Jeremiah 4:11-13
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This verse uses the image of a "dry wind" not just for destruction, but specifically to highlight that this divine judgment isn't meant for the usual purposes of cleansing or separating. Unlike a farmer using wind to winnow grain, this harsh wind from the desert serves no purifying end; it's purely destructive, a stark contrast to God's prior attempts to refine His people.
At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.” Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles— woe to us, for we are ruined!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah, after lamenting the impending destruction of Jerusalem and Judah, shifts to describing the devastating invasion that will bring it about. He likens this invading force to a fierce, dry wind from the desert, emphasizing its destructive nature. This wind is not meant for the helpful purpose of winnowing grain but carries an overwhelming force that will utterly devastate the land and its people.
Imagine a powerful wind arriving, not to clear things out, but to destroy. What does this tell us about God's actions?
Jeremiah uses the imagery of a powerful, dry wind from the desert to describe God's impending judgment on Judah and Jerusalem.
The Nature of the Wind
The Purpose: Not to Winnow or Cleanse
Normally, a moderate wind is used by farmers to winnow grain, separating the valuable wheat from the useless chaff. This wind, however, has a different purpose.
Ask a follow-up
What does it mean for a message to come from a desolate place, and why is it directed 'toward the daughter of my people'?
The imagery of the wind is more than just a weather report; it's a divine message delivered through a symbol of desolation.
Origin and Symbolism
A Divine Sentence
This isn't a random storm; it's a wind carrying God's sentence. The commentaries suggest that this wind represents the invading army (like the Babylonians coming from the north). God is using the harshness of nature to convey the severity of His wrath and the consequence of their continued rebellion. It's a message delivered with the force of a natural disaster, leaving no room for doubt about its origin or its devastating effect.
Understand the original words
Yeru-shalaim · Hebrew Noun
The administrative, religious, and political center of Judah, often used in Scripture to represent the people of God as a whole. It serves as the place where God chose to place His name and is frequently the focus of His judgment and restoration.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
A common biblical metaphor for divine judgment, representing a swift, destructive, and uncontrollable force sent by God to sweep away the wicked. It is contrasted here with a winnowing wind that separates wheat from chaff; this wind is strictly punitive.
bat-ammi · Hebrew Noun phrase
An anthropomorphic expression denoting the people of God, emphasizing His covenantal love, tenderness, and protective relationship toward Israel, even when they are under His discipline.
mishpatim · Hebrew Noun
A legal or judicial declaration of God’s sentence against sin. It signifies God’s sovereignty in executing justice upon those who have persistently rebelled against His covenant.
The vivid imagery of a destructive, uncontrollable wind symbolizes the terrifying and absolute nature of the Babylonian conquest, which Jeremiah foresaw as God's judgment, not a cleansing force but a devastating one.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many citizens. This event serves as a stark warning of the consequences of disobedience to God.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and begins deporting elites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the start of Babylon's dominance over the region.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon again besieges Jerusalem, deporting King Jehoiachin and many more skilled workers. Jeremiah prophesied during this period of increasing Babylonian pressure.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This devastating event fulfills many of Jeremiah's prophecies.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire is conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great. This ushers in a new era for the exiled Judeans.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
Cyrus allows the Jewish people to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marks the beginning of the post-exilic period.
This passage describes a powerful, unstoppable force, much like the destructive 'dry wind' in Jeremiah, portraying horses swifter than eagles and chariots like whirlwinds coming to lay waste the land.
Ezekiel 17:10Here, a 'scorching east wind' is used to symbolize judgment and desolation, paralleling Jeremiah's depiction of a destructive wind coming from the desert to afflict God's people.
Hosea 13:15This verse speaks of a devastating wind from the wilderness that will 'blast' the trees and 'lay waste' the land, mirroring the destructive, non-cleansing nature of the wind in Jeremiah.
Zechariah 7:14This verse references a 'whirlwind' and scattered peoples, echoing the violent, uprooting power of the wind described in Jeremiah, which brings judgment rather than purification.
pulpitJeremiah 4:11: "At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,"
Verse 11. - Shall it be said to this people; i.e. words like these may be used with reference to this people. A dry wind, etc.; literally, a clear wind (but the notions of dryness and heat are closely connected with that of heat; comp. Isaiah 18:4). The prophet doubtless means the east wind, which is very vi…
calvinJeremiah 4:11-12: "At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,"
In tempore illo dicetur populo huic (hoc est, de populo hoc; l enim hic accipitur pro v,) et de Jerusalem, ventus siccus (alii transferunt, vehementem) in excelsis deserti (in deserto, ad verbum,) versus viam filiae populi mei, non ad spargendum, neque ad purgandum;
Even a full wind from those pl…
This verse uses the image of a "dry wind" not just for destruction, but specifically to highlight that this divine judgment isn't meant for the usual purposes of cleansing or separating. Unlike a farmer using wind to winnow grain, this harsh wind from the desert serves no purifying end; it's purely destructive, a stark contrast to God's prior attempts to refine His people.
The prophet Jeremiah, after lamenting the impending destruction of Jerusalem and Judah, shifts to describing the devastating invasion that will bring it about. He likens this invading force to a fierce, dry wind from the desert, emphasizing its destructive nature. This wind is not meant for the helpful purpose of winnowing grain but carries an overwhelming force that will utterly devastate the land and its people.
The prophet Jeremiah, after lamenting the impending destruction of Jerusalem and Judah, shifts to describing the devastating invasion that will bring it about. He likens this invading force to a fierce, dry wind from the desert, emphasizing its destructive nature. This wind is not meant for the helpful purpose of winnowing grain but carries an overwhelming force that will utterly devastate the land and its people.
"At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgm…" — This verse uses the image of a "dry wind" not just for destruction, but specifically to highlight that this divine judgment isn't meant for the usual purposes of cleansing or separating. Unlike a far…
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Last reviewed October 2026
