Jeremiah 16:4

Jeremiah 16:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)“They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like dung lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.”

Context of Jeremiah 16:4

2“Do not marry or have sons or daughters in this place. 3For this is what the Lord says concerning sons and daughters born in this place as well as concerning the mothers who bear them and the fathers who father them in this land: They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the soil’s surface. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land. 5“For this is what the Lord says: Don’t enter a house where a mourning feast is taking place. Don’t go to lament or sympathize with them, for I have removed my peace from these people as well as my faithful love and compassion.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 6“Both great and small will die in this land without burial. No lament will be made for them, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.

Jeremiah 16:4 word by word

מְמוֹתֵ֨י תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים יָמֻ֗תוּ לֹ֤א יִסָּֽפְדוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִֽהְי֑וּ וּבַחֶ֤רֶב וּבָֽרָעָב֙ יִכְל֔וּ וְהָיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They shall dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• of grievousתַּחֲלֻאִיםtachălû' tachălû' · diseaseH8463
• deathsמָמוֹתmâmôth · deathH4463
• they shall not be lamentedסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594
• neither shall they be buriedקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
• they shall be as dungדֹּ֫מֶןdômen · dungH1828
• upon the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
• of the earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• and they shall be consumedכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615
• by the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and by famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• and their carcasesנְבֵלָהnebêlâh · carcassH5038
• shall be meatמַאֲכָלma'ăkâl · foodH3978
• for the fowlsעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
• of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• and for the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776

Cross-references for Jeremiah 16:4

• Jeremiah 14:16The people they are prophesying to will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. There will be no one to bury them — they, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. I will pour out their own evil on them.”
• Jeremiah 15:2If they ask you, ‘Where will we go? ’ tell them: This is what the Lord says: Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword. Those destined for famine, to famine; those destined for captivity, to captivity.
• Psalms 78:64His priests fell by the sword, and the widows could not lament.
• Jeremiah 16:5“For this is what the Lord says: Don’t enter a house where a mourning feast is taking place. Don’t go to lament or sympathize with them, for I have removed my peace from these people as well as my faithful love and compassion.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
• Jeremiah 22:18Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not mourn for him, saying, “Woe, my brother!” or “Woe, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying, “Woe, lord! Woe, his majesty!”
• Jeremiah 25:33Those slain by the Lord on that day will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the soil’s surface.
• Amos 6:9And if there are ten men left in one house, they will die.
• Jeremiah 7:33The corpses of these people will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land, with no one to scare them away.
• Jeremiah 22:19He will be buried like a donkey, dragged off and thrown outside Jerusalem’s gates.
• Jeremiah 36:30Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his corpse will be thrown out to be exposed to the heat of day and the frost of night.
• Psalms 79:2They gave the corpses of your servants to the birds of the sky for food, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
• Jeremiah 8:1“At that time” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of her officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem will be brought out of their graves.
• Jeremiah 9:22“Speak as follows: ‘This is what the Lord declares: Human corpses will fall like manure on the surface of the field, like newly cut grain after the reaper with no one to gather it.
• 1 Kings 14:10Because of all this, I am about to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will wipe out all of Jeroboam’s males, both slave and free, in Israel; I will sweep away the house of Jeroboam as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone!
• 1 Kings 21:23The Lord also speaks of Jezebel: ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land at Jezreel:
• 2 Kings 9:10The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land at Jezreel — no one will bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and escaped.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 16:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4They shall die of grievous deaths - All prematurely; see Jeremiah 14:16. As dung upon the face of the earth - See Jeremiah 8:2. Be meat for the fowls - See Jeremiah 7:33.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Jeremiah's lack of children served as a lesson about the future. Soon, many children and parents would die, leaving no one to mourn or bury them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. grievous deaths--rather, "deadly diseases" (Jr 15:2). not ... lamented--so many shall be the slain (Jr 22:18). dung--(Psa 83:10).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 16:4

• Burial
• Death

In the dictionaries

• Carcass; Carcase
• Dung; Dung Gate
• Grievous; Grievously; Greievousness
• beast

Commentaries on Jeremiah 16

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings