27 For thus hath the LORD H3068 said, H559 The whole land H776 shall be desolate; H8077 yet will I not make H6213 a full end. H3617
Fear H3372 thou not, O Jacob H3290 my servant, H5650 saith H5002 the LORD: H3068 for I am with thee; for I will make H6213 a full end H3617 of all the nations H1471 whither I have driven H5080 thee: but I will not make H6213 a full end H3617 of thee, but correct H3256 thee in measure; H4941 yet will I not leave thee wholly H5352 unpunished. H5352
For I am with thee, saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 to save H3467 thee: though I make H6213 a full end H3617 of all nations H1471 whither I have scattered H6327 thee, yet will I not make H6213 a full end H3617 of thee: but I will correct H3256 thee in measure, H4941 and will not leave thee altogether H5352 unpunished. H5352
Go ye up H5927 upon her walls, H8284 and destroy; H7843 but make H6213 not a full end: H3617 take away H5493 her battlements; H5189 for they are not the LORD'S. H3068
I say G3004 then, G3767 G3361 Hath G683 God G2316 cast away G683 his G846 people? G2992 God forbid. G3361 G1096 For G1063 I G1473 also G2532 am G1510 an Israelite, G2475 of G1537 the seed G4690 of Abraham, G11 of the tribe G5443 of Benjamin. G958 God G2316 hath G683 not G3756 cast away G683 his G846 people G2992 which G3739 he foreknew. G4267 G2228 Wot ye G1492 not G3756 what G5101 the scripture G1124 saith G3004 of G1722 Elias? G2243 how G5613 he maketh intercession G1793 to God G2316 against G2596 Israel, G2474 saying, G3004 Lord, G2962 they have killed G615 thy G4675 prophets, G4396 and G2532 digged down G2679 thine G4675 altars; G2379 and I G2504 am left G5275 alone, G3441 and G2532 they seek G2212 my G3450 life. G5590 But G235 what G5101 saith G3004 the answer of God G5538 unto him? G846 I have reserved G2641 to myself G1683 seven thousand G2035 men, G435 who G3748 have G2578 not G3756 bowed G2578 the knee G1119 to the image of Baal. G896 Even so G3779 then G3767 at G1722 this present G3568 time G2540 also G2532 there is G1096 a remnant G3005 according G2596 to the election G1589 of grace. G5485 And G1161 if G1487 by grace, G5485 then is it no more G2089 G3765 of G1537 works: G2041 otherwise G1893 grace G5485 is G1096 no more G2089 G3765 grace. G5485 But G1161 if G1487 it be of G1537 works, G2041 then is it G2076 no more G2089 G3765 grace: G5485 otherwise G1893 work G2041 is G2076 no more G2089 G3765 work. G2041 What G5101 then? G3767 Israel G2474 hath G2013 not G3756 obtained G2013 that G5127 which G3739 he seeketh for; G1934 but G1161 the election G1589 hath obtained it, G2013 and G1161 the rest G3062 were blinded G4456
Esaias G2268 also G1161 crieth G2896 concerning G5228 Israel, G2474 Though G1437 the number G706 of the children G5207 of Israel G2474 be G5600 as G5613 the sand G285 of the sea, G2281 a remnant G2640 shall be saved: G4982 For G1063 he will finish G4931 the work, G3056 and G2532 cut it short G4932 in G1722 righteousness: G1343 because G3754 a short G4932 work G3056 will G4160 the Lord G2962 make G4160 upon G1909 the earth. G1093 And G2532 as G2531 Esaias G2268 said before, G4280 Except G1508 the Lord G2962 of Sabaoth G4519 had left G1459 us G2254 a seed, G4690 we had been G302 G1096 as G5613 Sodoma, G4670 and G2532 been made like G302 G3666 unto G5613 Gomorrha. G1116
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, H5012 that Pelatiah H6410 the son H1121 of Benaiah H1141 died. H4191 Then fell I down H5307 upon my face, H6440 and cried H2199 with a loud H1419 voice, H6963 and said, H559 Ah H162 Lord H136 GOD! H3069 wilt thou make H6213 a full end H3617 of the remnant H7611 of Israel? H3478
Behold, the eyes H5869 of the Lord H136 GOD H3069 are upon the sinful H2403 kingdom, H4467 and I will destroy H8045 it from off the face H6440 of the earth; H127 saving H657 that I will not utterly H8045 destroy H8045 the house H1004 of Jacob, H3290 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 For, lo, I will command, H6680 and I will sift H5128 the house H1004 of Israel H3478 among all nations, H1471 like as corn is sifted H5128 in a sieve, H3531 yet shall not the least grain H6872 fall H5307 upon the earth. H776
To fulfil H4390 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 by the mouth H6310 of Jeremiah, H3414 until the land H776 had enjoyed H7521 her sabbaths: H7676 for as long as H3117 she lay desolate H8074 she kept sabbath, H7673 to fulfil H4390 threescore and ten H7657 years. H8141
To make H7760 their land H776 desolate, H8047 and a perpetual H5769 hissing; H8292 H8292 every one that passeth H5674 thereby shall be astonished, H8074 and wag H5110 his head. H7218
They have made H7760 it desolate, H8076 and being desolate H8077 it mourneth H56 unto me; the whole land H776 is made desolate, H8074 because no man H376 layeth H7760 it to heart. H3820 The spoilers H7703 are come H935 upon all high places H8205 through the wilderness: H4057 for the sword H2719 of the LORD H3068 shall devour H398 from the one end H7097 of the land H776 even to the other end H7097 of the land: H776 no flesh H1320 shall have peace. H7965
Then will I cause to cease H7673 from the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and from the streets H2351 of Jerusalem, H3389 the voice H6963 of mirth, H8342 and the voice H6963 of gladness, H8057 the voice H6963 of the bridegroom, H2860 and the voice H6963 of the bride: H3618 for the land H776 shall be desolate. H2723
The lion H738 is come up H5927 from his thicket, H5441 and the destroyer H7843 of the Gentiles H1471 is on his way; H5265 he is gone forth H3318 from his place H4725 to make H7760 thy land H776 desolate; H8047 and thy cities H5892 shall be laid waste, H5327 without an inhabitant. H3427
The land H776 shall be utterly H1238 emptied, H1238 and utterly H962 spoiled: H962 for the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 this word. H1697 The earth H776 mourneth H56 and fadeth away, H5034 the world H8398 languisheth H535 and fadeth away, H5034 the haughty H4791 people H5971 of the earth H776 do languish. H535 The earth H776 also is defiled H2610 under the inhabitants H3427 thereof; because they have transgressed H5674 the laws, H8451 changed H2498 the ordinance, H2706 broken H6565 the everlasting H5769 covenant. H1285 Therefore hath the curse H423 devoured H398 the earth, H776 and they that dwell H3427 therein are desolate: H816 therefore the inhabitants H3427 of the earth H776 are burned, H2787 and few H4213 men H582 left. H7604 The new wine H8492 mourneth, H56 the vine H1612 languisheth, H535 all the merryhearted H8056 H3820 do sigh. H584 The mirth H4885 of tabrets H8596 ceaseth, H7673 the noise H7588 of them that rejoice H5947 endeth, H2308 the joy H4885 of the harp H3658 ceaseth. H7673 They shall not drink H8354 wine H3196 with a song; H7892 strong drink H7941 shall be bitter H4843 to them that drink H8354 it. The city H7151 of confusion H8414 is broken down: H7665 every house H1004 is shut up, H5462 that no man may come in. H935 There is a crying H6682 for wine H3196 in the streets; H2351 all joy H8057 is darkened, H6150 the mirth H4885 of the land H776 is gone. H1540 In the city H5892 is left H7604 desolation, H8047 and the gate H8179 is smitten H3807 with destruction. H7591 When thus it shall be in the midst H7130 of the land H776 among H8432 the people, H5971 there shall be as the shaking H5363 of an olive tree, H2132 and as the gleaning grapes H5955 when the vintage H1210 is done. H3615
Then said H559 I, Lord, H136 how long? And he answered, H559 Until the cities H5892 be wasted H7582 without inhabitant, H3427 and the houses H1004 without man, H120 and the land H127 be utterly H8077 desolate, H7582 And the LORD H3068 have removed H7368 men H120 far away, H7368 and there be a great H7227 forsaking H5805 in the midst H7130 of the land. H776
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.