Jeremiah 4:26

26 I looked. And the fruitful land had become a desert. All of its towns were destroyed. The LORD had done all of that because of his burning anger.

Jeremiah 4:26 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 4:26

I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness
Or, "I beheld, and, lo, Carmel was a wilderness"; which was a particular part of the land of Israel, and was very fertile, and abounded in pastures and fruit trees, and yet this, as the rest, became desolate as a wilderness; see ( Isaiah 32:15 ) ( 35:2 ) though it may be put for the whole land, which was very fruitful; and so the Targum,

``I saw, and, lo, the land of Israel, which was planted as Carmel, was turned to be as a wilderness:''

and all the cities thereof;
not of Carmel only, but of the whole land: were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger;
for though this was done by the Chaldeans, yet it was by the will and appointment of God, and as a token of his fierce anger against the people of the Jews, for their sins and transgressions. Jarchi cites a Midrash Agadah, or an allegorical exposition of this place, which interprets the "mountains", the Jewish fathers; the "hills", the mothers, and their merits; "no man", the worthiness of Moses, who was meeker than any man; and "Carmel", Elijah; without any manner of foundation.

Jeremiah 4:26 In-Context

24 I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. All of the hills were swaying.

25 I looked. And there weren't any people. Every bird in the sky had flown away.

26 I looked. And the fruitful land had become a desert. All of its towns were destroyed. The LORD had done all of that because of his burning anger.

27 The LORD says, "The whole land will be destroyed. But I will not destroy it completely.

28 So the earth will be filled with sadness. The sky above will grow dark. I have spoken, and I will not take pity on them. I have made my decision, and I will not change my mind."