Jeremiah 4:2

Jeremiah 4:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)and if you swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives,’ In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory.”

Context of Jeremiah 4:2

1“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver, and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.” 3For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns. 4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”

Jeremiah 4:2 word by word

וְנִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה בֶּאֱמֶ֖ת בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה וְהִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ ב֛וֹ גּוֹיִ֖ם וּב֥וֹ יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

• and if you can swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• As surely as the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livesחַיchay · aliveH2416
• in truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: trueH571
• in justiceמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• and in righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• then the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• will be blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• they will gloryהָלַלhâlal · to boast: boastH1984

Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:2

• Jeremiah 5:2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
• Deuteronomy 10:20You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
• Isaiah 45:23By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
• Isaiah 48:1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth or righteousness—
• Isaiah 65:16Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.
• Jeremiah 9:24But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth— for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.
• 1 Kings 3:6Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
• Psalms 99:4The mighty King loves justice. You have established equity; You have exercised justice and righteousness in Jacob.
• Hosea 2:19So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion.
• Zechariah 8:8I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”
• Genesis 22:18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
• Psalms 72:17May his name endure forever; may his name continue as long as the sun shines. In him may all nations be blessed; may they call him blessed.
• Galatians 3:8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
• Isaiah 45:25In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.
• 1 Corinthians 1:31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
• 2 Corinthians 10:17Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth - Thou shalt not bind thyself by any false god; thou shalt acknowledge Me as the Supreme. Bind thyself By me, and To me; and do this in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless themselves in him - They shall be so fully convinced of the power and goodness of Jehovah in seeing the change wrought on thee, and the mercies heaped upon thee, that their usual mode of benediction shall be, May the God of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2As surely as the Lord lives: When offering a prayer of confession and making oaths, the right attitude shows truth, justice, and righteousness. Truth means that the thoughts and feelings of those praying match their words. Justice means living by the Lord's laws, as He will judge the earth. Righteousness means treating others according to the Lord’s Spirit and His moral standards. This prayer requires a deep change in people's inner lives and outer…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. And thou--rather, "And if (carried on from Jr 4:1) thou shalt swear, 'Jehovah liveth,' in truth, &c.", that is, if thou shalt worship Him (for we swear by the God whom we worship; compare De 6:13; 10:20; Is 19:18; Am 8:14) in sincerity, &c. and the nations--Rather, this is apodosis to the "if"; then shall the nations bless themselves in (by) Him" (Is 65:16). The conversion of the nations will be the consequence of Israel's conversion (Psa 102:13, 15…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 4:2

• Backsliders
• Church
• Condescension of God
• Gentiles
• Oath
• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Fallow
• Oath
• Pain
• Wise
• Backslide
• Genesis
• Jeremiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings