Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

Go not out into the fields, nor walk in the highway: for the sword of the enemy, and fear is on every side.

Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear is round about.

Go not out into the field or by the way; for there is the sword of the attacker, and fear on every side.

Do not choose to go out into the fields, and you should not walk along the roadway. For the sword and the terror of the enemy is on every side.

Ne exieritis in agrum, et per iter ne ingrediamini; quia gladius hostis, terror undique (vel, in circuitu, msvyv.)

He confirms the previous verse. For the Jews, as it has been said, regarded all threatenings as nothing: it was hence necessary that they should be taught, not by words only, but be constrained to fear, by having the scene set before their eyes, that being thus constrained they might at least entertain some fear on account of the nearness of God's vengeance. The Prophet then denounces war, and speaks as though they were already besieged, Go ye not forth, he says, into the field, etc., for the terror of the enemy and fear is on every side; [1] not that the Chaldeans were already laying waste Judea, or that they had even departed from their own country. But we have briefly explained the design of the Prophet: he intended thus vehemently to deal with a hardened and obstinate people, that they might know that he spoke seriously to them, and that his threatenings would not be evanescent. It follows --

Footnotes

1 - This is addressed to the daughter of Sion: hence the verbs are in the singular number. There is no need for the change which Calvin, and also Blayney, adopt, though countenanced by the Keri, and some MSS., for the same is addressed in the next verse, -- Go thou not forth to the field, And in the way walk not; For the enemy has a sword, Terror is on every side. "For the enemy," etc., literally, "For sword is to the enemy." -- Ed.

For the sword of the enemy - literally, "for to the enemy a sword; i. e., for the enemy is armed," he has a commission from God to execute judgment. See Jeremiah 12:12; Isaiah 10:5, and Psalm 17:13 note.
Fear is on every side - Magor-Missabib, Jeremiah's watchword (compare Jeremiah 20:3, Jeremiah 20:10). The "and" before it should be omitted.

Go not forth into the field,.... Either for pleasure, or for business; to take a walk in it for the air, or to till it, plough, sow, or reap; but keep within the city and its walls, there being danger:
nor walk by the way; in the high road from Jerusalem, to any town or village near it:
for the sword of the enemy: or, "because there is a sword for the enemy" (b); or, "the enemy has a sword"; and that drawn; the enemy is in the field, and in the ways, and there is no escaping him:
and fear is on every side; all round the city, being encompassed by the Assyrian army: or, the enemy's sword "is fear on every side" (c); causes fear in all parts round the city. The Targum is,
"because the sword of the enemy kills those who are gathered round about;''
or on every side.
(b) "quoniam gladius est inimico", Munster, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius; "quia (ibi) gladius (qui) hosti", Schmidt. (c) Gataker.

He addresses "the daughter of Zion" (Jeremiah 6:23); caution to the citizens of Jerusalem not to expose themselves to the enemy by going outside of the city walls,
sword of the enemy--literally "there is a sword to the enemy"; the enemy hath a sword.

Go not forth - Expressing the great danger that there would be everywhere.