Jeremiah 16 4

Jeremiah 16:4 kjv

They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

Jeremiah 16:4 nkjv

"They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth."

Jeremiah 16:4 niv

"They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like dung lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals."

Jeremiah 16:4 esv

They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

Jeremiah 16:4 nlt

They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals."

Jeremiah 16 verses

Jeremiah 16 4 Meaning

Jeremiah 16:4 prophesies a devastating judgment upon the people of Judah, detailing the ignominious deaths they will experience. It describes a scenario where multitudes will die from severe illnesses, war, and famine, so rapidly and extensively that there will be no one left to mourn them or grant them proper burial. Their bodies will remain unburied, decomposing like refuse on the surface of the earth, becoming food for scavenging birds and wild animals, symbolizing a complete societal breakdown and extreme divine displeasure.

Jeremiah 16 4 Context

Jeremiah 16:4 is part of a longer prophetic passage (Jeremiah 16:1-13) where the Lord explicitly commands Jeremiah to cease traditional participation in major life events—marriage, child-rearing, and funerals or feasts of mourning/celebration. This injunction serves as a powerful, living sign (an "acted parable") to the people of Judah concerning the catastrophic judgment approaching them. Verse 4 details the reason for the prohibition against mourning: death will be so rampant, widespread, and dishonorable that traditional funerary rites and expressions of grief will become meaningless or impossible.

Historically, this prophecy targets Judah's state in the late 7th to early 6th century BCE, leading up to the Babylonian exile. The people had persistently engaged in idolatry, rejected God's covenant, and ignored the calls for repentance from earlier prophets. Culturally, proper burial and mourning rituals were profoundly significant in ancient Israelite society, viewed as essential for human dignity, respect for the dead, and the community's well-being. The denial of these rites, along as depicted here, represents the utter dehumanization, defilement, and utter disgrace brought about by God's severe judgment, contrasting sharply with their earlier covenant blessings and the peace they expected under false gods or political alliances.

Jeremiah 16 4 Word analysis

• They shall die of grievous deaths
  • They shall die: Implies widespread mortality, affecting many. The active verb underscores certainty and divine agency in the fate.
  • of grievous deaths (מְמֹתֵי תַחֲלֻאִים - m'motei tachaluh'im): Memotei is the plural construct of "deaths," suggesting a variety of deadly circumstances. Tachaluh'im means "sicknesses," "diseases," or "ailments." It denotes painful, suffering, and likely prolonged ends, often associated with divine plagues or pestilence (Ex 15:26). The phrase signifies not just death, but death accompanied by great pain and affliction, pointing to a severe form of judgment beyond mere mortality. This echoes the curses outlined in Deut 28:59, which speak of "dreadful plagues and lasting sicknesses."
• they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried;
  • lamented (סֻפְדּוּ - suphdu): From the verb saphad, meaning "to mourn," "wail," or "beat the breast" for the dead. This describes the traditional, deeply embedded cultural practice of expressing sorrow and respect for the deceased, typically involving professional mourners (Jer 9:17) and rituals. The denial of lamentation is a profound insult and curse, suggesting no one will be left, or able, to mourn them, highlighting extreme despair and social collapse. It removes dignity from their passing.
  • neither shall they be buried (וְלֹא יִקָּבְרוּ - v'lo yikkavru): From the verb qavar, "to bury." Burial was a fundamental expectation and act of mercy in the ancient Near East, a sign of respect, and a means of preventing defilement. The denial of burial was a major component of a curse (1 Kgs 14:11), signifying extreme dishonor and rejection (Deut 28:26; Ecc 6:3). It also alludes to the sheer scale of death, overwhelming any possibility of proper burial.
• but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth:
  • as dung (לְדֹמֶן - l'domen): Domen refers to manure, animal excrement, or refuse. This is a powerful, shocking, and dehumanizing image. Their bodies, instead of receiving honor, will be utterly defiled and reduced to the lowest form of waste, serving as fertilizer for the ground. This indicates extreme degradation, spiritual pollution, and complete contempt. It highlights God's disgust at their persistent idolatry.
  • upon the face of the earth: Emphasizes the open, exposed, and public nature of their dishonor. Not covered, not hidden, but laid bare for all to see, becoming a spectacle of judgment. It contrasts with being buried in the earth.
• and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine;
  • consumed by the sword: Refers to death by warfare, indicating violent and widespread slaughter (Jer 14:16; Eze 5:12).
  • and by famine: Death from starvation, a common consequence of siege and war, illustrating another dire aspect of the impending disaster (Lam 2:20). Together, "sword and famine" form a destructive duo often associated with divine judgment in Jeremiah (Jer 15:2; 24:10).
• and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
  • their carcases (נִבְלָתָם - nivlatam): Refers specifically to decaying bodies, carrion, stripped of human dignity, unfit for burial, becoming mere objects for scavengers.
  • fowls of heaven... beasts of the earth: Birds of prey (vultures) and wild scavengers (dogs, jackals). This imagery is the ultimate desecration, an established component of curses in the ancient Near East and within the Mosaic covenant (Deut 28:26). It symbolizes a complete loss of protection, God's rejection, and the ultimate indignity where natural predators, not grieving family, dispose of the deceased. It is a reversal of God's order, where humans are to exercise dominion over animals (Gen 1:28), now they are consumed by them.

Jeremiah 16 4 Bonus section

The severity of the judgment described in Jeremiah 16:4 speaks directly to the profound breach of covenant that Judah had committed. The imagery of unburied bodies and consumption by carrion was a recognized legal and theological threat within the Ancient Near Eastern treaties and also within the Law of Moses. Therefore, the people of Judah, steeped in the covenant (Deut 28), would have understood this specific language as a clear fulfillment of curses associated with ultimate disobedience and idolatry. It effectively countered any false security they might have derived from their national identity or their physical location in Jerusalem, as God's wrath would strip away every layer of perceived privilege and protection. The verse also underscores God's sovereignty over life and death, even to the extent of controlling the disposal of human remains.

Jeremiah 16 4 Commentary

Jeremiah 16:4 vividly depicts the culmination of God's wrath against Judah's unfaithfulness. The verse is a profound articulation of the judgment against a covenant-breaking people, highlighting the full extent of dishonor that will befall them. It prophesies deaths by pestilence, warfare, and starvation – "grievous deaths" – implying intense suffering and vast numbers. Crucially, the absence of lamentation and burial marks an absolute breakdown of societal norms and deep spiritual cursing. Burial was a sacred duty, reflecting respect and humanity; its denial meant total disgrace, relegating human remains to the status of "dung." This is further intensified by the ultimate desecration: their bodies will become carrion for "fowls of heaven and beasts of the earth," a recurring curse in biblical prophecy and ancient treaties signifying total annihilation and divine abandonment. This horrifying image serves as a dire warning: when a nation persistently forsakes the Living God, the blessings of life, dignity, and proper mourning are replaced by utter degradation and chaos, as outlined in the covenant curses (Lev 26; Deut 28).