4:1 If you return, O Israel Likely infers a condition: If the people of Israel would repent, they could return to Yahweh. The implication is that their confession in Jer 3:25 has been heard, but verbal acknowledgment of their past sins is not enough to prove full repentance. They must change their behavior as well.

your abominations The Hebrew word used here, shiqquts, refers to abominable religious practices. Repentance involves a clean break with idolatry.

4:2 nations will be blessed by him Describes restoration of the covenant blessings through Abraham (see Gen 12:1–3). Compare Deut 28:1–14.

4:3 Break up for yourselves prepared virgin soil An agricultural metaphor urging Judah to prepare themselves to accept God’s message and repent.

4:4 the foreskins of your hearts Circumcision was the sign of Israel’s covenant devotion to Yahweh, the outward symbol that identified them as a people set apart. Physical circumcision was intended to be an external sign of a changed heart. The concept of circumcision of the heart highlights both the intent of the external circumcision and Israel’s failure to actually give Yahweh the devotion represented by the act. Compare Deut 10:16; Rom 2:28–29.

4:5 , “Blow a horn through the land Refers to sounding the alarm so the people could flee to safety. The trumpet was blown by the watchman, whose job was to warn the people of incoming danger. See 6:17; Ezek 33:3–6.

the fortified cities A century before Jeremiah, the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, boasted that he had defeated 46 fortified cities in Judah. A list of fortified cities in Judah is given in 2 Chr 11:5–12.

4:6 toward Zion Another name for Jerusalem, often signifying the Temple Mount.

evil from the north Babylon would attack from the north. See 1:13–16 and note on 1:14.

4:7 A lion has gone up from his thicket The invader from the north is metaphorically depicted as a lion, just as Babylon is in 2:15. The precise identification of the invader is not given and may be irrelevant in Jeremiah’s vision of doom. Later, the invader is specifically identified as Babylon (50:9).

4:8 sackcloth Wearing sackcloth, a coarse material, symbolized despair, humiliation, mourning, sorrow, and distress.

4:9 on that day Refers to the coming day of judgment and divine wrath. The prophets often interweave imagery of immediate judgment (the Babylonian invasion) with future, final eschatological judgment. Both are referred to with the ominous phrase “in that day.” Compare Isa 19:16–25, where the phrase occurs six times.

the heart of the king and the heart of the officials will be destroyed A complete breakdown in society is symbolized by the failure of political and religious leaders.

4:11 A hot wind Describes a harsh desert wind that is too strong for winnowing because both grain and chaff would be blown away. The metaphor implies that Yahweh’s judgment will sweep over all people equally.

from the barren heights High hills, where idolatrous worship took place. See note on Jer 2:20 and note on 3:2.

4:13 his chariots are like the whirlwind The invading force from the north will move in swiftly. The word for the whirlwind indicates destructive wind from a storm and links the coming invasion with the judgment from Yahweh announced in vv. 11–12. Compare the imagery of invading Assyria in Isa 5:26–30.

4:14 Cleanse your heart from wickedness Faced with the vision of impending doom, Jeremiah pleads again for the people to repent.

4:15 Dan The warning comes from the far northern part of Israel. Despite the fact that the northern kingdom of Israel no longer existed as a political entity, Dan was a flourishing city during Jeremiah’s time.

the mountain of Ephraim The phrase here refers to the entire hill country in central Palestine occupied by Ephraim and extending north into territory assigned to the tribe of Manasseh.

4:16 Besiegers The Hebrew word notserim used here literally refers to “guards” or “watchmen” (see 31:6), which would imply the presence of invaders. A similar word is used in Isa 1:8 to describe Jerusalem as a “besieged city” (ir netsurah).

4:17 Like watchers of a field Compare the imagery in Isa 1:7–8.

4:19 My bowels, my bowels The word here refers to the internal organs, usually digestive organs such as intestines or stomach. Metaphorically, the term is used for one’s inner being, especially the seat of emotions (Job 30:27).

4:20 my tents The image makes sense if the speaker is the city or land personified as in Jer 10:20. Alternatively, the lament could be Yahweh’s (compare 31:20). The switch to Yahweh as speaker seems clear in v. 22.

4:22 my people are foolish Compare Yahweh’s critique of His people in Isa 1:3.

foolish children Compare the imagery of rebellious children in Isa 1:2–4.

skillful The term here often means “skilled” or “experienced.” Jeremiah is likely intentionally invoking the association with wisdom since the plural form used here also denotes wise men, such as formal royal counselors (Gen 41:8; Isa 19:12).

4:23 it was wasteland and emptiness A rare combination of the uncommon terms tohu and bohu, alluding directly to the creation imagery in Genesis (see Gen 1:2 and note). Yahweh the Creator brought form, function, and order to creation. Judgment may be seen as an undoing of creation, a return to primordial chaos (compare Isa 34:11 and note).

without their light Alludes to Gen 1:2–3.

4:25 there was no person See Gen 1:26–27.

the birds of the sky See Gen 1:20–22.

4:26 the fruitful land was a desert See Gen 1:11.

4:29 among the rocks they climb Compare Isa 2:19–21. When invasion comes, the people flee to whatever hiding place they can find.

4:30 you put on crimson Personified Jerusalem is depicted as a woman desperate to save her life by currying favor with her former lovers. The description is reminiscent of depictions of Israel as an unfaithful wife. Compare Ezek 16:15–18.

Your lovers reject you Israel’s former lovers are directly involved in her judgment. Compare Lam 1:2; Ezek 16:36–37; 23:22.

4:31 the daughter of Zion Refers to Jerusalem, which surrounded the temple and Mount Zion. The metaphor continues the personification of the city as a woman from Jer 4:30.