Jeremiah 25:4-7. And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants, &c. — Nor am I the only prophet whom the Lord hath sent you, and whom you have neglected and despised. God hath sent you many more, and you have despised as many as he hath sent. This contempt of the Lord’s messengers is made the proximate cause of God’s wrath coming upon this people, till there was no remedy, 2 Chronicles 36:16. They said, Turn ye again now, &c. — The substance, both of their and my sermons, hath been to persuade you to abandon those sinful courses, wherein you have lived, and which you might have amended, by virtue of that grace which God did not deny you. We have not differed in our doctrine, to the practice of which you have also been encouraged, both by them and me, with an assurance from God, that, if you obeyed it, you should enjoy this good land which the Lord promised, and gave to you and your fathers, and which you have now possessed for many ages. And go not after other gods — Though the Jews were guilty of many other sins, yet their most heinous sin was idolatry, as it was a direct renouncing of God’s authority, who had, by so many miracles of mercy, set them apart for himself and his own service, and had bestowed so many signal privileges and blessings upon them. And provoke me not with the works of your hands — By worshipping, as gods, the images which your own hands have made, or with any works which are contrary to my law. And I will do you no hurt — You shall yet enjoy your own land and prosper. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me — Ye heard me, and other the Lord’s prophets, thus speaking to you, but you have not obeyed; that ye might provoke me, &c. — As if you had disobeyed with a design to incense me against you; to your own hurt — For the sinful actions of men do not affect or injure me, but are to the hurt of those who do them.

25:1-7 The call to turn from evil ways to the worship and service of God, and for sinners to trust in Christ, and partake of his salvation, concerns all men. God keeps an account how long we possess the means of grace; and the longer we have them, the heavier will our account be if we have not improved them. Rising early, points out the earnest desire that this people should turn and live. Personal and particular reformation must be insisted on as necessary to a national deliverance; and every one must turn from his own evil way. Yet all was to no purpose. They would not take the right and only method to turn away the wrath of God.The three and twentieth year - i. e., nineteen under Josiah, and four under Jehoiakim. This prophecy divides itself into three parts,

(1) the judgment of Judah Jeremiah 25:3-11, and Babylon's doom Jeremiah 25:12-14;

(2) the wine-cup of fury Jeremiah 25:15-29;

(3) the judgment of the world Jeremiah 25:30-38.

4. rising early—(See on [924]Jer 7:13). "The prophets" refer to Urijah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, &c. It aggravates their sin, that God sent not merely one but many messengers, and those messengers, prophets; and, that during all those years specified, Jeremiah and his fellow prophets spared no effort, late and early. Nor am I the only prophet whom the Lord hath sent you, and whom you have neglected and despised; God hath sent you many more, and you have despised as many as he hath sent, though the Lord hath made it his business to send you one after another from time to time. This contempt of the Lord’s messengers is made the proximate cause of God’s wrath coming upon this people, till there was no remedy, 2 Chronicles 36:16.

And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets,.... Not only him, but many others, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and others:

rising early and sending them; not only the prophet, but the Lord himself is said to rise early, and send his prophets to them; which denotes his great care and concern for this people for their good; see Jeremiah 7:25;

but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear; which is an aggravation of their sin; that whereas they had one prophet after another sent to them, and sent by the Lord himself; he rising early, and sending them; and they rising early, being sent to do their message; and yet were not hearkened and attended to.

And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.