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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Jeremiah 4:22

JEREMIAH—NOTE ON Jeremiah 4:22 God says his people lack saving knowledge and a proper understanding of his ways and words (Jeremiah 3:15; Hosea 4:1). Their only wisdom is in doing evil. Thus, they are foolish and stupid children. This strong language seeks to shock the people into repentance and to show Jeremiah that he shouldn’t be sympathetic toward them.

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See also Jeremiah 4:22 in other biblical comments:

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 _ 1. True repentance and what it means (Jeremiah 4:1) _ 2. The alarm sounded: judgment comes (Jeremiah 4:5) 3. The doom of the rebellious people (Jeremiah 4:14) 4. The desolation of I

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROPHET'S GRIEF for his country finds characteristic expression: My bowels! my bowels! Let me writhe! The walls of my heart! My heart moaneth within me! (Driver). His soul hears (_mg._ with LXX) t...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    KNOWN. acknowledged. SOTTISH. stupid. Probably from Celtic. Breton _sot,_ or _sod =_ stupid. CHILDREN. sons....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Jeremiah 4:5-31. Impending judgements. National disaster This section and the two that follow it (viz. chs. 5 and 6) are somewhat later than the preceding, as presenting a more definite description o...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The prophet is racked with grief at the noise of war and the thought of its horrors and all through the mad folly of his people. See summary at commencement of section....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _know_ have regard to. Cp. Isaiah 1:3....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR MY PEOPLE IS FOOLISH— Some have supposed that these words, as well as the preceding ones, are to be referred to God; but they suit the prophet much better, who speaks here, as commissioned by the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. Description of Coming Judgment Jeremiah 4:19-31 In the last half of chapter four Jeremiah describes the coming judgment. He emphasizes that this judgment will be (1) terrifying (Jeremiah 4:19-22);...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. FOR MY PEOPLE IS FOO...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    4:22 wise (b-22) Or 'clever.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    5-10. Destruction approaches Jerusalem....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    God's answer to the implied appeal to know why the invasion was permitted. It is not without cause, for, etc....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROPHET SETS FORTH THE SIN OF THE NATION AND POINTS OUT THE INEVITABLE RESULT (REIGN OF JOSIAH, AND PROBABLY BEFORE THE REFORMS OF THAT KING: CP. JEREMIAH 3:6) This section furnishes us with the g...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FOR MY PEOPLE IS FOOLISH. — Jehovah answers the prophet’s question. The misery comes to punish the folly and sottishness of the people. It shall last as long as they last, or till it has accomplished...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֣י ׀ אֱוִ֣יל עַמִּ֗י אֹותִי֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Jeremiah 5:1; Jeremiah 6:1 CHAPTER IV THE SCYTHIANS AS THE SCOURGE OF GOD Jeremiah 4:3 - Jeremiah 6:30 IF we would under

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Jehovah immediately promised that if Israel would return, she would be established. Then the prophet declared that judgment was determined on. He appealed to the people to repent, and that not in exte...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For my people [are] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] silly children, and they have no understanding: (s) they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. (s) Their wisdom...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Me, practically. They have not honoured me as they ought. (Calmet) --- If they were indeed devoid of sense, they would be excused. (Worthington)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I hope the Reader will pause over these verses, and remark the concern of the Prophet. And when he hath done this, let him ask himself what ought to be the concern of the Lord's prophets: I mean his m...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The Prophet again teaches us, that the cause of these evils arose from the people themselves, and was to be found in them, so that they could not transfer it to anybody else. Hence he says, _My people...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4, 5, AND 6. Chapter 4 resumes the subject of Chapter s 2, 3, and, applying it at that time to the people, tells them that, if they return, it must be unto th...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge._ Ver. 22. _For m...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _How long shall I see the standard_, &c. This dreadful war continued a great while, not in the borders, but in the bowels of the country; for the people were very obstinate, and would not submit to, b...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For My people is foolish, without the right knowledge of God, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN ME, still more emphatic in the Hebrew, "Me have they not known"; THEY ARE SOTTISH CHILDREN, silly and unreasonable, AN...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Desolation Following the Lord's Judgment. The prophet here, in a most dramatic manner, introduces Israel as lamenting over the calamity which has struck the nation....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    19-31 The prophet had no pleasure in delivering messages of wrath. He is shown in a vision the whole land in confusion. Compared with what it was, every thing is out of order; but the ruin of the Jew...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    FOR MY PEOPLE IS FOOLISH: though God show them here that the cause of all these calamities is their folly, JEREMIAH 2:17,19 PSA 38:3,5, yet he owns them for his people, JEREMIAH 2:11,31,32. THEY HAVE...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Jeremiah 4:22 people H5971 foolish H191 known H3045 (H8804) silly H5530 children H1121 understanding H995 (H8737) wi

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YHWH WARNS JUDAH THAT IF THEY WILL NOT REPENT FOR THEM TOO INVASION BY A FIERCE ADVERSARY IS THREATENING AND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY COME BECAUSE OF THEIR SINS (JEREMIAH 4:3). If Judah will not respond to th...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JUDAH ARE CALLED TO REPENTANCE AS WELL AS ISRAEL FOR THEY ARE STILL IN THEIR LAND, AND, IF THEY WILL ONLY TRULY TURN TO HIM WITH GENUINELY CHANGED HEARTS, CAN STILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE IN HOPE....

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Jeremiah 4:1. _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. And thou shalt swear, The LORD l...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jeremiah's second message, continued. Warning of the consequences of sin and exhortation to return to God. CHARACTERS: God, Jeremiah. CONCLUSION: It is the evil of men's doings that kindle...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Jeremiah 4:3. _Break up your fallow ground._ Hebrews ניר _nir, novale;_ make _new_ land, eradicate the thorns. Hosea 10:12. Our old phrase, the fallow deer, seems to give the exact import of the word....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I am pained at my very heart._ THE PROPHET’S LAMENTATIONS OVER HIS PEOPLE’S DOOM I. The complaint or lamentation itself. 1. The parts affected. The soul and inward man. (1) The secrecy of it, the...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—_Chronology_ of the chapter, _Contemporary Scriptures, Historic Facts, Contemporary History_ as in chap. 3. 1. GEOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES. Jeremiah 4:5. “_Defenced cities_....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JEREMIAH 4:1, JEREMIAH 4:2 The form and structure of the translation require a change. Render, _If thou wilt return_,_ O Israel_,_ saith Jehovah_,_ wilt return unto me_;_ and if thou wilt...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    But if you will return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if you will put away thine abominations out of my sight, then you will no longer be [moved or] removed. And thou shalt swear, The...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 2 Samuel 13:3;...

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