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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”

Context of Jeremiah 4:2

1“If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord. “If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, 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.” 3This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. 4Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it.

Jeremiah 4:2 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thou shalt swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
• in truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: trueH571
• in judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• and in righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• and the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• shall blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• themselves in him, and in him shall they gloryהָלַלhâlal · to boast: boastH1984

Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:2

• Jeremiah 5:2Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.”
• Deuteronomy 10:20Fear 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, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
• Isaiah 48:1“Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and 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 one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.
• Jeremiah 9:24but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
• 1 Kings 3:6Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
• Psalms 99:4The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
• Hosea 2:19I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.
• Zechariah 8:8I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”
• Genesis 22:18and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
• Psalms 72:17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.
• Galatians 3:8Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
• Isaiah 45:25But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the Lord and will make their boast in him.
• 1 Corinthians 1:31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
• 2 Corinthians 10:17But, “Let the one 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