Jeremiah 4:1-18

Judah Threatened with Invasion

1 "If you will 1return, O Israel," declares the LORD, "Then you should return to Me. And 2if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver,
2 And you will 3swear, 'As the LORD lives,' 4In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the 5nations will bless themselves in Him, And 6in Him they will glory."
3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "7Break up your fallow ground, And 8do not sow among thorns.
4 "9Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My 10wrath will go forth like fire And burn with 11none to quench it, Because * of the evil of your deeds."
5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, "12Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, '13Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into the fortified cities.'
6 "Lift up a 14standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing 15evil from the north, And great destruction.
7 "A 16lion has gone up from his thicket, And a 17destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To 18make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant.
8 "For this, 19put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the 20fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us."
9 "It shall come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that the 21heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the 22prophets will be astounded."
10 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly 23deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, '24You will have peace '; whereas a sword touches the throat."
11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A 25scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people -not to winnow and not to cleanse,
12 a wind too strong for this -will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.
13 "Behold, he 26goes up like clouds, And his 27chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are 28swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for 29we are ruined!"
14 Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long * will your 30wicked thoughts Lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from 31Dan, And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.
16 "Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim over Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a 32far country, And 33lift their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 'Like watchmen of a field they are 34against her round about, Because she has 35rebelled against Me,' declares the LORD.
18 "Your 36ways and your deeds Have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How 37bitter! How it has touched your heart!"

Jeremiah 4:1-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 4

This chapter begins with several exhortations to repentance; first to Israel, or the ten tribes, to return to the Lord with their whole hearts, and put away their abominations, and serve him in sincerity and uprightness of soul; with promises of rest and safety to themselves; and that it would have a happy influence on the Gentiles, and issue in their conversion; who would hereupon bless themselves in the Lord, and glory in him, Jer 4:1,2, and next to the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, to show a concern for renewing and sanctifying grace, signified by various metaphors, lest they should be consumed with the fire of divine wrath, Jer 4:3,4 and then the destruction of that land and city is foretold and described, partly by what was introductory to it, and the proclamation of it, signified by blowing the trumpet, and setting up the standard, Jer 4:5,6,15,19,20, by an account of the destroyers, their cruelty, swiftness, and diligence, Jer 4:7,13,16,17, and of the destruction itself, compared to a violent wind, Jer 4:11,12, by the effect it should have upon the inhabitants of all sorts, high and low, Jer 4:8,9, and had upon the prophet himself, Jer 4:10,19,21, and by the cause and ground of it, the sins of the people, which they are called upon to repent of, Jer 4:14,17,18,22 and by a vision the prophet had of the dreadful desolation of the land, Jer 4:23-29 and by the vain and false hopes the people would have of their recovery, and the great anxiety and distress they would be in, Jer 4:30,31.

Cross References 37

  • 1. Jeremiah 3:22; Jeremiah 15:19; Joel 2:12
  • 2. Jeremiah 7:3, 7; Jeremiah 35:15
  • 3. Deuteronomy 10:20; Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 12:16
  • 4. Isaiah 48:1
  • 5. Genesis 22:18; Jeremiah 3:17; Jeremiah 12:15, 16; Galatians 3:8
  • 6. Isaiah 45:25; Jeremiah 9:24; 1 Corinthians 1:31
  • 7. Hosea 10:12
  • 8. Matthew 13:7
  • 9. Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 9:25, 26; Romans 2:28, 29; Colossians 2:11
  • 10. Isaiah 30:27, 33; Jeremiah 21:12; Zephaniah 2:2
  • 11. Amos 5:6; Mark 9:43, 48
  • 12. Jeremiah 6:1; Hosea 8:1
  • 13. Joshua 10:20; Jeremiah 8:14
  • 14. Isaiah 62:10; Jeremiah 4:21; Jeremiah 50:2
  • 15. Jeremiah 1:14, 15; Jeremiah 6:1, 22
  • 16. Jeremiah 5:6; Jeremiah 25:38; Jeremiah 50:17
  • 17. Jeremiah 25:9; Ezekiel 26:7-10
  • 18. Isaiah 1:7; Isaiah 6:11; Jeremiah 2:15
  • 19. Isaiah 22:12; Jeremiah 6:26
  • 20. Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 10:4; Jeremiah 30:24
  • 21. Isaiah 22:3-5; Jeremiah 48:41
  • 22. Isaiah 29:9, 10; Ezekiel 13:9-16
  • 23. Ezekiel 14:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:11
  • 24. Jeremiah 5:12; Jeremiah 14:13
  • 25. Jeremiah 13:24; Jeremiah 51:1; Ezekiel 17:10; Hosea 13:15
  • 26. Isaiah 19:1; Nahum 1:3
  • 27. Isaiah 5:28; Isaiah 66:15
  • 28. Lamentations 4:19; Habakkuk 1:8
  • 29. Isaiah 3:8
  • 30. Proverbs 1:22; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 13:27; James 4:8
  • 31. Jeremiah 8:16
  • 32. Isaiah 39:3; Jeremiah 5:15
  • 33. Ezekiel 21:22
  • 34. 2 Kings 25:1, 4
  • 35. Isaiah 1:20, 23; Jeremiah 5:23
  • 36. Psalms 107:17; Isaiah 50:1; Jeremiah 2:17, 19
  • 37. Jeremiah 2:19

Footnotes 6

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.