Jeremiah 4:1-10

1 "If thou wilt return, O Israel," saith the LORD, "return unto Me; and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of My sight, then shalt thou not be removed.

2 And thou shalt swear, `The LORD liveth,' in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory."

3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

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

5 "Declare ye in Judah and publish in Jerusalem, and say, `Blow ye the trumpet in the land!' Cry, gather together and say, `Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities!'

6 Set up the standard toward Zion. Retire, stay not! For I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction."

7 The lion has come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way. He has gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

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

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

10 Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, `Ye shall have peace,' whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul."

Jeremiah 4:1-10 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.