Focused Passage

Jeremiah 4:19-22

Return with Circumcised Hearts Before Disaster Comes from the North

The chapter moves from conditional return and heart circumcision, to urgent alarm over invasion from the north, to Jeremiah's anguished response, to a creation-reversal vision of devastation, and finally to Jerusalem's helpless self-presentation before unavoidable judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

19 My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

20 Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment.

21 How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?

22 “For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 19

Cross-references

Habakkuk 3:16 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 14:8 Classic cross-references Isaiah 16:11 Classic cross-references Isaiah 22:4 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 49:2 Classic cross-references

Original words

My anguish מֵעַ֣י׀ H4578 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular my anguish מֵעַ֨י׀ H4578 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular I writhe in pain אָחוּלָה H2342 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular Oh, the pain קִיר֥וֹת H7023 Noun - masculine plural construct in my chest לִבִּ֛י H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular My heart לִבִּ֖י H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular pounds הֹֽמֶה־ H1993 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular within me לִּ֥י Preposition | first person common singular I cannot לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be silent אַחֲרִ֑ישׁ H2790 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular For כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I נַפְשִׁ֔י H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular have heard שָׁמַעְתִּי H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular the sound ק֤וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of the horn שׁוֹפָר֙ H7782 Noun - masculine singular the alarm תְּרוּעַ֖ת H8643 Noun - feminine singular construct of battle מִלְחָמָֽה׃ H4421 Noun - feminine singular

Verse 20

Cross-references

Jeremiah 10:20 Classic cross-references Psalms 42:7 Classic cross-references 2 Thessalonians 1:9 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 7:25 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 7:26 Classic cross-references

Original words

Disaster שֶׁ֤בֶר H7667 Noun - masculine singular after עַל־ H5921 Preposition disaster שֶׁ֙בֶר֙ H7667 Noun - masculine singular is proclaimed נִקְרָ֔א H7121 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular for כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction the whole כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct land הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular is laid waste שֻׁדְּדָ֖ה H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular My tents אֹהָלַ֔י H168 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular are destroyed שֻׁדְּד֣וּ H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural in an instant פִּתְאֹם֙ H6597 Adverb my curtains יְרִיעֹתָֽי׃ H3407 Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular in a moment רֶ֖גַע H7281 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 21

Cross-references

Numbers 10:9 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 4:6 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 42:14 Classic cross-references

Original words

How long עַד־ H5704 Preposition . . . מָתַ֖י H4970 Interrogative must I see אֶרְאֶה־ H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular the signal flag נֵּ֑ס H5251 Noun - masculine singular and hear אֶשְׁמְעָ֖ה H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular the sound ק֥וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of the horn שׁוֹפָֽר׃ס H7782 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 22

Cross-references

Isaiah 40:28 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 14:20 Classic cross-references Isaiah 1:3 Classic cross-references Ephesians 5:17 Classic cross-references Hosea 4:6 Classic cross-references

Original words

For כִּ֣י׀ H3588 Conjunction My people עַמִּ֗י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular - אוֹתִי֙ H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular are fools אֱוִ֣יל H191 Adjective - masculine singular they have not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle known Me יָדָ֔עוּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural They הֵ֔מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural are foolish סְכָלִים֙ H5530 Noun - masculine plural children בָּנִ֤ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural without וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle understanding נְבוֹנִ֖ים H995 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural They הֵ֑מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural are skilled חֲכָמִ֥ים H2450 Adjective - masculine plural . . . הֵ֙מָּה֙ H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural in doing evil לְהָרַ֔ע H7489 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct but they know יָדָֽעוּ׃ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle how to do good וּלְהֵיטִ֖יב H3190 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct

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