The Meaning of Jeremiah 4:2 Explained

Jeremiah 4:2

KJV: And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

YLT: And thou hast sworn -- Jehovah liveth, In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, And blessed themselves in Him have nations, And in Him they boast themselves.

Darby: and thou shalt in truth, in justice, and in righteousness swear, As Jehovah liveth! and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

ASV: and thou shalt swear, As Jehovah liveth, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt swear,  The LORD  liveth,  in truth,  in judgment,  and in righteousness;  and the nations  shall bless  themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. 

What does Jeremiah 4:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Jeremiah 4:1-2 - Pleading With Faithless Children
The people of the northern kingdom, to whom this appeal is especially addressed, were more excusable than Judah, because their privileges had been less. God judges us according to our opportunities. How precious the invitation and promise of Jeremiah 3:12! Confession is an essential condition that must be fulfilled by us. See 1 John 1:7. Zion shall yet be the center of a restored Israel, Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 3:18. In Jeremiah 3:21-25 the voices of the people in confession and prayer mingle with Jehovah's encouraging their return. When we lie down in broken-hearted shame and penitence, we are very near to being lifted to the bosom of God. Compare Jeremiah 3:25 with Jeremiah 4:1. The return of the Chosen People to the God of their fathers will be the cause of revival and quickening throughout the earth. Compare Jeremiah 4:2 with Romans 11:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 4

1  God calls Israel by his promise
3  He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments
19  A grievous lamentation for Judah

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 4:2 mean?

And you shall swear lives Yahweh in truth in judgment and in righteousness and shall bless themselves in Him the nations and in Him they shall glory -
וְנִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙ חַי־ יְהוָ֔ה בֶּאֱמֶ֖ת בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה וְהִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ ב֛וֹ גּוֹיִ֖ם וּב֥וֹ יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ ס

וְנִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙  And  you  shall  swear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
חַי־  lives 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בֶּאֱמֶ֖ת  in  truth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט  in  judgment 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה  and  in  righteousness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
וְהִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ  and  shall  bless  themselves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
ב֛וֹ  in  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
גּוֹיִ֖ם  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וּב֥וֹ  and  in  Him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ  they  shall  glory 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation