Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 11:4
Which I commanded your fathers in the day [that] I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:
4. in the day, etc.] Cp. Jer 7:23.
the iron furnace ] The place where iron is smelted represents figuratively the scene of the affliction. See for the expression Deu 4:20; 1Ki 8:51; and cp. Isa 48:10.
and do them ] probably introduced by mistake from Jer 11:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
From the iron furnace – Rather, out of the iron furnace, Egypt (see Deu 4:20). The constant reference to Deuteronomy shows how great had been the effect upon Jeremiahs mind of the public recitation of the Book of the covenant found in the temple.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 11:4
Obey My voice, and do them.
Obedience of primary import
Much is said about the demoralising effects of army life. Perhaps there is a tendency to moral decline in the army, but one thing about army life is good. It is a good thing to learn the lesson of implicit obedience to properly constituted authority. A Christian must learn this lesson. No man can be a Christian who does not obey God. And why should this be thought a difficult thing? Soldiers do not complain because they are required to obey. The hard thing about a soldiers life is to be required to obey an unreasonable and incompetent leader. Many officers are superior to the men in the ranks only in official position. In all other respects they are inferior. But the Christian is never subjected to this sort of humiliation. He has but one Leader. The pastor is not the Master. Christians are all comrades, all brethren, all equal before one Lord. One is yore Master. What He says, we will do. Where He sends, we will go. (Christian Age.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Which I commanded your fathers, which law (that you by your restipulation made a formal covenant) I that am the Lord, and so had a sovereign power to lay laws upon my creatures, commanded your fathers, in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace; and obliged them to obedience before I laid my law upon them, by bringing them out of the land of Egypt, from the furnace wherein iron is melted, which may either be taken literally (probably that was a piece of their work in Egypt) or metaphorically, serving at iron furnaces being a very hard and servile labour.
Saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; for which kindness I required no more of them but a gentler service to me, in obeying my voice as to the things of this law which I gave them in charge.
So shall ye be my people, and I will be your God; nor did I only lay my commands upon them, but I also encouraged them to the obedience of it, by my gracious promise, that if they would, they should be a people, I would bless, protect, and defend, and bear the name of my people, and I would be their God to own and bless them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. in the daythat is, when.The Sinaitic covenant was made some time after the exodus, but thetwo events are so connected as to be viewed as one.
iron furnace (Deu 4:20;1Ki 8:51). “Furnace”expresses the searching ordeal; “iron,” the long durationof it. The furnace was of earth, not of iron (Ps12:6); a furnace, in heat and duration enough to melt even iron.God’s deliverance of them from such an ordeal aggravates theirpresent guilt.
do themnamely, thewords of the covenant (Jer 11:3).
so, c. (Lev 26:3Lev 26:12).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Which I commanded your fathers,…. To observe and keep:
in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: that is, quickly after, when they were in the wilderness, and before they came into the land of Canaan. The “day” seems to include the whole time from their coming out of Egypt, to their entrance into Canaan’s land; it was in the first year of their coming out from thence that the law was given them on Mount Sinai, Ex 19:1, and it was in the fortieth year, and when they were upon the borders of Canaan, that the covenant was made with them in the land of Moab, De 1:3: “from the iron furnace”; meaning Egypt, and their bondage and affliction in it, compared to an iron furnace for the grievousness of it, its long continuance, and the use of it to try and prove them; see De 4:20:
saying, obey my voice; in the law:
and do them; the commands of it, the words of the covenant:
according to all which I command you; everything was to be done that was commanded, and as it was commanded; a perfect and uniform obedience is to be yielded to the law, in order to enjoy the blessing, or a penalty is incurred:
so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God; this is the tenor of the covenant of works; covenant interest in God, according to the law, depends upon obedience; that is the condition of it; but the covenant of grace is not clogged with such a condition; but runs absolutely,
they shall be my people, and I will be their God, Jer 32:39.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. Iron furnace A phrase first used with the same reference in Deu 4:20. Primarily it suggests the sufferings there of the Israelites; also, the purpose of that affliction: for the one purpose of all suffering to God’s people is purification the separation of the gold from the dross, the precious from the base.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 11:4 Which I commanded your fathers in the day [that] I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:
Ver. 4. From the iron furnace. ] Where iron is melted, and a fierce fire required.
Obey my voice.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in the day. See App-18.
from the iron furnace. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 4:20).
Obey = Hear, with Beth (= B) = Listen or attend to.
Obey My voice. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 15:26). App-92.
them: i.e. “the words” of Jer 11:3.
I will be your God. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 26:3-12).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I commanded: Jer 31:32, Exo 24:3-8, Deu 5:2, Deu 5:3, Deu 29:10-15, Eze 20:6-12, Heb 8:8-10
iron: Deu 4:20, 1Ki 8:51, Isa 48:10
Obey: Jer 7:22, Jer 7:23, Jer 26:13, Exo 20:6, Exo 23:21, Exo 23:22, Lev 26:3, Lev 26:12, Deu 11:27, Deu 28:1-14, 1Sa 15:22, Zec 6:15, Mat 28:20, Heb 5:9
ye be: Jer 24:7, Jer 30:22, Jer 31:31, Jer 31:33, Jer 32:38, Gen 17:8, Lev 26:12, Eze 11:20, Eze 14:11, Eze 36:28, Eze 37:23, Eze 37:27, Zec 8:8, Zec 13:9, 2Co 6:16, Heb 8:10
Reciprocal: Gen 15:17 – smoking Exo 19:5 – if ye Deu 4:40 – keep 2Sa 7:25 – establish it 2Ki 18:6 – kept Psa 81:10 – I am Isa 30:6 – into the land Jer 34:13 – in the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 11:4. No written law bad been given the Israelites previous to their release from Egyptian bondage. The day therefore refers to the period in their history when they were able to leave Egypt and receive a law by which they could be governed as a separate people. During the 430 years of their sojourn they were merely a race with no national standing. When the chains of slavery were broken off of them they were in a position to be ruled by whatever law would he placed over them by the One who had given them their freedom. Hence they were told that if they would obey their great Liberator they could become a people which was used in the sense of nation and not a race only.