Jeremiah 4:2

And thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth,.... Or by the living Lord, by him and him only; not by the creatures, but by the God of truth.

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.

And thou shalt swear: this is to be understood, partly by way of command, as ; and partly by way of direction, if thou swear, or when thou swearest: it is put here synecdochically for the whole worship of God, hereby acknowledging and owning God as the only God. The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness: here he prescribes, 1. The form of the oath. viz. The Lord liveth, or, By the life of God, which was that form which they did use in swearing, ,45, and many other places; so Joseph sware by the life of Pharaoh, ,16; and Elisha very frequently useth this form, ,4,6 3:14 5:16; which is also to be understood exclusively; q.d. not by any idol, as Baal, &c., or any creature, , but by God alone, ; see ; for by this indeed we declare the Godhead of him whom we worship, 2. The qualification of it, in which indeed are comprised all the requisites to a religious oath and worship of God, both in our general and particular calling, with respect to God, ourselves, our neighbours, 1. In truth, that the matter and substance of it be really true in itself, , that which agrees with the intent of the mind, , and with the intent of him that administers it; not doubtful, feigned, or deceitful, as they did, , but as true as the Lord lives. 2. In judgment, i.e. either in matter or places of judicature, for the decision of controversies, deliberately, advisedly, and reverently, well considering both of the form and matter of the oath, , that God’ s name be neither taken in vain customarily, or in matters trivial, , nor abused by oaths the are rash and precipitant, such as Saul’ s was, , and as Herod’ s, , and without necessity. 3. In righteousness, that none be injured by it, that the things we engage be, 1. Both lawful and possible; see ,22 28:10 ; and, 2. That we look to the performance, ; the want of either of which circumstances makes it a bond of iniquity, ,5. The nations shall bless themselves in him; this shall be a means to work upon the heathen nations, and prevail with them to come into the same way of worship, that now scorn both you and me, because I am forced to make them the rod of my anger against you, in regard of your provocations, ,9 Jeremiah 3:17. They shall think themselves happy to be incorporated with thee, that it may be with them according to that promise, 22:17,18. They shall, as it were, bless themselves in such like form; The Lord make me and mine as Israel; blessed be Israel, and the God of Israel. Or rather, in him shall they glory; whereas before they gloried in their idols, now, being taken into the true church, among God’ s Israel, they shall glory in God alone, , who indeed alone is the glory of his people, 148:14.

Jeremiah 4:2 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.Ver. 2. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth.] Not by Baal shalt thou swear, or other idols, but by the living God, or by the life of God. The Egyptians once sware by the life of Pharaoh, as the proud Spaniards now do by the life of their king. But, to speak properly, none liveth but the Lord, and none should be sworn by but he alone, an oath being a proof of the divine power, which one worshippeth. The Pythagoreans used to swear by πεπρακτην, Quaternity, which they called παγαναενναουφυσεως, the fountain of eternal being; and this doubtless was the same with τετραγραμματον, Jehovah. In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.] Vere, rite, et iuste: (1.) In truth, that is, to that which is true, lest we fall into perjury. And (2.) Truly, agreeable both to the intentions of our mind, not deceitfully, and agreeable also to the intentions of him that ministereth the oath, and not with mental reservations, as Romish priests oft swear. In judgment.] Or, Considerately, duly weighing the conditions and circumstances, not rashly and unadvisedly, as those that swear in heat and choler, swear when they should fear. The Romans used that most considerate word arbitror, when the jurors said those things which they knew most certainly. The Grecians, when they would swear by their Jupiter, out of the mere dread and reverence of his name, forbore to mention him. And the Egyptians bore such respect to Mercurius Trismegistus, that they held it not lawful to pronounce his name lightly and rashly. This is check to many swearing pseudo-Christians. Such also as swear in jest, will, without repentance, go to hell in earnest. The ancient form of taking and imposing an oath was, Give glory to God. And in righteousness.] (1.) Promising by oath lawful and possible things only, not making an oath a bond of iniquity. (2.) Careful to perform what we have sworn, though to our own hindrance. And the nations shall bless themselves in him.] Or, Shall be blessed in him - that is, in that God to whom thou returnest, and by whom thou thus swearest. They shall turn to God by thine example, and hold themselves happy in such a good turn. Tremel. Suidas.

(2) And thou shalt swear.—The conditions are continued: If thou wilt swear by the living Jehovah [“the Lord liveth” being the received formula of adjuration], in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. And the nations shall bless themselves in him.—This forms the completion of the sentence. If the conditions of a true repentance are fulfilled by Israel, then the outlying heathen nations shall bless themselves in Jehovah—i.e., shall own Him and adore Him, be blessed by Him.

Verse 2. Thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth] Thou shalt not bind thyself by any false god; thou shalt acknowledge ME as the Supreme. Bind thyself BY me, and TO me; and do this in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless themselves in him] They shall be so fully convinced of the power and goodness of Jehovah in seeing the change wrought on thee, and the mercies heaped upon thee, that their usual mode of benediction shall be, May the God of Israel bless thee!

2. shall bless themselves in him] not in Israel, but in God, i.e. they will use Jehovah’s name in invoking blessings on themselves.

1, 2. Return unto me — This second “return” is a mere repetition of the former, and falls into the same relation.