Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 6:5
Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
5. The impatience of the soldiers at the delay takes the form of a demand for a night assault. Cp. Isa 15:1.
palaces ] LXX here and often translate by , foundations, though varying much elsewhere in the rendering of the word, and significantly avoiding “palaces.” See Article by Mr P. J. Heywood ( J. Th. S. XIII. pp. 66 ff.), who suggests that the word denoted primarily the general outline or ground plan as formed by the ramification of streets and buildings, and that the main reference of the word is to the streets and lanes, rather than to higher erections. See his discussion of numerous passages. In Jer 9:21 he renders accordingly “ lanes (or quarters).” In Jer 17:27 and Jer 49:27, though “palaces” is not an unsuitable sense for the context, LXX have , apparently the houses with the streets round about them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Up! and we will make the assault by night!
And destroy her palaces.
The generals delay the assault until the next morning. The soldiers consider themselves aggrieved at this, and clamour for a night attack.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Arise, and let us go by night] Since we have lost the day, let us not lose the night; but, taking advantage of the darkness, let us make a powerful assault while they are under the impression of terror.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Let us go by night, or, this night. They were set upon it, they would lose neither day nor night; which shows that they were extraordinarily stirred up by God in this expedition.
Let us destroy her palaces: this was the bait or motive that they propounded to themselves, viz. to have the spoil of all the stately palaces and rich houses of the nobles and great ones.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Arise, and let us go up by night,…. Since they could not take the city at noon, and by day, as they expected, they propose to attempt it by night; they would lose no time, but proceed on, day and night, until they had accomplished their end; this shows how much they were resolved upon it, and that nothing could discourage from it; and that they were sure of carrying their point: and therefore it follows,
and let us destroy her palaces; the tower and strong hold of Zion, the temple of Jerusalem, the king’s palace, the houses of the high priest, judges, counsellors, and other civil magistrates, as well as the cottages of the meaner sort of people; for the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “her houses”; which, notwithstanding her strong walls, were not secure from the enemy.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He afterwards adds, Arise ye, and let us ascend in the night; that is, “As we cannot take the city in six hours, (from mid-day to night were six hours, for they divided the day into twelve hours, and the first hour began at the rising of the sun, and the twelfth hour closed the day,) as then we cannot take the city in six hours, let us attack it in the night.” We see here how graphically is described the extreme ardor of their enemies; for they were urged on by the hidden power of God; and this is what Jeremiah intended to express. (165) He afterwards adds —
(165) These two verses seem to have been the language of the enemies on their march towards Jerusalem. When men go to a chief city from any quarter, it is always ascending. When on their march, they encouraged one another to ascend by mid-day, as ב may be rendered, but the day declined before they reached the city; then they encouraged each other to continue their march in the night, —
Proclaim ye against her war: Rise, and let us ascend by mid-day. — Alas for us! for declined has the day, For extended have become the shadows of the evening: Arise, and let us ascend by night, And destroy her palaces.
The last word is rendered “foundations” by the Septuagint, — “houses” by the Vulgate, — and “palaces” by the Targum. This is an instance of the loose way in which the versions were often made.
To “sanctify war,“ is not to prepare it, but to proclaim it, as Calvin says, by a solemn ceremony. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Jer 6:5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Ver. 5. Let us destroy her palaces. ] Where we shall find all precious substance; we shall fill our hands with spoil. as Pro 1:13
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 6:5-6
Jer 6:5-6
“Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces. For thus hath Jehovah of hosts said, Hew ye down her trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.”
“Hew ye down her trees …” (Jer 6:6). This does not refer to fruit trees, which would be utilized for feeding a besieging army, but to all the other trees, which according to Clarke, would have been utilized “to build towers, for overlooking the city, and for the mounting of their machines.
The siege which is certainly prophesied here, “means that this description cannot fit the Scythians, who did not have engines for besieging cities; but it is appropriate in describing the Babylonians.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
let us destroy: Jer 9:21, Jer 17:27, Jer 52:13, 2Ch 36:19, Psa 48:3, Isa 32:14, Hos 8:14, Amo 2:5, Amo 3:10, Amo 3:11, Zec 11:1
Reciprocal: 1Sa 14:36 – Let us go Jer 15:8 – the mother Hos 4:5 – and the prophet Oba 1:1 – Arise
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 6:5. The “day of grace” was gone and the night” had come when the invasion and siege would begin. The figure was literally true for when Jeremiah began to write there were only about 20 years until the first attack from the Babylonians was to take place, and much of that time was past when this passage was written.