New King James Version
Jeremiah 4:31
31“For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, ‘Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!’
Jeremiah 4:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
- New International Version (NIV)I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child— the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, “Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, "Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers."
- New Living Translation (NLT)I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, “Help! I’m being murdered!”
Context of Jeremiah 4:31
29The whole city shall flee from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city shall be forsaken, And not a man shall dwell in it. 30“And when you are plundered, What will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life. “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, ‘Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!’
Read all of Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 4:31 word by word
כִּי֩ ק֨וֹל כְּחוֹלָ֜ה שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי צָרָה֙ כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔ה ק֧וֹל בַּת־צִיּ֛וֹן תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַ תְּפָרֵ֣שׂ כַּפֶּ֑יהָ אֽוֹי־נָ֣א לִ֔י כִּֽי־עָיְפָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י לְהֹרְגִֽים׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For I have heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- a voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- as of a woman in travailחָלָהchâlâh · be weak: grievedH2470
- the anguishצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- as of her that bringeth forth her first childבָּכַרbâkar · to be/bear firstbornH1069
- of the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- bewailethיָפַחyâphach · to breatheH3306
- spreadethפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
- her handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
- Woeאוֹי'ôy · woe!H188
- me now! for my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- is weariedעִיף‛âyêph · be faintH5888
- because of murderersהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:31
- Jeremiah 6:24We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor.
- Jeremiah 13:21What will you say when He punishes you? For you have taught them To be chieftains, to be head over you. Will not pangs seize you, Like a woman in labor?
- Jeremiah 22:23O inhabitant of Lebanon, Making your nest in the cedars, How gracious will you be when pangs come upon you, Like the pain of a woman in labor?
- Jeremiah 30:6Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale?
- Jeremiah 48:41Kerioth is taken, And the strongholds are surprised; The mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
- Jeremiah 49:22Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle, And spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
- Jeremiah 50:43“The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.
- Isaiah 13:8And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.
- Isaiah 21:3Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it.
- Hosea 13:13The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, For he should not stay long where children are born.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
- Jeremiah 6:2I have likened the daughter of Zion To a lovely and delicate woman.
- Matthew 21:5“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
- Isaiah 1:15When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
- Lamentations 1:17Zion spreads out her hands, But no one comforts her; The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob That those around him become his adversaries; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
- Jeremiah 10:19Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, “Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it.”
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Bringeth forth her first child - In such a case the fear, danger, and pain were naturally the greatest. Spreadeth her hands - The gesture indicated by nature to signify distress, and implore help. We have met with this figure in other parts, and among the classic writers it is frequent.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31For a cry have I heard as of one writhing in vain: Anguish as of one that bringeth forth her first-born: The cry of the daughter of Zion. She gasps for breath: she stretches out her palms: Woe is me! for my soul faints before the murderers.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. 31The people in Jerusalem felt such intense anguish that Jeremiah compared their pain to a woman giving birth to her first child. Like these women, beautiful Jerusalem was desperate (Jeremiah 13:21; 23:23; 30:6; Isaiah 1:15; 42:14; Lamentations 1:17).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. anguish--namely, occasioned by the attack of the enemy. daughter of Zion--There is peculiar beauty in suppressing the name of the person in trouble, until that trouble had been fully described [Henderson]. bewaileth herself--rather, "draweth her breath short" [Horsley]; "panteth." spreadeth ... hands--(La 1:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 4:31
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries