The big picture
Jeremiah 4 opens in verse 1 with “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD , return unto me: and if thou wilt put…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 16 with “Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come…”, and closes in verse 31 with “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, heart, Jerusalem, beheld, cities. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Jeremiah · King James Version · 31Jeremiah 4:1-8
1–8: If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD , return unto me: and if…
Jeremiah 4:1–8 opens with “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD , return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine…” and reaches “For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 4 develops its own movement around LORD, heart, Jerusalem, beheld, cities, with particular weight carried by LORD, Jerusalem, Judah.
Context that brings the passage to life
“If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD , return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Jeremiah 4:1-8
King James Version1If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD , return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
2And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
3For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD , and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
6Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
Jeremiah 4:9-16
9–16: It shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD , that the heart of…
Jeremiah 4:9–16 opens with “And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD , that the heart of the king shall perish…” and reaches “Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 4 develops its own movement around LORD, heart, Jerusalem, beheld, cities, with particular weight carried by Jerusalem, heart, people.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD , that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Jeremiah 4:9-16
King James Version9And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD , that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD ! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
11At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
13Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
15For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
16Make 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 4:17-24
17–24: As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she…
Jeremiah 4:17–24 opens with “As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious…” and reaches “I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 4 develops its own movement around LORD, heart, Jerusalem, beheld, cities, with particular weight carried by heart, beheld, bowels.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD .” The line’s distinctive content terms include field, keepers, LORD. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.
“My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because…” The line’s distinctive content terms include bowels, heart, alarm. Its relationship to verses 18 and 20 shows what work it does in this passage.
Jeremiah 4:17-24
King James Version17As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD .
18Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.
19My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
21How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
Jeremiah 4:25-31
25–31: I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens…
Jeremiah 4:25–31 opens with “I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.” and reaches “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 4 develops its own movement around LORD, heart, Jerusalem, beheld, cities, with particular weight carried by beheld, city, heavens.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.” The line’s distinctive content terms include beheld, birds, fled. Its relationship to verses 26 shows what work it does in this passage.
“I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of…” The line’s distinctive content terms include anger, beheld, broken. Its relationship to verses 25 and 27 shows what work it does in this passage.
“For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Jeremiah 4:25-31
King James Version25I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26I 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.
27For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
29The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
30And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
31For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Jeremiah 4:1 begins with “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD , return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.”
Where the chapter turns
Jeremiah 4:14 forms a natural hinge: “O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?”
The final note
Jeremiah 4:31 leaves the reader with “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, heart, Jerusalem, beheld, cities, Judah help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What opportunity exists before the murder?
Cain receives a warning and a call to resist sin in verse 7. Anger is not treated as an irresistible excuse.
What do the two speeches about vengeance reveal?
God limits retaliation against Cain; Lamech celebrates escalation.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.