The land has returned to a state of chaos (marginal reference note). He was born in the last part of the reign of Manasseh (687-642), around the year 645 B.C., almost a century after Isaiah. 24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. Jeremiahs 4:23-26 reads: “I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." JEREMIAH 4:23. Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21), and all the birds had flown out of sight in terror at the dreadful tokens of the beginning catastrophe (Genesis 9:9). 24. In Jeremiah 23, the nearness of God is not a comfort. To bring this answer of God home to the people's heart, the prophet, in Jeremiah 4:23-26, tells what he has seen in the spirit. (23-26) With prophetic insight, Jeremiah considers the might and power of God. Explaining the Picture of Destruction. 24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. Jeremiah 4:23-28 describes how desolate the land becomes: “(23) I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, … KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT. An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Jeremiah chapters 1 to 10. www.easyenglish.bible. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. as in Jeremiah 2:7, but nom. Jeremiah 23 Commentary: The content of Jeremiah 23 is a continuation from all the way back in Jeremiah 21.. Jeremiah 23 Commentary: Chapter 21. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. (Jer 17:9-10) The folly of trusting one’s own heart. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. proph.) Jeremiah 4:23-28. As you read on, you will again find the thou and bohu, in Jeremiah 4:23, and they are spelled exactly the same as they appear in Genesis 1:2. He has seen (ראיתי, perf. The mountains and hills, these firm foundations of the earth, quivered and swayed (התקלקל, be put into a light motion, cf. 1 “If you, Israel, will return,. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void.] 2 Oh, that I had in the desert. 25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. Study Jeremiah 4 using Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise) to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. HOW בוּשׁ AND םַחָנ CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF JEREMIAH 4:28, 15:6-7, 18:7-10 AND 26:3, 13 AND 19 By Allen Bythel Marsh A dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Jeremiah 4:23 - 26. Words in boxes are from the Bible. Biblical Commentary Jeremiah 23:23-29 EXEGESIS: JEREMIAH 23:9-11. - What is the meaning of Jeremiah 4:30? Jeremiah 4:23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light. Jeremiah 4:23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void;And to the heavens, and they had no light. Then, in Jeremiah 4:27-29 God explains the picture he just painted in plain words. Jeremiah 23:1 "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! The earth seemed waste and void as at the beginning of creation, Genesis 1:2, before the separation of the elements and before the creation of organic and living beings. When Jeremiah 4:23 is examined in the context of other verses in Chapter 4 that describe the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah, then its meaning becomes quite clear. Lorraine Day, M.D. Understand the meaning of Jeremiah 4:23 using all available Bible versions and commentary. I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. "listened," BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERFECT with waw "announce," BDB 1033, KB 1570, Hiphil IMPERFECT (vv. The shepherd is a common metaphor for Israel’s civil and spiritual leaders (Psalm 78:70-72; Ezek. Explaining the Picture of Destruction. And you, desolate one, what will you do? Jeremiah 4.23 poetically describes judgment on Jerusalem, which is depicted as a reversal of creation; the world (of Israel) is brought back to a state of 'desolate and waste' disorder: mountains are leveled (4.24), the skies are emptied of birds (4.25), farmland is made barren and cities are emptied of people (4.26), etc. This indicates the visionary character of Jeremiah’s description of the future condition of the land of Israel. bursting over Judah a visitation which convulses the whole world. For this reason a man in antiquity might change his name at Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, And from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel. In … The context of Jeremiah 4 will help us understand the meaning of this passage. 4. 25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all, and all the birds of the air had fled. Jeremiah calls out for the nation to turn back to God. God is so near that there are no secret … Continue reading "Commentary on Jeremiah 23:23-29" I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light. The *Sins of God’s People. The promise here reverses the scene of devastation that Jeremiah had depicted apocalyptically and hyperbolically in Jer 4:23–29 as ... Zipporah "cut off her son’s foreskin." THE CONTEXT Our text is part of a lengthy discourse on prophecy that extends from 23:9 to 23:40. Jeremiah 23 Commentary: The content of Jeremiah 23 is a continuation from all the way back in Jeremiah 21.. Jeremiah 23 Commentary: Chapter 21. supposes, but the cities in the most fertile districts of the country, which, by reason of their situation, were in a prosperous condition, but now are destroyed. 24. The shepherd is a common metaphor for Israel’s civil and spiritual leaders (Psalm 78:70-72; Ezek. The Context. “Is not my word like as a fire? The answer is: as long as the people persists in the folly of its rebellion against God, so long will chastising judgments continue. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life. Chapter 34). Date of Writing: The Book of Jeremiah was written between 630 and 580 B.C. EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials; Fishbane, Michael, "Jeremiah 4:23-26 and Job 3:3-13: A Recovered Use of the Creation Pattern," Vetus Testamentum, 1971. v. 36). But these leaders have destroyed their … Hilda Bright. Jeremiah 4:23 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Jeremiah 4:23, NIV: "I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone." Read and heard in isolation that affirmation can evoke multiple responses, many of which might evade the sting of Jeremiah’s challenge to readers and hearers, both ancient and current. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. The description is the coming disaster upon the land of Israel. God is nearby, not far off. saith the LORD." The imagery is that of the last day of judgment. Jeremiah 17:10. Sermo est hyperbolicus, all was in … I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-26 is numbered 9:1-25. Purpose of Writing: The Book of Jeremiah records the final prophecies to Judah, warning of oncoming destruction if the nation does not repent. the natural, but the political, and ecclesiastical, disorder of and order; the same words, "tohu" and "bohu", are used here, as “If you, Israel, will return,then return to me,”declares the Lord.“If you put your detestable idols out of my sightand no longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous HOW בוּשׁ AND םַחָנ CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF JEREMIAH 4:28, 15:6-7, 18:7-10 AND 26:3, 13 AND 19 By Allen Bythel Marsh A dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology 26. and my eyes a fountain of tears! says, either in spirit, as Jerom; or in prophecy, as Kimchi; or Chapter 34). 26 I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins This was in the first earth age. It is very easy to become defiled by lapsing back to old habits. - What is the meaning of Jeremiah 4:30? Jeremiah 4:23 "I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light." NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: JEREMIAH 4:23-26 23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. Without form, and void - Desolate and void (see Genesis 1:2 note). then the nations will invoke blessings by him The *Sins of God’s People. הכּרמל is not appell. 4. Jeremiah 4:23 has nothing to do with the creation or destruction of the Earth as a planet. Jeremiah's answer is that there are no more messages to be received, only judgment (i.e., "I shall abandon you," cf. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. sprung out of it, not a tree to be seen in it, and neither man Although you dress in scarlet, Although you adorn yourself with jewelry of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with makeup, In vain you make yourself beautiful. It is very easy to become defiled by lapsing back to old habits. for this Jeremiah 5:21; Isaiah 1:3; Micah 7:3. Jeremiah: Jeremiah Declares God’s Message to Judah. … Jeremiah's answer is that there are no more messages to be received, only judgment (i.e., "I shall abandon you," cf. 1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water. Ver. 26. (t) By this manner of speech he shows the horrible destruction that would come on the land and also condemns the obstinacy of the people who do not repent at the fear of these terrible kings, seeing that the insensible creatures are moved therewith, as if the order of nature would be changed, Isa 13:10,24:23, Eze 32:7, Joel 2:31,3:15. “If you, Israel, will return,then return to me,”declares the Lord.“If you put your detestable idols out of my sightand no longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Jeremiah chapters 1 to 10. www.easyenglish.bible. The people of Israel were in a precarious position, with anarchy within the camp and enemies on every side. “Without form”: Jeremiah may be borrowing the language, but the description in its context is not of creation (in Gen. 1:2), but of judgment on the land of Israel and its cities (verse 20). The final portion of Jeremiah 4 is also something to consider when evaluating the potential end time relevance of Jeremiah 4:5. And so, he continues – as I said – with a picture of the coming destruction in Jeremiah 4:23-26. The ancients, however, always considered the background and meaning of a name. Ezekiel 4:4–8). Jeremiah 4:23 "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." 30:23-24. The poetic picture of destruction is explained as meaning that people will flee from the cities of Judah when the enemy comes. Hilda Bright. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. This indicates the visionary character of Jeremiah’s description of the future condition of the land of Israel. There is individual responsibility, and we have to face up to the fact that there is no hiding from God. JEREMIAH 23:29. History tells us that it is the Babylonian army which did this. Nahum 1:5); men had fled and hidden themselves from the wrath of God (cf. 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 "bohu", are used here, as in Genesis 1:2, the land of Judea now was, in the prophet's view of it, like the first earth, when darkness covered it; no grass sprung out of it, not a tree to be seen in it, and neither man nor beast as yet upon it, but all an undigested mass, and in the utmost wild disorder and confusion; and this may denote not only the natural, but the political, and ecclesiastical, disorder of the Jewish nation and state: and the heavens, and they had no light; that were over the land of Judea; as the Targum paraphrases it; that is, the sun, moon, and stars, which were darkened by the smoke of the burning of Jerusalem; or which withdrew their light, as blushing at, and being ashamed of, the iniquities of his people, and who were unworthy of enjoying the light of them; and which this phrase may denote. Jeremiah chapter 4 KJV (King James Version) 1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.. 2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. Jeremiah 23:1 "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! “Since Jeremiah offers two variations on the theme of Psalm 1, here in Jeremiah 17:5-8 and also in Jeremiah 12:1-2, it seems possible that Psalm 1 was available to the prophet.” (Thompson) 3. Jeremiah chapter 4 KJV (King James Version) 1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.. 2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. Jeremiah 4:23 - 26. I would weep day and night. In Jeremiah 21, Zedekiah – the last king of Judah – in his last days as king, asks Jeremiah for God’s help in defeating the Babylonians. To bring this answer of God home to the people's heart, the prophet, in Jeremiah 4:23-26, tells what he has seen in the spirit. the Jewish nation and state: and the heavens, and they had It is composed of five sections (some scholars say six) as follows: • Verses 9-12: Faithful Jeremiah's despair at the false prophets JEREMIAH: MAN AND PROPHET The year 627 BC was a crucial one in the history of redemption. Purpose of Writing: The Book of Jeremiah records the final prophecies to Judah, warning of oncoming destruction if the nation does not repent. Jeremiah 4:23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light. Although you dress in scarlet, Although you adorn yourself with jewelry of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with makeup, In vain you make yourself beautiful. For this reason a man in antiquity might change his name at Tohu vabohit {as Genesis 1:2} sightless and shapeless. 22 and 28. and no longer go astray, 2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way. Human nature, the law of sin within us, is always seeking to pull us again into the defilement of sin, seeking to destroy our hope of sharing life with the holy God.That is why God counsels us in Proverbs 4:23 to keep—that is, guard, preserve, and maintain—our heart. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. "Before the heat of His anger," which is kindled against the foolish and godless race; cf. To get what Jeremiah 4:23 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. as Cocceius, but of the prophet; who, by a prophetic spirit, Salem Media Group. In some sense, Jeremiah thought trusting in the Lord to be the same as delighting in His word. Biblical Commentary Jeremiah 23:23-29 EXEGESIS: JEREMIAH 23:9-11. without form and void—reduced to the primeval chaos (Ge 1:2). There is no prospect of an end to the horrors, for (Jeremiah 4:22) the people is so foolish that it understands only how to do the evil, but not the good; cf. Jeremiah calls out for the nation to turn back to God. Jeremiah 17:9. 25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. Human nature, the law of sin within us, is always seeking to pull us again into the defilement of sin, seeking to destroy our hope of sharing life with the holy God.That is why God counsels us in Proverbs 4:23 to keep—that is, guard, preserve, and maintain—our heart. THE CONTEXT: Chapters 27 and 28 addressed the two major themes that continue through chapter 29: • The Lord delivered Judah into the hands of the Babylonians, so the people of Judah (whether currently exiled in Babylonia or I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. then return to me,” declares the Lord. Date of Writing: The Book of Jeremiah was written between 630 and 580 B.C. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.. 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 ; 1:2 ) , the land of Judea now was, in the prophet's view of To get what Jeremiah 23:29 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. God is telling us here exactly what He did to the earth at one time. KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT. (23-25) The lasting shame of idolatry expressed in a statement of true repentance. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. 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