Jeremiah 4 12

Jeremiah 4:12 kjv

Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.

Jeremiah 4:12 nkjv

A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I will also speak judgment against them."

Jeremiah 4:12 niv

a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them."

Jeremiah 4:12 esv

a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them."

Jeremiah 4:12 nlt

It is a roaring blast sent by me!
Now I will pronounce your destruction!"

Jeremiah 4 verses

Jeremiah 4 12 Meaning

Jeremiah 4:12 declares God's imminent and direct involvement in bringing devastating judgment upon Judah. A mighty, destructive force, metaphorically represented as a "full wind" or powerful desert storm, is seen as originating from the northern invaders, yet divinely commissioned and directed. This signifies that the approaching calamity is not merely a human conflict but God's deliberate execution of His legal judgments against His disobedient people.

Jeremiah 4 12 Context

Jeremiah 4 is a prophetic lament and warning to Judah concerning the devastating judgment rapidly approaching from the north. The chapter graphically portrays the terrifying invasion by an unnamed but clearly identified enemy (the Babylonians/Chaldeans), which God uses as His instrument of wrath. It begins with an appeal for repentance (vv. 1-4) but quickly shifts to an urgent warning of war, emphasizing the enemy's speed and ruthlessness (vv. 5-9). The prophet then grapples with God's perceived deception or mystery concerning the judgment (v. 10). Verse 11 introduces a "scorching wind" from the desert, clarifying it's not a gentle wind for winnowing (a metaphor for purification or sifting), but a destructive one. Jeremiah 4:12 immediately follows this, specifying that this intense, non-beneficial wind is coming from the northern invaders to God, indicating divine agency and purpose. Historically, this period reflects Judah's continued idolatry and rebellion despite prophetic warnings, leading to the ultimate collapse of the Southern Kingdom under Babylonian assault (late 7th century BCE).

Jeremiah 4 12 Word analysis

• וְרוּחַ (ve-ruach): "And wind," or "But a wind." Ruach (רוּחַ) primarily means "wind," "breath," or "spirit." Here, it powerfully symbolizes an external force, either a literal destructive wind, a metaphor for the invading army, or an underlying divine spiritual force orchestrating events. Its dual meaning emphasizes both the physical calamity and God's active, unseen involvement.
• מָלֵא (male'): "full." This word implies abundance or completeness. In this context, describing a "wind," it suggests a powerful, strong, or sweeping force, quite distinct from the gentle, light breeze needed for agricultural tasks like winnowing (as contrasted in the preceding verse). It points to an overwhelming and destructive intensity. Some interpretations understand "full" as indicating a wind not from God directly, but that it comes "for Me" (לי), indicating divine direction.
• מֵאֵלֶּה (me'elleh): "from these." This prepositional phrase refers to the unspecified, plural entity from which the wind originates. Given the broader context of Jeremiah 4, "these" refers to the northern regions and the hostile nations dwelling there, particularly the Babylonians. It directly links the source of the calamity to the divinely appointed invaders.
• יָבוֹא (yavo'): "shall come." This is a Qal imperfect verb, indicating a definite future action. It signifies the certainty and imminence of the arrival of this powerful wind/force, underscoring the inevitability of the judgment.
• לִי (li): "to Me," or "for Me." This crucial word indicates divine ownership and purpose. The wind, though originating from "them," is directed "to Me" (God), signifying that the foreign invasion is not an accident of history but a divinely commissioned instrument in God's hands. It underscores His sovereignty over nations and natural forces.
• גַּם־אֲנִי (gam-ani): "now I also," or "even I." The emphatic "gam" ("also" or "even") combined with the first-person singular pronoun "ani" ("I") highlights God's personal and sovereign initiative. It stresses that in addition to the physical "wind" of judgment, God himself is actively making a judicial pronouncement.
• אֲדַבֵּר (adaber): "I will speak," or "I will pronounce." This Qal imperfect verb conveys a definitive and authoritative declaration. God is not merely reacting but actively, verbally stating His judgment. In the prophetic tradition, God's word is efficacious and brings about what it declares.
• מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim): "judgments." This plural noun refers to legal decisions, judicial sentences, or pronouncements of justice. It signifies that the impending calamity is not arbitrary punishment but a deserved, lawful consequence for Judah's transgressions, rooted in God's covenant and righteous character.
• אוֹתָם (otam): "against them." The objective suffix "them" explicitly identifies the recipients of God's declared judgments as the people of Judah, the rebellious nation to whom Jeremiah prophesies.

• "A full wind from these shall come to Me": This phrase links the external threat directly to God's purpose and control. The overwhelming, destructive force of the northern invaders (the "full wind from these") is seen not as random aggression, but as an agent that approaches "Me" (God), under His direct authority and for His specific use in judgment. It asserts divine sovereignty over the instruments of destruction.
• "Now I will also speak judgments against them": This declarative statement immediately follows the description of the "wind," affirming that the physical devastation is a direct manifestation of God's judicial pronouncements. It underscores that God is not only the orchestrator of the invasion but also the Judge who articulates the righteous reasons for the suffering, ensuring it is perceived as deserved consequence, not arbitrary cruelty.

Jeremiah 4 12 Bonus section

The "full wind" imagery contrasts sharply with the "scorching wind" in the previous verse (Jer 4:11), which explicitly states it's "not to winnow or to cleanse." This distinction is critical: instead of a gentle wind for separating grain (symbolizing purification or sifting to preserve), this wind is purely destructive, signifying wholesale ruin with no redeeming purpose for the immediate target. The intensity of this wind aligns with the idea of a tempest or a potent desert storm, like the sirocco (a hot, strong wind), which devastates rather than refreshes or aids agriculture. This prophetic vision resonates with other Old Testament texts where God uses nations as His "rod" or "weapon" to execute His will, underscoring the deep theological principle that even in the actions of seemingly independent empires, God is ultimately at work to uphold His covenant and dispense justice.

Jeremiah 4 12 Commentary

Jeremiah 4:12 reveals a crucial aspect of God's active role in the unfolding calamity for Judah. It explicitly states that the destructive force approaching from the north, symbolized as a "full wind," is under divine direction. This wind is not merely a natural phenomenon or a random act of war; it "comes to Me" (God), signifying God's ultimate sovereignty and intention behind the events. Furthermore, God personally declares, "Now I will also speak judgments against them," establishing that the impending devastation is not a cruel twist of fate but a just execution of His righteous decrees against Judah's persistent sin and rebellion. This highlights that God uses historical and natural events as instruments to bring forth His verbal pronouncements of judgment, thereby revealing His justice to a disobedient world.