John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 4:8

"For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us." — Jeremiah 4:8 (ASV)

The Prophet seems not yet to exhort his own nation to repent: a more gracious doctrine will soon follow; but here he only reminds them that a most grievous mourning was close at hand, because he saw that they were hypocrites, immersed in their own delusions, and could not be reached by any fear. Therefore, he says that they were greatly mistaken if they thought themselves safe while God was angry with them.

Gird yourselves in sackcloth, he says, lament and howl; and then follows the reason, because the fury of God’s wrath was not turned away from them. We indeed know that the ungodly are accustomed to make God subservient to themselves, as though they could by their perverseness turn aside or drive his judgment far off, and restrain, as it were, his hand from acting. Since, then, hypocrites are insolent towards God, the Prophet says expressly that the fury of his wrath was not turned away: and thus he warns them that they would be miserable in every way until they were reconciled to God.

We now understand the purpose of the Prophet, for he confirms what the previous verse contains, when he said that a lion had come forth, and that a desolator was already near. Indeed, he confirms what he had said, for there was no hope for them without God being propitious, and he declares that God was angry. Therefore, it follows that all things would prove unfortunate for them.