Jeremiah 6:28

Jer 6:28 They [are] all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: [they are] brass and iron; they [are] all corrupters.

Ver. 28. They are all grievous revolters.] Heb., Revolters of revolters. Chald., Princes of revolters, archrebels. Jeremiah, God’s champion, such as was wont to be set forth completely armed at the coronation of a king in this nation, findeth and reporteth them such here, and proveth it.

Walking with slanders.] Trotting up and down as pedlars, dropping a tale here and another there, contrary to Lev 19:16.

They are brass and iron.] Base and drossy, false and feculent metals. Silver and gold they would seem to be, a sincere and holy people; but they are malae monetae, base coinage, a degenerate and hypocritical generation. Adulterini sunt, nihil habentes probi, as Theodoret hath it here; naught, and good for nought; not unlike those stones brought home in great quantity by Captain Frobisher in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. He thought them to be minerals and of good worth; but when there could be drawn from them neither gold nor silver, nor any other metal, they were cast forth to repair the highways. {a}

They are all corrupters.] Of themselves and of others.

{a} Camden’s Elisabeth, 189.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jer 6:28-29. They are all grievous revolters — Obstinate and refractory; walking with slanders — Making it their business to detract from thee and the other prophets. Blaney translates the clause, They are all of them the dross of revolters, passing with a fraudulent currency; an interpretation for which he assigns plausible reasons. They are brass and iron — They have basely degenerated. It appears, upon trial, that they have nothing in them of the purity of silver or gold, but their impudence resembles brass, and their obstinacy iron. They are all corrupters — Hebrew, משׁחיתים, corrupting, or adulterating; or, as Blaney renders it, instruments of adulteration, alluding to brass and iron, or any base metals, being used to adulterate the pure silver. The bellows are burned, &c. — All methods to purify and amend them are ineffectual. All the expressions to the end of the chapter are metaphorical. The lead is consumed of the fire — Before the use of quicksilver was known, the refiners used lead to separate the silver from the other substances mixed with it. Thus Pliny, Nat. Hist., lib. 31. sec. 31, “Excoqui (argentum) non potest, nisi cum plumbo nigro, aut cum vena plumbi.” The founder melteth in vain — Or, as Houbigant reads it, heapeth up fire in vain. For the wicked are not plucked away — Or rather, The dross of iniquity is not purged away. The word רעים, meaning here, it seems, the base ingredients among the metals; that is, the bad principles and habits, which prevailed so much, and adhered so closely, that all endeavours and pains used to purge them away and get clear of them proved ineffectual; so that, as it follows in the next verse, nothing remained but to throw them aside, as metal disallowed, and cried down by authority; counterfeiting silver, but not capable of being brought to the sterling standard. See Blaney. In other words: As base money is refused by every one, because it cannot bear the touchstone; so should these hypocrites and evil-doers be rejected both by God and man.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jer 6:28 gives a statement as to the moral character of the people. "Revolters of revolters" is a kind of superlative, and סרי is to be derived from סרר, not from סוּר, perverse of perverse; or, as Hitz., imitating the Heb. phrase, rebels of the rebellious. Going about as slanderers, see on Lev 19:16, in order to bring others into difficulties; cf. Eze 22:9. To this is subjoined the figurative expression: brass and iron, i.e., ignoble metal as contrasted with gold and silver, cf. Eze 22:18; and to this, again, the unfigurative statement: they are all dealing corruptingly. משׁחיתים, cf. Isa 1:4; Deu 31:29. There is no sufficient reason for joining כּלּם with the preceding: brass and iron, as Hitz. and Graf do in defiance of the accents.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

6:28 The people’s dross was spiritual; it included rebellion against God, slander of other people, a hard and stubborn attitude, and a disposition to lead others into corruption (Ezek 22:18).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

grievous revolters--literally "contumacious of the contumacious," that is, most contumacious, the Hebrew mode of expressing a superlative. So "the strong among the mighty," that is, the strongest (Eze 32:21). See Jer 5:23; Hos 4:16.

walking with slanders-- (Jer 9:4). "Going about for the purpose of slandering" [MAURER].

brass, &c.--that is, copper. It and "iron" being the baser and harder metals express the debased and obdurate character of the Jews (Isa 48:4; Isa 60:17).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Prophet now shews what he found the Jews to be, whose manners and proceedings he had been commanded to observe. Had he said this at first, either the fury of the people would have been kindled, or his judgment would have been treated with contempt: but when God shewed what he had known through his servant, it had more weight, and then the fury of the people was also repressed, when they understood that it would avail them nothing to fight against God.

He says, that they were all the apostates of apostates, or the transgressors of transgressors. Some read סרי, sari, with a ש, shin, and render the words, “the princes of transgressors.” But I adopt the first as the more approved reading. They who read “princes, “elicit a meaning from the words which appears strange, but not the true one: they say that they were the princes of transgressors, because the people were no better than their rulers, and because servants imitated their masters in all kinds of wickedness. But this, as all must see, is a strained meaning. Why then should anything be changed, since the sentence, as it is, has a most suitable meaning? They are then called the apostates of apostates, or the transgressors of transgressors, סרי סררים, sari sarerim The Hebrews, we know, express the superlative degree by doubling the word, as, the heaven of heavens, the holy of holies, the God of gods. He then says, that they were not only wicked, but most wicked, who had reached the extreme point of depravity. For when impiety reaches its summit, then justly may men be called the apostates of apostates. This, I have no doubt, is what the Prophet means.

He afterwards adds, that they walked in slander The same mode of speaking, if I mistake not, is found in Leviticus 19:16,

“Go not,” or walk not, “among thy people with slander.”

Yet this phrase may be otherwise explained, that is, that they walked in calumnies, or that they perverted everything. But in this place, the word slander, seems too feeble, as the Prophet, in my judgment, means more, even the audacity of the people, so that they allowed themselves every liberty in sinning, and thus walked in their own wickedness.

He adds, Brass and iron Many render the words, “Brass mixed with iron;” that is, that the noble and the vulgar were mingled together, so that there was a common consent among them. Of this meaning I do not wholly disapprove: but as it is rather refined, I know not whether it be well — founded. I therefore prefer to regard this as designating their hardness: They were like brass and iron, for they were inflexible. The Prophet then after having called them transgressors who had alienated themselves from God, and after having said, that they walked in their own depravity, now adds, that they were untamable, not capable of any improvements; and hence he compares them to brass and iron.

He at last adds, that they were all corrupters This, as I think, is to be referred to their habits: for thus are enemies called, who plunder everything, and commit all excesses. But they are corrupters here, who not only like thieves plunder the goods of all, but who are leaders to others in wickedness: so that all things were in confusion, as it is wont to be said, from the head to the feet. He afterwards adds —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(28) Grievous revolters . . .—Literally, rebels of rebels, as a Hebraism for the worst type of rebellion.

Walking with slanders.—The phrase was a common one (Lev_19:16; Pro_11:13; Pro_20:19), and pointed to the restless eagerness of the tale-bearer to spread his falsehoods. (Comp. 1Ti_5:13, “wandering about . . . idle tattlers.”)

Brass and iron.—Base metals serving for vile uses, no gold or silver in them. The imagery, which carries on the thought of the previous verse, had been made familiar by Isaiah (Isa_1:22; Isa_1:25), and was reproduced afterwards by Ezekiel (Eze_22:18-22) and Malachi (Mal_3:3).

Corrupters.—Better, workers of destruction.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. grievous revolters] Heb. revolters of revolters, one of the ways of expressing the superlative. Cp. Gen_9:25; Eze_32:21 (see note in C. B.).

they are brass and iron] an awkward expression in this place, and perhaps a later insertion, suggested by Eze_22:18-22.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They are all grievous revolters,.... From the right way of God and his worship: or,

they are all revolters of revolters (e); of all, the greatest revolters, the greatest sinners and transgressors, the most stubborn and disobedient; or sons of revolters; fathers and children are alike. The Targum, is,

"all their princes rebel;''

and so the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions: "walking with slanders": of one another; or with deceit, as the Targum; in a hypocritical and fraudulent manner; playing the hypocrite with God, or tricking and deceiving their neighbours. They are "brass and iron"; as vile and mean as those metals, and not as gold and silver; or as hard and inflexible as they are; or they deal as insincerely

"as he that mixes brass with iron;''

so the Targum:

they are all corrupters; as such that mix metals are; they are corrupters of themselves and of others, of the doctrines and manners of men, and of the ways and worship of God.

(e) "refractarii refractariorum", Schmidt; "contumacium contumacissimi", Junius & Tremellius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Grievous revolters; obstinate and refractory, Isa 31:6; Jer 5:3,23.

Walking with slanders; being their main business to detract from thee and the other prophets, Jer 18:18; 20:10; a sin expressly forbidden, Lev 19:16.

They are brass and iron: this to the end of the chapter is all metaphorical; either they are impudent, as brass doth sometimes signify, or they are obstinate and inflexible, as iron notes: see both Isa 48:4; or it signifies their corrupt estate; they are not pure metal, as silver or gold, but base and mean, as brass and iron mixed together, Eze 22:18.

They are all corrupters: this relates to their manners; they propagate their corruption, Isa 1:4; they strengthen one another in wickedness.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. The reasons: The people are revolters, walking with slanders,…

brass and iron (ignoble)… corrupters.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Grievous revolters; literally, rebels of rebels. Walking; rather, going about, as a peddler with his wares. (so Pro_11:13 Lev_19:16) Jeremiah had good reason to specify this characteristic of his enemies. (see Jer_18:18) Brass and Iron; rather, copper and iron, in short, base metal,

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

extremely perverse Turning away from the road.

going tale bearing between copper and iron. They introduce hatred between two princes who have the power to provoke one another. That is what I heard. But I say, they are tale bearers, and they are as strong as copper and iron to maintain their falsehood. Jonathan, however, renders this word רכיל as an expression of guile (נוכל). They go with guile as one mixes copper with iron. נוכל is an expression of plot. Comp. (Gen. 37:18) “And they plotted (ויתנכלו) against him to slay him.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.