30 And when thou art spoiled, H7703 what wilt thou do? H6213 Though thou clothest H3847 thyself with crimson, H8144 though thou deckest H5710 thee with ornaments H5716 of gold, H2091 though thou rentest H7167 thy face H5869 with painting, H6320 in vain H7723 shalt thou make thyself fair; H3302 thy lovers H5689 will despise H3988 thee, they will seek H1245 thy life. H5315
Wherefore I have delivered H5414 her into the hand H3027 of her lovers, H157 into the hand H3027 of the Assyrians, H1121 H804 upon whom she doted. H5689 These discovered H1540 her nakedness: H6172 they took H3947 her sons H1121 and her daughters, H1323 and slew H2026 her with the sword: H2719 and she became famous H8034 among women; H802 for they had executed H6213 judgment H8196 upon her.
And G2532 the ten G1176 horns G2768 which G3739 thou sawest G1492 upon G1909 the beast, G2342 these G3778 shall hate G3404 the whore, G4204 and G2532 shall make G4160 her G846 desolate G2049 and G2532 naked, G1131 and G2532 shall eat G5315 her G846 flesh, G4561 and G2532 burn G2618 her G846 with G1722 fire. G4442 For G1063 God G2316 hath put G1325 in G1519 their G846 hearts G2588 to fulfil G4160 his G846 will, G1106 and G2532 to agree, G4160 G3391 G1106 and G2532 give G1325 their G846 kingdom G932 unto the beast, G2342 until G891 the words G4487 of God G2316 shall be fulfilled. G5055 And G2532 the woman G1135 which G3739 thou sawest G1492 is G2076 that great G3173 city, G4172 which G3588 reigneth G2192 G932 over G1909 the kings G935 of the earth. G1093
And furthermore, H637 that ye have sent H7971 for men H582 to come H935 from far, H4801 unto whom a messenger H4397 was sent; H7971 and, lo, they came: H935 for whom thou didst wash H7364 thyself, paintedst H3583 thy eyes, H5869 and deckedst H5710 thyself with ornaments, H5716 And satest H3427 upon a stately H3520 bed, H4296 and a table H7979 prepared H6186 before H6440 it, whereupon thou hast set H7760 mine incense H7004 and mine oil. H8081
For thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I will deliver H5414 thee into the hand H3027 of them whom thou hatest, H8130 into the hand H3027 of them from whom thy mind H5315 is alienated: H5361 And they shall deal H6213 with thee hatefully, H8135 and shall take away H3947 all thy labour, H3018 and shall leave H5800 thee naked H5903 and bare: H6181 and the nakedness H6172 of thy whoredoms H2183 shall be discovered, H1540 both thy lewdness H2154 and thy whoredoms. H8457
Therefore, O Aholibah, H172 thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I will raise up H5782 thy lovers H157 against thee, from whom thy mind H5315 is alienated, H5361 and I will bring H935 them against thee on every side; H5439 The Babylonians, H1121 H894 and all the Chaldeans, H3778 Pekod, H6489 and Shoa, H7772 and Koa, H6970 and all the Assyrians H1121 H804 with them: all of them desirable H2531 young men, H970 captains H6346 and rulers, H5461 great lords H7991 and renowned, H7121 all of them riding H7392 upon horses. H5483 And they shall come H935 against thee with chariots, H2021 wagons, H7393 and wheels, H1534 and with an assembly H6951 of people, H5971 which shall set H7760 against thee buckler H6793 and shield H4043 and helmet H6959 round about: H5439 and I will set H5414 judgment H4941 before H6440 them, and they shall judge H8199 thee according to their judgments. H4941
Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because thy filthiness H5178 was poured out, H8210 and thy nakedness H6172 discovered H1540 through thy whoredoms H8457 with thy lovers, H157 and with all the idols H1544 of thy abominations, H8441 and by the blood H1818 of thy children, H1121 which thou didst give H5414 unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather H6908 all thy lovers, H157 with whom thou hast taken pleasure, H6149 and all them that thou hast loved, H157 with all them that thou hast hated; H8130 I will even gather H6908 them round about H5439 against thee, and will discover H1540 thy nakedness H6172 unto them, that they may see H7200 all thy nakedness. H6172 And I will judge H8199 thee, as women that break wedlock H5003 and shed H8210 blood H1818 are judged; H4941 and I will give H5414 thee blood H1818 in fury H2534 and jealousy. H7068 And I will also give H5414 thee into their hand, H3027 and they shall throw down H2040 thine eminent place, H1354 and shall break down H5422 thy high places: H7413 they shall strip H6584 thee also of thy clothes, H899 and shall take H3947 thy fair H8597 jewels, H3627 and leave H3240 thee naked H5903 and bare. H6181 They shall also bring up H5927 a company H6951 against thee, and they shall stone H7275 thee with stones, H68 and thrust thee through H1333 with their swords. H2719 And they shall burn H8313 thine houses H1004 with fire, H784 and execute H6213 judgments H8201 upon thee in the sight H5869 of many H7227 women: H802 and I will cause thee to cease H7673 from playing the harlot, H2181 and thou also shalt give H5414 no hire H868 any more.
Go up H5927 to Lebanon, H3844 and cry; H6817 and lift up H5414 thy voice H6963 in Bashan, H1316 and cry H6817 from the passages: H5676 for all thy lovers H157 are destroyed. H7665 I spake H1696 unto thee in thy prosperity; H7962 but thou saidst, H559 I will not hear. H8085 This hath been thy manner H1870 from thy youth, H5271 that thou obeyedst H8085 not my voice. H6963 The wind H7307 shall eat up H7462 all thy pastors, H7462 and thy lovers H157 shall go H3212 into captivity: H7628 surely then shalt thou be ashamed H954 and confounded H3637 for all thy wickedness. H7451
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 4
Commentary on Jeremiah 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Jer 4:1-31. Continuation of Address to the Ten Tribes of Israel. (Jer 4:1, 2). The Prophet Turns Again to Judah, to Whom He Had Originally Been Sent (Jer 4:3-31).
1. return … return—play on words. "If thou wouldest return to thy land (thou must first), return (by conversion and repentance) to Me."
not remove—no longer be an unsettled wanderer in a strange land. So Cain (Ge 4:12, 14).
2. And thou—rather, "And if (carried on from Jer 4:1) thou shalt swear, 'Jehovah liveth,' in truth, &c.", that is, if thou shalt worship Him (for we swear by the God whom we worship; compare De 6:13; 10:20; Isa 19:18; Am 8:14) in sincerity, &c.
and the nations—Rather, this is apodosis to the "if"; then shall the nations bless themselves in (by) Him" (Isa 65:16). The conversion of the nations will be the consequence of Israel's conversion (Ps 102:13, 15; Ro 11:12, 15).
3. Transition to Judah. Supply mentally. All which (the foregoing declaration as to Israel) applies to Judah.
and Jerusalem—that is, and especially the men of Jerusalem, as being the most prominent in Judea.
Break … fallow ground—that is, Repent of your idolatry, and so be prepared to serve the Lord in truth (Ho 10:12; Mt 13:7). The unhumbled heart is like ground which may be improved, being let out to us for that purpose, but which is as yet fallow, overgrown with weeds, its natural product.
4. Remove your natural corruption of heart (De 10:16; 30:6; Ro 2:29; Col 2:11).
5. cry, gather together—rather, "cry fully" that is, loudly. The Jews are warned to take measures against the impending Chaldean invasion (compare Jer 8:14).
6. Zion—The standard toward Zion intimated that the people of the surrounding country were to fly to it, as being the strongest of their fortresses.
7. lion—Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans (Jer 2:15; 5:6; Da 7:14).
his thicket—lair; Babylon.
destroyer of the Gentiles—rather, "the nations" (Jer 25:9).
8. Nothing is left to the Jews but to bewail their desperate condition.
anger … not turned back—(Isa 9:12, 17, 21).
9. heart—The wisdom of the most leading men will be utterly at a loss to devise means of relief.
10. thou hast … deceived—God, having even the false prophets in His hands, is here said to do that which for inscrutable purposes He permits them to do (Ex 9:12; 2Th 2:11; compare Jer 8:15; which passage shows that the dupes of error were self-prepared for it, and that God's predestination did not destroy their moral freedom as voluntary agents). The false prophets foretold "peace," and the Jews believed them; God overruled this to His purposes (Jer 5:12; 14:13; Eze 14:9).
soul—rather, "reacheth to the life."
11. dry wind—the simoom, terrific and destructive, blowing from the southeast across the sandy deserts east of Palestine. Image of the invading Babylonian army (Ho 13:15). Babylon in its turn shall be visited by a similar "destroying wind" (Jer 51:1).
of … high places—that is, that sweeps over the high places.
daughter—that is, the children of my people.
not to fan—a very different wind from those ordinary winds employed for fanning the grain in the open air.
12. full … from those places—rather, "a wind fuller (that is, more impetuous) than those winds" (which fan the corn) (Jer 4:11) [Rosenmuller].
unto me—"for Me," as My instrument for executing My purpose.
sentence—judgments against them (Jer 1:16).
13. clouds—continuing the metaphor in Jer 4:11:12. Clouds of sand and dust accompany the simoom, and after rapid gyrations ascend like a pillar.
eagles—(De 28:49; Hab 1:8).
Woe unto us—The people are graphically presented before us, without it being formally so stated, bursting out in these exclamations.
14. Only one means of deliverance is left to the Jews—a thorough repentance.
vain thoughts—namely, projects for deliverance, such as enlisting the Egyptians on their side. Gesenius translates, "How long wilt thou harbor vain thoughts?"
15. For … from Dan—The connection is: There is danger in delay; for the voice of a messenger announces the approach of the Chaldean enemy from Dan, the northern frontier of Palestine (Jer 8:16; compare Jer 4:6; Jer 1:14).
Mount Ephraim—which borders closely on Judah; so that the foe is coming nearer and nearer. Dan and Beth-el in Ephraim were the two places where Jeroboam set up the idolatrous calves (1Ki 12:29); just retribution.
16. The neighboring foreign "nations" are summoned to witness Jehovah's judgments on His rebel people (Jer 6:18, 19).
watchers—that is, besiegers (compare 2Sa 11:16); observed or watched, that is, besieged.
their voice—the war shout.
17. keepers of a field—metaphor from those who watch a field, to frighten away the wild beasts.
18. (Jer 2:17, 19; Ps 107:17).
this is thy wickedness—that is, the fruit of thy wickedness.
19. The prophet suddenly assumes the language of the Jewish state personified, lamenting its affliction (Jer 10:19, 20; 9:1, 10; Isa 15:5; compare Lu 19:41).
at my very heart—Hebrew, "at the walls of my heart"; the muscles round the heart. There is a climax, the "bowels," the pericardium, the "heart" itself.
maketh … noise—moaneth [Henderson].
alarm—the battle shout.
20. Destruction … cried—Breach upon breach is announced (Ps 42:7; Eze 7:26). The war "trumpet" … the battle shout … the "destructions" … the havoc throughout "the whole land" … the spoiling of the shepherds' "tents" (Jer 10:20; or, "tents" means cities, which should be overthrown as easily as tents [Calvin]), form a gradation.
21. Judah in perplexity asks, How long is this state of things to continue?
22. Jehovah's reply; they cannot be otherwise than miserable, since they persevere in sin. The repetition of clauses gives greater force to the sentiment.
wise … evil … to do good … no knowledge—reversing the rule (Ro 16:19) "wise unto … good, simple concerning evil."
23. Graphic picture of the utter desolation about to visit Palestine. "I beheld, and lo!" four times solemnly repeated, heightens the awful effect of the scene (compare Isa 24:19; 34:11).
without form and void—reduced to the primeval chaos (Ge 1:2).
24. mountains—(Isa 5:25).
moved lightly—shook vehemently.
25. no man … birds—No vestige of the human, or of the feathered creation, is to be seen (Eze 38:20; Zep 1:3).
26. fruitful place—Hebrew, Carmel.
a wilderness—Hebrew, "the wilderness," in contrast to "the fruitful place"; the great desert, where Carmel was, there is now the desert of Arabia [Maurer].
cities—in contrast to the fruitful place or field.
27. full end—utter destruction: I will leave some hope of restoration (Jer 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:28; compare Le 26:44).
28. For this—on account of the desolations just described (Isa 5:30; Ho 4:3).
not repent—(Nu 23:19).
29. whole city—Jerusalem: to it the inhabitants of the country had fled for refuge; but when it, too, is likely to fall, they flee out of it to hide in the "thickets." Henderson translates, "every city."
noise—The mere noise of the hostile horsemen shall put you to flight.
30. when thou art spoiled—rather, "thou, O destroyed one" [Maurer].
rentest … face with painting—Oriental women paint their eyes with stibium, or antimony, to make them look full and sparkling, the black margin causing the white of the eyes to appear the brighter by contrast (2Ki 9:30). He uses the term "distendest" in derision of their effort to make their eyes look large [Maurer]; or else, "rentest," that is, dost lacerate by puncturing the eyelid in order to make the antimony adhere [Rosenmuller]. So the Jews use every artifice to secure the aid of Egypt against Babylon.
face—rather, thy eyes (Eze 23:40).
31. anguish—namely, occasioned by the attack of the enemy.
daughter of Zion—There is peculiar beauty in suppressing the name of the person in trouble, until that trouble had been fully described [Henderson].
bewaileth herself—rather, "draweth her breath short" [Horsley]; "panteth."
spreadeth … hands—(La 1:17).