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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 25:1–7. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here a message from God concerning all the people of Judah (Jer 25:1), which Jeremiah delivered, in his name, unto all the people of Judah, Jer 25:2. Note, That which is of universal concern ought to be of universal cognizance. It is fit that the word which concerns all the people, as the word of God does, the word of the gospel particularly, should be divulged to all in general, and, as far as may be, addressed to each in particular. Jeremiah had been sent to the house of the king (Jer 22:1), and he took courage to deliver his message to them, probably when they had all come up to Jerusalem to worship at one of the solemn feasts; then he had them together, and it was to be hoped then, if ever, they would be well disposed to hear counsel and receive instruction.
This prophecy is dated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim and the first of Nebuchadrezzar. It was in the latter end of Jehoiakim's third year that Nebuchadrezzar began to reign by himself alone (having reigned some time before in conjunction with his father), as appears, Dan 1:1. But Jehoiakim's fourth year was begun before Nebuchadrezzar's first was completed. Now that that active, daring, martial prince began to set up for the world's master, God, by his prophet, gives notice that he is his servant, and intimates what work he intends to employ him in, that his growing greatness, which was so formidable to the nations, might not be construed as any reflection upon the power and providence of God in the government of the world. Nebuchadrezzar should not bid so fair for universal monarchy (I should have said universal tyranny) but that God had purposes of his own to serve by him, in the execution of which the world shall see the meaning of God's permitting and ordering a thing that seemed such a reflection on his sovereignty and goodness.
Now in this message we may observe the great pains that had been taken with the people to bring them to repentance, which they are here put in mind of, as an aggravation of their sin and a justification of God in his proceedings against them.
I.Jeremiah, for his part, had been a constant preacher among them twenty-three years; he began in the thirteenth year of Josiah, who reigned thirty-one years, so that he prophesied about eighteen or nineteen years in his reign, then in the reign of Jehoahaz, and now four years of Jehoiakim's reign. Note, God keeps an account, whether we do or no, how long we have enjoyed the means of grace; and the longer we have enjoyed them the heavier will our account be if we have not improved them. These three years (these three and twenty years) have I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree. All this while,
1.God had been constant in sending messages to them, as there was occasion for them: "From that time to this very day the word of the Lord has come into me, for your use." Though they had the substance of the warning sent them already in the books of Moses, yet, because those were not duly regarded and applied, God sent to enforce them and make them more particular, that they might be without excuse. Thus God's Spirit was striving with them, as with the old world, Gen 6:3.
2.Jeremiah had been faithful and industrious in delivering those messages. He could appeal to themselves, as well as to God and his own conscience, concerning this: I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking. He had declared to them the whole counsel of God; he had taken a great deal of care and pains to discharge his thrust in such a manner as might be most likely to win and work upon them. What men are solicitous about and intent upon they rise up early to prosecute. It intimates that his head was so full of thoughts about it, and his heart so intent upon doing good, that it broke his sleep, and made him get up betimes to project which way he might take that would be most likely to do them good. He rose early, both because he would lose no time and because he would lay hold on and improve the best time to work upon them, when, if ever, they were sober and sedate. Christ came early in the morning to preach in the temple, and the people as early to hear him, Luk 21:38. Morning lectures have their advantages. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning.
II.Besides him, God had sent them other prophets, on the same errand, Jer 25:4.
Of the writing prophets Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk, were a little before him, and Zephaniah contemporary with him. But, besides those, there were many other of God's servants the prophets who preached awakening sermons, which were never published. And here God himself is said to rise early and send them, intimating how much his heart also was upon it, that this people should turn and live, and not go on and die, Eze 33:11.
III.All the messages sent them were to the purpose, and much to the same purport, Jer 25:5, Jer 25:6.
1.They all told them of their faults, their evil way, and the evil of their doings. Those were not of God's sending who flattered them as if there were nothing amiss among them.
2.They all reproved them particularly for their idolatry, as a sin that was in a special manner provoking to God, their going after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, gods that were the work of their own hands.
3.They all called on them to repent of their sins and to reform their lives. This was the burden of every song, Turn you now every one from his evil way. Note, Personal and particular reformation must be insisted on as necessary to a national deliverance: every one must turn from his own evil way. The street will not be clean unless every one sweep before his own door.
4.They all assured them that, if they did so, it would certainly be the lengthening out of their tranquillity. The mercies they enjoyed should be continued to them: "You shall dwell in the land, dwell at ease, dwell in peace, in this good land, which the Lord has given you and your fathers. Nothing but sin will turn you out of it, and that shall not if you turn from it." The judgments they feared should be prevented: Provoke me not, and I will do you no hurt. Note, We should never receive from God the evil punishment if we did not provoke him by the evil of sin. God deals fairly with us, never corrects his children without cause, nor causes grief to us unless we give offence to him.
IV.Yet all was to no purpose.
They were not wrought upon to take the right and only method to turn away the wrath of God. Jeremiah was a very lively affectionate preacher, yet they hearkened not to him, Jer 25:3. The other prophets dealt faithfully with them, but neither did they hearken to them, nor incline their ear, Jer 25:4. That very particular sin which they were told, of all others, was most offensive to God, and made them obnoxious to his justice, they wilfully persisted in: You provoke me with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Note, What is a provocation to God will prove, in the end, hurt to ourselves, and we must bear the blame of it. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
When the Jews often resisted wholesome precepts and departed from the divine law, going astray to the impious worship of false gods, then God filled just and chosen men with the Holy Spirit, appointing them as prophets in the midst of the people, by whom he might rebuke with threatening words the sins of the ungrateful people and nevertheless exhort them to repent of their wickedness. Unless they did this and, laying aside their vanities, returned to their God, it would come to pass that he would change his covenant, that is, bestow the inheritance of eternal life on foreign nations and collect to himself a more faithful people out of those who were aliens by birth. But they, when rebuked by the prophets, not only rejected their words but, being offended because they were scolded for their sins, killed the prophets with calculated tortures. All these things are sealed up and preserved in the sacred writings. For the prophet Jeremiah says, “I have sent to you my servants, the prophets. I sent them before light, and you hearkened not to me nor inclined your ears to hear when I said to you, ‘Return, you, every one from this evil way and from your wicked devices, and you shall dwell in that land that I have given to you and to your ancestors forever and ever. Do not go after strange gods to serve them, and do not provoke me to wrath by the works of your hands for afflicting you.’ ”
(Version 3.) From the thirteenth year of Josiah, son of Ammon, king of Judah, until this day, which is the twenty-third year, the word of the Lord came to me, and I spoke to you, rising up at night and speaking, but you did not listen. In the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, who reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years, Jeremiah began to prophesy, and he prophesied under him for nineteen years. After him, his son Joahaz became king, but he was immediately taken into captivity by Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, and his brother Joachim succeeded to the throne (2 Kings 23). In the fourth year of his reign, this message of the Lord comes to Jeremiah and thus it was the twenty-third year of the prophet Jeremiah, since he began speaking to the people. And he never ceased to preach, but every day, rising at dawn and in the night, he spoke to the people. And you have not listened, he says. But if, as the heretics want from the old things, the law was given once for help, and established precepts which we do or do not do according to our own will; how does the Prophet always thrust himself forward and daily repeat the commands of God, which, certainly once received, were enough for those to whom they were given, unless to show this, that we always need the help of God and can never be sufficient, what was given once, unless it is renewed daily by the reminder of the Lord?
And the Lord sent to all of you his servants the Prophets, rising up in the morning and sending them; and you did not listen. Not through one Prophet, but through all his people, God always warned, and as if he himself arose in watchful vigil and stood up in the morning, to warn his people. And you did not listen; so with the more frequent admonition, how much greater have been the sins of those who despise?
He mentions the great number of years in order to emphasize God’s long-suffering in putting up with unbelievers for so long. I sent my servants the prophets to you, he says. I urged you to abandon the road to ruin and travel by the other road that produces life. I, in fact, promised you blessings for doing this. But you did not listen, and instead you chose the worship of idols. And to censure the purpose of this unbelief he went on, “So that you might provoke me by the works of your own hands to your own misfortune.” To provoke me, you committed those things, but then you also reaped their harmful effects then as well.
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Summary
Jeremiah 25:3 serves as a poignant introduction to the Lord's impending judgment on Judah, highlighting the remarkable duration and diligent faithfulness of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry. For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign until the present day, Jeremiah consistently delivered the authoritative word of the LORD, speaking with earnest and persistent effort. Despite God's unwavering patience and consistent warnings, the people of Judah stubbornly refused to listen or obey, setting the tragic stage for the severe divine consequences detailed in the subsequent prophecies.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 25:3 acts as a crucial chronological and thematic pivot within the book of Jeremiah. It immediately precedes the comprehensive prophecy of Judah's seventy-year Babylonian captivity, detailed in Jeremiah 25:9-11. This verse establishes the long period of divine warning that preceded the judgment, underscoring God's justice and longsuffering patience. It connects directly to Jeremiah's initial call in the thirteenth year of Josiah and sets the stage for the pronouncements against Judah and the surrounding nations that follow. The verse thus functions as a summary statement of Jeremiah's faithful, yet largely unheeded, ministry leading up to this climactic prophecy of national discipline.
Historical & Cultural Context
The period described, spanning from Josiah's thirteenth year (c. 627 BC) to the twenty-third year of Jeremiah's ministry (c. 605 BC), was a tumultuous and pivotal era for Judah. King Josiah's reign saw a significant spiritual revival and reform, particularly after the discovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22). However, after Josiah's untimely death in 609 BC, his successors—Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin—quickly reverted to widespread idolatry and apostasy, systematically undoing much of his work. Geopolitically, Judah was caught between the declining Assyrian Empire and the rapidly rising powers of Babylon and Egypt. Jeremiah's ministry occurred during this precarious situation, with his prophecies often warning against relying on human alliances and consistently urging genuine repentance towards the LORD. Culturally, the people were deeply entrenched in syncretistic worship, pervasive social injustice, and a false sense of security due to the presence of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully encapsulates several overarching themes central to Jeremiah and the broader prophetic tradition. Firstly, it highlights Divine Patience and Persistent Warning. God, through Jeremiah, repeatedly and earnestly called His people to repentance, demonstrating His profound longsuffering and His desire for their restoration rather than their destruction. This is a consistent motif throughout Scripture, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 7:25 and 2 Chronicles 36:15. Secondly, the verse underscores Human Disobedience and Stubbornness. Despite the clarity, consistency, and urgency of the divine message, Judah's categorical refusal to "hearken" reveals a deep-seated spiritual rebellion and a hardened heart, illustrating the tragic consequences of rejecting God's grace. Finally, it portrays Prophetic Faithfulness. Jeremiah's unwavering commitment to delivering God's unpopular and often perilous message, even in the face of widespread rejection, ridicule, and persecution, exemplifies the prophet's arduous and often thankless task of speaking divine truth to power and people.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H1697) is central to the verse, denoting "the word" of the LORD. It signifies not merely spoken sounds, but a divine utterance that carries inherent authority, purpose, and creative power. It can refer to a message, a command, a matter, or even a thing or affair. In this context, it emphasizes the authoritative, revealed communication directly from God to Jeremiah, which then becomes the content of Jeremiah's proclamation. The "word of the LORD" is active, potent, and demands a decisive response from its hearers.
The verb (H1696), from which dâbâr (H1697) derives, means "to speak," "to declare," or "to command." Here, it describes Jeremiah's active and diligent role in proclaiming the divine message. Coupled with the phrase "rising early," it conveys the extraordinary diligence and persistence of his verbal ministry. It highlights the direct, oral transmission of God's message from prophet to people, emphasizing the clarity, accessibility, and urgency of the warnings given.
This crucial verb (H8085) means "to hear intelligently," often implying "to listen attentively," "to understand," and, most importantly, "to obey." Judah's failure to "hearken" is not merely a lack of auditory perception but a profound spiritual and volitional refusal to accept, internalize, and act upon the word of the LORD. It signifies a deep-seated rebellion, a deliberate closing of the heart, and a rejection of God's authority and grace, leading directly to their impending judgment.
Verse Breakdown
"From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that [is] the three and twentieth year"
This clause precisely dates the commencement and duration of Jeremiah's active prophetic ministry. It establishes the historical context, grounding the prophecy in a specific period of Judah's history, spanning from the relatively righteous reign of Josiah into the more corrupt reigns that followed. The "three and twentieth year" marks a significant and extended period of consistent divine warning, highlighting God's enduring patience before the inevitable onset of judgment.
"the word of the LORD hath come unto me"
This phrase emphasizes the divine origin and inherent authority of Jeremiah's message. Jeremiah is not speaking his own thoughts, opinions, or political analyses, but is a faithful conduit for God's direct and sovereign revelation. This underscores the profound gravity of the message and the weighty responsibility of both the prophet to deliver it faithfully and the people to receive it reverently and respond obediently.
"and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking"
This part details Jeremiah's faithful and diligent execution of his prophetic commission. The idiom "rising early and speaking" (Hebrew: shakam v'dabber) is a powerful expression signifying earnestness, persistence, and tireless effort. It conveys that God, through His prophet, left no stone unturned, making every conceivable effort to reach His people with His warnings and calls to repentance. It implies a relentless, consistent, and urgent communication, demonstrating God's profound desire for their turning.
"but ye have not hearkened"
This final, stark declaration reveals the tragic and lamentable outcome of God's persistent efforts. Despite the clear, consistent, and urgent warnings delivered over more than two decades, Judah categorically refused to listen, understand, or obey. This highlights their profound spiritual deafness and stubborn rebellion, which ultimately necessitated the severe judgment that was to come, making their culpability undeniable.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices that amplify its message. The most prominent is the Idiom "rising early and speaking" (shakam v'dabber). This phrase, common in Jeremiah and other prophetic books, is a vivid anthropomorphism portraying God's tireless and earnest effort to communicate with His people, as if He is waking up early to ensure His message is delivered. It underscores His unwavering commitment, diligence, and patience. There is also a strong Contrast established between God's persistent and diligent communication (through Jeremiah) and Judah's consistent and stubborn refusal to "hearken." This antithesis highlights the profound spiritual chasm between divine grace and human rebellion, emphasizing the people's culpability. Furthermore, the precise Chronological Marker at the beginning of the verse ("From the thirteenth year... unto this day... the three and twentieth year") serves to underscore the long duration of God's patience and the extensive opportunity given to Judah for repentance, making their eventual judgment all the more just and unavoidable.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 25:3 profoundly illustrates the tension between God's unwavering patience and humanity's persistent rebellion. It reveals a God who is not quick to condemn but is longsuffering, repeatedly extending grace and opportunity for repentance through His chosen messengers. This divine characteristic is foundational to biblical theology, emphasizing God's desire for relationship and restoration, rather than immediate judgment. However, the verse also starkly portrays the grave consequences of unheeded warnings and hardened hearts. Judah's refusal to "hearken" demonstrates that divine judgment is not arbitrary but a just and necessary response to prolonged and deliberate disobedience. This dynamic serves as a timeless theological principle: God's grace is abundant, but it is not infinite in the face of unrepentant sin. The faithfulness of the prophet, Jeremiah, in delivering this difficult message, even when rejected, also highlights the divine imperative for truth to be spoken, regardless of its popular reception or the personal cost to the messenger.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 25:3 offers profound and challenging lessons for contemporary believers. It confronts us with the reality of God's incredible patience and His persistent desire for us to walk in obedient relationship with Him. Just as Judah was given ample warning and opportunity for repentance, God continues to speak to us today through His inspired Word, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the community of faith. The crucial question for us is whether we are truly "hearkening"—listening with an ear to understand, internalize, and obey—or if we are, like ancient Judah, hardening our hearts to His voice, perhaps through distraction, apathy, or deliberate disobedience. This verse calls us to a posture of profound humility and immediate responsiveness, reminding us that spiritual apathy and prolonged disobedience carry significant and often painful consequences. It encourages us to cherish God's longsuffering and to respond with gratitude and immediate repentance when His Spirit convicts us or His Word calls us to a deeper walk of faith and obedience. Our diligence in seeking and obeying God's will should mirror His diligence in revealing it.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the 23 years mentioned in Jeremiah 25:3?
The 23 years signify the extensive duration of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry up to the point of this pivotal prophecy. It began in the thirteenth year of King Josiah (around 627 BC) and continued through the reigns of Jehoiakim, leading up to the fourth year of Jehoiakim (around 605 BC), which was the year of the Battle of Carchemish and the decisive rise of Babylonian dominance. This long period underscores God's immense patience and His consistent, diligent effort to warn His people and call them to repentance before bringing the severe judgment of exile. It highlights that the judgment was not sudden or arbitrary but came only after decades of unheeded divine appeals and opportunities for turning back to the Lord.
What does the phrase "rising early and speaking" imply about God's communication?
The phrase "rising early and speaking" (Hebrew: shakam v'dabber) is a powerful idiom used throughout Jeremiah to convey earnestness, diligence, and relentless persistence. It anthropomorphically depicts God as making every possible effort, as if waking up early to ensure His message is delivered. It implies that God was tireless, relentless, and urgent in His communication with Judah, leaving no stone unturned in His attempts to warn them and call them back to Himself. This idiom emphasizes the clarity, consistency, and compassionate urgency of the divine warnings, making Judah's persistent lack of response all the more culpable. This profound idiom is also found in Jeremiah 7:25 and 2 Chronicles 36:15.
Why didn't Judah "hearken" to Jeremiah's warnings, despite God's persistence?
Judah's failure to "hearken" (meaning to listen intelligently and obey) stemmed from a deep-seated spiritual rebellion, pervasive idolatry, and a profound hardening of hearts. Despite Josiah's significant reforms, the nation's spiritual condition quickly deteriorated after his death. They preferred the comforting lies of false prophets who promised peace, clung stubbornly to their syncretistic and idolatrous practices, and trusted in precarious political alliances rather than placing their faith in the LORD. Their ears were closed to the uncomfortable truth of Jeremiah's message because it demanded repentance, a radical change in lifestyle, and an abandonment of their cherished sins. This pervasive spiritual apathy and stubbornness ultimately led them down a path of inevitable judgment, as detailed in the subsequent prophecies of the seventy-year Babylonian captivity.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 25:3, with its poignant portrayal of God's persistent warnings through His prophet and Judah's stubborn refusal to "hearken," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God's "word" (H1697), which came to Jeremiah, is perfectly embodied in Christ, who is Himself the Logos, the Word made flesh, through whom God has spoken His final and complete revelation. Just as Jeremiah "rose early and spoke" with tireless diligence, Jesus, the supreme Prophet, tirelessly proclaimed the kingdom of God, teaching, healing, and calling His people to repentance. He lamented over Jerusalem, saying, "How often would I have gathered your children together... but you were not willing!" echoing the very lament of Jeremiah 25:3. The profound rejection Jeremiah faced foreshadows the ultimate rejection of the Messiah, who was "despised and rejected by men" by His own people, despite His perfect life and clear message of salvation. Yet, in Christ, the call to "hearken" is transformed from a national imperative to a personal invitation. Those who are His "sheep hear His voice," and they "follow Him" (John 10:27). Thus, while Judah failed to hearken to the prophetic word, in Christ, God provides the ultimate means for humanity to hear and obey, offering salvation and reconciliation to all who respond in faith. His weeping over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44 is the divine heart of Jeremiah's lament, revealing the sorrow of God over an unheeding people, yet still extending the offer of grace through His own atoning sacrifice.