Jeremiah 8:4-6

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 8:4-12

The prophet here is instructed to set before this people the folly of their impenitence, which was it that brought this ruin upon them. They are here represented as the most stupid senseless people in the world, that would not be made wise by all the methods that Infinite Wisdom took to bring them to themselves and their right mind, and so to prevent the ruin that was coming upon them. I. They would not attend to the dictates of reason. They would not act in the affairs of their souls with the... read more

John Gill

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

Moreover, thou shalt say unto them ,.... The Jews, in Jeremiah's time, in order to leave them inexcusable, though the Lord had before assured that they would not hearken to him, Jeremiah 7:27 , thus saith the Lord, shall they fall, and not rise ? men, when they fall, endeavour to get up again, and generally they do: shall he turn away, and not return ? when a man turns out of the right way into a wrong one, as soon as he is sensible of his mistake, he returns back; this is usually... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 8:5

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding ?.... These people fill into sin, and rise not again by repentance; they turn out of the good ways of God and religion, and return not again; they backslide and revolt from the Lord, and they continue in their revolt and rebellion; their backsliding is an everlasting one; there is no hope of their repentance and recovery: it is a vehement and passionate expostulation about the people of the Jews, founded upon the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 8:6

I hearkened and heard ,.... These are either, the words of the prophet, as Kimchi and Abarbinel think; who listened and attended to, and made his observations upon, the words and actions, conduct and behaviour, of this people, of which he gives an account: or of the Lord himself, as the Targum; who hearkened to the language of their hearts and actions, and heard the words of their mouth; all that they spoke against him, against his prophets, and those that feared his name; all their lying... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 8:4

Moreover thou shalt say - Dr. Blayney very properly observes, "In that part of the prophecy which follows next, the difference of speakers requires to be attended to; the transition being quick and sudden, but full of life and energy. The prophet at first, in the name of God, reproves the people's incorrigibility; he charges their wise ones with folly, and threatens them with grievous calamities, Jeremiah 8:4-13 . In the three next verses he seems to apostrophize his countrymen in his own... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 8:6

As the horse rusheth into the battle - This strongly marks the unthinking, careless desperation of their conduct. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 8:4

Verse 4 Though God had reminded his Prophet of the event, yet he still invites the Jews to repentance; not that there was any hope of restoring them to a right mind, (for he had said that they were wholly irreclaimable,) but that their perverseness might be less excusable; and it was also his object to afford some relief to the small number of the godly who still remained; for they had not all fallen away into impiety, though the great body of the people had become corrupt. God then, partly to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 8:5

Verse 5 Whoever will impartially consider the discourse of the Prophet must see that this is the real meaning; for, in the second of these verses, he says, Why is this people of Jerusalem, etc. ; he now first speaks, as it clearly appears, of the people. It then follows that the former verse ought not to be applied to the people; but it contains only a general statement. In short, Jeremiah condemns here the madness of the people, because they followed not the example of those who have either... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 8:6

Verse 6 These words may be considered as spoken by God himself, — that he from heaven examined the state of the people; but it is more suitable to regard them as spoken by the Prophet; for he was placed, as it were, in a watch — tower in order to observe how the people acted towards God. He now testifies, that having seen their pursuits and their doings, he saw nothing that was right. The people ought to have been more touched by these words. We indeed know how ready we are naturally to lay... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 8:4

Moreover thou shalt say , etc.; literally, and thou shalt say . The section is introduced by a formula which connects it with Jeremiah 7:2 , Jeremiah 7:28 . Shall they fall , etc.? rather, Do men fall … doth a man turn away? One of those appeals to common sense in which the prophets delight. Who ever sees a fallen man stay quietly on the ground without attempting to rise? or a man who has wandered out of the path persist in going in the wrong direction? read more

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