Jeremiah 4:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For this reason, you shall clothe yourselves and mourn, for you will not be spared. This refers to the actions of Josiah; God's anger did not subside, but rather, after his passing, you returned to your sinful ways, demonstrating that your previous actions during Josiah's reign lacked true devotion. Therefore, God has declared judgment upon you, and your tears are shed not due to your misfortunes but because the divine anger remains unappeased. Indeed, our sorrow should not stem solely from the fear of hell, but rather from the reality that God is displeased; it is not merely His anger that we grieve, but the fact that He has turned away from us.

Therefore, adorn yourselves in mourning attire, weep and cry out, for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned away from us or, as the LXX renders it, from you. The lion, the most fearsome of creatures, can only be escaped through genuine repentance and a return to the Lord, not merely in thought but also in action. As he lays waste to the church and the land of Judah, and brings destruction upon Jerusalem, it is clear that the wrath of God persists.

So, prepare yourselves in your garments, and lament with deep sorrow, for the fierce anger of the Lord shall not be diverted from you. He foretells the dread that will come upon King Jehoiakim, then Jehoiachin, and ultimately Zedekiah. He also speaks of the fear that will grip the leaders and priests. Following these revelations, the Prophet addresses the LORD: