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Isaiah 13:5
They come from a far country, from the end of heaven,even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

Isaiah 19:1
The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

Nahum 1:3
The LORDis slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquitthe wicked: the LORDhath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the cloudsare the dust of his feet.

his chariots

Isaiah 5:28
Whose arrowsare sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

Isaiah 66:15
For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

Nahum 2:3,4
The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant menare in scarlet: the chariotsshall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken…

his horses

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth,as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

Lamentations 4:19
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

Daniel 7:4
The firstwas like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

woe

Jeremiah 4:31
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail,and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion,that bewaileth herself,that spreadeth her hands,saying, Woeis me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

Jeremiah 10:19
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly thisis a grief, and I must bear it.

his chariots like the whirlwind
Chariots in ancient times were symbols of military might and speed. The comparison to a whirlwind suggests not only speed but also destructive power, as whirlwinds can cause chaos and devastation. This imagery is consistent with the descriptions of divine judgment found in other prophetic books, such asNahum 1:3, where the Lord's way is in the whirlwind and the storm. The whirlwind also signifies the swift and comprehensive nature of the judgment that is to come, leaving no place untouched.

His horses are swifter than eagles
Horses were a key component of ancient warfare, representing strength and mobility. The comparison to eagles, known for their speed and keen sight, underscores the rapid and unavoidable nature of the approaching threat. In biblical symbolism, eagles often represent swiftness and the ability to execute God's will, as seen inIsaiah 40:31, where those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength and soar on wings like eagles. This phrase highlights the futility of escape from the impending judgment.

Woe to us, for we are ruined!
"Woe" is a term frequently used by prophets to express lamentation and impending doom. It signifies a deep sense of despair and acknowledgment of inevitable destruction. The phrase "we are ruined" reflects the realization of the people of Judah that their sins have led to their downfall, as prophesied by Jeremiah. This echoes the themes of repentance and judgment found throughout the book of Jeremiah, where the prophet calls the people to return to God to avoid such ruin. The lamentation here is a call to recognize the seriousness of their situation and the need for divine intervention, reminiscent of the cries for deliverance found in the Psalms, such asPsalm 79:8-9.

• Jeremiah pictures the oncoming Babylonian army—God’s chosen instrument of judgment—as sudden and overwhelming, the way clouds roll in and fill the sky (Jeremiah 1:14-15).

• Clouds also point to the Lord’s own involvement in judgment;Isaiah 19:1 says, “Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud.” What Judah will face is not random fate but the direct outworking of God’s righteous anger (Jeremiah 4:18).

• The image warns that once God’s appointed time arrives, escape is impossible. Judah’s only hope was earlier repentance (Jeremiah 4:1-2); ignoring that call has left them exposed.

• A whirlwind comes with unstoppable force and disorienting speed. Likewise, Babylon’s chariots would tear through Judah’s defenses before the people could organize resistance (Jeremiah 6:22-23).

•Isaiah 66:15 describes the Lord coming “with fire, and His chariots like a whirlwind,” linking Babylon’s assault to divine retribution.

• The picture underlines how sin’s consequences gather momentum: what begins as spiritual drift ends in a storm of national calamity (Hosea 8:7).

• Babylon’s cavalry was famous for its reach;Habakkuk 1:8 says, “Their horses are swifter than leopards… they fly like an eagle swooping to devour.”

•Deuteronomy 28:49 foretold that if Israel rebelled, the LORD would raise up “a nation… like an eagle swooping down.” Jeremiah shows that prophecy coming to life.

• The eagle metaphor emphasizes precision hunting: Babylon will not merely surround Judah; it will capture, plunder, and deport (2 Kings 24:10-16).

• The people finally voice the terror Jeremiah has been warning about (Jeremiah 4:19-20). Their cry proves the prophet’s words true: judgment feels unbearable once it arrives.

•Lamentations 1:1 echoes this lament after Jerusalem actually falls: “How lonely lies the city, once so full of people!”

• The verse teaches that remorse after consequences hit is too late to avert them. God’s call is always to timely repentance that produces real change (Jeremiah 7:5-7).

Jeremiah 4:13 is a vivid, literal snapshot of the Babylonian invasion God unleashes because Judah refused to turn from sin. Clouds, whirlwind, and eagle-swift horses show judgment coming suddenly, violently, and inescapably. The people’s anguished “Woe to us!” confirms the certainty of God’s warnings. The verse therefore urges every reader to heed God’s calls to repentance while mercy is still offered, knowing His word is unfailingly accurate—both in promises of grace and in threats of judgment.

Swifter than eagles.--A possible quotation from David's lament over Saul and Jonathan (2Samuel 1:23). The fact that another phrase is quoted inJeremiah 4:30 ("clothest thyself with crimson," where the Hebrew is the same as the "scarlet" of2Samuel 1:24), makes the possibility something like a certainty. It was natural that one who himself wrote two sets of lamentations, one early (2Chronicles 35:25), the other late, in life, should have been a student of earlier elegies. For the flight of the eagle as representing the swift march of the invader, comp.Lamentations 4:19; Hos. viii 1;Habakkuk 1:8. . . .