Jeremiah 6:29 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The bellows are burned: the prophet prosecutes his metaphor taken from refining of metals, intimating herein that the prophets had spent their lungs to no purpose; see the like Psalms 22:15, Psalms 69:3; and their strength was consumed by their so much labour and pains: q.d. The terror of the Lord is as a fire in my throat. The lead is consumed; some read it, the lead was entire, viz. their dross did still remain in them, the lead put for their dross; but I see no reason for nor need of this reading, but rather hereby is understood either that means which was used to prevail with them, his words compared to lead for the weight of them, and the use of them; or the judgments, which were heavy as lead, that God mixed among them, the more easily to prevail with them; it was all upon them; as lead is used in melting silver, that it may melt the easier; it is all wasted, and doth no good. The founder melteth in vain; let the artist use his greatest skill and industry, yet is it all in vain; He can make nothing of it: the prophets did but lose their labour in all the pains they took, Psalms 58:5, after they had wearied themselves. The wicked are not plucked away, or drawn away, as the word is, Joshua 8:16 Judges 20:32. Their dross and corruption, their wickedness and filthiness, is not removed, Isaiah 32:6: for wicked may be read wickedness.