Jeremiah 4

The original text of this chapter, as with the rest of the Book of Jeremiah, was written in Hebrew language. Since the division of the Bible into chapters and verses in the late medieval period, this chapter is divided into 31 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}} Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, i.e., 4QJer^c (4Q72; 1st century BC),“The Evolution of a Theory of the Local Texts” in Cross, F.M.; Talmon, S. (eds) (1975) Qumran and the History of Biblical Text (Cambridge, MA - London). p.308 n. 8 with extant verses 4:5(‑6), 13‑16 (similar to Masoretic Text).{{cite journal

| last= Tov

| first = Emanuel

| title = The Jeremiah Scrolls from Qumran

| journal = Revue de Qumrân

| issue = 2 (54)

| pages = 189–206

| publisher = Editions Gabalda

| volume = 14

| year = 1989

| issn = 0035-1725

| jstor = 24608791

}}

{{Cite book | editor-last = Ulrich | editor-first = Eugene | editor-link = Eugene Ulrich | title = The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants | year = 2010 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls/page/n574 558] | publisher = Brill | url = https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls |access-date= May 15, 2017 | isbn= 9789004181830}}{{Cite book|title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature|last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.| author-link = Joseph Fitzmyer | publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008 | pages = 38 |isbn = 9780802862419 | location = Grand Rapids, MI | access-date= February 15, 2019}}

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^Q; 6th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}} Among the Chester Beatty Papyri (BHK: $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^Beatty) are the fragments of Jeremiah (Rahlfs 966; Chester Beatty Library (CBL) BP VIII), dated from the late second century or early third century AD, containing Jeremiah 4:30–5:1; 5:9–13; 5:13–14; 5:23–24.[http://www.csntm.org/manuscript/View/Rahlfs_966 Rahlfs 966] at Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=71-72}}

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex.As reflected in the [http://mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0.htm Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English]. Jeremiah 4 is a part of the Third prophecy (Jeremiah 3:6-6:30) in the section of Prophecies of Destruction (Jeremiah 1-25). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.

: {S} 4:1-2 {S} 4:3-8 {P} 4:9 {S} 4:10-18 {P} 4:19-21 {P} 4:22-31 {S}

: 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.{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|4:2|KJV}} KJV

The word "him" is capitalised in the New King James Version: "Him", i.e. God. The Jerusalem Bible reads:

:... the nations shall bless themselves by you

::and glory in you.Jerusalem Bible (1966): Jeremiah 4:2

Several metaphors here relate to repentance and reformation:Gill, J., [https://www.biblestudytools.com/jeremiah/passage/?q=jeremiah+4:3-4 m Exposition of the Bible: Jeremiah 4], Bible Study Tools, accessed on 24 March 2025

• Break up your fallow ground: {{bibleref2|Leviticus|25:1-13|NKJV}} prescribed that the people of Israel could work the fields for six years, but in the seventh year, the land was to remain fallow.
• Do not sow among thorns
• Circumcise yourselves to the Lord.

: I beheld the earth, and, lo,

:: it was without form, and void;

: and the heavens,

:: and they had no light.{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|4:23|KJV}} KJV

• "Without form and void" is translated from the Hebrew phrase {{lang|he|תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ}}, tohu vavohu, "formless and empty", a form of hendiadys (two nouns joined by "and" both describe the same thing, with one noun retains its full nominal force, whereas the other functions as an adjective), which alludes to Genesis 1:2 (a hyperbolical image of the original precreation chaos).Note [b] on Jeremiah 4:23 in NET Bible

• Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada EP contains a copy of verses 23-27 in its liner notes in both the original Hebrew and the JPS 1917 translation.{{cite web |title=Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada E.P. |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/79945-Godspeed-You-Black-Emperor-Slow-Riot-For-New-Zero-Kanada-EP |website=Discogs |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=en}}

• Dan
• Mount Ephraim
• Israel
• Judah
• Jerusalem
• Zion
• Related Bible parts: Deuteronomy 6, Isaiah 45, Jeremiah 3

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes |isbn = 978-0-8028-0788-5 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

• [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1104.htm Jeremiah 4 Original Hebrew with Parallel English]

• [http://www.latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=0&b=28&c=4 Jeremiah 4 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate]

{{Book of Jeremiah}}

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