Jeremiah 6:4

Jeremiah 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
• New International Version (NIV)“Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen!
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day goes away, For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.

Context of Jeremiah 6:4

2O Jerusalem, you are my beautiful and delicate daughter— but I will destroy you! 3Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city. Each chooses a place for his troops to devour. They shout, ‘Prepare for battle! Attack at noon!’ ‘No, it’s too late; the day is fading, and the evening shadows are falling.’ 5‘Well then, let’s attack at night and destroy her palaces!’” 6This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through.

Jeremiah 6:4 word by word

קַדְּשׁ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה ק֖וּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה בַֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם א֥וֹי לָ֙נוּ֙ כִּי־פָנָ֣ה הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י יִנָּט֖וּ צִלְלֵי־עָֽרֶב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Prepareקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: prepareH6942
• ye warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• against her; ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and let us go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: attackH5927
• at noonצֹ֫הַרtsôhar · middayH6672
• Woeאוֹי'ôy · woe!H188
• unto us! for the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• goeth awayפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• for the shadowsצֵלֶלtsêlel · shadowH6752
• of the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• are stretched outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186

Cross-references for Jeremiah 6:4

• Jeremiah 5:10“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the Lord.
• Jeremiah 51:27Raise a signal flag to the nations. Sound the battle cry! Mobilize them all against Babylon. Prepare them to fight against her! Bring out the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander, and bring a multitude of horses like swarming locusts!
• Isaiah 5:26He will send a signal to distant nations far away and whistle to those at the ends of the earth. They will come racing toward Jerusalem.
• Isaiah 13:2“Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
• Joel 3:9Say to the nations far and wide: “Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors. Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.
• Jeremiah 15:8There will be more widows than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noontime I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will cause anguish and terror to come upon them suddenly.
• Zephaniah 2:4Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned, Ashdod and Ekron torn down.
• Jeremiah 8:20“The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone,” the people cry, “yet we are not saved!”

Commentaries on Jeremiah 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Prepare ye war against her - The words of the invaders exciting each other to the assault, and impatient lest any time should be lost; lest the besieged should have time to strengthen themselves, or get in supplies.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Prepare ye war - Rather, Sanctify ye war against her. War in ancient times was never undertaken without religions solemnities (see Deuteronomy 20:2 note). For some of these compare Ezekiel 21:21-23. At noon - The mid-day heat is so great in the East as to be usually passed under shelter 2 Samuel 4:5; Song of Song of Solomon 1:7 . The morning-march of an army was made fasting, and was usually over by eight or nine. But so great is the impatience of the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-5Jeremiah described the commanding officers of the invading army as shepherds leading their soldiers to camp around the city. The initial plan was to strike the city walls at noon, when the attackers could see their work. However, the people in the city were so weakened that a night attack was just as effective (see 2 Kings 25:1–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. The invading soldiers encourage one another to the attack on Jerusalem. Prepare--literally, "Sanctify" war, that is, Proclaim it formally with solemn rites; the invasion was solemnly ordered by God (compare Is 13:3). at noon--the hottest part of the day when attacks were rarely made (Jr 15:8; 20:16). Even at this time they wished to attack, such is their eagerness. Woe unto us--The words of the invaders, mourning the approach of night which would…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Cruel
• Mount
• Reprobate
• Wallow
• Army
• Decline
• Even; Evening; Eventide
• Jeremiah (2)
• Sheshach
• War; Warfare

Commentaries on Jeremiah 6

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings