Jeremiah 4 21

Jeremiah 4:21 kjv

How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Jeremiah 4:21 nkjv

How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?

Jeremiah 4:21 niv

How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Jeremiah 4:21 esv

How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Jeremiah 4:21 nlt

How long must I see the battle flags
and hear the trumpets of war?

Jeremiah 4 verses

Jeremiah 4 21 Meaning

Jeremiah 4:21 conveys the prophet's profound personal anguish and spiritual burden as he continually witnesses and hears the undeniable signs of Judah's impending and devastating judgment. The verse is a rhetorical question born of deep weariness and desperation, lamenting the seemingly endless progression of military invasion against God's disobedient people. It encapsulates the painful reality of divine judgment unfolding and the prophet's personal agony in enduring these vivid harbingers of destruction.

Jeremiah 4 21 Context

Jeremiah 4 falls within the prophet's early ministry, primarily focused on warning Judah of the imminent judgment by an unspecified "enemy from the North," widely understood as Babylon. Chapters 1-6 contain a series of oracles and laments highlighting Judah's spiritual idolatry and unfaithfulness. The prophet urges repentance, depicting the devastating consequences of their refusal to return to God. Verse 21 occurs within a passage (4:19-22) where Jeremiah articulates his own deep distress and sorrow as he beholds the unfolding calamity. He acts as a sensitive intermediary, feeling the agony of both God's wrath and his people's suffering. The immediate context of chapter 4 vividly describes the invading army as a whirlwind from the desert (v. 13), chariots and horsemen (v. 13), and compares the enemy to lions devouring cities (v. 7). The chapter underscores Judah's foolishness (v. 22) in not understanding or preparing for the disaster. Jeremiah's lamentation here is not for personal loss, but for the devastating fate awaiting his beloved nation. Historically, Judah was rapidly declining, caught between major regional powers (Egypt and Babylon), and morally bankrupt from repeated unfaithfulness to the covenant.

Jeremiah 4 21 Word analysis

• How long (עַד־מָתַי, 'ad-mataiy): This interrogative phrase conveys intense impatience, weariness, and despair. It's a cry of exasperation, signaling that a situation has become intolerable and stretched on for too long. It speaks to a prolonged state of distress from which the speaker longs to be relieved. It highlights the prophet's internal agony, asking for the end of a seemingly endless vision of suffering.
• must I see (אֶרְאֶה, er'eh): From the root רָאָה (ra'ah), meaning "to see." The Hebrew verb is imperfect tense, implying continuous or repeated action—"I shall continually see" or "I am forced to see." This indicates an unrelenting visual assault on Jeremiah's senses. He is not just predicting, but acutely perceiving the horror as it approaches, enduring the sights of the coming invasion. This reflects the prophetic burden of experiencing divine judgment through visions and discernment.
• the standard (נֵס, nes): Refers to a banner, ensign, or military flag. In this context, it is a rallying point or symbol of an invading army. It visually confirms the enemy's advance and organized presence. For Jeremiah, seeing the "standard" constantly signifies the terrifying, physical manifestation of war, marking the hostile intent and advance of the northern aggressors. It’s a visible sign of encroaching conquest and judgment.
• and hear (אֶשְׁמַע, esh'ma'): From the root שָׁמַע (shama), meaning "to hear" or "to listen." Like "must I see," this imperfect verb implies a continuous auditory experience – "I shall continually hear." Jeremiah's auditory senses are also besieged. The hearing component reinforces the inescapable and multi-sensory nature of the approaching doom, leaving no avenue for escape from the terrifying reality.
• the sound (קוֹל, qol): Denotes a voice, sound, or noise. Here, it specifies the auditory manifestation, making the impending event distinctly clear through hearing. It points to a specific, identifiable sound that carries profound significance and alarm, distinct from mere background noise.
• of the trumpet (שׁוֹפָר, shophar): A ram's horn, used primarily for signaling. While sometimes used in worship, its most common usage in wartime contexts was to sound an alarm, summon troops, or signal a battle charge. The trumpet's blast here is unmistakably a martial sound, carrying the stark message of mobilization for war, impending attack, and the breakdown of peace. It generates panic and foreboding.

Words-group analysis

• "How long must I see... and hear": This combined phrase emphasizes the prophet's profound sensory overload and prolonged suffering. It highlights the ceaseless bombardment of distressing sights and sounds. Jeremiah isn't asking if these things will happen, but how much longer he must endure them. It underscores the oppressive, ongoing reality of the impending war from a prophetic and personal perspective. It reflects a weariness born of seeing judgment coming yet being unable to prevent it due to the people's stubbornness.
• "the standard and the sound of the trumpet": These two concrete images encapsulate the totality of military threat. The "standard" is the visible representation of a foreign army's organized advance and hostile intent. The "sound of the trumpet" is the auditory alarm that signals battle, bringing the dread of war to a personal, immediate level. Together, they form a chilling, inescapable, and complete picture of imminent invasion and destruction. They are unambiguous symbols of terror, signifying that the enemy is not merely on the horizon, but actively engaging, with no possibility of ignoring their presence.

Jeremiah 4 21 Bonus section

The repetitive nature of the questions "How long...?" throughout Scripture (as seen in the Psalms and Revelation) often reflects the cry of the righteous living in a world beset by evil, longing for God's full and final intervention. In Jeremiah's case, it is specifically a plea for the end of a self-inflicted tribulation caused by Judah's sin. This verse also implicitly touches upon the theme of God's long-suffering love versus His righteous judgment. The judgment, though painful to the prophet, is the inevitable outcome of the people's continued spiritual adultery. The "standard" can also carry a dual meaning in the broader biblical narrative: while here a sign of hostile armies, God himself raises a "standard" (nes) for His people as a sign of salvation and victory (e.g., Ex 17:15). In this verse, however, Judah’s disobedience has turned the banner of rescue into one of terror and invasion.

Jeremiah 4 21 Commentary

Jeremiah 4:21 is a cry from the depths of a prophet's soul, expressing his unbearable agony as he grapples with the unheeded warnings and the inevitable, visible, and audible progression of divine judgment against Judah. This is not a detached prediction but an agonizing personal lament, revealing the profound burden of God's messenger who internalizes the suffering of his people even as he proclaims their doom. The relentless "standard" and the persistent "trumpet" signify a state of perpetual alarm, a world utterly dominated by the reality of war, which offers no reprieve for the prophet or his nation. This verse highlights the profound cost of prophetic faithfulness—to truly convey God's message often means personally enduring the despair and horror of the consequences, seeing them unfold with unrelenting clarity. It reflects a time when divine patience has run out, and the signs of impending judgment have become so omnipresent they demand an answer to the prophet’s despairing "How long?".