Jeremiah 21:4

Jeremiah 21:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
• New International Version (NIV)‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city.
• English Standard Version (ESV)'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city.
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city.

Context of Jeremiah 21:4

2“Please inquire of the Lord for us, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal [favorably] with us according to all His wonderful works and force him to withdraw from us.” 3Then Jeremiah said to them, “Say this to Zedekiah: ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Behold, I will turn back and dull the edge of the weapons of war that are in your hands, [those] with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them into the center of this city (Jerusalem). 5I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm in anger, in fury, and in great indignation and wrath. 6I will also strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great virulent disease.

Jeremiah 21:4 word by word

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֣י מֵסֵב֮ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָה֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיֶדְכֶם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם נִלְחָמִ֣ים בָּ֗ם אֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ בָּבֶל֙ וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַצָּרִ֣ים עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם מִח֖וּץ לַֽחוֹמָ֑ה וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י אוֹתָ֔ם אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• Behold, I will turn backסָבַבsâbab · to turn: repellH5437
• the weaponsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
• of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• in your handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• wherewith ye fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• against the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
• the Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
• which besiegeצוּרtsûr · to confineH6696
• you withoutחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
• the wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• and I will assembleאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• them into the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892

Cross-references for Jeremiah 21:4

• Jeremiah 32:5and he will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him [for evaluation and judgment],” says the Lord. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed” ’?”
• Jeremiah 33:5‘While they (the besieged Jews) are coming to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill the houses with the dead bodies of men whom I have slain in My anger and in My wrath, for I have hidden My face [in disgust] from this city because of all their wickedness.
• Jeremiah 37:8And the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will come again and fight against this city, and they will capture it and set it on fire.” ’
• Jeremiah 38:2“So says the Lord, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by virulent disease (pestilence), but he who goes out to the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will live and have his [own] life as a reward and stay alive.’
• Jeremiah 52:18They also took away the pots [for carrying away ashes] and the shovels and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.
• Isaiah 10:4Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall [dead] among the slain [on the battlefield]. In spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn away, But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].
• Hosea 9:12Even though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them until not one is left. Indeed, woe (judgment is coming) to them when I look away and withdraw [My blessing] from them!
• Jeremiah 39:3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate [establishing both military control of the city and their authority to judge the captives]: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris (chief of the eunuchs), and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag (chief of the magicians), with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.
• Isaiah 5:5So now let me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will take away its thorn-hedge, and it will be burned up; I will break down its stone wall and it will be trampled down [by enemies].
• Isaiah 13:4A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of the kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts is mustering an army for battle.
• Lamentations 2:5The Lord has become like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all its palaces; He has destroyed its strongholds And multiplied in the Daughter of Judah Mourning and lamentation (expressions of grief).
• Ezekiel 16:37therefore, listen, I will gather all your lovers (pagan allies) with whom you took pleasure, and all those whom you loved with all those whom you hated; I will even gather them against you from every direction and will expose your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness [making you, Israel, an object of loathing and of mockery, a spectacle among the nations].
• Zechariah 14:2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured and the houses plundered and the women ravished; and half of the city will be exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
• Matthew 22:7The king was enraged [when he heard this], and sent his soldiers and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 21:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I will turn back the weapons - Every attempt you make to repel the Chaldeans shall be unsuccessful. I will assemble them into the midst of this city - I will deliver the city into their hands.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Without the walls - These words are to be joined to wherewith ye fight.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-7The Lord gave King Zedekiah's messengers a legal decision (see study note on Jeremiah 2:2). Resisting the Babylonians would be pointless because the Lord opposed Jerusalem.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. God of Israel--Those "wondrous works" (Jr 21:2) do not belong to you; God is faithful; it is you who forfeit the privileges of the covenant by unfaithfulness. "God will always remain the God of Israel, though He destroy thee and thy people" [Calvin]. turn back the weapons--I will turn them to a very different use from what you intend them. With them you now fight against the Chaldees "without the walls" (the Jewish defenders being as yet able to sally…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 21:4

• Babylon
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Babylon
• God
• Israel
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Uriah; Uruah
• Zedekiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings