Why will the Lord “like the east wind scatter them before the enemy” and show them his back and not his face?
The Lord will scatter his people before their enemy like a wind from the east.
Jeremiah has spoken of the eastern wind before (see Jeremiah 4:11; Jeremiah 13:24). It is the sirocco, a dry, scorching wind that blows off the desert and destroys vegetation. It is a description of the devastating effect that the Babylonian army will have on Judah when the Lord sends them into judgment.1 He will also turn his back on Judah. It is a gesture of displeasure and alienation. In her unfaithfulness, Judah has turned her back on the Lord, but now the Lord is turning away from them, showing that the covenant relationship is broken. He will do this in the day of their calamity.
This is an old phrase that refers to the time of the Lord’s judgment (see Jeremiah 46:21; Jeremiah 48:16; Jeremiah 49:8, Jeremiah 49:32; Deuteronomy 32:35).2
17 Pareil au vent d'orient, je les disperserai devant l'ennemi; Je leur tournerai le dos, je ne les regarderai pas au jour de leur détresse.