New Living Translation
Jeremiah 4:16
16“Warn the surrounding nations and announce this to Jerusalem: The enemy is coming from a distant land, raising a battle cry against the towns of 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
14O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts? 15Your destruction has been announced from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim. “Warn the surrounding nations and announce this to Jerusalem: The enemy is coming from a distant land, raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah. 17They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,” says the Lord. 18“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the 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 6:18“Therefore, listen to this, all you nations. Take note of my people’s situation.
- Jeremiah 31:10“Listen to this message from the Lord, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock.
- Jeremiah 50:2This is what the Lord says: “Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced.
- Isaiah 34:1Come here and listen, O nations of the earth. Let the world and everything in it hear my words.
- Jeremiah 4:17They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,” says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 5:6So 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.
- Jeremiah 16:6Both the great and the lowly will die in this land. No one will bury them or mourn for them. Their friends will not cut themselves in sorrow or shave their heads in sadness.
- Jeremiah 39:1In January of the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with his entire army to besiege Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 5:15O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,” says the Lord. “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand.
- Deuteronomy 28:49“The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand,
- Isaiah 39:3Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did those men want? Where were they from?” Hezekiah replied, “They came from the distant land of Babylon.”
- Jeremiah 2:15Strong lions have roared against him, and the land has been destroyed. The towns are now in ruins, and no one lives in them anymore.
- Ezekiel 21:22The omen in his right hand says, ‘Jerusalem!’ With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls.
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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