Jeremiah 4:23

“I beheld the earth, etc.] The land of Judea, not the whole world; and this the prophet says, either in spirit, as Jerom; or in prophecy, as Kimchi; or in a visionary way; for these are not the words of God continued, as Cocceius, but of the prophet; who, by a prophetic spirit, describes the dreadful destruction of the Jewish nation, as follows: and, lo, it was without form, and void; as the first earth or chaos was, before it was brought into form and order; the same words, “tohu” and “bohu”, are used here, as in (<010102>Genesis 1:2), the land of Judea now was, in the prophet’s view of it, like the first earth, when darkness covered it; no grass sprung out of it, not a tree to be seen in…”

“Graphic picture of the utter desolation about to visit Palestine. "I beheld, and lo!" four times solemnly repeated, heightens the awful effect of the scene (compare Isa 24:19; Isa 34:11). without form and void--reduced to the primeval chaos (Gen 1:2).”

“In four verses each beginning with “I beheld,” the prophet sees in vision the desolate condition of Judaea during the Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah 4:23 Without form, and void - Desolate and void (see Genesis 1:2 note). The land has returned to a state of chaos (marginal reference note). And the heavens - And upward to the heavens. The imagery is that of the last day of judgment. To Jeremiah’s vision all was as though the day of the Lord had come, and earth returned to the state in which it was before the first creative word (see 2 Peter 3:10). Jeremiah 4:24 Moved lightly - “Reeled to and fro,” from the violence of the earthquake. Jeremiah 4:26 The fruitful place - The Carmel Jeremiah 2:7,…”

“I beheld - I Jeremiah saw this in a vision. It - The land was squalid, and ruined, like the first chaos, for which reason possibly he calls Judah the earth, in allusion to Gen 1:2. The heavens - He seems to proceed in his metaphor of the chaos. Every thing above and below seemed to be wrapped up in dismal blackness. Jeremiah 4:24”

“4:23-26 In Jeremiah’s vision, the Lord’s fierce anger took precedence over his creative love (10:10; 12:4; Isa 5:25; 24:19; Ezek 38:20; Zeph 1:3). He was undoing the order of creation (see Gen 1:2-3).”

“the earth: Jer 9:10; Gen 1:2; Isa 24:19-23; Rev 20:11 the heavens: Isa 5:30, Isa 13:10; Eze 32:7, Eze 32:8; Joe 2:10, Joe 2:30, Joe 2:31, Joe 3:15, Joe 3:16; Amo 8:9; Mat 24:29, Mat 24:35; Mar 13:24, Mar 13:25; Luk 21:25, Luk 21:26; Act 2:19, Act 2:20 Jeremiah 4:24”