John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 4:20

"Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, [and] my curtains in a moment." — Jeremiah 4:20 (ASV)

He pursues the same subject, but amplifies the dread by a new circumstance: that God would heap evils upon evils, so that the Jews would hope in vain for immediate relief. By saying, A calamity upon a calamity, he means that the end of one evil would be the beginning of another.

For it is what especially distresses miserable people, when they think that their evils will continue for a long time. Indeed, they imagined that God would be satisfied with an evil that would soon be over, like a storm or a tempest. And when an alleviation appeared, they would have thought that they had suffered enough and would have returned to their old ways, deriding God as though they had escaped from His hands. For this reason, the Prophet declares that their calamities would continue for a long time, so that no end to them could be hoped for until the Jews were completely destroyed.

By saying that calamities were called, or summoned, he briefly reminds them that God would sit on His tribunal. After inflicting light punishment on people for their sins, He would add heavier punishment; and when He found their wickedness incurable, He would proceed to extremities, so as to destroy completely those who could not be reclaimed. Called then has been distress upon distress: and how was this? Perished has the whole land; and then, my tabernacles have been suddenly destroyed, in an instant destroyed has been my curtains.

It is thought that the Prophet here compares strongly fortified cities to tents and curtains, to expose the foolish confidence with which the Jews were proudly filled, thinking that their cities were a sufficient protection from enemies. It is then supposed that the Prophet here deprives them of their vain confidence by calling these cities tents.

There are also those who think that he alludes to his own city, Anathoth, or to his own manner of life. It is indeed true that Jeremiah often speaks in other places as a shepherd; that is, he uses common and informal modes of speaking. It would not then be unnatural to suppose that he assumed the character of a shepherd when he spoke of tents.

However, both these views may be combined: that he used language common among shepherds, and that he shows it was a mere mockery for the Jews to think they could easily escape, as they had on their borders many fortified cities capable of resisting the attacks of their enemies. But another equally suitable view would be this: that no corner would be safe, for their enemies would penetrate into the most remote places and destroy the smallest cottages, which might be used as hiding places.

He says suddenly and in an instant so that the Jews might not promise themselves any time for negotiating, and thus procrastinate, thinking that they would have enough time to make their peace with God.