Jeremiah 4 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 4:16

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.
Jeremiah 4:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 4:16 in other translations

BSBWarn the nations now! Proclaim to Jerusalem: “A besieging army comes from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.
WEB“Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
ASVMake 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.
YLTMake ye mention to the nations, Lo, sound ye to Jerusalem: ‘Besiegers are coming from the land afar off, And they give forth against cities of Judah their voice.
DARBYInform the nations; behold, make Jerusalem to hear: Besiegers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
BBEMake this come to the minds of the nations, make a statement openly against Jerusalem, that attackers are coming from a far country and their voices will be loud against the towns of Judah.
WebsterMake 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.

What does Jeremiah 4:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Watchers come from a far country - Persons to besiege fortified places.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 4:5-18

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…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 4:5-18 →

Jeremiah 4:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הַזְכִּ֣ירוּhaz.Ki.rumake knownH2142
לַגּוֹיִ֗םla.go.Yimto the nationsH1471
הִנֵּה֙hi.Nehhere!H2009
הַשְׁמִ֣יעוּhash.Mi.'uproclaimH8085
עַל\־'al-toH5921
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
נֹצְרִ֥יםno.tze.RimbesiegersH5341
בָּאִ֖יםba.'Im[are] comingH935
מֵאֶ֣רֶץme.'E.retzfrom [the] land ofH776
הַמֶּרְחָ֑קha.mer.Chak<the> distanceH4801
וַֽיִּתְּנ֛וּvai.yi.te.Nuand they have given forthH5414
עַל\־'al-onH5921
עָרֵ֥י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
יְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
קוֹלָֽם\׃ko.Lamvoice theirH6963

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 4:16

  • Ezekiel 21:22

    At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.

  • Jeremiah 5:15

    Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

  • Isaiah 39:3

    Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 2:15

    The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.

  • Jeremiah 31:10

    Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

  • Jeremiah 5:6

    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.

  • Isaiah 34:1

    Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

  • Jeremiah 4:17

    As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 39:1

    In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

  • Deuteronomy 28:49-52

    The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

  • Jeremiah 16:6

    Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

  • Jeremiah 6:18

    Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ye.
6:18; 31:10; 50:2; Isa 34:1
watchers.
17; 5:6; 16:6; 39:1
from.
5:15; De 28:49-52; Isa 39:3
give out.
2:15; Eze 21:22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 4:15

    For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

  • Jeremiah 4:16

    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.

  • Jeremiah 4:17

    As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Lord.

Read all of Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah 4:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Decid á las gentes; he aquí, haced oir sobre Jerusalem: Guardas vienen de tierra lejana, y darán su voz sobre las ciudades de Judá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Faites savoir aux nations; voici, faites entendre à Jérusalem: Des assiégeants viennent d’un pays lointain et font retentir leur voix contre les villes de Juda.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Meldet es den Nationen, siehe, verkündet es Jerusalem: Belagerer kommen aus fernem Lande und lassen ihre Stimme erschallen wider die Städte Judas;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dicite gentibus: Ecce auditum est in Jerusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua, et dare super civitates Juda vocem suam: