Jeremiah 30:4-14

4 And these be the words, which the Lord spake to Israel, and to Judah,
5 For the Lord saith these things, We heard a word of dread; inward dread is, and peace is not. (For the Lord saith these things, We heard a cry of terror; yea, a cry of terror, or of fear, and not of peace.)
6 Ask ye, and see, if a male beareth child; why therefore saw I the hand of each man on his loins, as of a woman travailing of child, and all faces be turned into yellow colour? (Ask ye, and see, can a male bear a child? and so why did I see the hand of each man upon his loins, like a woman in labour, and that all your faces be so pale?)
7 Woe! for that day is great, neither any is like it; and it is a time of tribulation to Jacob, and (out) of him [he] shall be saved. (Woe! for that day is great, and nothing is like it; and it is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he shall be saved out of it.)
8 And it shall be, in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall all-break the yoke of him from thy neck, and I shall break his bonds; and aliens shall no more be lords of it, (And it shall be, on that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall all-break the yoke from off their necks, and I shall break their bonds; and strangers, or foreigners, shall no more be their lords,)
9 but they shall serve to their Lord God, and to David, their king, whom I shall raise for them. (but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David, their king, whom I shall raise up for them.)
10 Therefore, Jacob, my servant, dread thou not, saith the Lord, and Israel, dread thou not; for lo! I shall save thee from a far land, and thy seed from the land of the captivity of them. And Jacob shall turn again, and shall rest, and shall flow with all goods; and none shall be whom he shall dread. (And so my servant Jacob, fear thou not, saith the Lord, yea, Israel, fear thou not; for lo! I shall bring thee back safe from a far away land, and thy descendants from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return, and shall have rest, and shall flow with all good things; and there shall be no one whom he shall fear.)
11 For I am with thee, saith the Lord, for to save thee. For I shall make [full] ending in all folks, in which I scattered thee; soothly I shall not make thee into [full] ending, but I shall chastise thee in doom, that thou be not seen to thee to be guiltless (but I shall discipline, or shall correct, thee with justice/in judgement, so that thou do not see thyself to be guiltless).
12 For the Lord saith these things, Thy breaking is uncurable, thy wound is the worst.
13 None is, that deemeth thy doom to bind together; the profit of healings is not to thee. (There is no one who can help thee bind up thy wounds; healings, or medicine, shall not benefit thee.)
14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee, they shall not seek thee; for I have smitten thee with the wound of an enemy, with cruel chastising; for the multitude of thy wickedness, thy sins be made hard (and for thy sins be many).

Jeremiah 30:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 30

This chapter contains a prophecy of the call and conversion of the Jews in the latter day; which being a matter of moment and importance, and that it might continue, and be read hereafter, it is ordered to be written in a book, Jer 30:1,2; the thing itself is expressed by a return from captivity to their own land, Jer 30:3; but previous to this there would be most dreadful times, as never were the like, Jer 30:4-7; yet there would be a deliverance from them, and from the yoke of the oppressor; when the Jews should serve the Lord God, and the true Messiah, Jer 30:8,9; of which deliverance and salvation they are assured in the strongest terms, though all other nations should be made an end of, among whom they were, Jer 30:10,11; and though their ease might seem to be desperate, Jer 30:12-17; nevertheless they should be brought into a very comfortable and happy estate; their city rebuilt; their offspring increased; and religious worship established; and, above all, the Messiah should be made known to them as their King and Priest, and they appear to be the Lord's covenant people, Jer 30:18-22; and the chapter is concluded with threatening utter destruction to the wicked, Jer 30:23,24.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.