New English Translation
Jeremiah 4:16
16They are saying, ‘Announce to the surrounding nations, “The enemy is coming!” Proclaim this message to Jerusalem: “Those who besiege cities are coming from a distant land. They are ready to raise the battle cry against the towns in Judah.”’
Jeremiah 4:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
- New International Version (NIV)“Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem, "Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout against the cities of Judah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Make mention to the nations, Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem, That watchers come from a far country And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
Context of Jeremiah 4:16
14“Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you? 15For messengers are coming, heralding disaster, from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim. They are saying, ‘Announce to the surrounding nations, “The enemy is coming!” Proclaim this message to Jerusalem: “Those who besiege cities are coming from a distant land. They are ready to raise the battle cry against the towns in Judah.”’ 17They will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field because they have rebelled against me,” says the Lord. 18“The way you have lived and the things you have done will bring this on you. This is the punishment you deserve, and it will be painful indeed. The pain will be so bad it will pierce your heart.”
Read all of Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 4:16 word by word
הַזְכִּ֣ירוּ לַגּוֹיִ֗ם הִנֵּה֙ הַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם נֹצְרִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים מֵאֶ֣רֶץ הַמֶּרְחָ֑ק וַֽיִּתְּנ֛וּ עַל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה קוֹלָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Make ye mentionזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- to the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- behold, publishשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: proclaimH8085
- against Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- watchersנָצַרnâtsar · to watchH5341
- comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- from a farמֶרְחָקmerchâq · distanceH4801
- countryאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and give outנָתַןnâthan · to give: cry outH5414
- their voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- against the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:16
- Jeremiah 6:18So the Lord said, “Hear, you nations! Be witnesses and take note of what will happen to these people.
- Jeremiah 31:10Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations. Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea. Say, “The one who scattered Israel will regather them. He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock.”
- Jeremiah 50:2“Announce the news among the nations! Proclaim it! Signal for people to pay attention! Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say: ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be dismayed. Babylon’s idols will be put to shame. Her disgusting images will be dismayed.
- Isaiah 34:1Come near, you nations, and listen! Pay attention, you people! The earth and everything it contains must listen, the world and everything that lives in it.
- Jeremiah 4:17They will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field because they have rebelled against me,” says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 5:6So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them. Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them. Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. For they have rebelled so much and done so many unfaithful things.
- Jeremiah 16:6Rich and poor alike will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned. People will not cut their bodies or shave off their hair to show their grief for them.
- Jeremiah 39:1King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. The siege began in the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.
- Jeremiah 5:15The Lord says, “Listen, nation of Israel! I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you. It will be a nation that was founded long ago and has lasted for a long time. It will be a nation whose language you will not know. Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.
- Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will raise up a distant nation against you, one from the other side of the earth as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand,
- Isaiah 39:3Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.”
- Jeremiah 2:15Like lions his enemies roar victoriously over him; they raise their voices in triumph. They have laid his land waste; his cities have been burned down and deserted.
- Ezekiel 21:22Into his right hand comes the portent for Jerusalem – to set up battering rams, to give the signal for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Watchers come from a far country - Persons to besiege fortified places.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Proclaim ye to the pagan, “Behold!” Cry aloud concerning “Jerusalem, that watchers” are on their way “from a far country: and” will “give out their voice against the cities of Judah.” The pagan are summoned to witness the chastisement of Jerusalem, that they may take warning thereby. By “watchers” are meant besiegers, who will surround the city with a line of sentinels.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-18Verses 5-18 The fierce conqueror of the neighbouring nations was to make Judah desolate. The prophet was afflicted to see the people lulled into security by false prophets. The approach of the enemy is described. Some attention was paid in Jerusalem to outward reformation; but it was necessary that their hearts should be washed, in the exercise of true repentance and faith, from the love and pollution of sin. When lesser calamities do not rouse sinners…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-18These verses focus on the kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, in God's courtroom. The Lord declared he would judge Jerusalem through the Babylonians.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. The neighboring foreign "nations" are summoned to witness Jehovah's judgments on His rebel people (Jr 6:18, 19). watchers--that is, besiegers (compare 2Sa 11:16); observed or watched, that is, besieged. their voice--the war shout.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 4:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4
- 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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