New Living Translation
Jeremiah 4:23
23I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.
- 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.
Context of Jeremiah 4:23
21How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war? 22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!” I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light. 24I looked at the mountains and hills, and they trembled and shook. 25I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of 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 for the mountains and wail for the wilderness pastures. For they are desolate and empty of life; the lowing of cattle is heard no more; the birds and wild animals have all fled.
- Genesis 1:2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
- Isaiah 24:19The earth has broken up. It has utterly collapsed; it is violently shaken.
- Revelation 20:11And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
- Isaiah 5:30They will roar over their victims on that day of destruction like the roaring of the sea. If someone looks across the land, only darkness and distress will be seen; even the light will be darkened by clouds.
- Isaiah 13:10The heavens will be black above them; the stars will give no light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will provide no light.
- Ezekiel 32:7When I blot you out, I will veil the heavens and darken the stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give you its light.
- Joel 2:10The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.
- Joel 3:15The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
- Amos 8:9“In that day,” says the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day.
- Matthew 24:29“Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
- Mark 13:25the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
- Luke 21:25“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.
- Acts 2:19And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below— blood and fire and clouds 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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