Jeremiah 6:1 kjv
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.
Jeremiah 6:1 nkjv
"O you children of Benjamin, Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, And set up a signal-fire in Beth Haccerem; For disaster appears out of the north, And great destruction.
Jeremiah 6:1 niv
"Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction.
Jeremiah 6:1 esv
Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction.
Jeremiah 6:1 nlt
"Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin!
Get out of Jerusalem!
Sound the alarm in Tekoa!
Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem!
A powerful army is coming from the north,
coming with disaster and destruction.
Jeremiah 6 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 6:1 | "Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; set up a signal fire in Beth-haccherem; for disaster looms from the north, and great destruction." | |
| Jeremiah 4:5-6 | "Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, saying, 'Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say, Gather yourselves; let us flee to the fortified cities!' " | God's call for escape due to coming destruction |
| Isaiah 31:4-5 | "For thus says the Lord to me, Like a lion or a young lion growling over its prey... So the Lord of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hills." | Divine intervention and coming judgment |
| Joel 2:1-2 | "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near..." | The Day of the Lord, a time of judgment |
| Zephaniah 1:14-16 | "The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast... A day of trumpet blast and battle cry..." | Description of the Day of the Lord |
| Hosea 5:8 | "Blow the horn at Gibeah, the trumpet at Ramah; sound the alarm at Beth-aven; terror is by Benjamin!" | Similar warning with specific locations |
| Amos 3:6 | "When the trumpet blows in a city, do not people tremble? And when disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?" | Divine causality of disaster |
| Micah 3:12 | "Therefore because of you Zion will be plowed like a field; Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins, and a mountain in the forest the high places of the sanctuary." | Prophecy of Zion's destruction |
| 2 Kings 25:4 | "Then, as soon as Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon saw that they had broken into the city, Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war then fled..." | Historical account of Jerusalem's fall |
| Jeremiah 52:7 | "They broke through all the city walls on every side." | The breaching of Jerusalem's defenses |
| Jeremiah 8:16 | "The sound of the galloping of his stallions from Dan; the whole land quakes at the entry of his steeds, and they come and devour the land and all that is in it..." | Enemy's swift advance |
| Jeremiah 21:2 | "Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is fighting against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all your wonderful deeds..." | Judah seeking divine intervention |
| Isaiah 22:6-7 | "Elam bore the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shields. Your choicest valleys were filled with chariots, and the horsemen took their posts at the gate." | Preparations for battle, filling valleys |
| Luke 19:42 | "If you, even you, had only understood on this day what would bring you peace. But now it is hidden from your eyes." | Jesus lamenting Jerusalem's blindness |
| Matthew 24:16 | "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." | Jesus' instruction to flee Jerusalem |
| Romans 2:3 | "We know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth." | God's truthful judgment |
| Revelation 18:4 | "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, and lest you share in her plagues,' " | Call to separate from a corrupt city |
| Ezekiel 7:11 | "Wickedness has grown into a scepter for wickedness, but none of the wicked shall survive, nor their abundance, nor their survival, nor shall there be wailing for them." | The reign of wickedness leading to doom |
| 1 Corinthians 10:11 | "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." | Old Testament events as examples |
| 2 Timothy 3:16 | "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," | Scripture's profit for correction |
| Acts 5:32 | "And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." | Holy Spirit as witness to God's actions |
Jeremiah 6 verses
Jeremiah 6 1 Meaning
The verse announces a coming disaster for Jerusalem and the surrounding towns. It calls for immediate flight and preparation, indicating a swift and decisive enemy advance. This judgment is a consequence of the people's persistent sin and rejection of God's word.
Jeremiah 6 1 Context
Jeremiah 6:1 is part of a broader prophecy delivered during a period of significant impending danger for the Southern Kingdom of Judah, specifically Jerusalem. Historically, this oracle likely pertains to the Babylonian invasions led by Nebuchadnezzar, which eventually culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people. The prophet Jeremiah consistently warned Jerusalem and Judah about their persistent idolatry, social injustice, and disobedience to God's covenant. These sins invited divine judgment. The call for the children of Benjamin, a tribe closely associated with Jerusalem due to the placement of the city on Benjamin's border, to flee from the city highlights the imminent and comprehensive nature of the coming catastrophe. The mention of Tekoa and Beth-haccherem signifies the widespread nature of the alarm and the enemies' approach from various directions. This verse serves as an urgent wake-up call, urging preparedness for the onslaught that God, through foreign armies, was bringing against His unrepentant people.
Jeremiah 6 1 Word Analysis
- Hinei (הִנֵּה): "Behold," "Lo," "See." An interjection that calls for attention, drawing the listener's focus to what follows. It emphasizes the immediacy and certainty of the message.
- ba'at (בָּעֲתָה): "To be terrified," "alarmed," "distressed." It describes a state of extreme fear and panic, often associated with sudden danger. Here, it signifies the alarm or sudden distress affecting the people and the city.
- Binyamin (בִּנְיָמִין): "Son of my right hand." The tribe of Benjamin was associated with Jerusalem, and the tribe's territory bordered Jerusalem. This makes the warning particularly pertinent to those in and around the capital.
- mikkerev (מִקֶּרֶב): "From the midst of," "from within." It indicates the source of the danger, or where the terror originates from within the population or city itself. However, in context with the following "Yerushalayim," it suggests the danger is to be found in the very midst of Jerusalem, causing those there to flee.
- Yerushalayim (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם): "Jerusalem." The capital city, the center of religious and political life for Judah, and a place divinely protected, yet now under severe judgment.
- tiko'ah (תְּקוֹעַ): A town in Judah, south of Jerusalem. Its mention signifies the geographical reach of the warning and potential enemy advance.
- le'et’oteh (לְאִיתּוֹת): "To give a signal," "to signal." Refers to the act of signaling for alarm, using fire.
- beith hakerem (בֵּית הַכָּרֶם): "House of the vineyard." A location likely overlooking the approach to Jerusalem, from where signals would be visible.
- ki-miq'dam (כִּי מִקֶּדֶם): "For from the east/north." The Hebrew word miqdem can refer to east or front, but in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare and invasions against Judah, the primary threat often came from the north (Mesopotamia). Thus, "north" is the most fitting interpretation.
- ra'ah (רָעָה): "Evil," "calamity," "disaster," "misfortune." A general term for bad things, often referring to divinely sent judgment.
- vesh'v'rah (וְשֶׁבֶר): "And breaking," "and breach," "and destruction." Implies a shattering, a severe defeat, and a widespread devastation.
Groups of Words Analysis:
- "Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem!": This phrase calls for specific action from a particular group (Benjamin) and emphasizes their location (midst of Jerusalem), painting a vivid picture of danger within their own city.
- "Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; set up a signal fire in Beth-haccherem": These are clear instructions for sounding alarms. Tekoa and Beth-haccherem are specified locations, indicating a planned and widespread alert system being put into effect due to imminent danger.
- "for disaster looms from the north, and great destruction": This explains the reason for the alarm – an enemy threat approaching from the north, bringing widespread ruin. This highlights the direction and severity of the coming calamity.
Jeremiah 6 1 Bonus Section
The chosen locations for the alarm, Tekoa and Beth-haccherem, were strategically positioned. Tekoa was south of Jerusalem, and Beth-haccherem was a high point between Jerusalem and Tekoa, likely equipped with watchtowers. This strategic placement suggests a deliberate early warning system being activated. The instruction to sound an alarm from these points implies that the enemy's approach is significant enough to warrant immediate, broad notification, signaling the collapse of the normal defensive posture and the need for civilian evacuation or a desperate final stand. This vividly portrays a siege or invasion scenario where all means of defense and warning are being deployed.
Jeremiah 6 1 Commentary
Jeremiah 6:1 acts as an urgent dispatch, signaling an immediate and severe threat to Jerusalem and its surrounding inhabitants, particularly the tribe of Benjamin. The prophet employs specific geographical markers (Tekoa, Beth-haccherem) to demonstrate that the alarm is widespread and the danger is tangible. The indication that the threat comes "from the north" clearly points to foreign invading forces, a consistent theme in Jeremiah's prophecies, especially concerning the Babylonian Empire. The core message is one of inescapable judgment due to persistent national sin. The urgent calls to flee and to signal the alarm are not suggestions but divine mandates, emphasizing the critical need for recognition and preparation in the face of divine wrath, albeit a wrath that would ultimately be followed by a future restoration for the repentant.