Jeremiah 6:1 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

O ye children of Benjamin, &c. The prophet proceeds in his remonstrances, rebukes, and faithful warnings to the disobedient Jews. A great part of Jerusalem stood in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:28; on which account, and because Jeremiah, being of Anathoth, was of that tribe, and probably lived therein, the inhabitants are here addressed by the name of the children of Benjamin, and are directed to leave the city, which God was about to destroy, and to take refuge in the mountains. Blow the trumpet in Tekoa One of those cities which Rehoboam built, 2 Chronicles 11:6, twelve miles from Jerusalem. Set up a sign of fire A beacon; in Beth-haccerem A village between Tekoa and Jerusalem, built upon a mountain, situate in the way which led from Chaldea to Jerusalem. As the word signifies the house of the vineyard, it was probably at first some high tower, built among the vineyards, for the keepers of them to watch in, and that it afterward became a village of some note. The design of such signals of war as the prophet here mentions, is generally to assemble men together in order to their mutual defence; but, as he knew it was utterly in vain to attempt any thing of that kind, he seems only to have meant that by these means general notice should be given of the enemies' approach, that the people might disperse, and escape from danger and destruction. For evil appeareth, &c. See note on Jeremiah 1:14. Dr. Waterland reads this verse, “Haste away the children of Benjamin out of, &c., and set up a signal in Beth-haccerem; for mischief threateneth out of the north.”