God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 12:4
4How long will the land mourn? How long will the plants in every field remain dried up? The animals and the birds are dying, because people are wicked. They think that God doesn’t know what they are doing.
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
2You plant them, and they take root. They grow, and they produce fruit. They speak well of you with their lips, but their hearts are far from you. 3You know me, O Lord. You see me and test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to be slaughtered. Prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn? How long will the plants in every field remain dried up? The animals and the birds are dying, because people are wicked. They think that God doesn’t know what they are doing. 5“If you have raced against others on foot, and they have tired you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in open country, how can you live in the jungle along the Jordan River? 6Even your relatives and members of your father’s household betray you. They have also formed a mob to find you. Don’t trust them when they say good things about you.
Read all of Jeremiah 12Jeremiah 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 9:10I will cry and weep for the mountains. I will sing a funeral song for the pastures in the wilderness. They are destroyed so that no one can travel through them. No one can hear the sound of cattle. Birds and cattle have fled. They are gone.
- Jeremiah 14:2Judah mourns; its gates fall apart. The people of Judah sit in mourning on the ground. Their cry goes up from Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 23:10The land is filled with adulterers. The land mourns because of the curse. Pastures in the wilderness have dried up. The people are evil, and they use their strength to do the wrong things.
- Psalms 107:34and fertile ground into a layer of salt because of the wickedness of the people living there.
- Joel 1:10Israel’s fields are ruined, and the ground is dried up. The grain has been destroyed. The new wine has dried up. The olive oil has run out.
- Jeremiah 4:24I see the mountains. They are shaking, and the hills are swaying.
- Jeremiah 7:20“This is what the Almighty Lord says: My anger and fury will be poured out on this place, on humans and animals, and on trees and crops. My anger and fury will burn and not be put out.
- Hosea 4:3That is why the land is drying up, and everyone who lives in it is passing away. Wild animals, birds, and fish are dying.
- Habakkuk 3:17Even if the fig tree does not bloom and the vines have no grapes, even if the olive tree fails to produce and the fields yield no food, even if the sheep pen is empty and the stalls have no cattle—
- Romans 8:22We know that all creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.
- Jeremiah 5:13The prophets are nothing but windbags. The Lord hasn’t spoken through them, so let what they say happen to them.”
- Psalms 50:21When you did these things, I remained silent. ⌞That⌟ made you think I was like you. I will argue my point with you and lay it all out for you to see.
- Ezekiel 7:2“Son of man, this is what the Almighty Lord says to ⌞the people in⌟ the land of Israel: The end is coming! The end is coming to the four corners of the earth.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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