English Standard Version
Jeremiah 6:4
4"Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen!
Jeremiah 6:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
- New International Version (NIV)“Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day goes away, For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They shout, ‘Prepare for battle! Attack at noon!’ ‘No, it’s too late; the day is fading, and the evening shadows are falling.’
Context of Jeremiah 6:4
2The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy, the daughter of Zion. 3Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her; they shall pitch their tents around her; they shall pasture, each in his place. "Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen! 5Arise, and let us attack by night and destroy her palaces!" 6For thus says the Lord of hosts: "Cut down her trees; cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her.
Read all of Jeremiah 6Jeremiah 6:4 word by word
קַדְּשׁ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה ק֖וּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה בַֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם א֥וֹי לָ֙נוּ֙ כִּי־פָנָ֣ה הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י יִנָּט֖וּ צִלְלֵי־עָֽרֶב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Prepareקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: prepareH6942
- ye warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- against her; ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- and let us go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: attackH5927
- at noonצֹ֫הַרtsôhar · middayH6672
- Woeאוֹי'ôy · woe!H188
- unto us! for the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- goeth awayפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- for the shadowsצֵלֶלtsêlel · shadowH6752
- of the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
- are stretched outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
Cross-references for Jeremiah 6:4
- Jeremiah 5:10"Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord's.
- Jeremiah 51:27"Set up a standard on the earth; blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations for war against her; summon against her the kingdoms, Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like bristling locusts.
- Isaiah 5:26He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!
- Isaiah 13:2On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.
- Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.
- Jeremiah 15:8I have made their widows more in number than the sand of the seas; I have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday; I have made anguish and terror fall upon them suddenly.
- Zephaniah 2:4For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.
- Jeremiah 8:20"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."
Commentaries on Jeremiah 6:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Prepare ye war against her - The words of the invaders exciting each other to the assault, and impatient lest any time should be lost; lest the besieged should have time to strengthen themselves, or get in supplies.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Prepare ye war - Rather, Sanctify ye war against her. War in ancient times was never undertaken without religions solemnities (see Deuteronomy 20:2 note). For some of these compare Ezekiel 21:21-23. At noon - The mid-day heat is so great in the East as to be usually passed under shelter 2 Samuel 4:5; Song of Song of Solomon 1:7 . The morning-march of an army was made fasting, and was usually over by eight or nine. But so great is the impatience of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-5Jeremiah described the commanding officers of the invading army as shepherds leading their soldiers to camp around the city. The initial plan was to strike the city walls at noon, when the attackers could see their work. However, the people in the city were so weakened that a night attack was just as effective (see 2 Kings 25:1–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. The invading soldiers encourage one another to the attack on Jerusalem. Prepare--literally, "Sanctify" war, that is, Proclaim it formally with solemn rites; the invasion was solemnly ordered by God (compare Is 13:3). at noon--the hottest part of the day when attacks were rarely made (Jr 15:8; 20:16). Even at this time they wished to attack, such is their eagerness. Woe unto us--The words of the invaders, mourning the approach of night which would…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 6
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries