Jer 4:1 “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the LORD. “If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray,
Jer 4:2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.”
Jer 4:3 This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.
Jer 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it.
Disaster from the North
Jer 4:5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’
Jer 4:6 Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction.”
Jer 4:7 A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste your land. Your towns will lie in ruins without inhabitant.
Jer 4:8 So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.
Jer 4:9 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled.”
Jer 4:10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! How completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when the sword is at our throats!”
Jer 4:11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse;
Jer 4:12 a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.”
Jer 4:13 Look! He advances like the clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! We are ruined!
Jer 4:14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?
Jer 4:15 A voice is announcing from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
Jer 4:16 “Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
Jer 4:17 They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,'” declares the LORD.
Jer 4:18 “Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!”
Anguish over Judah’s Desolation
Jer 4:19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.
Jer 4:20 Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment.
Jer 4:21 How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Jer 4:22 “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
Jer 4:23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.
Jer 4:24 I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
Jer 4:25 I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away.
Jer 4:26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
Jer 4:27 This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely.
Jer 4:28 Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back.”
Jer 4:29 At the sound of horsemen and archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them.
Jer 4:30 What are you doing, you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why
highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they want to kill you.
Jer 4:31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child— the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, “Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers.”
1 God calls Israel by his promise. 3 He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments. 19 A grievous lamentation for the miseries of Judah.
Jer 4:1 “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the LORD. “If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray,
Jer 4:2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.
Swearing by the name of the Lord was an acknowledgment of the supremacy of God (see Deut. 10:20; Jer. 12:16; see on Deut. 6:13). Oaths by other gods were to be discontinued. The people were to give proof that God was supreme in their minds.
The nations. The conclusion of the conditional sentence is now given: “[then] nations shall,” etc. God intended that Israel’s conversion should result in the conversion of the surrounding nations (see Ps. 102:13, 15; see pp. 29, 30). The blessings assured to Israel were, “on the same conditions and in the same degree, assured to every nation and to every individual under the broad heavens” (PK 500, 501).
o sow among thorns. Compare Jesus’ parable of the soils (Matt. 13:7, 22). Unless the thorns and weeds were removed, they would choke the seeds of reform (see Luke 8:7; 5T 53). It was necessary for Judah to make a clean work of ridding herself of idolatry and moral and social evil. No halfway reform, such as took place under Josiah, would suffice.
Jer 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it.
All the Jews had been circumcised in the flesh, but not all had been circumcised “to the Lord.” The prophet sought to reveal the real meaning of the rite and to counter act a merely formal, ritualistic conception of it. Circumcision was intended to be a symbol of the devotion of the heart to God and a mark of separation from idolatry (see on Gen. 17:10, 11). To remove the foreskin of the heart meant to put away all impurity (see Deut. 10:16; 30:6). True circumcision is inward rather than outward (see Rom. 2:28, 29; Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:11).
No one to quench it. The prophet likened God’s anger against sin to unquenchable fire, that is, fire that no one could extinguish until it had completed its work of destruction (see ch. 7:20).
Disaster from the North
Jer 4:5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’
The prophet here begins a new discourse. The subject concerns the coming evil. He begins by telling of the dreadful preparations for invasion by a formidable enemy.
Sound the trumpet. This was the signal of alarm by which the people were warned of impending danger (see Hosea 5:8; Joel 2:1).
Cry together. Literally, “cry, make full,” meaning “cry with a full voice.” The warning would enable the inhabitants to leave the open country, and with their families and goods seek refuge in the fortified cities. Fear of invading armies drove the Rechabites into Jerusalem (see ch. 35:11).
Jer 4:6 Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction.”
A signal was to be placed upon a lofty pole, to direct refugees to Zion. Families and goods were to be brought within the city walls.
From the north. An obvious reference to the Babylonians (see on ch. 1:14). That the evil would come from the north is repeatedly stated in Jeremiah (see chs. 1:13, 14; 6:1, 22; 13:20; 25:9).
Jeremiah’s description of this enemy approaching from the north fits the Chaldeans exactly. Nebuchadnezzar is specifically named as the invader from the north (ch. 25:9).
Jer 4:7 A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste your land. Your towns will lie in ruins without inhabitant.
A figure of speech portraying the irresistible might and the fierceness of the Chaldean invaders (Jer. 49:19; 50:17, 44; cf. Gen. 49:9; Prov. 30:30; Isa. 5:29; Dan. 7:4; Rev. 5:5).
Jeremiah is describing the future invasion with the vividness of a dramatic present.
Laid waste. The repeated Chaldean invasions left the land of Judah almost uninhabited (see chs. 2:15; 39:9).
Jer 4:8 So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.
Sackcloth. A loose garment or piece of cloth made of coarse, dark hair, worn in mourning and humiliation (see on Gen. 37:34).
Josiah’s noble efforts toward reform had not been sufficient. Much of the wickedness introduced in the reign of Manasseh was still prevalent (see on 2 Kings 24:3).
Jer 4:9 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled.”
9. Shall perish. Verse 9 describes the effect of the coming invasion upon the leaders. The expression, “lose heart ” is idiomatic for a failure of courage.
The prophets. False prophets had seduced the people into a false sense of security. Because of the nonfulfillment of their predict ions they were in consternation.
Jer 4:10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! How completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when the sword is at our throats!”
The word translated “deceived” should be rendered “disappointed,” or should be given permissive force, thus making the passage read, “You have permitted this people to be greatly deceived.”
Jer 4:11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse;
A scorching wind. Because of its violence, its heat, and its excessive dryness, a dry, hot east wind blowing in from the desert was the climatic curse of the country.
Jer 4:12 a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.”
12. A full wind from those places. Or, “a fuller wind than those,” possibly meaning a stronger wind than those useful for winnowing and cleansing. Such a wind would blow away the grain with the chaff.
Judgements against them. This terrible east wind was a symbol of the judgments about to come upon the sinners in Judah and Jerusalem. He will “give sentence” not by word but by deed. In the Hebrew the pronoun here rendered “I” is emphatic.
Jer 4:12 a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.”
12. A full wind from those places. Or, “a fuller wind than those,” possibly meaning a stronger wind than those useful for winnowing and cleansing. Such a wind would blow away the grain with the chaff.
Judgements against them. This terrible east wind was a symbol of the judgments about to come upon the sinners in Judah and Jerusalem. He will “give sentence” not by word but by deed. In the Hebrew the pronoun here rendered “I” is emphatic.
Jer 4:15 A voice is announcing from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
From this northern extremity of the land would come the first reports of the approaching army of the Chaldeans.
The border of Ephraim was only a short distance from Jerusalem.
Jer 4:16 “Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
The prophet calls upon the neighbouring nations to witness the punishment about to fall upon the chosen people. The downfall of Jerusalem should serve as a warning to the heathen.
The Chaldean besiegers of Jerusalem would keep so close a vigil that few, if any, would escape (see Isa. 1:8).
Jer 4:17 They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,'” declares the LORD.
Cultivated fields in Palestine were usually not fenced. Boundaries were marked simply by stones set up at intervals as landmarks (see on Deut. 19:14). Watchers were necessary to protect the crops from animals and marauders. Jeremiah compares the tents and forts of Nebuchadnezzar’s army to the booths erected by shepherds and husbandmen for the protection of their flocks and produce.
Jer 4:18 “Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!”
This phrase may be understood as designating the settled habits and individual acts. The phrase occurs frequently (chs. 7:3, 5; 18:11; 26:13; 35:15).
Anguish over Judah’s Desolation
Jer 4:19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.
The prophet is here giving expression to his feelings in view of the coming calamity. He was revealed the terrible destruction and desolation to fall upon Judah under Nebuchadnezzar (see on Jer. 1:14). His words are descriptive also of the final days of trouble that are to fall on an impenitent world (GC 310; 9T 15).
Jer 4:20 Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment.
The destruction pictured in this chapter has its primary application to desolation of the land of Judah by the Babylonian armies, but describes also the conditions in the great day of God at the end of time (Ed 181; GC 310).
Jer 4:21 How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
How long? The despairing cry of one who sees no prospect of a speedy end to the war.
Jer 4:22 “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
Although God does not directly answer the question as to how long these judgments are to continue, He does state the moral reason for them. The implication is clear that if His people persist in the folly of rebellion, so long the judgments may be expected to continue
Jer 4:24 I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
The prophet describes conditions during the siege of Jerusalem as they were presented to him in figurative language.
Jer 4:25 I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away.
No people. In the scene presented to the prophet no human life was visible (see on chs. 36:29; 44:22).
Jer 4:26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
What had been fruitful, now appeared as a desolate wilderness.
Jer 4:27 This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely.
Though the destruction described would be terrible, it would not be the final annihilation. The prophet predicted a return of Israel and Judah to their land (see on ch. 3:14–18). Likewise, the earth reduced to its millennial desolation will blossom again (see 2 Peter 3:12, 13).
Jer 4:28 Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back.”
The elements of nature are personified and represented as mourning over the desolation of the earth.
Be black. The heavens are represented as shrouding themselves in dark clouds of mourning for the desolate earth.
Because I have spoken. The coming woe was as certain as the sinful condition that called forth the punishment.
Jer 4:29 At the sound of horsemen and archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them.
Jer 4:30 What are you doing, you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they want to kill you.
The city is here personified as a woman who vainly adorns herself to please her admirers.
Her pride and confidence are ill-grounded, for her condition is desperate. Why does she keep on hoping against hope to save herself?
Your lovers. The foreign powers to whom Jerusalem paid court. Judah constantly sought safety in foreign alliances (see on ch. 2:33, 36). But all these efforts to find security in these foreign “lovers” would be in vain.
Jer 4:31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child— the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, “Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers.”
Daughter of Zion. The name of the city or the inhabitants of Jerusalem in poetic personification (see Isa. 1:8).
Bewaileth herself. Literally, “gaspeth for breath.” Stretching out her hands. An expression denoting distress and a cry for help (Lam. 1:17).