New Living Translation
Jeremiah 4:26
26I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the Lord’s fierce anger.
Jeremiah 4:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
- New International Version (NIV)I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the Lord, By His fierce anger.
Context of Jeremiah 4:26
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. I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the Lord’s fierce anger. 27This is what the Lord says: “The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely. 28The earth will mourn and the heavens will be draped in black because of my decree against my people. I have made up my mind and will not change it.”
Read all of Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 4:26 word by word
רָאִ֕יתִי וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַכַּרְמֶ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְכָל־עָרָ֗יו נִתְּצוּ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I beheldרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- and, lo, the fruitful placeכַּרְמֶלkarmel · plantationH3759
- a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- and all the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- thereof were broken downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
- at the presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- by his fierceחָרוֹןchârôn chârôn · burning angerH2740
- angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:26
- Jeremiah 12:4How long must this land mourn? Even the grass in the fields has withered. The wild animals and birds have disappeared because of the evil in the land. For the people have said, “The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us!”
- Jeremiah 14:2“Judah wilts; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt. All the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.
- Deuteronomy 29:23They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.’
- Psalms 76:7No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
- Psalms 107:34He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there.
- Isaiah 5:9But I have heard the Lord of Heaven’s Armies swear a solemn oath: “Many houses will stand deserted; even beautiful mansions will be empty.
- Isaiah 7:20In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.
- Micah 3:12Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:26
- 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. 2626. fruitful place--Hebrew, Carmel. a wilderness--Hebrew, "the wilderness," in contrast to "the fruitful place"; the great desert, where Carmel was, there is now the desert of Arabia [Maurer]. cities--in contrast to the fruitful place or field.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 4:26
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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