Jeremiah 12:4

Jeremiah 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
• New International Version (NIV)How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, "He will not see our latter end."
• New King James Version (NKJV)How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

Context of Jeremiah 12:4

2They are like trees that you have planted. They have strong roots. They produce good fruits. Those people like to talk about you a lot, but they do not really love you. 3But you know everything about me, Lord. You watch me carefully to test me. You know what I am thinking. You should kill those wicked men, as they deserve! Take them away like sheep, to kill them when the time is right. Our land has been dry for a long time. The grass everywhere is dying. How long will this continue? The animals and the birds are dying. This has happened because the people who live in this land do wicked things. They like to boast, ‘God will not see what happens to us.’ 5‘Jeremiah, you are running a race against people, and you are already tired! So you will never be able to run a race against horses. You are walking in flat fields, and you still fall over! So it will be much worse when you try to run through the trees and bushes near the Jordan River. 6Even your own brothers and family have turned against you. They join with other people to attack you. So do not trust them, even when they say kind words to you.

Jeremiah 12:4 word by word

עַד־מָתַי֙ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעֵ֥שֶׂב כָּל־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִיבָ֑שׁ מֵרָעַ֣ת יֹֽשְׁבֵי־בָ֗הּ סָפְתָ֤ה בְהֵמוֹת֙ וָע֔וֹף כִּ֣י אָמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה אֶת־אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• How long shall the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• mournאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
• and the herbsעֵ֫שֶׂב‛eώeb · vegetationH6212
• of every fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• witherיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · to witherH3001
• for the wickednessרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• of them that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• therein? the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
• are consumedסָפָהsâphâh · to snatchH5595
• and the birdsעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
• because they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• He shall not seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• our last endאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319

Cross-references for Jeremiah 12:4

• Jeremiah 9:10‘I will weep for the mountains. I will cry for the fields in the wilderness. There is no grass for the animals to eat. Nobody travels through those places. There is no sound of cows and sheep. The birds and the wild animals have all disappeared.’
• Jeremiah 14:2‘Judah's people are very sad and upset. The people in Judah's cities are becoming weak. They are sitting on the ground and they are weeping. Jerusalem's people call to me for help.
• Jeremiah 23:10The land is full of people who are not faithful to God. The prophets live wicked lives. They use their power in a bad way. Because of that, God has cursed the land. The land is as dry as a desert, and the fields have no grass.
• Joel 1:10Nobody can use the fields. They are all dry. The new wine has all gone. The oil has all gone.
• Jeremiah 4:24I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. All the hills were moving around.
• Jeremiah 7:20The Lord God says, ‘Because I am so angry, I will punish this land very much. It will be like a fire that nobody can stop. My punishment will destroy people, animals, trees and crops.’
• Hosea 4:3Because of this, the land will become like a desert. Everyone who lives there will become weak. Everything will die: the wild animals, the birds, and even the fish in the sea.
• Habakkuk 3:17Whatever happens, I will continue to thank the Lord. If there are no flowers on the fig trees, if there are no grapes on the vines, if there are no olives on the olive trees, if there are no crops in the fields, if the sheep are dying in the hills, if there are no cows on the farms,
• Romans 8:22We know that everything in the universe is still in great pain now. Everything cries together in pain, like a woman who is ready to have a baby.
• Jeremiah 5:13The prophets speak empty words. They do not speak the Lord's messages. The troubles that they talk about should happen to them, not us!” ’
• Psalms 50:21You did all these things, and I said nothing. So you thought that I was as bad as you are. But now I am warning you! I will tell you clearly what you have done wrong.
• Ezekiel 7:2‘Son of man, this is what I, the Almighty Lord, say to the land of Israel: The end is now here! I will soon destroy the whole land.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4How long shall the land mourn - These hypocrites and open sinners are a curse to the country; pull them out, Lord, that the land may be delivered of that which is the cause of its desolation.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The Hebrew divides this verse differently. “How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of the whole field wither? Because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein cattle and fowl have ceased to be: for he will not see, say they, our latter end.” The people mock the prophet, saying, In spite of all his threatenings we shall outlive him. Jeremiah complained that at a time of great general misery powerful men throve upon the ruin of others: even the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Jeremiah felt helpless because the Lord's plan to destroy the land seemed too harsh. Jeremiah understood that the people were wrong to mockingly say the Lord could not predict the future (compare Isaiah 46:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. land mourn--personification (Jr 14:2; 23:10). for the wickedness--(Psa 107:34). beasts--(Ho 4:3). He shall not see our last end--Jehovah knows not what is about to happen to us (Jr 5:12) [Rosenmuller]. So the Septuagint. (Psa 10:11; Eze 8:12; 9:9). Rather, "The prophet (Jeremiah, to whom the whole context refers) shall not see our last end." We need not trouble ourselves about his boding predictions. We shall not be destroyed as he says (Jr 5:12, 13).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 12:4

• Animals
• Jeremiah

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Commentaries on Jeremiah 12

• 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