Charles Ellicott Commentary Jeremiah 4:21

"How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?" — Jeremiah 4:21 (ASV)

How long shall I see... — The "standard," as in Jeremiah 4:6, is the alarm signal given to the fugitives. The "trumpet" sounds to give the alarm and quicken their flight to the defended city. The prophet sees no end to the miseries of the coming war.