THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 4

1Israel is excited to repentance by promises, 3and Judah by threats of hostile invasion and the calamities of war. 19The prophet lamenteth bitterly the afflictions of his country.


1IF1 thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine 2abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not 3remove.

1 As if God said: If thou at any time art minded to return, as thou oftentimes pretendest thou hast a mind to do, then do it now, and do it sincerely without hypocrisy and mixture of any idolatry, as is shown in the sequel.

2 Thy abominable and horrible idolatries or idols, which are joined with the abominations, Deut. 29:17. See 2 Chron. 15 on verse 8.

3 Upon mountains and hills, to commit idolatry. See Jer. 2:20; 3:6, 13. Or, than thou shalt not wander about, that is, go into exile, and in the sequel: and thou shalt swear.

2And thou shalt 4swear, The LORD liveth, in 5truth,a in 6judgment, and in righteousness; and the 7nations shall blessb themselves in 8him, and in him shall they glory.

4 Showing thereby that thou knowest and honorest Me as thine only God, and that sincerely, without falsehood or hypocrisy. Compare Jer. 5:2.

5 These three things include what is required for an holy oath and worship of God, with respect to God, to man himself and to his neighbor both in their general and particular calling. Compare the previous annotation and Gen. 18 on verse 19; 1 Kings 10 on verse 9.

a Isa. 48:1.

6 Or, right.

7 Who now mock at you and Me, because you behave yourselves so shamefully, that I must punish you by the Gentiles themselves for the honor of My Name.

b Gen. 22:18.

8 Namely, the LORD; beholding your piety and thereupon God’s promised blessing upon you, they will be invited to turn unto the true God, and to seek their happiness only in Him, to ascribe it to Him alone, and to account themselves blessed and happy in Him. Compare Gen. 22 on verse 18; Deut. 29:19; Psalm 10:3; 49:18, 19.

3¶For thus saith the LORD to the 9men of Judah and 10Jerusalem, 11Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among 12thorns.

9 Hebr. the man, that is, the men, or every man, or those of Judah. Also verse 4; Jer. 11:9; 17:25; 18:11; 32:32, etc.

10 That is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as verse 4.

11 As a fallow ground must be well ploughed up and cleaned anew, in order that it may be fit to receive good seed, and to bear good fruit, as such purge yourselves thoroughly from all uncleanness, and be renewed as new creatures, and put on the new man, etc. Compare Gal. 6:15; Eph. 4:22, 23, 24; Heb. 6:7.

12 Compare Mat. 13:7, 22.

413Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart,c ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like 14fire,d and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 See Deut. 10 on verse 16; 30 on verse 6, and further Genesis 17; Jer. 9:26.

c Deut. 10:16; 30:6.

14 Compare Deut. 4 on verse 24.

d Isa. 65:5.

5Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, 15gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced 16cities.

15 Hebr. cry, fulfill. Of such a compound of two words see Psalm 45 on verse 4: Hebr. prosper thou, ride thou. The meaning is: Cry out to the full, everywhere, let all places be filled with proclamation. Other, cry, gather together, lay, make a full gathering, that everyone may hear and know it, for it shall be a general calamity throughout the entire land.

16 Against the coming of the enemy. Hebr. cities of defense.

6Set up the standard 17toward Zion: 18retire, stay not: for I will bring 19evil from the 20north, and a great 21destruction.

17 For a sign that they must all flee to Jerusalem, as a royal fortress.

18 Or, mightily strengthen yourselves for the flight; also Isa. 10:31; Jer. 6:1. Other, heap yourselves together, gather yourselves together, stock together (as we say), as Exod. 9:19; namely, to flee all together. The Hebrew word (which is found in the aforementioned places) has the signification of fleeing, departing, retiring to some other place, and of gathering together.

19 That is, great mischief, misery and calamity, as the last words of this verse do show.

20 From Chaldea or Babylonia.

21 Or, breaking, that is, misery, calamity, destruction, desolation, as verse 20; Jer. 6:1, 14; 8:11, 21; 10:19; 14:17. Compare also Jer. 17:18; 22:20; 48:3, 4, 5, and elsewhere often in this book. Also Isa. 1:28, etc.

7The 22lione is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make 23thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laidf waste, without an inhabitant.

22 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, shall with his host break forth as a lion out of his den or cave. Compare Isa. 5:26, 27, 28, 29.

e Isa. 5:29; Jer. 2:15; 5:6.

23 O Zion, or Jerusalem, as may be gathered from what goes before.

f Jer. 2:15.

8For this gird you with 24sackcloth, lamentg and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

24 See Gen. 37 on verse 34.

g Isa. 32:12.

9And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall 25perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the 26prophets shall wonder.

25 That is, all their courage shall fail. See 2 Kings 25, etc.; Jeremiah 39 and 52.

26 The false prophets. See the following 27th annotation.

10Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast 27greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the 28soul.

27 Hebr. deceiving deceived, namely, by the false prophets, whom Thou permittest to promise falsely unto the people, under the pretense of Thy Name and service, all happiness and prosperity, whereas indeed utter misery and destruction is at hand. Compare 1 Kings 22:21, 22, 23 and the annotations there. Likewise Jer. 6:14; 7:4, 10; 23:1; Ezek. 14:9.

28 Compare verse 18.

11At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A 29dry wind of the high places in the wilderness 30toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to 31cleanse,

29 Or, thin or bleak. Other, smooth, that is, that will go through smoothly and without opposition, to cast all things down to the ground; understand the Babylonians who would come from the north, over the mountains of Lebanon. See verse 15.

30 That is, toward the land of Judah and Jerusalem.

31 But to destroy, the Lord wants to say.

12Even a 32full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I 33give sentence against them.

32 Hebr. full, that is, too strong, so that they shall not be able to endure and withstand it. Hebr. fuller than they. Other, a full wind from those places, namely, which are described before.

33 That is, pass doom or sentence upon them, that is, I will keep justice upon them. See Jer. 1:16. Another use of this phrase is Jer. 12:1.

13Behold, 34he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are 35swifter than eagles. 36Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

34 The Babylonians shall come as swiftly against thee, as clouds, etc.

35 Hebr. lighter.

36 These are the words of the Jews, as being sensible to God’s judgment, or, the words of the prophet, as lamenting the misery of the people.

14O Jerusalem, washh thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain 37thoughts 38lodge within thee?

h Isa. 1:16.

37 That is, thy vain thoughts, whereby thou reliest on vanity and falsehood or iniquity.

38 Or, stay, abide.

15For a voice 39declareth from 40Dan, and publisheth affliction from 41mount Ephraim.

39 The coming of the Babylonians, who march from there through Israel toward Judah.

40 Dan was the outermost border of Canaan in the north.

41 The innermost border of Israel in the north of Judah.

16Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish 42against Jerusalem, that 43watchers come from a 44far country, and 45give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

42 Or, unto, or, from.

43 Who shall besiege and environ Jerusalem, and shall take diligent heed that none escape. See 2 Kings 25:4, 5.

44 Babylonia.

45 Or, lift up. Hebr. give, that is, make a noise, as Jer. 2:15.

17As 46keepers of a field, are they against 47her round about; because 48she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

46 Who occupy the fields on every side, in order that the wild beasts which are hunted may nowhere escape.

47 Besieging Jerusalem on every side, 2 Kings 25:1, etc.

48 Jerusalem, as appears in verse 14.

18Thy 49way and thy doings have procured 50these things unto thee; this is thy 51wickedness, because 52it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

49 That is, thy bad condition and practice. See Gen. 6 on verse 12.

50 Occasioned and caused all these plagues.

51 That is, the fruit and reward of thy wickedness.

52 Other, therefore it is so bitter, namely, the suffering which is nigh at hand. Other, that he (namely, the enemy) is so bitter, and seeks thy life, and seeks to change utterly thy state. Compare verse 10.

1953My bowels,i my bowels! I am pained at my 54very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot 55hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

53 These are the words of the prophet, who is exceedingly troubled in the presence of God, as if he beheld these miseries with his own eyes. Compare Isa. 15:5; 16:11; 21:3.

i Isa. 21:4; Jer. 9:1.

54 Or, in the walls of mine heart, that is, in my midriff, heart-covering, in my inner parts in my heart.

55 Or, be still.

2056Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my 57tents spoiled, and my curtains in a 58moment.

56 That is, one misery or destruction is no sooner gone, but presently one hears the tidings of another. Compare Psalm 42:7, and see above verse 6.

57 That is, the dwellings of my people.

58 That is, very suddenly.

21How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottishj children, and they have none understanding: they are 59wise to do evil, but to do 60good they have no knowledge.

j foolish

59 Crafty and well versed in evil. Compare 2 Sam. 13 on verse 3.

60 Compare Amos 3:10.

23I beheld the 61earth, and, lo, it was 62without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no 63light.

61 Namely, the land of the Jews.

62 See Gen. 1 on verse 2. This is a figurative description, and a lively portrait of a universal and terrible desolation and ruin of the land of the Jews.

63 That is, the heaven was dark and black. Compare verse 28; Isa. 5:30; 50:3.

24I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills 64moved lightly.

64 Hebr. made themselves light, or, swift, that is, moved themselves swiftly.

25I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were 65fled.

65 Hebr. properly: swerved away, or, fled away. See Jer. 9:10; 50:3.

26I beheld, and, lo, the 66fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities 67thereof were broken down at the presence of 68the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

66 Hebr. Carmel. See Jer. 2 on verse 7.

67 Of the fruitful land that lay in it.

68 Hebr. because of the face of the Lord; which some take to be His anger, His angry face. See Jer. 3 on verse 12.

27For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be 69desolate; yet will I not make a 70fullk end.

69 That is, everywhere exceedingly wasted.

70 Or, destruction, consumption. Compare Jer. 5:10, 18; Ezek. 11:13; 20:17. That is, I will not make an utter desolation, but yet intermingle My mercy with My wrath, and reserve Me a remnant and a seed in Jacob. See Jer. 30:11; 46:28. God inserts this here among these terrible threats for the comfort of the elect and believers. Some conceive that the meaning of these words is: There shall not be an end for all this; My wrath and judgment shall not yet cease for all this, but shall still go on and continue a long while upon this land. Whereto they apply the mourning of the earth and of the heaven, whereof mention is made in the sequel. This phrase is used in another sense of sinners, who have extremely offended, and filled up the measure of their sins. See Gen. 18 on verse 21.

k Jer. 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:28.

28For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be 71black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

71 As wearing mourning-apparel. See Psalm 35 on verse 14.

29The whole city shall 72flee for the 73noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into 74thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

72 Hebr. all the city or the whole city is fleeing, that is, the citizens or the inhabitants of the cities (as the following words show) shall flee, and so in the sequel.

73 Hebr. voice.

74 Or, clouds, that is, up to the tops of the mountains, which reach to the very clouds, to hide themselves there. Other, into thick or close places, as thickets, hedges.

30And when 75thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou 76clothest thyself with crimson, though thou 77deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy 78lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy 79life.

75 Daughter of Zion, as in the following verse, that is, thou that shalt be wasted or destroyed.

76 In an idolatrous and pagan manner, to please and soften thine enemies; as harlots do adorn themselves to please their lovers.

77 Though thou wouldst attire and paint thyself so much and so often, that thy face or cheeks would come to split to rent by it.

78 The Babylonians, who seek to master thee.

79 Or, thy soul, that is, seek thy life. See 2 Sam. 4 on verse 8.

31For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that 80bewaileth herself, that 81spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of 82murderers.

80 Other, sigheth, lamenteth, by reason of her burden and distress.

81 As those are wont to do who mourn exceedingly, and are in extreme distresses.

82 The Babylonians.