Jer 6:1 | NET2full | STEP | “ Run for safety , people of Benjamin ! Get out of Jerusalem ! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa ! Light the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem ! For disaster lurks out of the north ; it will bring great destruction .

‏ Jeremiah 6:1

The Destruction of Jerusalem Depicted

1 “Run for safety, people of Benjamin!
Get out of Jerusalem! ^{▼▼tn Heb “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem.”} ^{▼▼sn Compare and contrast Jer 4:6. There people in the outlying areas were warned to seek safety in the fortified city of Jerusalem. Here they are told to flee it because it was about to be destroyed.}
Sound the trumpet ^{▼▼tn Heb “ram’s horn.” But the modern equivalent is “trumpet” and is more readily understandable.} in Tekoa!
Light the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster lurks ^{▼▼tn Heb “leans down” or “looks down.” This verb personifies destruction leaning/looking down from its window in the sky, ready to attack.} out of the north;
it will bring great destruction. ^{▼▼tn Heb “[It will be] a severe fracture.” The nation is pictured as a limb being fractured.} ^{▼▼sn This passage is emotionally charged. There are two examples of assonance or wordplay in the verse. “Sound” and “Tekoa” are built on the same root: תָּקַע (taqaʿ, “blow”). “Light” and “signal fire,” also come from the same root: נָשָׂא (nasaʾ, “lift up”). Also disaster is personified when it is said to “lurk” (Heb “look down on”) out of the north. This gives a sense of urgency and concern for the coming destruction.}