Jeremiah 6:5

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}

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.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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. 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.

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 θεμέλια, 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 ἄμφοδα, apparently the houses with the streets round about them.

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.

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.

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

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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

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

Let us go; rather, let us go up. "To go up" is the technical term for the movements of armies, whether advancing (as here and Isa_7:1) or retreating. (as Jer_21:2 Jer_34:21 Jer_37:5, Jer_37:11)

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

This night - They would lose neither day nor night; which shews that, they were extraordinarily stirred up by God in this expedition.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.