“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.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 25:4 Mean?
God recounts his relentless effort: "rising early and sending" his prophets. The anthropomorphism of God waking early captures divine urgency — God didn't wait for a convenient moment to send his message. He sent it first thing, repeatedly, persistently. And the response: "ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear."
The phrase "rising early" (hashkem) appears repeatedly in Jeremiah as God's characteristic mode of communication — eager, persistent, first-thing-in-the-morning urgency. God isn't a distant deity who occasionally dispatches a messenger. He's an early riser who sends prophet after prophet, century after century.
The double rejection — "not hearkened" and "not inclined your ear" — describes both the failure to respond (hearkening involves action) and the failure to even pay attention (inclining your ear is the preliminary posture of listening). They didn't just refuse to obey; they refused to listen in the first place.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does the image of God 'rising early' to send his word change your view of his persistence?
- 2.Where are you refusing to even 'incline your ear' — not just to obey, but to listen?
- 3.What does centuries of patient sending followed by judgment teach about divine long-suffering?
- 4.How does knowing God speaks urgently affect how seriously you take his current word to you?
Devotional
God woke up early. Every morning. And sent prophets. For centuries. Rising early and sending. Rising early and sending. And the people didn't listen. Not once.
The image of God "rising early" is one of the most underappreciated pictures of divine love in the Bible. It depicts a God who can't wait to communicate — who gets up before the day starts to send his word. Not casually, not when it's convenient, but urgently. First thing. Over and over.
And the response? Deaf ears. Not just refusal to obey — refusal to even listen. They didn't incline their ear. They didn't tilt their head toward the sound. The most basic posture of receptivity was absent. God spoke urgently; they didn't even pretend to pay attention.
This is the patience that eventually runs out. Not because God gives up easily — he rose early for centuries. But because a relationship where one party speaks urgently and the other refuses to listen isn't sustainable indefinitely. The judgment that follows Jeremiah 25 isn't God's impatience. It's the natural end of a conversation where one voice has been speaking into deliberate deafness for generations.
God is still rising early. His word is still being sent. The question this verse asks you is the same one it asked Judah: are you listening?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets,.... Not only him, but many others, Micah, Nahum,…
We have here a message from God concerning all the people of Judah (Jer 25:1), which Jeremiah delivered, in his name,…
The editor or copyist failed to perceive that it is the prophet, not Jehovah, who is speaking in Jer 25:25. Moreover,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture