Jeremiah 4:19-31

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 4:19

My bowels, my bowels ,.... These are either the words of the people, unto whose heart the calamity reached, as in the preceding verse; or rather of the prophet, who either, from a sympathizing heart, expresses himself in this manner; or puts on an appearance of mourning and distress, in order to awaken his people to a sense of their condition. The repetition of the word is after the manner of persons in pain and uneasiness, as, "my head, my head", 2 Kings 4:19 , I am pained at my very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:20

Destruction upon destruction is cried ;.... Or, "breach upon breach" F7 שבר על שבר "contritio super contritionem", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius. ; as soon as one affliction is over, another comes on; and upon the news of one calamity, tidings are brought of another, as in Job's case: it signifies, that distress and troubles would come thick and fast, and that there would be no end of them, until there was an utter destruction, as this phrase signifies, and the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:21

How long shall I see the standard ,.... "Ensign" or "banner" displayed; either by the watchmen placed on high hills or towers, who, when they see the enemy approaching, lift up their ensign or banner, and blow with their trumpets, to give the people warning and notice of it, and to call them to battle, and that they might prepare for the same, as Kimchi observes; or else by the Chaldean army, which came with colours flying, trumpets blowing, and set in array for battle, which was very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:22

For my people is foolish ,.... This, as Kimchi says, is the answer of the Lord to the prophet; for not the prophet says this, but the Lord to the prophet, giving a reason why this sore destruction came upon the people of the Jews, and so reconciling his mind to the providence; seeing those whom he had chosen to be his people, above all people upon the face of the earth, and who professed themselves to be his people, had acted such a foolish part as they had done, in backsliding from him,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:23

I beheld the earth ,.... The land of Judea, not the whole world; and this the prophet says, either in spirit, as Jerom; or in prophecy, as Kimchi; or in a visionary way; for these are not the words of God continued, as Cocceius, but of the prophet; who, by a prophetic spirit, describes the dreadful destruction of the Jewish nation, as follows: and, lo, it was without form, and void ; as the first earth or chaos was, before it was brought into form and order; the same words, "tohu" and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:24

I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled ,.... At the presence of God, at the tokens of his displeasure, and at his awful vengeance in the destruction of the Jews, as they are sometimes said to do, Psalm 68:8 , and all the hills moved lightly ; so Kimchi's father says the word used has the signification of lightness; though Jarchi, from Menachem, explains it, they were plucked up, and thrown out of their place; and some render it, were pulled down and destroyed, so the Targum.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:25

And I beheld, and, lo, there was no man ,.... No people dwelling in it, as the Targum; the land was without inhabitants, they were either killed with the sword, or taken and carried captive into Babylon, or fled into Egypt and other countries: and all the birds of the heavens were fled ; at the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war; at the blackness of the heavens, filled with smoke; at the barrenness of the earth, there being no seed sown; and the earth, as at the first creation,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:26

I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness ,.... Or, "I beheld, and, lo, Carmel was a wilderness"; which was a particular part of the land of Israel, and was very fertile, and abounded in pastures and fruit trees, and yet this, as the rest, became desolate as a wilderness; see Isaiah 32:15 though it may be put for the whole land, which was very fruitful; and so the Targum, "I saw, and, lo, the land of Israel, which was planted as Carmel, was turned to be as a wilderness:' ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 4:27

For thus hath the Lord said ,.... What follows is an explanation and confirmation of the above vision the prophet had: the whole land shall be desolate ; as he had seen; it should not be manured, ploughed, and sown, or bring forth fruit; and should be without inhabitants, at least have very few: yet I will not make a full end ; there should be some inhabitants, who, with those that should hereafter return from captivity, would repeople it, rebuild the temple, and restore it to its... read more

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