Jeremiah 6:17
Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Original Language Analysis
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י
Also I set
H6965
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י
Also I set
Strong's:
H6965
Word #:
1 of 9
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
עֲלֵיכֶם֙
H5921
עֲלֵיכֶם֙
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 9
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
צֹפִ֔ים
watchmen
H6822
צֹפִ֔ים
watchmen
Strong's:
H6822
Word #:
3 of 9
properly, to lean forward, i.e., to peer into the distance; by implication, to observe, await
שׁוֹפָ֑ר
of the trumpet
H7782
שׁוֹפָ֑ר
of the trumpet
Strong's:
H7782
Word #:
6 of 9
a cornet (as giving a clear sound) or curved horn
Cross References
Jeremiah 25:4And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.Isaiah 21:11The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?Zechariah 7:11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.Isaiah 56:10His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.Habakkuk 2:1I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
Historical Context
Jeremiah and other prophets faithfully warned Judah for decades about coming Babylonian judgment. The people's rejection of these warnings left them without excuse when destruction came.
Questions for Reflection
- What is the responsibility of spiritual watchmen in the church today?
- How should God's people respond when warned about spiritual danger?
- What accountability do individuals bear when they reject clear warnings from Scripture and faithful preaching?
Analysis & Commentary
God appoints watchmen (prophets) with the responsibility to sound the alarm ('hearken to the sound of the trumpet'). These watchmen give warning of approaching danger. However, the people's response is defiant: 'We will not hearken.' This demonstrates that the problem is not lack of warning but willful rejection of the warning. The watchman motif appears throughout Ezekiel 3 and 33, emphasizing the prophet's responsibility to warn and the people's accountability for their response. Reformed theology affirms that God's warnings through His word and ministers remove any excuse for unpreparedness when judgment comes.