At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A searing wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward the daughter of My people, but not to winnow or to sift; At that timeThis phrase sets the stage for a specific period in the prophetic timeline. In the context of Jeremiah, it refers to a time of impending judgment upon Judah. The Hebrew word for "time" is "עֵת" (et), which can denote a season or a divinely appointed moment. This highlights the urgency and inevitability of God's message through Jeremiah. Historically, this period was marked by political instability and spiritual decline, as Judah faced threats from surrounding nations, particularly Babylon. it will be said
The passive construction here suggests a message that is divinely ordained, rather than originating from human initiative. The Hebrew verb "אָמַר" (amar) implies a declaration or proclamation, often used in prophetic literature to convey God's words. This emphasizes the authority and seriousness of the message, as it is not merely human opinion but a divine pronouncement. to this people and to Jerusalem
The specificity of "this people" and "Jerusalem" underscores the direct audience of the prophecy. "This people" refers to the inhabitants of Judah, God's chosen people who have strayed from His covenant. "Jerusalem," the spiritual and political center, symbolizes the heart of the nation's identity and faith. The focus on Jerusalem highlights the gravity of the situation, as the city was seen as the dwelling place of God among His people. A scorching wind
The imagery of a "scorching wind" is powerful and evocative. The Hebrew word "רוּחַ" (ruach) can mean wind, spirit, or breath, and here it conveys a destructive force. This wind is not a gentle breeze but a fierce, hot wind, akin to the sirocco winds known in the region, which can devastate crops and land. It symbolizes the coming judgment and the purifying wrath of God, intended to cleanse and correct His people. from the barren heights in the desert
This phrase paints a vivid picture of desolation and danger. The "barren heights" refer to the high places in the wilderness, often associated with desolation and spiritual barrenness. The desert, or "מִדְבָּר" (midbar), is a place of testing and trial in biblical narratives. This setting underscores the severity of the judgment and the spiritual desolation of the people who have turned away from God. on the way to My people
The direction "on the way to My people" indicates the impending approach of this judgment. The possessive "My people" reflects God's covenant relationship with Israel, despite their unfaithfulness. It is a reminder of His enduring love and desire for their repentance and restoration. The judgment is not arbitrary but is intended to bring His people back to Him. not to winnow or sift
The purpose of this wind is clarified as "not to winnow or sift," which are agricultural processes used to separate grain from chaff. The Hebrew words "לִזְרוֹת" (lizrot) and "לְנַפֵּחַ" (lenapeach) suggest a refining process. However, this wind is not for refinement but for destruction, indicating the severity of the judgment. It serves as a warning that the time for gentle correction has passed, and more drastic measures are necessary. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by his deep emotional connection to his people and his unwavering commitment to God's message. 2. JerusalemThe capital city of Judah, central to Jewish worship and identity. It is often symbolic of the spiritual state of the nation in the prophetic literature. 3. The People of JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, often addressed by the prophets for their idolatry and disobedience to God's covenant. 4. The Scorching WindA metaphor for impending judgment. In the Hebrew text, the word for "wind" (ruach) can also mean "spirit" or "breath," indicating a powerful force from God. 5. The DesertRepresents desolation and barrenness, often used in the Bible to symbolize spiritual dryness or judgment. Teaching Points Understanding God's JudgmentThe scorching wind symbolizes God's judgment, which is not arbitrary but a response to persistent disobedience. Reflect on how God's justice is always balanced with His mercy. Spiritual ReadinessJust as the people of Judah were warned, we must be spiritually prepared and responsive to God's warnings in our lives. Consider how you can cultivate a heart that is sensitive to God's voice. The Role of ProphetsJeremiah's role as a prophet was to speak truth to power and call people back to God. Reflect on how God might be calling you to be a voice of truth and reconciliation in your community. The Consequences of DisobedienceThe passage reminds us that turning away from God leads to spiritual desolation. Evaluate areas in your life where you might be resisting God's guidance and seek His forgiveness and restoration. Hope Amidst JudgmentEven in the midst of judgment, God's ultimate desire is for repentance and restoration. Hold onto the hope that God offers through Jesus Christ, who bore the ultimate judgment on our behalf. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of the "scorching wind" in Jeremiah 4:11 help us understand the nature of God's judgment? 2. In what ways can we see parallels between the spiritual state of Judah and the modern church? How can we address these issues? 3. How does the role of a prophet like Jeremiah challenge us to speak truth in our own contexts today? 4. Reflect on a time when you experienced spiritual dryness. How did you seek God's presence and restoration during that period? 5. How can the hope of restoration through Christ influence the way we respond to God's warnings and discipline in our lives? Connections to Other Scriptures Isaiah 5:24-25This passage also speaks of judgment coming upon the people due to their rejection of God's law, similar to the imagery of the scorching wind in Jeremiah. Hosea 13:15Hosea uses the imagery of a wind from the east to describe the destruction that will come upon Ephraim, paralleling the destructive force mentioned in Jeremiah. Matthew 3:12John the Baptist speaks of the winnowing fork in Jesus' hand, separating the wheat from the chaff, which contrasts with the wind in Jeremiah that is not for winnowing or cleansing. People Dan, JeremiahPlaces Dan, Jerusalem, Mount Ephraim, ZionTopics Bare, Barren, Blowing, Blows, Burning, Cleaning, Cleanse, Cleansing, Daughter, Desert, Direction, Dry, Fan, Fanning, Grain, Heights, Hills, Hilltops, Hot, Jerusalem, Open, People-not, Places, Scorching, Separating, Towards, Waste, Wilderness, Wind, Winnow, WinnowingDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 4:11 4550 winnowing
4821 east
4855 weather, God's judgment Jeremiah 4:11-12 4860 wind Library The Wailing of Risca
You all know the story; it scarce needs that I should tell it to you. Last Saturday week some two hundred or more miners descended in health and strength to their usual work in the bowels of the earth. They had not been working long, their wives and their children had risen, and their little ones had gone to their schools, when suddenly there was heard a noise at the mouth of the pit;--it was an explosion,--all knew what it meant. Men's hearts failed them, for well they prophesied the horror which …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861How those are to be Admonished who Sin from Sudden Impulse and those who Sin Deliberately.
(Admonition 33.). Differently to be admonished are those who are overcome by sudden passion and those who are bound in guilt of set purpose. For those whom sudden passion overcomes are to be admonished to regard themselves as daily set in the warfare of the present life, and to protect the heart, which cannot foresee wounds, with the shield of anxious fear; to dread the hidden darts of the ambushed foe, and, in so dark a contest, to guard with continual attention the inward camp of the soul. For, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Prevailing Prayer.
Text.--The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.--James v. 16. THE last lecture referred principally to the confession of sin. To-night my remarks will be chiefly confined to the subject of intercession, or prayer. There are two kinds of means requisite to promote a revival; one to influence men, the other to influence God. The truth is employed to influence men, and prayer to move God. When I speak of moving God, I do not mean that God's mind is changed by prayer, or that his …
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa. …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life "For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh,",
Rom. viii. 5.--"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,", &c. Though sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of man--though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without good reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of "flesh," and a "body of death," and men dead in sins, are …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning "Who Walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the Flesh,"
Rom. viii. 4, 5.--"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh," &c. If there were nothing else to engage our hearts to religion, I think this might do it, that there is so much reason in it. Truly it is the most rational thing in the world, except some revealed mysteries of faith, which are far above reason, but not contrary to it. There is nothing besides in it, but that which is the purest reason. Even that part of it which is most difficult to man, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning "If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Directions to Awakened Sinners.
Acts ix. 6. Acts ix. 6. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. THESE are the words of Saul, who also is called Paul, (Acts xiii. 9,) when he was stricken to the ground as he was going to Damascus; and any one who had looked upon him in his present circumstances and knew nothing more of him than that view, in comparison with his past life, could have given, would have imagined him one of the most miserable creatures that ever lived upon earth, and would have expected …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision B. Jesus Talks with Nicodemus. ^D John III. 1-21. ^d 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by a prudence amounting almost to timidity. At John vii. 50-52 he defends Jesus, but without committing himself as in any way interested in him: at John xix. 38, 39 he brought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph of Arimathæa had secured the body. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 4:11 NIVJeremiah 4:11 NLTJeremiah 4:11 ESVJeremiah 4:11 NASBJeremiah 4:11 KJV
Jeremiah 4:11 Commentaries
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