Jeremiah 6:29

“The bellows are burnt, etc.] Which Kimchi interprets of the mouth and throat of the prophet, which, through reproving the people, were dried up, and become raucous and hoarse, and without any profit to them; and so the Targum, “lo, as the refiner’s blower, that is burnt in the midst of the fire, so the voice of the prophets is silent, who prophesied to them, turn to the law, and they turned not;” or the judgments and chastisements of God upon the Jews may be meant, which were inflicted upon them to no purpose: the lead is consumed of the fire; lead being used formerly, as is saidf150, instead of quicksilver, in purifying of silver; which being consumed, the refining is in vain: or it may be…”

“bellows . . . burned--So intense a heat is made that the very bellows are almost set on fire. ROSENMULLER translates not so well from a Hebrew root, "pant" or "snort," referring to the sound of the bellows blown hard. lead--employed to separate the baser metal from the silver, as quicksilver is now used. In other words, the utmost pains have been used to purify Israel in the furnace of affliction, but in vain (Jer 5:3; Pe1 1:7). consumed of the fire--In the Chetib, or Hebrew text, the "consumed" is supplied out of the previous "burned." Translating as ROSENMULLER, "pant," this will be inadmissible; and the Keri (Hebrew Margin) division of the Hebrew words will have to be read, to get "is…”

“The bellows are burned - Worn out by continual blowing. The prophet has exhausted all his efforts. His heart, consumed by the heat of divine inspiration, can labor no more. Others translate “The bellows snort,” i. e., blow furiously. More probably, “The bellows glow” with the strong heat of the fire. Plucked away - Separated. The smelter’s object is to separate the metal from the dross. return to 'Top of Page'”

“The bellows - The prophet prosecutes his metaphor taken from refining of metals, intimating, that the prophets had spent their breath to no purpose, and their strength was consumed by their labour. The lead - The judgments which were heavy, as lead upon them, are all wasted, and do no good. In vain - Let the artist use his greatest skill and industry, yet is it all in vain. Jeremiah 6:30”

“6:29 To expose their wickedness, God was fanning the flames with the bellows of his judgment. But no valuable silver appeared; only the dross of wickedness remained (Zech 13:9; Mal 3:3).”

“the founder: Jer 9:7; Pro 17:3; Zac 13:9; Mal 3:2, Mal 3:3; Pe1 1:7, Pe1 4:12 in vain: Isa 49:4; Eze 24:13; Hos 11:7 Jeremiah 6:30”

“The trial of the people has brought about no purification, no separation of the wicked ones. The trial is viewed under the figure of a long-continued but resultless process of smelting. נחר, Niph. from חרר, to be burnt, scorched, as in Eze 15:4. מאשׁתּם is to be broken up, as in the Keri, into two words: מאשׁ and תּם (from תמם). For there does not occur any feminine form אשּׁה from אשׁ, nor any plural אשּׁת (even אשּׁה forms the plur. אשּׁים), so as to admit of our reading מאשּׁתם or מאשּׁתם. Nor would the plur., if there were one, be suitable; Ew.'s assertion that אשּׁות means flames of fire is devoid of all proof. We connect מאשׁ with what precedes: Burnt are the bellows with fire, at an…”