God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 16:4
4They will die horrible deaths. No one will mourn for them or bury them. They will be like manure on the ground. Wars and famines will bring them to an end. Their bodies will be food for birds and animals.
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“Don’t marry! Don’t have any sons or daughters in this place! 3This is what the Lord says about the sons and daughters born in this place and about the mothers and fathers who have children in this land: They will die horrible deaths. No one will mourn for them or bury them. They will be like manure on the ground. Wars and famines will bring them to an end. Their bodies will be food for birds and animals. 5“This is what the Lord says: Don’t go into a house where people are grieving. Don’t go to mourn or to grieve for them. I’m taking my peace, love, and compassion away from these people,” declares the Lord. 6“Old and young alike will die in this land. No one will mourn for them or bury them. No one will cut his own body or shave his own head for them.
Read all of Jeremiah 16Jeremiah 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 prophesy to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem. They will be victims of famines and wars. No one will bury them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters. I will pour on them the destruction that they deserve.
- Jeremiah 15:2When they ask you where they should go, say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: Those who are destined to die will die. Those who are destined to die in wars will die in wars. Those who are destined to die in famines will die in famines. Those who are destined to die in captivity will die in captivity.’
- Psalms 78:64His priests were cut down with swords. The widows ⌞of his priests⌟ could not even weep ⌞for them⌟.
- Jeremiah 16:5“This is what the Lord says: Don’t go into a house where people are grieving. Don’t go to mourn or to grieve for them. I’m taking my peace, love, and compassion away from these people,” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 22:18This is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of Judah’s King Josiah: People won’t mourn for him and say, “How horrible it is for my brother and sister!” They won’t mourn for him and say, “How horrible it is for my master and his splendor!”
- Jeremiah 25:33On that day those killed by the Lord will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, taken away, or buried. They will become like manure on the ground.
- Amos 6:9If ten people are left in one house, they will die.
- Jeremiah 7:33The dead bodies of these people will become food for birds and animals, and no one will be there to frighten them away.
- Jeremiah 22:19He will receive a donkey’s burial. He will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 36:30This is what the Lord says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his own corpse will be thrown out and exposed to the heat of day and the cold of night.
- Psalms 79:2They have given the dead bodies of your servants to the birds for food. They have given the flesh of your godly ones to the animals.
- Jeremiah 8:1The Lord declares, “At that time the bones of the kings and the leaders of Judah, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the others who lived in Jerusalem will be taken out of their graves.
- Jeremiah 9:22This is what the Lord says: Dead bodies will fall like manure on the field. They will be like grain that has been cut but not gathered.
- 1 Kings 14:10“ ‘That is why I will bring disaster on Jeroboam’s house. I will destroy every male in his house, whether slave or freeman in Israel. I will burn down Jeroboam’s house. It will burn like manure until it is gone.
- 1 Kings 21:23Then the Lord also spoke ⌞through Elijah⌟ about Jezebel: “The dogs will eat Jezebel inside the walls of Jezreel.
- 2 Kings 9:10Dogs will eat Jezebel inside the walls of Jezreel, and no one will bury her.” Then he opened the door and left.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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