God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 6:4
4⌞The shepherds say,⌟ ‘Prepare yourselves for war against Zion. Let’s attack at noon! How horrible it will be for us. The day is passing, and the shadows of evening are growing longer.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen!
- 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.
Context of Jeremiah 6:4
2“My people Zion are like lovely pastures. 3With their flocks, shepherds will come to them, pitch their tents all around them, and each of them will tend his own flock. ⌞The shepherds say,⌟ ‘Prepare yourselves for war against Zion. Let’s attack at noon! How horrible it will be for us. The day is passing, and the shadows of evening are growing longer. 5Let’s attack at night and destroy its palaces.’ ” 6This is what the Lord of Armies says: Cut down its trees. Build up dirt mounds to attack Jerusalem. This city must be punished. There is nothing but oppression in it.
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 among Jerusalem’s rows of grapevines and destroy them, but don’t destroy all of them. Cut off the branches because they don’t belong to the Lord.
- Jeremiah 51:27Raise your battle flag throughout the world. Blow the ram’s horn among the nations. Prepare nations to attack Babylon. Tell the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to attack it. Appoint a commander to lead the attack. Bring up horses like a swarm of locusts.
- Isaiah 5:26The Lord raises up a flag for the nations far away. With a whistle he signals those at the ends of the earth. Look, they are coming very quickly!
- Isaiah 13:2Raise a banner on the bare mountaintop. Call loudly to them. Signal them with your hand to enter the nobles’ gates.
- Joel 3:9Announce this among the nations: Prepare yourselves for war. Wake up the warriors. Have all the warriors come near and attack.
- Jeremiah 15:8Their widows will be more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noontime I will send a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring anguish and terror to them.
- Zephaniah 2:4Gaza will be deserted, and Ashkelon will be destroyed. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be torn out by the roots.
- Jeremiah 8:20The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we haven’t been 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries