Jeremiah 4

1. If thou wilt return. Or, “If thou wouldest return, O Israel, saith Jehovah, to Me thou must return” (in repentance). A sincere return in righteousness to God’s service is the condition of His blessing.

2. And thou shalt swear, etc. That is, thou shalt publicly profess and adhere to His service, the token of this being the form of oath, “As the Eternal liveth”: see R.V. See Deut. vi. 13; Isa. xix. 18.

3. Break up your fallow ground. The two metaphors in vers. 3, 4 show that there must be a thorough putting away of all sin from the heart and life; otherwise reformation will be as fruitless as a sowing among thorns.

5. Declare ye in Judah, etc. The prophet now sees the threatened punishment as if it were actually present (see Isa. x. 28, etc.); he beholds the northern invader entering and ravaging the land. This may refer to the Scythians, who overran great part of Western Asia about this time: see Herodotus, i. 103. It may allude also to the Babylonians, who shortly afterwards destroyed Jerusalem, and carried away the princes and many of the people.

the trumpet. That is, the trumpet of alarm.

6. Set up the (a) standard. A signal or flag, pointing out the place of refuge.

Retire. Or, “fee for safety” (as R.V.), i.e., to Zion.

the north. See note on iii. 18.

7. The lion, etc. Rather, “A lion . . . and a destroyer of nations.” So R.V.

without an inhabitant. See xliii. 5-7.

9 shall perish. Or, “shall fail”; i.e., with fear.

10. Surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people. The best rendering of this passage appears to be that which prefaces this sentence by the words, “They will say,” instead of, “Then said I.”

11. A dry wind of the high places. Rather, “a hot wind of the barren heights in the wilderness,” etc. God says that He will sweep the land, not with the cool breeze which winnows the grain, but with the deadly Samum and its clouds of scorching sand—a reminiscence of an Eastern wind at Anathoth. This represents the terrible invaders who shall sweep over the country: see Hab. i. 9.

12 a full wind from those [places]. Rather, “a wind fuller (i.e., stronger) than these shall come for Me”; i.e., to do My bidding.

13. Woe unto us! The people’s cry, as the terrible invader draws near.

14. O Jerusalem. The response of God through the prophet.

15 a voice declareth from Dan, etc. This may mean, There is no time to be lost; for the invader has passed the northern frontier, and is already at Mount Ephraim (not more than ten miles from Jerusalem).

16. Make ye mention to the nations. That is, “Report it to the nations.” God’s chastisement of His people is to be public and exemplary.

watchers. That is, “besiegers”; so called to agree with the figure in ver. 17.

17. As keepers of a field. The tented plain is like a great pasture land covered with shepherds’ and herdsmen’s booths.

19. My bowels! my bowels! Or, “My heart! my heart!”

21 the standard, etc. The standard of Zion, as in ver. 6. The “trumpet” is typical, generally, of war.

22. For My people, etc. God’s answer to the people’s cry.

23. I beheld, etc. The prophet now speaks.

27. Yet will I not make a full end. When all seems to be destroyed, God has yet a reserve in mercy: op. Rom. xi. 5.

29. The whole city. Rather, “The whole land.”

30. Though thou rentest thy face. Rather, “distendest thine eyes” (i.e., with antimony). See note on 2 Kings ix. 30. The figure of ch. ii. is resumed, to show how useless shall be all the efforts of the people to obtain help in their distress.

31. Is wearied. “Fainteth,” R.V., i.e., with exhaustion.