Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 6:7
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually [is] grief and wounds.
7 . The cherished wickedness of the people is illustrated by a metaphor.
a well casteth forth ] MT. has two readings, well and fountain. In the former water is stored to keep it fresh, in the latter it springs out of the ground. In this application accordingly Jeremiah will mean either ( a) that sin is an alien thing which has been introduced into the heart as a supply upon which to draw, or ( b) that it is innate there. That he held the latter view might seem to draw support from Jer 13:23, which however is not conclusive (see note there), and the former is to be preferred. It has the support of the LXX, who also agree with the mg. “keepeth fresh,” thus deriving the Hebrew form from a verb quite different in sense but akin in letters to the rare one in MT., which, though found elsewhere (2Ki 19:24; Isa 37:25) only in the sense of digging for water, yet according to Rabbinic interpretation bears also the meaning given in E.VV.
sickness and wounds ] disease produced by want, and deeds of violence.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As a fountain casteth out – Better, As a cistern cooleth.
Before me … – Before My face continually there is disease and wounding: Disease as the result of poverty and want: wounding, or, the commission of deeds of actual violence.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. As a fountain casteth out her waters] The inhabitants are incessant in their acts of iniquity; they do nothing but sin.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In this verse God aggravates their sin of oppression, mentioned in the former.
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness; a metaphor, to express how natural all manner of wickedness is to her, how full she is of it, and how incessant in it, noting her impudence, a fountain being not able to retain its water; and the expression of casting it out seems to imply her violence in her filthiness, as it is said of the sea, that it casteth out mire and dirt, Isa 57:20, and favoured by the next clause.
Violence and spoil is heard in her: q.d. This is all she busieth herself about, Jer 20:8. It is the general complaint of her inhabitants.
Before me continually is grief and wounds, viz. that the poor sustain: wherever I go or look, I can hear and see nothing but the sad complaints and grievances of the poor, lamenting over oppression and cruelties that are used against them, Psa 69:26, this being so expressly against Gods command, Exo 22:22-24, &c.; Isa 3:14,15; Jas 5:4; for this refers rather to their sin than to their sufferings from the enemy, as some would carry it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. fountainrather, a welldug, from which water springs; distinct from a natural spring orfountain.
casteth outcauseth toflow; literally, “causeth to dig,” the cause being put forthe effect (2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 21:24;Isa 57:20).
meJehovah.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
As a fountain casteth out her waters,…. In great abundance, and continually:
so she casteth out her wickedness; this metaphor expresses the multitude of her sins, the frequent and constant commission of them, and the source and spring of them, the corrupt fountain of the heart; see Mt 12:34:
violence and spoil is heard in her; that is, the cry of those that are oppressed and spoiled is heard, and that by the Lord himself, whose ears are open to the cries of the oppressed, and will avenge them:
before me continually is grief and wounds; the poor, who were grieved and wounded by their oppressors; the Lord was an eye and ear witness of their grievances, and would redress them; nor could their enemies expect to escape his wrath, since they were all known to him; or else the sense is, that because of their violence and spoil of the poor, it was continually before the Lord, in his mind and purpose, and he was just ready to bring upon them, by way of punishment for these things, what would grieve and wound them; so Jarchi interprets it, which Kimchi mentions; and to it the Targum agrees,
“the voice of robbers and plunderers is heard in her before me continually, therefore will I bring upon her evil and smiting.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet enlarges on what he had said in the last verse; for he had shewn, by mentioning one kind of evil, that Jerusalem was a den of thieves, as oppression dwelt in the midst of it. But he now, by a comparison, amplifies his former statement, and says, that violence, oppression, devastation, grief, and smiting, streamed forth like waters from a fountain. It is possible for many vices to break out from a place, but repentance afterwards follows; but when men cease not, and heap vices on vices, it then appears that they swell with wickedness, and even burst with it, as they cannot repress it: they are like a fountain, which ever bubbles up, and cannot contain its own waters. We hence see the object of the Prophet.
The word בור, bur, means a fountain, and באר, bar, means also a fountain, or a well, and they are no doubt synonymous: and hence appears the mistake of a very learned man among the Hebrews, who makes a difference between the two, and says that the first is a cistern, which receives waters, but has no streaming. That this is false appears from the words of the Prophet; for a cistern does not cast forth water.
But with regard to what is taught, we sufficiently understand that what the Prophet means is, — that the Jews had so given up themselves to their vices, that they were ever contriving some new way of doing evil, as waters never cease to stream forth from the fountain; and it is a proof, as I have said, that a nation is wholly irreclaimable, when there is no cessation from evil deeds, when there is no intermission of injuries, when men ever indulge in their vices; and as the Jews could not deny that such was the atrocity of their wickedness, the Prophet again assumes the name of God, and says, Heard have been oppressions, and smitings are before me; as though he had said, “They will gain nothing by evasions, for if they make a hundred excuses before men, it will be wholly useless to them when they shall come before God’s tribunal.” And he again adds the adverb dymt, tamid, continually, which answers to the perpetual streaming of waters. (167) It follows —
(167) The verse, literally rendered, is as follows: —
7. As cast forth does a spring its waters, So cast forth is her wickedness: Violence and plunder are heard of in her; Before me continually are wounding and smiting.
The first verb is in Hiphil, the second is in Huphal. “Violence” was the visible act; “plunder” or spoiling was the object or the motive; “wounding” was the effect; “smiting” was the cause. Such is often found to be the way of stating things observed by the Prophets.
Blayney renders the two last words “sickness and smiting,“ and adds, that the two words are a Hendiadis, and signify “sickness occasioned by blows.” The true reason for the order is what has been stated: it is according to what is commonly done in Scripture; what is found often is not the progressive, but the retrogressive order.
The Septuagint and the Targum have strangely rendered this verse in a manner wholly inconsistent with the context; nor are the other versions much better. The Hebrew is plain enough. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) As a fountain casteth out her waters.The English is plain enough, but the Hebrew presents two difficulties: (1) The word rendered fountain (better, cistern) is not spelt with the usual vowels, and the etymology of the verb is quite uncertain. It has been rendered, As a cistern gathers or keeps in, or keeps its waters cool, or lets them flow. The general meaning is probably given by the Authorised Version. Jerusalem was literally overflowing with wickedness.
Grief.Better, sickness. The word and the imagery are the same as in Isa. 1:5.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. As a fountain casteth out The difficulties in the first sentence of this verse are very serious, but the Authorized Version is to be approved. It is much more intelligible and expressive than any other which has been proposed, and is easily vindicated as a translation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 6:7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually [is] grief and wounds.
Ver. 7. As a fountain casteth out her waters. ] Incessantly and abundantly. In Ieremia est continua quasi declamatio contra peccatum, &c.
Before me continually.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
fountain. Hebrew. bor = a well, bored or hewn out. Compare 2Sa 23:15, 2Sa 23:16. 1Ch 11:17. See note on Gen 21:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 6:7-8
Jer 6:7-8
“As a well casteth forth its waters, so she casteth forth her wickedness: violence and destruction are found in her; before me continually is sickness and wounds. Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee; lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.”
The meaning of Jer 6:7 is that, “just as a water well maintained its waters at a constant level, no matter how much was taken out of it; in the same way Jerusalem maintained its full level of producing wickedness, violence, and destruction, continually.
“Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem …” (Jer 6:8) “This seems to indicate that the tragedy might be averted if the people would repent. Maybe the passage does indicate such a thing; but, even if it does, it was purely a theoretical premise suggested by the prophet. Not only did Israel not repent, they despised and rejected God’s law.
2. The siege of Jerusalem (Jer 6:6-8)
The God of Israel is the Lord of the enemy hosts. He issues the commands; they are merely instruments in His hands. Cut her trees! Pour out against Jerusalem a mound! The Assyrian kings boast of how they cut down the trees of the enemy. The timber was sometimes taken home, sometimes used to construct battering rams, catapults and other weapons used in the siege. Baskets of earth were poured out to form high mounds from which missiles could the more easily be hurled against the walls or into the besieged city. Jerusalem is to be punished by God because oppression exists throughout that city (Jer 6:6). Just as a well always yields a supply of cool, fresh water so Jerusalem seems to constantly cause her wickedness to bubble forth. Deeds of violence and oppression against the less fortunate are commonplace. As a result of this mistreatment people suffer physical agony. Diseases produced by deprivation, want and wounds resulting from violent deeds cause the people to cry out to God about their plight (Jer 6:7). Jeremiah earnestly appeals to Jerusalem to accept divine chastisement, to amend her ways, to repent. If they fail to heed this appeal God will completely, finally, and totally remove (lit., pull out, tear away) Himself from their midst. The land of Judah will become uninhabited, an astonishment to all who might look upon the desolation (Jer 6:8).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
a fountain: Pro 4:23, Isa 57:20, Jam 3:10-12
violence: Jer 20:8, Psa 55:9-11, Eze 7:11, Eze 7:23, Eze 22:3-12, Eze 24:7, Mic 2:1, Mic 2:2, Mic 2:8-10, Mic 3:1-3, Mic 3:9-12, Mic 7:2, Mic 7:3
Reciprocal: Gen 6:11 – filled Isa 59:6 – their works Jer 30:15 – for the Jer 32:31 – this city Eze 8:17 – for Eze 12:19 – because Hos 4:2 – swearing Mic 6:12 – the rich
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 6:7. The Lord tells us the meaning with which he uses the word fountain by the other word continually in the same connection. It is bad enough for one to do wrong once or just, occasionally, yet It might be through forgetfulness and the common weaknesses of the flesh. No such explanation can be offered for one who does wrong continually tor he is bound to be doing so deliberately and by his own choice. Thus the very appropriate illustration of a fountain is used in reference to the conduct of Jerusalem. A Jet would discharge the water occasionally while a fountain is continually flowing. The grief and wounds means the injustices imposed on the common people by the leaders who took advantage of their authority or position as teachers.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
6:7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: {g} violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually [are] grief and wounds.
(g) He shows the reason why it would be destroyed, and how it comes from themselves.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The residents had an unusual ability to keep wickedness as fresh as wells kept water fresh (cf. Pro 4:16). Wicked violence and destruction had resulted in all kinds of sickness and wounds.