Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah’s Third Prophecy. The Fate of the Ten Tribes a Warning to Judah

In this prophecy, as in the last, idolatry is denounced under the figure of unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. But as a marked distinction, God here invites to repentance, and on this there hinges pardon.

6-20. Israel and Judah have both forsaken their Divine Spouse, but forgiveness will follow repentance.

7-11. Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, after a stubborn resistance had been captured by Sargon, king of Assyria, 722 b.c., and more than 27,000 of its inhabitants deported. The isolation and comparative poverty of Judah helped her to survive her northern sister for well over a hundred years. But failure to take advantage of the warning thus afforded her brought its inevitable results. Moreover, in spite of greater privileges, she had added to apostasy treachery, by hypocritically feigning still to pay homage to Jehovah under cover of idolatrous rites. She had rejected Josiah’s reforms, and this rejection sealed her fate. ’It is not by the act of its government that a nation stands or falls; Ahaz and Manasseh lent the weight of their influence to the cause of idolatry; Hezekiah and Josiah to the cause of truth: but the nation had to determine which should prevail’ (Speaker’s Commentary).

8. I saw] some read, ’she saw.’ Bill of di vorce] i.e. exile.

11. Justified herself more] for Judah had even more warning than Israel.

12. Toward the north] to Assyria, the place of Israel’s captivity.

14. One of.. two of, etc.] A ’city’ might be a mere village. A ’family,’ i.e. descendants of a common ancestor, suggested a larger number. There were, e.g., only four or five families in the whole tribe of Judah. The reference here is to the return from the exile to Palestine.

16. The blessings of repentance and obedience. Even the ark with the mercy seat on which the brightness which marked Jehovah’s presence rested shall be forgotten, for Jehovah shall no longer be confined to one place or one people. All nations shall serve Him; His dominion centred in Jerusalem shall extend to the ends, of the earth.

17. Imagination] RV ’stubbornness.’

19. The Lord tells of His affection for Israel. But] rather,’and.’ How] i.e. In what honourable position? The children] the nations of the earth, all of them God’s children, as created by Him.

22-25. An acceptable prayer of repentance.

23. The multitude of mountains] RV ’the tumult’ (RM ’the noisy throng’) ’on the mountains’: the orgies and clamorous supplications of idolatrous crowds at the high places.

24. Shame] RV ’the shameful thing,’ i.e. the god Baal: cp. Jeremiah 11:13. Hath devoured] hath consumed in the form of sacrifices the fruits of our toil.

Jeremiah 4:1-4. The assurance of forgiveness. 1. Then shalt, etc.] RM ’and wilt not wander.’

3. Break up, etc.] As the farmer is careful to clear the soil of weeds before sowing his seed, so with Israel. The sowing of repentance must be serious and real.

4. Circumcise] Circumcision was a dedication of self to God’s service, and a removal of imperfections.

Verses 5-30

Jeremiah’s Fourth Prophecy (or Group of Prophecies). God’s Judgment upon the Unrepentant

When the check which Josiah’s personal character and influence put upon idolatry was removed, Jeremiah foresaw that the condition of the nation would become well-nigh desperate.

Verses 5-31

5-10. Destruction approaches Jerusalem.

6. Set up the standard] to mark out the safest route to those who were seeking the shelter of the walls of Jerusalem. Evil from the north] The enemy (see Jeremiah 4:13) used chariots, and were therefore probably the Chaldeans, not (as some have supposed) Scythians.

7. The lion] i.e. the enemy. Of the Gentiles] RV ’of nations.’

10. Jeremiah here struggles against the fate announced for the nation. After all its glorious history and the many promises of coming glory that prophets like Isaiah had made to it, was this to be the end? The prophet was ’in a strait betwixt two,’ sorrowing for the doom of the nation and anxious to avert it, and yet desirous to vindicate Jehovah’s ways to them. Hence this exceeding bitter cry. Some, however, regard the v. as a reference to the mischief done by the false prophets, who had promised peace in the name of the Lord.

11-18. Description of the attack.

11. A dry wind] the Chaldean army coming like a sirocco from the E.

15. Dan was on the northern border of Palestine. Mount Ephraim was the range immediately N. of Judah, only about 10 m. from ’Jerusalem itself. Thus the enemy’s approach is rapid.

16. The nations summoned to witness the vengeance on the chosen people. The watchers are the Chaldean besiegers.

17. The besiegers’ tents compared to the booths of shepherds or husbandmen.

19-31. The prophet expresses horror at the approaching calamity.

19. My bowels] supposed to be the seat of emotions.

21. See Jeremiah 4:6.

22. God’s answer to the implied appeal to know why the invasion was permitted. It is not without cause, for, etc.

24. Lightly] RV ’to and fro.’

27. Yet will I not make a full end] The destruction will not be complete: a remnant shall return: cp. Amos 9:8.

30. And when thou art spoiled] better, ’and thou, spoiled one,’ i.e. Jerusalem. Rentest thy face with painting] RV ’enlargest thine eyes with paint.’ The Eastern custom was to paint black the border of the eyes, so as to give the effect of size and brilliancy. So Jezebel in 2 Kings 9:30.