New King James Version
Jeremiah 5:6
6Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased.
Jeremiah 5:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many.
Context of Jeremiah 5:6
4Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God. 5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased. 7“How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses. 8They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
Read all of Jeremiah 5Jeremiah 5:6 word by word
עַל־כֵּן֩ הִכָּ֨ם אַרְיֵ֜ה מִיַּ֗עַר זְאֵ֤ב עֲרָבוֹת֙ יְשָׁדְדֵ֔ם נָמֵ֤ר שֹׁקֵד֙ עַל־עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם כָּל־הַיּוֹצֵ֥א מֵהֵ֖נָּה יִטָּרֵ֑ף כִּ֤י רַבּוּ֙ פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֔ם עָצְמ֖וּ מְשׁוּבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Wherefore a lionאַרְיֵה'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
- out of the forestיַ֫עַרya‛ar · woodH3293
- shall slayנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- a wolfזְאֵבze'êb · wolfH2061
- of the eveningsעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · plainH6160
- shall spoilשָׁדַדshâdad · to ruinH7703
- them, a leopardנָמֵרnâmêr · leopardH5246
- shall watchשָׁקַדshâqad · to watchH8245
- over their citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- every one that goeth outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- thence shallהֵנָּהhênnâh · they(fem.)H2007
- be torn in piecesטָרַףţâraph · to tearH2963
- because their transgressionsפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
- are manyרָבַבrâbab · to multiplyH7231
- their backslidingsמְשׁוּבָהmeshûbâh meshûbâh · faithlessnessH4878
- are increasedעָצֹם‛âtsam · be vastH6105
Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:6
- Jeremiah 2:15The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
- Jeremiah 4:7The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.
- Jeremiah 25:38He has left His lair like the lion; For their land is desolate Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, And because of His fierce anger.”
- Jeremiah 49:19“Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd Who will withstand Me?”
- Ezekiel 14:16even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
- Daniel 7:4The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
- Hosea 5:14For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
- Hosea 13:7“So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk;
- Amos 5:18Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light.
- Nahum 2:11Where is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, And no one made them afraid?
- Psalms 104:20You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
- Ezekiel 22:27Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.
- Habakkuk 1:8Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
- Zephaniah 3:3Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.
- Daniel 7:6“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
- Revelation 13:2Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Wherefore a lion - Nebuchadnezzar, according to the general opinion; who is called here a lion for his courage and violence, a bear for his rapaciousness, and a leopard for his activity. Dahler supposes the Scythians to be intended, both here and in Jeremiah 4:7.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Evenings - See the margin. From its habit of skulking about in the twilight the wolf is often called the “evening wolf” Habakkuk 1:8; Zephaniah 3:3, but the word used here means a sandy desert. Leopard - panther.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6The Babylonians would attack like a lion, a wolf, and a leopard. These fierce animals could destroy human life. The people's rebellion and sins were very serious to the Lord (Jeremiah 4:7; 30:14–15; Psalm 104:20; Ezekiel 22:27; Hosea 13:7; Habakkuk 1:8; Zephaniah 3:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. lion ... wolf ... leopard--the strongest, the most ravenous, and the swiftest, respectively, of beasts: illustrating the formidable character of the Babylonians. of the evenings--Others not so well translate, of the deserts. The plural means that it goes forth every evening to seek its prey (Psa 104:20; Ha 1:8; Zep 3:3). leopard ... watch ... cities--(Ho 13:7). It shall lie in wait about their cities.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 5:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 5
- 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