Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 25:4
And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
4. The editor or copyist failed to perceive that it is the prophet, not Jehovah, who is speaking in Jer 25:3. Moreover, the grammar in the Hebrew is suspicious, and this v. is an insertion suggested by such passages as Jer 7:25, Jer 11:7. By omitting it, and (with LXX) all after “unto me” in Jer 25:7, we get a smooth and consistent text, the words being those of Jeremiah, not Jehovah, throughout.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Nor am I the only prophet whom the Lord hath sent you, and whom you have neglected and despised; God hath sent you many more, and you have despised as many as he hath sent, though the Lord hath made it his business to send you one after another from time to time. This contempt of the Lords messengers is made the proximate cause of Gods wrath coming upon this people, till there was no remedy, 2Ch 36:16.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. rising early(See on Jer7:13). “The prophets” refer to Urijah, Zephaniah,Habakkuk, c. It aggravates their sin, that God sent not merely onebut many messengers, and those messengers, prophets and, that duringall those years specified, Jeremiah and his fellow prophets sparedno effort, late and early.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets,…. Not only him, but many others, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and others:
rising early and sending [them]; not only the prophet, but the Lord himself is said to rise early, and send his prophets to them; which denotes his great care and concern for this people for their good; see Jer 7:25;
but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear; which is an aggravation of their sin; that whereas they had one prophet after another sent to them, and sent by the Lord himself; he rising early, and sending them; and they rising early, being sent to do their message; and yet were not hearkened and attended to.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He then adds, I have spoken, and ye heard not He complains here that his work had been useless, and at the same time shews that the whole fault was in the people. He confirms the same thing in other words, Jehovah has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising. up early, etc He enhances their sin, — that they had not only rejected one Prophet but even many; for God had not employed Jeremiah alone to teach them, but had joined others with him, so that they were less excusable. We hence see that their sin is in this verse exaggerated; for the Jews had not only despised God in the person of one man, but had also rejected all his servants. He might, indeed, have simply said, that God had sent his servants, but he adds the word prophets, in order that their ingratitude might appear more evident. It was, indeed, very wicked to neglect God’s servants; but as prophecy was an invaluable treasure, and a singular pledge and symbol of God’s favor, it was a double crime when they thus despised the prophets, whose very name ought to have been held sacred by them.
He afterwards applies to God what he had said of himself, rising up early It is certain that God does not rise up, as he sleeps not in the night; but the language is much more expressive and forcible, when God himself is said to rise up early. And it, was not without reason that the Prophet spoke so emphatically; for though the Jews were sufficiently convicted of ingratitude for having disregarded God’s servants, it was yet a monstrous impiety to shew no regard for God. But when the unbelieving are proved guilty, they ever fix their eyes on men, “He! it is with a mortal that I have to do; far be it from me ever to rise up against God; but why is this so much blamed, since I do not immediately perish? since I am not suddenly cast down at the nod of man? what! am I not free to inquire, and to discuss, and to examine every part of what is said? why do the prophets so imperiously treat us, that it is not lawful to doubt any of their words?” Thus, then, did the ungodly speak. But God on the other hand answered them and said, that he was despised, as also Christ said,
“
He who hears you hears me, and he who despises you despises me.” (Luk 10:16)
So also the Prophet sets forth God himself as rising up early, exhorting the people and manifesting every care for their wellbeing. This, then, is the design of the metaphor, when he says, that God had sent to them and rose up early; he rose up early while sending his servants.
Now as God fulminates against all despisers of his doctrine, so from these words we may gather no small consolation; for we certainly conclude that God watches over our safety whenever sound and faithful teachers go forth: it is the same as though he himself descended from heaven, rose up early, and was intent in securing our salvation. This we learn from the very words of the Prophet, when he says, that God rose up early. But as this testimony of God’s favor and paternal care towards us is delightful, so to the same extent dreadful is the vengeance that awaits those who neglect this favor, who sleep when God is watching, who hear not when he is speaking, who continue in their sloth and torpor when God of his own accord meets them, and kindly and gently invites them to himself.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE JUDGMENT ON JUDAH, Jer 25:4-11.
4. The Lord sent, etc. Thus demonstrating his love and long-suffering.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 25:4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
Ver. 4. But ye have not hearkened. ] See Jer 7:24 ; Jer 7:26 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
all: Urijah the son of Shemaiah, and Huldah the prophetess, lived about this time. Zephaniah also prophesied during part of the time; and it is probable that Habakkuk was contemporary with them.
rising: Jer 7:25, Jer 11:7, Jer 26:5, Jer 29:19, Jer 32:33, Jer 35:14, Jer 35:15, Jer 44:4, Jer 44:5, 2Ch 36:15, 2Ch 36:16
ye: Jer 25:3, Jer 25:7, Jer 7:24-26, Jer 11:8-10, Jer 13:10, Jer 13:11, Jer 16:12, Jer 17:23, Jer 18:12, Jer 19:15, Jer 22:21, Jer 36:31, Zec 7:11, Zec 7:12, Act 7:51, Act 7:52, Heb 12:25
Reciprocal: 2Ki 17:13 – Turn ye 2Ch 24:19 – Yet he sent 2Ch 29:20 – rose 2Ch 33:10 – General Neh 9:30 – testifiedst Jer 6:17 – I Eze 3:7 – Israel will Eze 12:3 – it may Hos 9:17 – because Hos 12:10 – have also Mal 2:2 – ye will not hear Mat 20:1 – early Mat 22:3 – sent Mar 12:2 – a servant Luk 8:8 – He that Rom 10:21 – All day long
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 25:4. There were other prophets in the service of the Lord who were not classed as writing prophets but who delivered their messages orally. Many of these had tried to admonish the nation but tlielr words also had been ignored.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 25:4-7. And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants, &c. Nor am I the only prophet whom the Lord hath sent you, and whom you have neglected and despised. God hath sent you many more, and you have despised as many as he hath sent. This contempt of the Lords messengers is made the proximate cause of Gods wrath coming upon this people, till there was no remedy, 2Ch 36:16. They said, Turn ye again now, &c. The substance, both of their and my sermons, hath been to persuade you to abandon those sinful courses, wherein you have lived, and which you might have amended, by virtue of that grace which God did not deny you. We have not differed in our doctrine, to the practice of which you have also been encouraged, both by them and me, with an assurance from God, that, if you obeyed it, you should enjoy this good land which the Lord promised, and gave to you and your fathers, and which you have now possessed for many ages. And go not after other gods Though the Jews were guilty of many other sins, yet their most heinous sin was idolatry, as it was a direct renouncing of Gods authority, who had, by so many miracles of mercy, set them apart for himself and his own service, and had bestowed so many signal privileges and blessings upon them. And provoke me not with the works of your hands By worshipping, as gods, the images which your own hands have made, or with any works which are contrary to my law. And I will do you no hurt You shall yet enjoy your own land and prosper. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me Ye heard me, and other the Lords prophets, thus speaking to you, but you have not obeyed; that ye might provoke me, &c. As if you had disobeyed with a design to incense me against you; to your own hurt For the sinful actions of men do not affect or injure me, but are to the hurt of those who do them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Lord had repeatedly sent other prophets to them-true prophets-but the people did not listen to them, either. Contemporary prophets included Uriah (Jer 26:20-23), Zephaniah, and Habakkuk.