New International Version
Jeremiah 4:23
23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.
Jeremiah 4:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.
Context of Jeremiah 4:23
21How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. 24I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. 25I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away.
Read all of Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 4:23 word by word
רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִנֵּה־תֹ֖הוּ וָבֹ֑הוּ וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ין אוֹרָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:23
- Jeremiah 9:10I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands. They are desolate and untraveled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds have all fled and the animals are gone.
- Genesis 1:2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
- Isaiah 24:19The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken.
- Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
- Isaiah 5:30In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
- Isaiah 13:10The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
- Ezekiel 32:7When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
- Joel 2:10Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
- Joel 3:15The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
- Amos 8:9“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
- Matthew 24:29“Immediately after the distress of those days “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
- Mark 13:25the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
- Luke 21:25“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
- Acts 2:19I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23I beheld the earth, (the land), and lo it was without form and void - ובהו תהו tohu vabohu ; the very words used in Genesis to denote the formless state of the chaotic mass before God had brought it into order.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23-26Verses 23-26 In four verses each beginning with “I beheld,” the prophet sees in vision the desolate condition of Judaea during the Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah 4:23 Without form, and void - Desolate and void (see Genesis 1:2 note). The land has returned to a state of chaos (marginal reference note). And the heavens - And upward to the heavens. The imagery is that of the last day of judgment. To Jeremiah‘s vision all was as though the day of the Lord had…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-31Verses 19-31 The prophet had no pleasure in delivering messages of wrath. He is shown in a vision the whole land in confusion. Compared with what it was, every thing is out of order; but the ruin of the Jewish nation would not be final. Every end of our comforts is not a full end. Though the Lord may correct his people very severely, yet he will not cast them off. Ornaments and false colouring would be of no avail. No outward privileges or profession, no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-26In Jeremiah's vision, the Lord's intense anger was more important than his creative love (Jeremiah 10:10; 12:4; Isaiah 5:25; 24:19; Ezekiel 38:20; Zephaniah 1:3). He was reversing the order of creation (see Genesis 1:2–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. Graphic picture of the utter desolation about to visit Palestine. "I beheld, and lo!" four times solemnly repeated, heightens the awful effect of the scene (compare Is 24:19; 34:11). without form and void--reduced to the primeval chaos (Ge 1:2).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 4:23
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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