Jeremiah 13:16 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Glorify God, by a humble confession of your sins, Joshua 7:19,20, by submitting yourselves to God, James 4:7, humbling yourselves under his word, James 4:10, and under his mighty hand, 1 Peter 5:6, before God brings upon you his great and heavy judgments before threatened. As a state of prosperity is set out often in Scripture by the notion of light, which is a pleasant and cheering thing; so a state of affliction is often set out to us in Scripture under the notion of darkness, Isaiah 8:22 Joel 2:2 Amos 5:18, &c.: and as in the want of light, which is directly to our feet, men are prone to stumble at any thing that lies in their way so as they know not how to direct their feet or take their steps; so in times of affliction, especially great afflictions, men are ordinarily perplexed, and know not what course to take. In the latter part of the verse he seemeth to threaten God's disappointment of their expectations. The Jews to the last appeared highly confident, looking for light, but they met with great disappointment, even gross darkness.

Jeremiah 13:16

16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.