John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 4:15

"For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth evil from the hills of Ephraim:" — Jeremiah 4:15 (ASV)

The Prophet again repeats what he had said—that the Jews were given up to final ruin on account of their perverseness. For they had provoked God so often and for so long a time, and had not attended to pious admonitions, when God, through His servants the prophets, offered them pardon on their repentance. But the whole passage, which I will now explain, gives a vivid representation of the ruin that was near; for we see that in this verse a scene is presented to us, as the Prophet sets before our eyes what could not be fully expressed in words.

A voice, he says, declares from Dan. This was the extreme border on the north. He had previously said that an evil was coming from that direction—that is, from the north—for God had chosen the Chaldeans as the executors of His vengeance. Hence he says, a voice is heard from Dan.

This was not because an army was already prepared to attack the Jews; rather, Jeremiah speaks here by the prophetic spirit. He sets the event as present before the Jews, who did not think that so grievous an evil was near. For, as we said yesterday, when God for a time spares hypocrites, they become more hardened and with haughty contempt deride His prophets. Therefore, when Jeremiah saw that he was dealing with blocks, he considered it necessary to use figurative language. This language showed them more clearly that the judgment, which the Jews imagined they had no reason to fear, was near. Hence he says again, a voice is heard from Dan.

And proclaims און, aun, that is, trouble, punishment, or ruin. The other translation, to which I have referred, is not suitable. The word און (aun) does indeed properly mean iniquity, but it is to be taken here as punishment. But whenever the Prophets use this term, they indicate that evil is not inflicted by God except for just reasons; and they remind us that its source or origin is to be found in the wickedness of men.

Ruin then was coming from Mount Ephraim, which was near the tribe of Judah and Jerusalem. But it was as if Jeremiah had said that God was now thundering from heaven, and that it would be of no avail to the Jews to close their ears. For even if they were deaf, God’s vengeance would soon be revealed, accompanied by a dreadful noise.