Jeremiah 4:2
in Jeremiah 4and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and thou shalt swear, As Jehovah liveth, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 4
Commentary
3 notes on this verse(Verse 2.) And you shall swear, 'As the Lord lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless him, and they themselves shall praise him.' And how does the Gospel forbid us to swear? But here (Matt. 5), to swear is said for confession, and for the condemnation of idols, by which Israel used to swear. Finally, stumbling blocks are removed, and one swears by the Lord. And what is said, 'As the Lord lives,' in the Old Testament it is an oath for the condemnation of the dead, by whom every idol worshiper swears.
This site's exposition
put away thine abominations out of my sight
on Jeremiah 4:1-4
The call to return sets its own conditions, abominations put away and an oath sworn in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, so that the nations bless themselves in Israel's God and glory in him, the bench hearing an echo of the word given to Abraham that in his seed all nations would be blessed. Break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns turns farming into repentance, ground long hardened made ready before any new obedience can take root, and circumcise yourselves to the Lord names the cutting the outward sign at Abraham's covenant was always meant to picture, the heart rather than the flesh.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The nations - This shall be a means to work upon the Heathen nations, to come into the same way of worship. They shall think themselves happy to be incorporated with thee, that it may be with them according to that promise, Gen. xii, 3. Glory - Whereas before they gloried in their idols, they shall glory in God alone.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
If you return, O Israel with this repentance, to Me, you will return to your original glory and greatness.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙ | venishba'ta | and you will swear | H7650 → | 186 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | of Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בֶּאֱמֶ֖ת | beemet | in faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט | bemishpat | in justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה | uvitzdakah | and in righteousness | H6666 → | 157 times |
| וְהִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ | vehitbarekhu | and they will bless themselves | H1288 → | 330 times |
| ב֛וֹ | vo | by <the> him | ||
| גּוֹיִ֖ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| וּב֥וֹ | uvo | and in <the> him | ||
| יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃ ס | yithalalu | they will boast | H1984 → | 165 times |
וְנִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙and you will swear
venishba'taH7650 →186 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָ֔הof Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בֶּאֱמֶ֖תin faithfulness
beemetH571 →127 times
בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣טin justice
bemishpatH4941 →422 times
וּבִצְדָקָ֑הand in righteousness
uvitzdakahH6666 →157 times
וְהִתְבָּ֥רְכוּand they will bless themselves
vehitbarekhuH1288 →330 times
ב֛וֹby <the> him
vo
גּוֹיִ֖םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
וּב֥וֹand in <the> him
uvo
יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃ סthey will boast
yithalaluH1984 →165 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 1:31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:23–24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 105:3
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 9:23–24
Through
Jeremiah 9:24But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,”…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 10:17
Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 1:31
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 6:14
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
- Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- 2 Corinthians 10:17
Through
Genesis 22:18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
it leads to
- Acts 3:25
And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
- Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
- Acts 3:25
Where this verse is studied
No study on the site is anchored to this verse yet.
Also on Jeremiah 4: 1 study that walk through this chapter ▾
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.