God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 21:4
4‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I’m going to take your weapons away from you. You are using these weapons to fight the king of Babylon as well as the Babylonians who are now blockading you outside the wall. I will bring the Babylonians inside this city.
Jeremiah 21:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
- New International Version (NIV)‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city.
- English Standard Version (ESV)'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city.
Context of Jeremiah 21:4
2“Consult the Lord for us, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will perform miracles for us so that Nebuchadnezzar will retreat.” 3Jeremiah responded to them, “This is what you should say to Zedekiah, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I’m going to take your weapons away from you. You are using these weapons to fight the king of Babylon as well as the Babylonians who are now blockading you outside the wall. I will bring the Babylonians inside this city. 5I will fight you in anger, fury, and rage with my powerful hand and my mighty arm. 6I will defeat those who live in this city, both people and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.
Read all of Jeremiah 21Jeremiah 21:4 word by word
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֣י מֵסֵב֮ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָה֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיֶדְכֶם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם נִלְחָמִ֣ים בָּ֗ם אֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ בָּבֶל֙ וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַצָּרִ֣ים עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם מִח֖וּץ לַֽחוֹמָ֑ה וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י אוֹתָ֔ם אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Behold, I will turn backסָבַבsâbab · to turn: repellH5437
- the weaponsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- in your handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- wherewith ye fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
- against the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- the Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
- which besiegeצוּרtsûr · to confineH6696
- you withoutחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- the wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- and I will assembleאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- them into the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- of this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
Cross-references for Jeremiah 21:4
- Jeremiah 32:5Nebuchadnezzar will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and Zedekiah will stay there until I deal with him, declares the Lord. When you fight the Babylonians, you won’t win.’ ”
- Jeremiah 33:5The people of Israel fought the Babylonians. Now their houses are filled with the bodies of their own people I killed in my anger and my fury. I will hide my face from this city because of its wickedness.
- Jeremiah 37:8Then the Babylonians will return. They will attack the city, capture it, and burn it down.
- Jeremiah 38:2They heard Jeremiah say, “This is what the Lord says: Those who stay in this city will die in wars, famines, or plagues. But those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.
- Jeremiah 52:18They took the pots, shovels, snuffers, bowls, dishes, and all the bronze utensils used in the temple service.
- Isaiah 10:4Nothing’s left but to crouch among prisoners and to fall with those who are killed. Even after all this, his anger will not disappear, and he is still ready to use his power.
- Hosea 9:12Even if they bring up children, I will take those children away before they grow up. Yes, how horrible it will be for them when I leave them.
- Jeremiah 39:3Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat in Middle Gate: Nergal (the quartermaster), Samgar Nebo (the chief officer), Nergal (the quartermaster and the chief fortuneteller), and all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon.
- Isaiah 5:5Now then, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will tear away its hedge so that it can be devoured and tear down its wall so that it can be trampled.
- Isaiah 13:4Listen to the noise on the mountains. It is like the sound of a large army. It is the sound of kingdoms and nations gathering together. The Lord of Armies is assembling his army for battle.
- Lamentations 2:5The Lord became an enemy. He swallowed up Israel. He swallowed up all of its palaces. He destroyed its strongholds. He made the people of Judah mourn and moan.
- Ezekiel 16:37That is why I will gather all your lovers with whom you found pleasure. I will have all those who love you and hate you gather around. I will uncover your body for them, and they will see you naked.
- Zechariah 14:2I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half of the people in the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people won’t be taken from the city.
- Matthew 22:7“The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 21:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I will turn back the weapons - Every attempt you make to repel the Chaldeans shall be unsuccessful. I will assemble them into the midst of this city - I will deliver the city into their hands.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Without the walls - These words are to be joined to wherewith ye fight.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-7The Lord gave King Zedekiah's messengers a legal decision (see study note on Jeremiah 2:2). Resisting the Babylonians would be pointless because the Lord opposed Jerusalem.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. God of Israel--Those "wondrous works" (Jr 21:2) do not belong to you; God is faithful; it is you who forfeit the privileges of the covenant by unfaithfulness. "God will always remain the God of Israel, though He destroy thee and thy people" [Calvin]. turn back the weapons--I will turn them to a very different use from what you intend them. With them you now fight against the Chaldees "without the walls" (the Jewish defenders being as yet able to sally…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 21:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 21
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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