The ominous nature of the warning cry becomes clear. The true enemy of Judah is not the enemy they will see approaching, but it is the Lord who is sending them. It is the Lord who stands against Judah. It is the Lord who is bringing disaster from the north, and a great destruction.
The Hebrew phrase seber gadol (great destruction
) describes the total destruction of Judah’s infrastructure. It spells doom to the people in the land.1
Again, the enemy is not identified, but the fact that they come from the north is significant. Most of Israel’s trouble had come from the north in the past and even in the thinking of Baal worshippers the north was not only the home of the gods, but also a place associated with destructive powers.2 Jeremiah’s audience would certainly have understood the threatening nature of his warning.
6 Elevez une bannière vers Sion, Fuyez, ne vous arrêtez pas! Car je fais venir du septentrion le malheur Et un grand désastre.