The Bible Says
Jeremiah 4:3-4 Meaning

God issues a stirring challenge to His people through Jeremiah, proclaiming, For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns" (v. 3). The men of Judah lived in the southern kingdom of Israel, while Jerusalem was that kingdom’s capital city. Jeremiah, who ministered as a prophet from about 627 BC to sometime after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, directs this message to a people who had grown indifferent and complacent toward God’s commandments. In calling them to break up fallow ground, the LORD is urging them to cultivate their hearts and remove any barriers that prevent a sincere relationship with Him.

Fallow ground implies land left untilled that can become hardened or overgrown with weeds. Spiritually, it symbolizes the condition of a heart left unattended, where unconfessed sin and wrong priorities entangle a person’s relationship with God. By instructing the people not to sow among thorns, the LORD is warning them against scattering seeds of spiritual devotion in an environment that chokes growth through competing desires. This teaching reflects the repeated biblical imagery of tending the soil of one’s heart to receive God’s word effectively, as seen in Jesus’ parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15). The goal is fruitfulness and transformation rather than remaining stuck in lifeless ritual.

Jeremiah’s audience is given a vivid picture that they are not to blindly plant their actions or offerings on soil thick with spiritual thorns. True repentance and inward renewal stand at the heart of this call, a reminder to till the soul thoroughly. These words challenge God’s people to remove distractions, reorient priorities, and become truly receptive to the truth. In so doing, they become a cultivated people who can bear fruit in repentance and obedience to the LORD (Luke 3:8).

The call continues with the poignant command: "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds" (v. 4). Physical circumcision of the foreskin was a sign of the covenant given to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:9-14). But here, Jeremiah declares that mere outward symbols are insufficient unless the heart is also purified. This deeper circumcision signifies stripping away the hardened layers of disobedience and pride. Israel is often caught in the sin of tending to their outer body rather than their inner character. Jesus will later call the Pharisees, "whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). 

By addressing the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the prophet targets both the leadership class and the general population. Historically, these were the people living under the monarchy that traced back to King David, who reigned around 1010 BC. Their lineage should have reminded them of the rich spiritual history of covenant loyalty, yet many drifted from true devotion. Jeremiah warns that God’s judgment will be fierce if the nation continues to cultivate evil rather than righteousness. The fire of God's wrath signifies an unstoppable force that comes when injustice and rebellion are left unchecked.

Ultimately, the LORD’s plea is that hearts be laid bare before Him, cleansed from every destructive tendency that stifles faithful worship. The image of an inward circumcision anticipates the New Testament idea that a genuine follower of God is one inwardly, where God’s Spirit transforms the heart (Romans 2:28-29). Such cleansing requires genuine repentance, humble submission, and a will to obey God’s voice above all else.