Jeremiah 4:13

Jer 4:13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

Ver. 13. Behold, he shall come up as clouds.] Swiftly and numerously.

His horses are swifter than eagles.] Which, though the biggest of all fowls, yet fly with greatest speed.

Woe unto us, for we are spoiled.] This he premiseth fitly to his exhortation to repentance; {Jer 4:14} q.d., We are utterly undone, if repentance prevent not.

“ Currat ergo paenitentia, ne praecurrat sententia. ”

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:13 Like his countrymen, Jeremiah was fearful when he heard that the invasion from the north had begun (Deut 28:49; Isa 5:28; Lam 4:19; Hos 8:1; Hab 1:8).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, that Nebuchadnezzar should come as suddenly, as a cloud that is carried with the wind.

This is spoken in the person of all the people, who in their affliction should cry thus.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

clouds--continuing the metaphor in Jer 4:11-12. Clouds of sand and dust accompany the simoom, and after rapid gyrations ascend like a pillar.

eagles-- (Deu 28:49; Hab 1:8).

Woe unto us--The people are graphically presented before us, without it being formally so stated, bursting out in these exclamations.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. See Clarke on Jer 4:11. Ver. 13. Wo unto us!] The people, deeply affected with these threatened judgments, interrupt the prophet with the lamentation - Wo unto us, for we are spoiled! The prophet then resumes: -

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Prophet here concludes the prediction which referred to the dreadful vengeance that was coming; and he mentions here several similitudes, such as might rouse the Jews and constrain them to fear. He says, that the chariots of God would come as clouds and as a whirlwind; and then that his horses would be swifter than eagles

As to the clouds, the whirlwind, and the eagles, (for the import of the three similitudes is the same,) the Prophet no doubt intended thus to set forth the quickness of God’s vengeance; but yet there is some difference. We see how clouds suddenly arise and spread over the whole heaven; and thus it happens when a whirlwind is in the air. Hence when he compares God’s chariots to clouds and the whirlwind, it is the same as if he had said, that the beginning of the calamity would be sudden, because God would unexpectedly arise, after having been apparently asleep for a long time. But when he says, that God’s horses would be swifter than eagles, he means, that it would be easy for God, when once he had begun, to destroy the whole of Judea, as it were in a moment, or at least in a very short time; for we know how swift is the flying of the eagle; but he says, that the horses of God would be swifter than the eagles.

We now understand the Prophet’s meaning: for when the Jews derided the threatenings of the Prophets, they tauntingly used such a language as this, — “O! we shall, at least in the meantime, feast cheerfully and joyfully; these Prophets will not allow us a truce for one hour; but yet many years will pass away before the evil overtakes us.” We find profane men in our day, who in like manner trifle with God: and when they cannot wholly despise what God threatens, they yet delay the time, and think that they gain something by putting off the day of vengeance. This, then, was the reason why the Prophet said, that God’s chariots would ascend, as clouds arise suddenly, and then as a whirlwind in clear sky, and lastly, in a manner swifter than the eagles, even in their swiftest course.

The Prophet, in the last place, exclaims, in the name of the whole people, Woe to us! for we are lost He speaks here concisely, that he might shew that the false prophets, as well as the people, were going astray to their own ruin, while they were asleep in their vices, and thought their insensibility would escape punishment. He hence exclaims, that though all were then seized with stupor, the people themselves were yet lost. It at length follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(13) He shall come up as clouds.—He, the destroyer of nations, with armies that sweep like storm-clouds over the land they are going to destroy. (Comp. Eze_38:16.)

Swifter than eagles.—A possible quotation from David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan (2Sa_1:23). The fact that another phrase is quoted in Jer_4:30 (“clothest thyself with crimson,” where the Hebrew is the same as the “scarlet” of 2Sa_1:24), makes the possibility something like a certainty. It was natural that one who himself wrote two sets of lamentations, one early (2Ch_35:25), the other late, in life, should have been a student of earlier elegies. For the flight of the eagle as representing the swift march of the invader, comp. Lam_4:19; Hos. viii 1; Hab_1:8.

Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.—Probably the cry of the terrified crowds of Jerusalem, with which the prophet, with dramatic vividness, as in Jer_9:18-19, interrupts his description.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. as clouds] a further simile for the invader. Cp. Eze_38:16, and Joe_2:2.

his chariots shall be as the whirlwind] Cp. Isa_5:28; Isa_66:15.

eagles] rather, griffons (gypsi fulvus), a species of vulture. Cp. ch. Jer_48:40, Jer_49:22; 2Sa_1:23; Lam_4:19; Hab_1:8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Behold, he shall come up as clouds,.... Meaning the lion, Nebuchadnezzar, Jer 4:7,

"the king with his army (as the Targum paraphrases it); he shall come up against them as a cloud that ascendeth and covers the earth.''

"come up against them as a cloud that ascendeth and covers the earth.''

The metaphor denotes the swiftness of his coming, and the multitudes he should come with, and that darkness and distress he should bring with him upon the people of the Jews:

and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind; for swiftness, power, and violence: chariots for war are intended; see Isa 5:28,

his horses are swifter than eagles: the swiftest of birds. The same thing is designed as by the other metaphors; the swiftness and suddenness of the Jews' destruction:

woe unto us, for we are spoiled; their destruction was inevitable, there was no escaping it; and therefore their case was woeful and miserable.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

His troops move on in large masses like dark threatening clouds Joe 2:2.

Woe unto us! for we are spoiled - Jeremiah’s own cry of grief.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He shall come up as clouds; either noting the vast number of them, Isa 60:8; Heb 12:1; or the suddenness of them, when not expected, clouds often rising on a sudden, and overspreading the whole face of the heavens; or rather, the great speed and swiftness with which Nebuchadnezzar shall march against them, Isa 19:1, hyperbolically described by the swiftness of eagles in this verse, Jer 48:8.

His chariots shall be as a whirlwind; which beside the swiftness, notes also the confusion and amazement that they will cause, Isa 66:15.

Woe unto us! for we are spoiled: the dreadful apprehensions that the people have of their woeful condition, or possibly the words of the prophet lamenting their misery.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Behold — Prophetic vision.

Clouds… whirlwind… eagles — Located in the same region as that before suggested in the figure of the dry wind. The dark, angry, swiftly moving masses of clouds, the destructive sweep of the tornado, and the sudden and resistless swoop of the birds of prey, constitute the terrible imagery by which the great danger of the nation is set forth.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall come up as clouds, etc. It is needless to name the subject; who can it be but the host of Jehovah"s warlike instruments? (For the first figure, comp. Eze_38:16; for the second, Isa_5:28 Isa_66:15; and for the third, Hab_1:8 Deu_28:49) Woe unto us! etc. The cry of lamentation of the Jews. (comp. ver. 20; Jer_9:18)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As clouds - Denoting the suddenness of them, when not expected, clouds often rising on a sudden, and overspread the whole face of the heavens; or the great swiftness with which Nebuchadnezzar should march against them. As a whirlwind - Which, besides the swiftness, denotes also the confusion and amazement that they will cause.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See, he is attacking like clouds

The word "he" refers to the enemy king and his army. The great size of the army is spoken of as if they were giant storm clouds. AT: "See, great armies like giant clouds are gathering to attack" or "See, great armies are gathering to attack" (See: Simile)

his chariots are like a storm

The enemies' chariots are spoken of as if they were like a storm. Storms can be noisy, destructive, and fast-moving. AT: "the roar of their chariots coming is like a fierce storm" (See: Simile)

Woe to us

"This is terrible"

for we will be devastated

This can be stated in active form. AT: "for they will devastate us" or "for they will destroy us all" (See: Active or Passive)

Cleanse your heart from wickedness, Jerusalem

This is a warning to the people living in Jerusalem to repent. "Cleanse your heart" is a metaphor for removing evil from their lives. AT: "People of Jerusalem, stop being evil" or "People of Jerusalem, stop living wickedly" (See: Metaphor)

How long will your deepest thoughts be about how to sin?

This question is used to rebuke the people for always planning how to sin. AT: "Your deepest thoughts are about how to sin!" or "You are always thinking about how to sin!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

a voice is bringing news from Dan

Here "a voice" represents a messenger. AT: "a messenger comes and tells about what is happening in Dan" (See: Synecdoche)

Dan

This probably refers to the region of Dan, which was west of Jerusalem.

the coming disaster is heard from the mountains of Ephraim

This can be stated in active form. AT: "people hear about the disaster that is coming from Ephraim" (See: Active or Passive)

from Dan ... mountains of Ephraim

By hearing that the enemies had gotten to Dan and Ephraim, people in Jerusalem would understand that the enemies were getting closer to them.

translationWords

chariot

horse

eagle

devastate

clean

evil

save

sin

voice

Dan

Ephraim

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and like the whirlwind (comme tourbillon in O.F.)

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.