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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 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... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:6

Set up the standard toward Zion ,.... Not on the tower of Zion, as Kimchi interprets it; but on some high place, pointing to Zion, and directing the country people to flee thither for safety; for the setting up of the standard here is not for enlisting of soldiers in order to fight, but as a sign of danger, and a direction where to flee from it: retire ; gather yourselves together in order to flee, as the word F16 העיזו "congregate vos, sub. ad fugiendum", Vatablus; "confirmate... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:7

The lion is come up from his thicket ,.... Meaning Nebuchadnezzar F19 So T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 11. 1. & Sanhedrin. fol 94. 2. , from Babylon, who is compared to a lion for his strength, fierceness, and cruelty; see Jeremiah 50:17 so the Roman emperor is called a lion, 2 Timothy 4:17 , agreeably to this the Targum paraphrases it, "a king is gone from his fortress;' or tower; and the Syriac version, "a certain most powerful king is about to go up as a lion out of his wood:'... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:8

For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl ,.... That is, because of this destruction threatened, which was so near at hand, and so sure and certain: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us . The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it "from you" and some render it "from it" F21 ממנו "ab illo", i.e. "ab illo proposito", Cocceius; "ab eo", Montanus. ; from his purpose and design to destroy the Jews. Jarchi interprets this of Josiah, and his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:9

And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord ,.... When Nebuchadnezzar should be come up from Babylon into the land of Judea, and lay waste the cities thereof, and besiege Jerusalem: that the heart of the king shall perish ; meaning Zedekiah king of Judah, who should be in the utmost fright and consternation, not knowing what to do, being devoid both of wisdom and courage; see Jeremiah 39:4 , and the heart of the princes ; who being seized with the same panic, and at their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:10

Then said I, ah, Lord God! .... Expressing great sorrow and concern: this "ah" is by way of lamentation. The Targum interprets it as a petition, "and I said, receive my prayer, O Lord God:' surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem : what the false prophets did, that God is said to do, because he suffered them to deceive the people; see 1 Kings 22:20 . The Targum ascribes the deception to the false prophets, and not to God, "surely behold the false prophets... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:11

At that time shall it be said to this people, and to Jerusalem ,.... The inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem, the people of the Jews; or "concerning" F24 לעם הזה "de hoc populo", Calvin, Vatablus. them, as Jarchi interprets it: a dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people . The Targum is, "as the south wind upon the heads of floods of water in the wilderness, so is the way of the congregation of my people;' but rather the north wind is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:12

Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me ,.... That is, a strong one, very vehement; or, "a wind which is fuller than these", as the Syriac version renders it; which is stronger than those winds which are fit for fanning and winnowing the chaff from the wheat. Jarchi interprets it, a wind full of those punishments which God had threatened, and determined to bring upon this people, and would not turn from, nor repent of: and the phrase "shall come unto me" regards not the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:13

Behold, he shall come up as clouds ,.... Meaning the lion, Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah 4:7 , "the king with his army (as the Targum paraphrases it); he shall come up against them as a cloud that ascendeth and covers the earth.' "come up against them as a cloud that ascendeth and covers the earth.' The metaphor denotes the swiftness of his coming, and the multitudes he should come with, and that darkness and distress he should bring with him upon the people of the Jews: and his... read more

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