Sottish Children

[Jer. 4:18] Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.
[19] My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
[22] For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
It was not a false step or two that did you this mischief, but your way and course of living were bad. Sin is the procuring cause of all our troubles. Those that go on in sin while they are endeavoring to ward off mischief with one hand are at the same time pulling them upon their own heads with the other.
The fruit of your wickedness has been the cause of bringing such a bitter enemy against you, which has reached unto your very heart.
Here begins the complaint of the prophet. At my very heart - Hebrew, "at the walls of my heart"; the muscles round the heart. There is a climax, the "bowels," the pericardium, the "heart.”
Makes a noise, moaned itself is disturbed within me through the tumult of my spirits, and I cannot hold my peace. The grievance and the grief sometimes may be such that the most prudent patient man cannot forbear complaining. It is not for himself or any affliction in his family that he grieves thus; but it is purely upon the public account, it is his people's case that he lays to heart.
I have heard in the spirit of prophecy; it is as certain, as if I now heard the trumpet sounding. Alarm of war is the battle shout. He does not say, you hast heard, O my ear! but, O my soul! Because the event was yet future, and it is by the spirit of prophecy that he see it and receives the impression of it. His soul heard it from the words of G-d, and therefore he was as well assured of it, and as much affected with it, as if he had heard it with his bodily ears. It becomes us to tremble at the thought of the misery that sinners are running themselves into to awaken them to a holy fear, and so to a care to prevent so great a judgment by a true and timely repentance. Those that would affect other with the word of G-d should evidence that they are themselves affected with it.
My people are foolish. G-d calls them His people, though they are foolish. They have cast Him off, but He has not cast them off, Romans 11:1. "They are My people, whom I have been in covenant with, and still have mercy in store for. They are foolish, for they have not known Me." Those are foolish indeed that have not known G-d, especially that call themselves His people, and have the advantages of coming into acquaintance with Him, and yet have not known Him. They are sottish children, stupid and senseless, and have no understanding. They cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood, good and evil; they cannot discern the mind of G-d either in His word or in His providence; they do not understand what their true interest is, nor on which side it lies. They are wise to do evil, to plot mischief against the quiet in the land, wise to contrive the gratification of their lusts, and then to conceal and palliate them. But to do good they have no knowledge, no contrivance, no application of mind; they know not how to make a good use either of the ordinances or of the providences of G-d, nor how to bring about any design for the good of their country. Contrary to this should be our character. Romans 16:19, I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
Sottish is strongs number H5530 which means fool – foolish.
Children is number H1121 means:
1) son, grandson, child, member of a group
a) son, male child
b) grandson
c) children (pl. - male and female)
d) youth, young men (pl.)
e) young (of animals)
f) sons (as characterisation, i.e. sons of injustice [for un- righteous men] or sons of God [for angels]
g) people (of a nation) (pl.)
h) of lifeless things, i.e. sparks, stars, arrows (fig.)
i) a member of a guild, order, class
G-d's replies they cannot be otherwise than miserable, since they persevere in sin. The repetition of clauses gives greater force to the sentiment.