring sea' (v. 23b), and their target is 'you, O daughter Zion!' (verse 23c).{{sfn|O'Connor|2007|p=495}}

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Benjamin
• Bethhaccerem
• Israel
• Judah
• Jerusalem
• Sheba
• Tekoa
• Zion

{{div col end}}

• Related Bible parts: Exodus 30, {{bibleverse|Joshua|15|KJV}}, {{bibleverse|Joshua|18|KJV}}, Jeremiah 1, Jeremiah 5, Joel 3, Amos 1

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite book

|last =Allen |first =Leslie C. |title =Jeremiah: A Commentary |publisher =Westminster John Knox Press

|year =2008 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=kj5vKhTWhRUC |isbn =9780664222239}}

• {{cite book| last = Huey| first = F. B.| title = The New American Commentary - Jeremiah, Lamentations: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, NIV Text| publisher = B&H Publishing Group | year = 1993| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HBguYZCdAM4C| isbn = 9780805401165}}
• Ofer, Yosef (1992). "The Aleppo Codex and the Bible of R. Shalom Shachna Yellin" in Rabbi Mordechai Breuer Festschrift: Collected Papers in Jewish Studies, ed. M. Bar-Asher, 1:295-353. Jerusalem (in Hebrew). [https://faculty.biu.ac.il/~ofery/papers/Jubilee%20Rabbi%20Mordechai%20Breuer.pdf Online text (PDF)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011160307/https://faculty.biu.ac.il/~ofery/papers/Jubilee%20Rabbi%20Mordechai%20Breuer.pdf |date=2021-10-11 }}
• {{cite book|last=O'Connor | first= Kathleen M. | chapter = 23. Jeremiah | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John| editor-last1=Barton |editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John| editor-last2= Muddiman |editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press |edition= first (paperback) | date = 2007 | pages = 487–533 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ| access-date=February 6, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last =Thompson|first= J. A. |title=A Book of Jeremiah|series= The New International Commentary on the Old Testament|author-link = J. A. Thompson|edition=illustrated, revised|date= 1980|publisher= Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |url= https://archive.org/details/bookofjeremiah00thom |url-access =registration|isbn=9780802825308}}
• {{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes |isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

• [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1106.htm Jeremiah 6 Original Hebrew with Parallel English]

• [http://www.latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=0&b=28&c=6 Jeremiah 6 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate]

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