Jeremiah 4:7

Jer 4:7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; [and] thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

Ver. 7. The lion is come up from his thicket,] i.e., Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon, where he lieth safe, sicut leo in vepreto, and will shortly show himself for a mischief to many people, who shall feel his force and fierceness.

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.

Jer 4:7-8. The lion is come up from his thicket — Nebuchadnezzar, so called from his fierceness and strength, shall come up from Babylon, where his chief seat is, as lions are principally among the thickets of the forests, in coverts. Babylon being remote and little known to the Jews, they did not expect trouble to arise from thence. The destroyer of the Gentiles — Or, rather, the nations; is on his way — Is already on his march: another description of the same person, who is so called, because God had given, not only Judea, but all the neighbouring countries, into his hands. To make thy lands desolate — With a resolution to do so, and with power to effect his purpose. For this gird you with sackcloth — Put on the habit of mourners. It is intended to express the dreadfulness of the approaching calamity. Lament and howl — You will do so when the cry is made through the kingdom, Arm, arm. Then all will be seized with terror, and put to confusion. For the fierce anger of the Lord — Which makes the army of the Chaldeans thus fierce and powerful; is not turned back from us — Is not appeased, but still burns against us. The LXX., with whom the Syriac and Vulgate agree, read αφ’ υμων, from you.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:7 The coming army of Babylonian soldiers was like a cruel and vicious lion (see 2:15). With power and savagery, it would wipe out everything, leaving houses empty and in ruins (25:9, 38; 50:17; 2 Kgs 24:1; Isa 1:7; 6:11; Ezek 26:7-10; Dan 7:4).

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

Meaning, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, 2 Kings 24:1.

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

lion--Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans (Jer 2:15; Jer 5:6; Dan 7:14).

his thicket--lair; Babylon.

destroyer of the Gentiles--rather, "the nations" (Jer 25:9).

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 7. The lion is come up] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. "The king (Nebuchadnezzar) is come up from his tower." - Targum.

The destroyer of the Gentiles] Of the nations: of all the people who resisted his authority. He destroyed them all.

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

The Prophet more fully declares the import of the threatening which we briefly considered yesterday; for God said in the former verse, that he would bring an evil from the north; and the kind of evil it was to be he now describes, and compares the king of Babylon to a lion; and afterwards, without a figure, he calls him the destroyer of nations

By the similitude of lion he means that the Israelites would not be able to resist; and when he adds that he would be the desolator of nations, he intimates that they would perish with the rest: for if Nebuchadnezzar was sufficiently able to destroy many nations, how could the Jews escape a similar calamity? He shall come, he says, the desolator of nations But he uses the past tense throughout, in order to shew the certainty of the prediction, and thus to shake secure men with fear, who had become torpid in their hypocrisy; for they would have otherwise deemed all threatenings as nothing: for as long as God spared them, they despised his judgment, and promised themselves impunity in their sins. Hence the Prophet, in order to awake them, set the matter before them, as though Nebuchadnezzar had already come with a strong and powerful army to lay waste Judea; for he says, that a lion had ascended from his hiding — places: but the term for the last word means an entangled density, as when trees are entwined together, or when a place is filled with thorns.

But the similitude is most suitable, because the Jews never thought that the king of Babylon would come forth from places so remote; for the passing through was difficult, and the expedition attended with great toil: yet the Prophet says, that the lion would come from his recesses, and that nothing would hinder him from breaking forth and coming to the open country. He at last concludes by saying, that the cities would be laid waste, so as to be without an inhabitant It now 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.

(7) The lion is come up . . .—The “lion” is, of course, the Chaldæan invader, the destroyer, not of men only, but of nations. So in Dan_7:4 the lion is the symbol of the Assyrian monarchy. The winged lions that are seen in the palaces of Mosul and Nimroud gave a special character to what was in any case a natural metaphor. The word “Gentiles” answers to the meaning, but there is no special reason why it should be used here, rather than nations.

Is on his way.—Literally, has broken up his encampment, i.e., has started on his march.

Without an inhabitant.—The language, like that of Isaiah (Isa_6:11), was probably in some measure hyperbolical, but the depopulation caused by the Chaldæan invasion (as seen in Jer_39:9) must have been extreme.

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

7. A lion] See introd. note above.

thy land] We should perhaps read the land, and consider the rest of the v. as an insertion suggested by the parallels in Jer_2:15, Jer_9:11.

Du. proposes, but on insufficient grounds (viz. the use of the expression “at that day,” as though implying vagueness as to time, and a change in the character of the metre), to omit Jer_4:9-11 a (… Jerusalem).

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.

The lion is come up from his thicket,.... Meaning Nebuchadnezzar (s), from Babylon, who is compared to a lion for his strength, fierceness, and cruelty; see Jer 50:17 so the Roman emperor is called a lion, Ti2 4:17, agreeably to this the Targum paraphrases it,

"a king is gone from his fortress;''

or tower; and the Syriac version,

"a certain most powerful king is about to go up as a lion out of his wood:''

and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he who had conquered and destroyed other nations not a few, and these mighty and strong; and therefore the Jews could not expect but to be destroyed by him. This tyrant was a type of antichrist, whose name is Apollyon, a destroyer of the nations of the earth, Rev 9:11.

he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate; from Babylon, where his royal palace was, in order to lay waste the land of Judea; and he is represented as being come out, and on the road with this view, to strike the inhabitants of Judea with the greater terror, and to hasten their flight, their destruction being determined and certain:

and thy cities shall be laid waste without an inhabitant; they shall become so utterly desolate, that there should be none dwelling in them, partly by reason of the multitudes of the slain, and partly by reason of multitudes that should flee; and should be laid waste to such a degree, that they should be covered with grass growing upon them; which is the signification of the word (t) here used, according to R. Joseph Kimchi.

(s) So T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 11. 1. & Sanhedrin. fol 94. 2. (t) "gramine succrescente obducantur quidam" in Gataker.

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

Rather, A “lion”... a “destroyer” of nations: a metaphor descriptive of the impending calamity. A lion is just rousing himself from his lair, but no common one. It is destroyer, not of men, but of nations.

Is on his way - literally, “has broken up his encampment.” Jeremiah uses a military term strictly referring to the striking of tents in preparation for the march.

Without an inhabitant - The final stage of destruction, actually reached in the utter depopulation of Judaea consequent upon Gedaliah’s murder.

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

Robber. Nabuchodonosor attacks unjustly, (Calmet) though he be God’s scourge.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The lion is come up from his thicket, i.e. Nebuchadnezzar, called here a lion from his fierceness and strength, Pro 30:30; a metaphor; especially in this expedition; see Isa 5:27-29 shall come up from Babylon, where his chief seat is, Dan 4:30; as lions are principally among the thickets of the forest, in coverts; this place being so remote and hid from them, that they least expected trouble to arise from thence.

The destroyer of the Gentiles; another description of the same person, of whose destroying armies the nations have had woeful experience, Isa 14:16,17, called the hammer of the whole earth, Jer 50:23: q.d. And how shall you think to escape him?

Is on his way, i.e. as it is expressed in the next clause, he is gone forth from his place, he is already upon his march.

To make thy land desolate, i.e. with a resolution so to do.

Shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant, i.e. as places uninhabited soon lie waste, and are overgrown with grass, as the notation of the word seems to import.

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

7. The lion — Literally, a lion.

The destroyer of the Gentiles — Rather, destroyer of nations; a vivid description of such beasts of prey as are figured by Assyria and Babylon.

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

The lion; the symbol of irresistible might and royalty. (Gen_49:7 Rev_5:5) Of the Gentiles; rather, of the nations. There is no reference to the distinction between Jews and Gentiles; the Jews themselves are not allowed to escape. An ordinary lion attacks individual men; this lion destroys nations. Is on his way; literally, has broken up his encampment a phrase perhaps suggested by the nomad Scythiaus.

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

The lion - Nebuchadnezzar, so called from his fierceness and strength.

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

A lion is coming

God speaks of a powerful army as if it were a fierce lion. AT: "A powerful and merciless army approaches" (See: Metaphor)

thicket

a set of bushes that grew closely together

someone who will destroy nations

Here "someone" represents a king and his army. (See: Synecdoche)

is setting out

This idiom refers to starting to move. AT: "is starting to march" (See: Idiom)

to bring horror to your land

This represents destroying the land, which would cause people who see it to be horrified. AT: "to destroy your land" (See: Metonymy)

wrap yourself in sackcloth

People would wear sackcloth to show that they were very sad. In this context it would be to show that they were very sorry for the bad things they had done. AT: "put on the clothes that show you are mourning" (See: Symbolic Action)

wail

cry loudly

For the force of Yahweh's anger has not turned away from us

Anger is spoken of as if it were a living thing that could turn away from people. Here "Yahweh's anger has not turned away from us" means that Yahweh is still very angry with the people. AT: "For Yahweh is still very angry with us" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

lions

ruin

life

sackcloth

lament

anger

turn

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

A lion has come up That is Nebuchadnezzar.

from his thicket It is customary for a lion to lie in wait in the thickets of the forest (espaises in O.F.).

will be desolate Heb. תצינה, an expression of desolation.

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.