20 Destruction H7667 upon destruction H7667 is cried; H7121 for the whole land H776 is spoiled: H7703 suddenly H6597 are my tents H168 spoiled, H7703 and my curtains H3407 in a moment. H7281
Deep H8415 calleth H7121 unto deep H8415 at the noise H6963 of thy waterspouts: H6794 all thy waves H4867 and thy billows H1530 are gone H5674 over me.
And G2532 fear G5399 G575 not G3361 them which G3588 kill G615 the body, G4983 but G1161 are G1410 not G3361 able G1410 to kill G615 the soul: G5590 but G1161 rather G3123 fear G5399 him which G3588 is able G1410 to destroy G622 both G2532 soul G5590 and G2532 body G4983 in G1722 hell. G1067
For thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 How much more when I send H7971 my four H702 sore H7451 judgments H8201 upon Jerusalem, H3389 the sword, H2719 and the famine, H7458 and the noisome H7451 beast, H2416 and the pestilence, H1698 to cut off H3772 from it man H120 and beast? H929
Destruction H7089 cometh; H935 and they shall seek H1245 peace, H7965 and there shall be none. Mischief H1943 shall come H935 upon mischief, H1943 and rumour H8052 shall be upon rumour; H8052 then shall they seek H1245 a vision H2377 of the prophet; H5030 but the law H8451 shall perish H6 from the priest, H3548 and counsel H6098 from the ancients. H2205
And he hath violently taken away H2554 his tabernacle, H7900 as if it were of a garden: H1588 he hath destroyed H7843 his places of the assembly: H4150 the LORD H3068 hath caused the solemn feasts H4150 and sabbaths H7676 to be forgotten H7911 in Zion, H6726 and hath despised H5006 in the indignation H2195 of his anger H639 the king H4428 and the priest. H3548 The Lord H136 hath cast off H2186 his altar, H4196 he hath abhorred H5010 his sanctuary, H4720 he hath given up H5462 into the hand H3027 of the enemy H341 the walls H2346 of her palaces; H759 they have made H5414 a noise H6963 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 as in the day H3117 of a solemn feast. H4150 The LORD H3068 hath purposed H2803 to destroy H7843 the wall H2346 of the daughter H1323 of Zion: H6726 he hath stretched out H5186 a line, H6957 he hath not withdrawn H7725 his hand H3027 from destroying: H1104 therefore he made the rampart H2426 and the wall H2346 to lament; H56 they languished H535 together. H3162 Her gates H8179 are sunk H2883 into the ground; H776 he hath destroyed H6 and broken H7665 her bars: H1280 her king H4428 and her princes H8269 are among the Gentiles: H1471 the law H8451 is no more; her prophets H5030 also find H4672 no vision H2377 from the LORD. H3068
Let them be confounded H954 that persecute H7291 me, but let not me be confounded: H954 let them be dismayed, H2865 but let not me be dismayed: H2865 bring H935 upon them the day H3117 of evil, H7451 and destroy H7665 them with double H4932 destruction. H7670
Woe H188 is me for my hurt! H7667 my wound H4347 is grievous: H2470 but I said, H559 Truly H389 this is a grief, H2483 and I must bear H5375 it. My tabernacle H168 is spoiled, H7703 and all my cords H4340 are broken: H5423 my children H1121 are gone forth H3318 of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth H5186 my tent H168 any more, and to set up H6965 my curtains. H3407
For the LORD H3068 had said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Say H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Ye are a stiffnecked H7186 H6203 people: H5971 I will come up H5927 into the midst H7130 of thee in a H259 moment, H7281 and consume H3615 thee: therefore now put off H3381 thy ornaments H5716 from thee, that I may know H3045 what to do H6213 unto thee.
Enlarge H7337 the place H4725 of thy tent, H168 and let them stretch forth H5186 the curtains H3407 of thine habitations: H4908 spare H2820 not, lengthen H748 thy cords, H4340 and strengthen H2388 thy stakes; H3489
But these two H8147 things shall come H935 to thee in a moment H7281 in one H259 day, H3117 the loss of children, H7908 and widowhood: H489 they shall come H935 upon thee in their perfection H8537 for the multitude H7230 of thy sorceries, H3785 and for the great H3966 abundance H6109 of thine enchantments. H2267
Look H2372 upon Zion, H6726 the city H7151 of our solemnities: H4150 thine eyes H5869 shall see H7200 Jerusalem H3389 a quiet H7600 habitation, H5116 a tabernacle H168 that shall not be taken down; H6813 not one of the stakes H3489 thereof shall ever H5331 be removed, H5265 neither shall any of the cords H2256 thereof be broken. H5423
Get you up H7426 from among H8432 this congregation, H5712 that I may consume H3615 them as in a moment. H7281 And they fell H5307 upon their faces. H6440
Then will I also walk H1980 contrary H7147 unto you, and will punish H5221 you yet H1571 seven times H7651 for your sins. H2403
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 4
Commentary on Jeremiah 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
It should seem that the first two verses of this chapter might better have been joined to the close of the foregoing chapter, for they are directed to Israel, the ten tribes, by way of reply to their compliance with God's call, directing and encouraging them to hold their resolution (v. 1, 2). The rest of the chapter concerns Judah and Jerusalem.
Jer 4:1-2
When God called to backsliding Israel to return (ch. 3:22) they immediately answered, Lord, we return; now God here takes notice of their answer, and, by way of reply to it,
Jer 4:3-4
The prophet here turns his speech, in God's name, to the men of the place where he lived. We have heard what words he proclaimed towards the north (ch. 3:12), for the comfort of those that were now in captivity and were humbled under the hand of God; let us now see what he says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, who were now in prosperity, for their conviction and awakening. In these two verses he exhorts them to repentance and reformation, as the only way left them to prevent the desolating judgments that were ready to break in upon them. Observe,
Jer 4:5-18
God's usual method is to warn before he wounds. In these verses, accordingly, God gives notice to the Jews of the general desolation that would shortly be brought upon them by a foreign invasion. This must be declared and published in all the cities of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, that all might hear and fear, and by this loud alarm be either brought to repentance or left inexcusable. The prediction of this calamity is here given very largely, and in lively expressions, which one would think should have awakened and affected the most stupid. Observe,
Jer 4:19-31
The prophet is here in an agony, and cries out like one upon the rack of pain with some acute distemper, or as a woman in travail. The expressions are very pathetic and moving, enough to melt a heart of stone into compassion: My bowels! my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; and yet well, and in health himself, and nothing ails him. Note, A good man, in such a bad world as this is, cannot but be a man of sorrows. My heart makes a noise in me, through the tumult of my spirits, and I cannot hold my peace. Note, The grievance and the grief sometimes may be such that the most prudent patient man cannot forbear complaining.
Now, what is the matter? What is it that puts the good man into such agitation? It is not for himself, or any affliction in his family that he grieves thus; but it is purely upon the public account, it is his people's case that he lays to heart thus.