Jeremiah 4:23-31
Summary for Jer 4:23-26: 4:23-26 a In Jeremiah’s vision, the Lord’s fierce anger took precedence over his creative love (10:10 b; 12:4 c; Isa 5:25 d; 24:19 e; Ezek 38:20 f; Zeph 1:3 g). He was undoing the order of creation (see Gen 1:2-3 h).4:28 i At funerals in Hebrew society, it was customary for people to mourn and be draped in black (cp. Isa 5:30 j; 50:3 k). The Lord had determined the people’s guilt, and he promised to be true to his word (Jer 5:10 l; 30:11 m, 24 n; Isa 5:30 o; 46:10-11 p).
4:29 q flee ... hide ... run: Panic gripped the people of Judah in reaction to the horrors of war. Their arrogance and smug confidence disappeared (see 6:23-24 r).
4:30 s Strangely, some people acted as if nothing serious were happening. They tried to ignore the enemy, but their future was bleak. The enemy would kill them (22:20 t, 22 u; 2 Kgs 9:30 v; Isa 22:13 w; Lam 1:2 x, 19 y; Ezek 23:9-10 z, 22 aa, 40-42 ab).
4:31 ac The people in Jerusalem felt such intense anguish that Jeremiah likened their pain to the agony of a woman giving birth to her first child. Like such women, beautiful Jerusalem was desperate (13:21 ad; 23:23 ae; 30:6 af; Isa 1:15 ag; 42:14 ah; Lam 1:17 ai).
Copyright information for
TNotes