Jeremiah 4:15 kjv
For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
Jeremiah 4:15 nkjv
For a voice declares from Dan And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim:
Jeremiah 4:15 niv
A voice is announcing from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
Jeremiah 4:15 esv
For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim.
Jeremiah 4:15 nlt
Your destruction has been announced
from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim.
Jeremiah 4 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 1:13-14 | The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" ... "Out of the north disaster shall be let loose..." | Enemy from the north as God's instrument |
| Jer 6:1 | "Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from Jerusalem! ... for disaster threatens from the north..." | Call to flee due to northern threat |
| Jer 6:22 | "Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, a people is coming from the north country...'" | Confirmation of the invading northern nation |
| Jer 10:22 | "A sound! Behold, it comes! A great commotion out of the north country..." | Imminent arrival of the northern foe |
| Jer 5:15-17 | "I am bringing against you a nation from afar... it shall devour your harvest..." | Describes the coming destructive nation |
| Deut 28:49-50 | "The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar... a nation ruthless in appearance..." | General prophecy of distant invaders for disobedience |
| Hos 8:1 | "Set the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord..." | Alarm of approaching judgment |
| Joel 2:1 | "Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble..." | Call to sound alarm for impending doom |
| Zeph 1:10 | "On that day, declares the Lord, there will be a loud cry from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter..." | Sounds of distress within the city |
| Isa 13:4 | "The sound of a tumultuous multitude in the mountains, like many people! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering!" | Assembly of nations for judgment |
| Ezek 33:2-5 | "...if the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman... if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people..." | Watchman's duty to warn of danger |
| Isa 58:1 | "Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression..." | Prophetic duty to proclaim warning of sin/judgment |
| Prov 1:27 | "...when disaster strikes you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you." | Calamity as a consequence |
| Isa 30:13 | "...this iniquity will be to you like a breach ready to fall, bulging out in a high wall..." | Iniquity leading to sudden collapse/disaster |
| Jer 18:11 | "...return now, every one of you, from his evil way, and make your ways and your deeds good." | Call for repentance to avert disaster |
| Isa 5:26 | "He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, swiftly, they come!" | God's summoning of distant nations |
| Judg 18:29 | They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the former name of the city was Laish. | Establishes Dan as the northernmost point |
| 1 Sam 3:20 | "...all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord." | Dan marking the northern extent of the land |
| 1 Kin 12:29 | And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. | Northern border for idolatry |
| Judg 20:1 | Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba... | "From Dan to Beersheba" as the full extent |
| Zeph 3:6 | "I have laid waste nations; their battlements are in ruins..." | God's destruction of nations as judgment |
Jeremiah 4 verses
Jeremiah 4 15 Meaning
Jeremiah 4:15 announces the swift and certain spread of alarming news regarding an approaching destructive force. A "voice" reports from Dan, the northernmost boundary of ancient Israel, signaling the arrival of an enemy from that direction. This warning then intensifies and progresses southward, with a message of "disaster" or "calamity" being proclaimed from Mount Ephraim, indicating the advancing threat is moving deeper into the land towards Judah. The verse emphasizes the rapid and undeniable nature of the impending judgment.
Jeremiah 4 15 Context
Jeremiah chapter 4 presents a series of urgent calls for Judah to repent, transitioning quickly into graphic depictions of the devastating judgment that awaits them if they refuse. Verses 5-8 are a summons to flee and take refuge, as an unnamed but terrifying enemy is sweeping in from the North. Verse 15 is part of this section, vividly describing the geographical progression of the warning about the approaching invasion. The historical context is Judah in the late 7th century BC, under kings like Jehoiakim, marked by widespread idolatry, spiritual complacency, and moral corruption. Jeremiah’s message is a divine plea for genuine repentance, warning that YHWH, in His righteous anger, is bringing judgment upon them using a foreign power as His instrument. The references to specific locations like Dan and Mount Ephraim grounds the abstract prophecy in tangible geography, making the threat immediate and terrifyingly real for the original audience.
Jeremiah 4 15 Word analysis
- For (כִּי - kî): A particle often meaning "for," "because," "that." Here, it introduces the reason or explanation for the urgency described in the preceding verses, signaling the imminent nature of the threat.
- a voice (קוֹל - qōl): From the root meaning "sound," "cry," "noise." In this context, it is not merely an auditory phenomenon but signifies a report, a warning, or a message being actively conveyed. It implies a loud, distinct sound of alarm or communication.
- declares (מַגִּ֣יד - maggîḏ): Hiphil participle of the verb nagad, meaning "to tell," "report," "make known." The participle form emphasizes an ongoing or immediate action of reporting, indicating that the news is currently being announced or revealed. It suggests clarity and certainty in the communication.
- from Dan (מִדָּ֑ן - mid-dān): Dan was the northernmost city of the Israelite tribes, representing the geographical entry point for invaders coming from the North (e.g., Assyria, Babylon). Its mention immediately signals the direction of the impending threat and indicates that the news of the invasion begins there, spreading southwards. It symbolically represents the border being breached.
- and proclaims (וּמַשְׁמִֽיעַ - ūmašmîaʿ): From the verb shama, meaning "to hear," in the Hiphil participle form, meaning "to cause to hear," "to announce," "to proclaim." Similar to "declares," it denotes a public, audible, and deliberate announcement. The conjunction "and" links this second declaration, showing the progression of the warning.
- disaster (אָ֣וֶן - ’āwen): This significant Hebrew word often translates to "iniquity," "wickedness," "mischief," "sorrow," "trouble," "calamity," or "disaster." In this context, it points primarily to the impending catastrophic destruction and misfortune. Its inherent link to sin implies that this disaster is not arbitrary but a direct consequence of Judah's wickedness and unfaithfulness. It denotes devastating trouble.
- from Mount Ephraim (מֵהַ֥ר אֶפְרָֽיִם - mēhar ’efrāyim): Mount Ephraim refers to the central highlands, the tribal territory of Ephraim. It is geographically south of Dan. Its mention here signifies the advancement of the invading force into the heartland and the subsequent spreading of the alarm. Being an elevated region, it could serve as a vantage point from which to signal impending danger, further emphasizing the spread of the dire news towards Jerusalem.
- a voice declares from Dan: This phrase powerfully conveys the immediate source and nature of the alarm. The "voice" suggests an authoritative or widely heard report, not a mere rumor. "From Dan" fixes the origin of the invasion, instantly recognizable to an Israelite audience as the frontier. The image is one of a distant, yet distinct, warning initiating the chain of news.
- and proclaims disaster from Mount Ephraim: This progression from "Dan" to "Mount Ephraim" emphasizes the speed and advance of the threat. It is no longer just news from the border; the enemy is deeper in the land, and the nature of the news becomes explicitly "disaster." The higher elevation of Mount Ephraim makes the proclamation all the more effective, carrying the warning further south. The twin declarations underscore the certainty and two-fold nature of the announcement: invasion confirmed and its destructive impact stated.
Jeremiah 4 15 Bonus section
The structure of Jeremiah 4:15 employs a form of parallelism where the alarm is repeated, but with geographical progression (Dan to Mount Ephraim) and an intensification of the message (general news to "disaster"). This stylistic choice creates a sense of foreboding and underscores the rapid, undeniable nature of the invasion. The enemy's exact identity remains unstated in this immediate context, which heightens the terror for the audience, as it signifies any potent destructive force YHWH chooses to send as His instrument. This ambiguous enemy ultimately came to be understood as the Babylonians. The sequence reflects an ancient warning system where messages would be relayed from one vantage point to another, spreading rapidly across the land.
Jeremiah 4 15 Commentary
Jeremiah 4:15 succinctly describes the chilling news of an approaching, formidable enemy. The specific mention of Dan and Mount Ephraim strategically highlights the northern invasion route, showing the alarm originating at the furthest boundary and swiftly propagating inwards, moving south towards Judah. "Dan" establishes the starting point, while "Mount Ephraim" confirms the enemy's progress deep into the land, signifying an unstoppable advance. The terms "declares" and "proclaims" emphasize the certainty and rapid diffusion of this dire information. Crucially, the "disaster" or "calamity" from Mount Ephraim isn't just an external threat but is inherently linked to Judah's own "iniquity" (’āwen), making it a judgment orchestrated by God Himself. This verse is a wake-up call, emphasizing that the danger is not distant but imminent and already well underway, compelling immediate, though unheeded, repentance.