John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 4:10

"Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the life." — Jeremiah 4:10 (ASV)

Some understand this passage as if the Prophet presented what was said by the people. For all the most wicked, when oppressed by God’s hand, usually cast the blame on Him, and in their complaints contend and dispute with Him.

Therefore, they think that the Prophet here, not in his own person, but in that of the whole people, speaks in this way: “O Lord, what can this be? You surely have deceived us.” Others offer a somewhat looser explanation: that the Prophet here indirectly expostulates with God because He had allowed the false prophets to flatter the people so as to stupefy the minds of all.

But I approve of a different meaning. The Prophet, I think, tauntingly exposes those false flatteries by which the false prophets had caused the ruin of the miserable Jews, by promising them God’s forgiveness and by always announcing favorable predictions.

God doubtless gave the Jews their just reward when He allowed them to be deceived by impostors. Indeed, we know that the world is always afflicted with this disease—that it seeks flatteries, as God rebukes them through Micah:

Ye seek prophets who promise to you an abundant harvest, an abundant vintage (Micah 2:11).

Since, then, the Jews wished for their vices to be spared, and not only disliked their faithful and severe reprovers but also hated them, they deserved to be dealt with in this way. It was God’s will that many impostors should assume the prophetic name.

Thus it happened that the Jews thought their peaceful condition would be perpetual; and this, as I have said, is usual with hypocrites.

Now the Prophet, in a biting tone, exposes these deceptions here and says, Ah, ah, Jehovah! surely thou hast deceived this people: for the Prophet does not speak in the person of the people, nor does he complain that God permitted so much freedom to false prophets; but he derides these impostors as well as the people.

And further, since they were all deaf, he turns to God, as if he had said, “Behold, Lord, they are worthy of this reward, those who have sought flatteries and have not listened to the holy warnings of Your servants. Since, then, they could endure no kind of correction, let them now begin to learn that they have been deceived by others rather than by You.”

We then see that the Prophet ridicules the stupidity in which the Jews had been asleep for so long. And the simple meaning is that he turned to God: I have said, O Lord Jehovah, surely thou hast deceived this people.

“Surely” is to be taken in an ironical sense; that is, “It now really appears that they have been deceived. But by whom? They wish, indeed, to throw the blame on You; but they are justly chargeable with foolish credulity, so that they, whom the false prophets have deceived, have been rightly dealt with.”

What they said was, Peace shall be to you.

This never came from the mouth of God, for Jeremiah daily thundered and threatened approaching ruin. He was like a celestial herald who filled every place with terror, but he was not heard; and at the same time, the Jews praised the false prophets who soothed them with various promises.

We therefore perceive that God had not spoken peace to them, but that the Jews, not only willingly but also eagerly, seized those things by which the false prophets sought to gratify them.

He afterwards adds, And reached has the sword unto the soul; that is, “Yet we are now destroyed by fatal evils.”

The Prophet here indirectly sets before them those deceptive flatteries with which the Jews pleased themselves, and shows that they would at last truly find how falsely they invoked the name of God.