Jeremiah 6:4

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

2I will destroy Daughter Zion, who is as delicate and defenseless as a young maiden. 3Kings will come against it with their armies. They will encamp in siege all around it. Each of them will devastate the portion assigned to him. They will say, ‘Prepare to do battle against it! Come on! Let’s attack it at noon!’ But later they will say, ‘Oh, oh! Too bad! The day is almost over and the shadows of evening are getting long. 5So come on, let’s go ahead and attack it by night and destroy all its fortified buildings.’ 6All of this is because the Lord who rules over all has said: ‘Cut down the trees around Jerusalem and build up a siege ramp against its walls. This is the city which is to be punished. Nothing but oppression happens in it.

Jeremiah 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 5:10The Lord commanded the enemy, “March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches for these people do not belong to the Lord.
• Jeremiah 51:27“Raise up battle flags throughout the lands. Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle. Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia. Call for these kingdoms to attack her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander to lead the attack. Send horses against her like a swarm of locusts.
• Isaiah 5:26He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth. Look, they come quickly and swiftly.
• Isaiah 13:2On a bare hill raise a signal flag, shout to them, wave your hand, so they might enter the gates of the princes!
• Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for a holy war! Call out the warriors! Let all these fighting men approach and attack!
• Jeremiah 15:8Their widows will become in my sight more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashores. At noontime I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men. I will cause anguish and terror to fall suddenly upon them.
• Zephaniah 2:4Indeed, Gaza will be deserted and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, and Ekron will be overthrown.
• Jeremiah 8:20“They cry, ‘Harvest time has come and gone, and the summer is over, and still we have not been delivered.’

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

• Cruel
• Mount
• Reprobate
• Wallow
• Army
• Decline
• Even; Evening; Eventide
• Jeremiah (2)
• Sheshach
• War; Warfare

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