Jeremiah 4 17

Jeremiah 4:17 kjv

As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 4:17 nkjv

Like keepers of a field they are against her all around, Because she has been rebellious against Me," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 4:17 niv

They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,'?" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 4:17 esv

Like keepers of a field are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me, declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 4:17 nlt

They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field,
for my people have rebelled against me,"
says the LORD.

Jeremiah 4 verses

Jeremiah 4 17 Meaning

Jeremiah 4:17 declares that foreign enemies will surround Jerusalem "like keepers of a field," acting as guardians of the city, not to protect it but to ensure its complete subjugation and plunder. This comprehensive encirclement is stated unequivocally as the direct consequence of Judah's persistent and direct rebellion against God Himself. The verse emphasizes that this devastating judgment is a certain utterance from the Lord, rooted in His justice against their spiritual unfaithfulness.

Jeremiah 4 17 Context

Jeremiah 4 is part of a series of urgent prophetic pronouncements against Judah and Jerusalem, detailing the imminent and devastating judgment from an unspecified enemy originating from the North. This chapter initially offers a glimmer of hope, calling for genuine repentance (vv. 1-2) before the judgment descends. However, it quickly transitions into vivid imagery of the rapid approach of a destructive army, describing the terror and the comprehensive nature of the invasion (vv. 5-26). Jeremiah 4:17 specifically focuses on the full encirclement of Jerusalem by this invading force. Historically, Jeremiah ministered in late 7th to early 6th century BC Judah, a period marked by political upheaval and moral decline, as the Assyrian empire weakened and Babylon rose to prominence. The Lord's warning through Jeremiah was that Judah's deep-seated idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness would result in the Babylonians being God's instrument of judgment against them. This verse underscores the divine agency behind the approaching catastrophe, confirming that the invasion is not merely a geopolitical event but a direct, righteous act of God in response to Judah's rebellion.

Jeremiah 4 17 Word analysis

• כְּשֹׁמְרֵי (ke-shomeray) – "Like keepers of":

  • From the Hebrew root שָׁמַר (shamar), meaning "to watch, guard, keep."
  • This term typically evokes images of protection, vigilance, and careful preservation, such as a shepherd guarding his flock or a watchman protecting a city.
  • Here, it's used in a highly ironic and paradoxical sense. Instead of protecting Jerusalem, these "keepers" are guarding it for plunder and destruction.
  • Significance: It signifies that the enemy's encirclement is not haphazard but deliberate, systematic, and complete, ensuring no escape or recovery for the besieged. It reverses the expectation of divine watchfulness over Israel (e.g., Ps 121:4-5), showing divine judgment has turned even protective roles into instruments of punishment.

• שָׂדַי (saday) – "a field":

  • Refers to an open cultivated area, a place of harvest or pasture.
  • Significance: Jerusalem and Judah are depicted as a vulnerable field, ripe for harvest by foreign powers. Just as a farmer surrounds a field to ensure nothing escapes and the harvest is completely gathered, so too will the enemy surround the city to ensure no inhabitants escape the judgment and no resources are left. The image suggests thorough exploitation and devastation.

• הָיוּ עָלֶיהָ (hayu aleha) – "they are against her":

  • הָיוּ (hayu) means "they were/have been" or simply "they are," indicating a definite and ongoing state.
  • עָלֶיהָ (aleha) means "upon her" or "against her," denoting hostility and dominion.
  • Significance: Emphasizes the hostile intent and the active posture of the invaders. They are not merely present; they are actively positioned "against" the city, poised for attack.

• סָבִיב (saviv) – "all around":

  • Means "around," "on every side," "surrounding."
  • Significance: Reinforces the complete encirclement of the city, indicating there will be no way in or out. This stresses the inescapability of the judgment and the thoroughness of the siege, ensuring total devastation.

• כִּי־אֹתִי (ki-oti) – "because Me":

  • כִּי (ki) means "because" or "for."
  • אֹתִי (oti) is the emphatic form of the first-person singular pronoun "Me" or "Myself." It emphasizes that the rebellion was directly against YHWH Himself.
  • Significance: This crucial phrase highlights the immediate cause of the calamity. The enemy's actions are not random or solely based on geopolitical ambition; they are a direct, divinely orchestrated response to Judah's personal offense against God. This stresses divine sovereignty and the just nature of the punishment.

• מָרָתָה (maratah) – "she has rebelled":

  • From the root מָרַד (marad), meaning "to rebel," "to be rebellious," "to revolt." It implies deliberate defiance against an authority, particularly against a rightful king or, in this context, against God.
  • Significance: Describes the persistent and active defiance of Judah against God's covenant and commandments. This was not an oversight but a conscious and repeated act of turning away from YHWH, often through idolatry and social injustice. This verb unequivocally assigns culpability to Judah.

• נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neum-YHWH) – "declares the Lord":

  • נְאֻם (neum) is a prophetic formula, typically meaning "an utterance" or "a declaration," often appearing after the spoken words of God through His prophets. It indicates a divinely revealed message or oracle.
  • YHWH is the personal covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent and covenant-keeping nature.
  • Significance: Authenticates the prophecy as a direct word from God Himself, not Jeremiah's personal opinion or a human prediction. It underscores the certainty, authority, and divine origin of the judgment. It implies the fulfillment is inevitable because it comes from the Sovereign Lord.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Like keepers of a field, they are against her all around": This imagery powerfully contrasts expected roles with grim reality. Instead of being guarded by the Lord, Jerusalem is surrounded by enemies. The image suggests a comprehensive, calculated, and unavoidable invasion. There is no escaping this encirclement; the harvest (people and possessions) will be gathered by the foreign invaders with a meticulousness akin to field-keepers.

• "because she has rebelled against Me, declares the Lord": This phrase functions as the ultimate theological explanation and justification for the devastating judgment. It firmly roots the national catastrophe not in external geopolitical factors alone, but primarily in Judah's spiritual apostasy and direct covenant disloyalty towards YHWH. The divine "Me" highlights the personal affront, while "declares the Lord" ensures that this is an unchangeable divine decree.

Jeremiah 4 17 Bonus section

• The irony in "keepers of a field" highlights a reversal of divine protection. While God is often described as a watchman over His people (e.g., Ps 121), here, the very instruments of judgment perform a "guarding" function to ensure no one escapes God's appointed judgment.
• The personal pronoun "Me" (אֹתִי) is crucial. Judah's sin was not merely abstract wickedness or societal breakdown, but a direct affront to the character and covenant of God Himself. This intensifies the severity and justice of the impending judgment.
• This verse underscores the biblical principle that all of history, even seemingly secular geopolitical events like invasions, is ultimately under the sovereign control of God and serves His purposes, often in administering justice for covenant disobedience.
• It reinforces Jeremiah's primary prophetic burden: the inexorable nature of God's word when rejected. The impending judgment is not an unfortunate turn of events but a deliberate, holy act of divine justice.

Jeremiah 4 17 Commentary

Jeremiah 4:17 powerfully condenses the theological explanation for Jerusalem's impending destruction. The paradoxical imagery of "keepers of a field" portrays the besieging enemies not as chaotic marauders, but as diligent gatherers of spoils, thoroughly encircling the city to ensure a complete "harvest" of judgment. This chilling picture underscores the inescapable nature of the coming calamity. The explicit declaration "because she has rebelled against Me" removes all ambiguity about the ultimate cause: it is Judah's deliberate and prolonged disloyalty to God, specifically their breach of the covenant, that has invited this severe divine punishment. The covenant community, despite their privileged status, faced judgment because their sin was a direct affront to God. This verse therefore reveals God's righteousness, demonstrating that His judgment is always just, proportionate, and precisely directed at persistent disobedience. The closing phrase, "declares the Lord," solidifies the absolute certainty and divine origin of this prophecy, making it an unalterable decree from the Sovereign God. It offers no glimmer of reprieve for an unrepentant people but points to the inevitable consequences of choosing rebellion over faithfulness.