Jeremiah 4:9

9 "And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord, "That the heart of the king shall perish, And the heart of the princes; The priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall wonder."

Jeremiah 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 4:9

And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord
When Nebuchadnezzar should be come up from Babylon into the land of Judea, and lay waste the cities thereof, and besiege Jerusalem: that the heart of the king shall perish;
meaning Zedekiah king of Judah, who should be in the utmost fright and consternation, not knowing what to do, being devoid both of wisdom and courage; see ( Jeremiah 39:4 ) : and the heart of the princes;
who being seized with the same panic, and at their wits' end, would not be able to give any advice and counsel to the king; so that the people would have no help from the king and his nobles, in whom they put their confidence: and the priests shall be astonished;
which Kimchi interprets of the priests of the high places, the idolatrous priests, whose service would now cease, and whose idols would not save them: and the prophets shall wonder;
which he also interprets of the false prophets; as does the Targum; who prophesied peace, and now they shall see it was a lie they prophesied, since sudden destruction now comes upon them.

Jeremiah 4:9 In-Context

7 The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.

8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us.

9 "And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord, "That the heart of the king shall perish, And the heart of the princes; The priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall wonder."

10 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, Saying, 'You shall have peace,' Whereas the sword reaches to the heart."

11 At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, "A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people-- Not to fan or to cleanse--