Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 4:16
Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
16. make ye mention to the nations ] They are bidden to witness the impending judgement. Cp. Mic 1:2, and the appeal to heaven and earth in Isa 1:2, Mic 6:1 f.
watchers ] besiegers, the Chaldaeans. But to obtain this sense we must omit the first consonant of the Hebrew word. By a change of one consonant we get the Hebrew for leopards ( nmrim). Cp. Jer 5:6; Hab 1:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Proclaim ye to the pagan, Behold! Cry aloud concerning Jerusalem, that watchers are on their way from a far country: and will give out their voice against the cities of Judah. The pagan are summoned to witness the chastisement of Jerusalem, that they may take warning thereby. By watchers are meant besiegers, who will surround the city with a line of sentinels.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. Watchers come from a far country] Persons to besiege fortified places.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Make ye mention to the nations: these are either the nations in Judea; or these words are a proclamation, summoning in the nations by the Chaldeans, as it were, in pursuance of a commission from God, to bring great armies together against Jerusalem; or they are the prophets turning away from Judah, as despairing of doing any good upon them, and calling for the nations to execute Gods sentence.
Publish; let her be acquainted with what is coming upon her, let her have public notice beforehand, that she may be warned.
Watchers; military watchers, i.e. the Chaldean soldiers, that shall so carefully and watchfully encompass Jerusalem, that none shall escape; possibly a metaphor from hunters, that in hunting their prey lay wait at every passage, that the game may not escape. See 2Ki 25:4,5. Or possibly there may be an allusion to Nebuchadnezzars name; the Hebrew word for watchers being notscrim, which comes from natser, the end of his name, as if they were termed Nebuchadnezzartans, as the keepers or guards of his person; as they were called Caesarcans from Caesar.
Come; they are now at hand, you may as it were see them.
From a far country; from Chaldea.
Give out their voice; they will proclaim war against them; or a shout, either encouraging soldiers to the battle, or triumphing after the victory; or the outcries that they will make, such as the Turks now make in their onsets, Jer 2:15.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. The neighboring foreign”nations” are summoned to witness Jehovah’s judgments onHis rebel people (Jer 6:18;Jer 6:19).
watchersthat is,besiegers (compare 2Sa 11:16);observed or watched, that is, besieged.
their voicethe warshout.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Make ye mention to the nations,…. This, according to Kimchi, is the sum and substance of the voice from Dan. It seems to be a summons to the nations to gather together to join the king of Babylon in his enterprise against Jerusalem; see 2Ki 24:2:
publish against Jerusalem; what follows:
that watchers come from afar country; from Babylon, which is said to be a far country, Isa 39:3, these are the soldiers of the king of Babylon; they are called Notzerim; which word agrees with the latter part of Nebuchadnezzar’s name; to which some b think there is some reference, showing that his army is meant. It should be rendered “besiegers”, as it is by some c; for these were not Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard, but his whole army, who were come up to besiege Jerusalem; and they are compared to watchers and keepers of a field in the next verse, where another word is used. The Targum is,
“the army of a rapacious people, like the grape gatherers, come from a far country:”
and give out their voice against the cities of Judah; threaten the ruin of them; blow the trumpet, the alarm of war; give the orders to besiege; and, being sure of victory, triumph before the attack is made.
b R. Joseph Kimchi, R. Jonah, and Ben Melech, but disapproved of by Abarbinel. c “obsessores”, Calvin, Buxtorf; a , vel , “obsedit”; so Jarchi.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The beginning of this verse is variously explained. Some read, “Remember ye the nations, “and think that the Prophet says this, because many of the nations were heralds of that vengeance of God, which the Jews despised, as they thought that what the true heralds of God declared were mere fables. They therefore take the meaning of this passage, as though Jeremiah sent the Jews to the nations, intimating that they were unworthy that God should send them his usual teachers. But as the verb is in Hiphil, we ought rather to read, Rehearse it: and some give this explanation, “Rehearse, “or tell, “of the nations;” that is, “Announce that the Chaldeans are hastening to lay waste the land, to pull down the cities of Judah and to destroy the people.” But there is a third meaning which, in my judgment, comports better with the passage. He literally says, Rehearse it to the nations; behold, proclaim against Jerusalem: for as the Prophet saw that he spent his labor in vain on that stupid people, who had become so hardened in their perverseness, that they were wholly inattentive and unteachable, he turned his address to the nations, and said, “Rehearse it to the Gentiles;” as though he had said, “I have long ago reminded this people, that God had other teachers; but what have we gained by our labor, except that the people become continually worse: since then it is so, now he says, ‘Declare it to the nations concerning Jerusalem;’ let the Jews hear nothing more of their ruin, but let God’s vengeance on them be made known to the heathens.” There is nothing strained or obscure in this explanation; and it is wholly consonant with the prophetic style. (112)
He then deigned no longer to favor his own nation with heavenly truth; because this would have cast what was holy to the dogs; but he directs his discourse to the heathens, as though he had said, “There is more knowledge in the blind and unbelieving than in the chosen people of God.” This does not shew but that he afterwards continued a long time in the discharge of his office; for the prophets, inflamed with zeal for God, often threatened the people with utter ruin, and afterwards performed their charge and tried whether they, of whom they seemed to despair, were healable.
He says that besiegers would come from a far country. Some render נצרים, netserim, keepers; and they think that Jeremiah alludes to Nebuchadnezzar, because his captains would come to destroy Jerusalem and to demolish the cities of Judah. But I prefer to render the word “besiegers.” Though some think that נצר, netser, sometimes means to destroy or lay waste; yet the other meaning seems more suitable, as it appears evident from the next verse. To render it keepers, seems to be frigid; though this is what is done almost by all. I render it “besiegers,” — Come then shall besiegers; for נצר, netser, means not only to keep, but also to shut up in a strait place. Come, he says, shall besiegers from a far country. He used these expressions, that the people might not promise themselves impunity, as it has been before stated, through the forbearance of God: for when God deferred his vengeance, they thought themselves relieved from all fear. Hence he says, that though the enemy was not as yet present, though they did not as yet hear the sound of the coming enemy, God at the same time did not threaten them in vain; for he would in an instant send for those from a distant land, who would execute his vengeance.
What follows, they shall send forth their voice against the cities of Judah, is added, in order that the Jews might know that they could by no hindrances prevent God from bringing quickly the Chaldeans to terrify their cities by their sound. What he indeed means is the shout by which soldiers rouse one another to fight: but as this is commonly done as a sign of victory, he intimates that it was all over with the Jews; for the soldiers had as it were already uttered their triumphant shoutings. (113) It follows —
(112) The verb in the first sentence followed by ל is found in Amo 6:10; where it clearly means “to make mention of,“ or simply, to mention. So it may be rendered here, “Make ye mention of the nations,“ or, Mention the nations, that is, for the sake of frightening the Jews. He had before referred to the voice from Dan, etc.; he now commands the invading nations to be proclaimed as approaching. The meaning is not, as Blayney, as well as Calvin, renders the phrase, “Proclaim ye unto the nations,“ but, “Proclaim the nations,“ as approaching, according to what is afterwards stated. — Ed
(113) To make this verse consistent with the context, I render it as follows, —
Mention ye the nations, (and say,) “Behold them !” Repeat at Jerusalem, “The watchers are coming from a distant land, And shall raise against the cities of Judah their voice.”
It is not improbable that על here means “over,” and that the “voice” means a triumphant shout, as Calvin seems to have thought. Then we may give this rendering, —
And shall raise over the cities of Judah their shout.
—
Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Make ye mention.Better, Proclaim ye to the nations; behold. Call them to gaze on the ruin of Jerusalem, then, Cry aloud as for Jerusalem, that watchers (i.e., the besieging armies) are coming from a far country, and that they will give out their voice (i.e. raise the cry of war) against the cities of Judah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 4:16. Watchers come, &c. By these watchers are meant, those who precede an army, and announce its approach, whom Caesar in his Commentaries calls antecessores, or antecursores. Houbigant renders the first clause of the next verse, Like the keepers of a field do they surround her: that is, “These couriers, or spies of the Chaldean army, are as diligent in their observation of Judah and Jerusalem, as the keepers of a field are of the cattle, vineyards, &c. under their care.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 4:16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
Ver. 16. Make ye mention to the nations, ] i.e., To the Jews, who haply are called the nations, because once better accounted of than all nations. Thus the saints are called “All things,” Col 1:18 and the Rabbis have a saying, that those seventy souls which came down to Egypt with Jacob, were more worth than all the seventy nations of the world besides.
That watchers are come.
And give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
a Sicut a Caesare Caesariani, a Praetore Praetoriani.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ye: Jer 6:18, Jer 31:10, Jer 50:2, Isa 34:1
watchers: Jer 4:17, Jer 5:6, Jer 16:6, Jer 39:1
from: Jer 5:15, Deu 28:49-52, Isa 39:3
give out: Jer 2:15, Eze 21:22
Reciprocal: Jer 1:15 – and against Jer 6:3 – they shall Jer 8:16 – was heard Jer 8:19 – the voice Jer 15:8 – the mother
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 4:16. Mention to the nations means for the prophet to make a prediction that may be heard by the peoples of the world. He was to predict that watchers (besiegers) were to come from a far country (from Babylon) who would denounce the cities of Judah. These movements preceded the taking of Jerusalem and the carrying away of its people into captivity.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 4:16-17. Make ye mention to the nations Tell the nations that now inhabit the cities of the ten tribes, that the Chaldean army is approaching, that they may provide for their own safety. Behold, publish against Jerusalem Let her be made acquainted with what is coming upon her. Let her have notice beforehand, that she may be warned. That watchers come from a far country That is soldiers from Chaldea, that will watch all opportunities to do mischief. By watchers, some think, are meant those scouts who usually precede an army, and announce its approach, whom Cesar, in his Commentaries, calls antecessores, or antecursores. But Blaney and others are of opinion that besiegers are intended, placing sentinels round the city to prevent any from coming in or going out, and keeping the place in continual alarm by shouts of war. As keepers of the field, &c. Those couriers or spies of the Chaldean army will be as diligent in their observation of Judah and Jerusalem, or those besiegers will as strictly watch her on all sides, as the keepers of a field watch the cattle, or the vineyards and fruits thereof, under their care. As in the East, says Sir John Chardin, in a MS. note on this place, quoted by Harmer, pulse, roots, &c., grow in open and unenclosed fields, when they begin to be fit to be gathered, they place guards; if near a great road, more; if distant, fewer, who place themselves in and round about these grounds, as is practised in Arabia, chap. 5. obser. 15.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Lord continued to instruct Jeremiah to announce to all nations, as well as to Jerusalem, that besiegers were coming from a distant country and would lift their battle cries against Jerusalem.