Jeremiah 4 23

Jeremiah 4:23 kjv

I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

Jeremiah 4:23 nkjv

I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.

Jeremiah 4:23 niv

I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.

Jeremiah 4:23 esv

I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.

Jeremiah 4:23 nlt

I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless.
I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.

Jeremiah 4 verses

Jeremiah 4 23 Meaning

Jeremiah 4:23 portrays a profound and dramatic vision of "de-creation." The prophet looks upon the land and heavens, seeing them returned to a state of primordial chaos—formless, void, and without light. This vivid imagery is a hyperbolic description of the utter devastation and desolation that Yahweh's judgment will bring upon Judah due to their unfaithfulness and idolatry, effectively symbolizing the undoing of their structured world and the return to a pre-creation state. It emphasizes the severity and totality of the impending divine punishment.

Jeremiah 4 23 Context

Jeremiah 4:23 is nestled within a chapter dominated by calls for repentance (vv. 1-2) and urgent warnings of an impending, devastating invasion from the North, identified as Babylon (vv. 5-22). The prophet describes the military advance in terrifying detail, picturing a whirlwind of destruction against Judah and Jerusalem. This verse then introduces a cosmic dimension to the judgment, transcending a mere political or military defeat. It is a divine, apocalyptic vision shown to Jeremiah, illustrating the profound scope and severity of God's anger. The preceding verses emphasize Judah's deep-seated wickedness and refusal to repent, providing the moral justification for such a cataclysmic "de-creation" event, reflecting a breaking of the covenant so severe it threatens the very fabric of their existence.

Jeremiah 4 23 Word analysis

• I looked (רָאִיתִי, ra'iti): First-person singular perfect form of ra'ah (to see). Indicates a direct, personal, and complete divine observation. This isn't Jeremiah speculating but experiencing a direct vision from God, witnessing the profound spiritual and physical consequences of Judah's sin as seen from the divine perspective.
• on the earth (אֶל־הָאָרֶץ, el-ha'aretz): "Earth" here (הָאָרֶץ) refers to the land, specifically Judah and Israel, but also carries the broader cosmological sense of the planet, emphasizing the universal scope of the desolation, beyond just human structures.
• and behold (וְהִנֵּה, vehinneh): An interjection signaling an immediate, dramatic, and striking revelation. It commands attention to what follows, emphasizing the shock and unexpected nature of the vision's content.
• it was formless (תֹהוּ, tohu): Signifies chaos, emptiness, unformed state, confusion, a trackless waste. In Genesis 1:2, it describes the original state of the earth before creation's ordering. Here, it denotes an undoing of that order.
• and void (וָבֹהוּ, va'vohu): Meaning emptiness, uninhabitedness, or desolation. It pairs with tohu to form a classic merism ("tohu va'vohu") representing absolute waste, a complete lack of discernible structure, and inability to support life.
• and to the heavens (וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם, ve'el-hashshamayim): "Heavens" (הַשָּׁמַיִם) encompasses the sky, atmosphere, and celestial bodies. This extends the vision's scope from the terrestrial to the cosmic, showing that not only the land but the very fabric of the cosmos is affected.
• and they had no light (וְאֵין אוֹרָם, ve'ein oram): Ein (there is no) + oram (their light). This signifies the complete absence of light, a return to primordial darkness, reversing God's very first creative act in Genesis 1:3-4. It represents a state of deep desolation, sorrow, and judgment, as light is often symbolic of life, presence, and blessing.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I looked on the earth... and to the heavens": This phrase establishes the cosmic scale of the vision. The observer (God through Jeremiah) scans the entire known universe, from the land beneath to the sky above, demonstrating that no part of existence is untouched by this impending judgment. It underscores God's total dominion over creation.
• "it was formless and void" (תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, tohu va'vohu): This powerful and specific phrase is a direct echo of Genesis 1:2. By employing this primeval imagery, Jeremiah declares that God's judgment is so complete that it resembles an unmaking or de-creation. The order, structure, and life that God meticulously brought into existence will be reversed, returning the land to a state akin to its initial pre-creation chaos, utterly uninhabitable and desolate.
• "and they had no light": This extends the "de-creation" theme to the very first day of creation. In Genesis, light separated from darkness was God's initial act of bringing order. Its absence here signals a reversal of order, a return to primeval darkness and despair, indicating that all sources of blessing, guidance, and warmth are gone.

Jeremiah 4 23 Bonus section

The usage of "I looked" (first-person singular) emphasizes that this is a divine vision, with God effectively taking Jeremiah to witness this cosmic unmaking, giving it profound theological weight. This direct insight into God's perspective highlights the ultimate reason for the desolation: divine judgment and sorrow over the state of His people. The phrase tohu va'vohu might also subtly counter contemporary polytheistic beliefs which attributed creation to a multitude of gods or chaotic forces. By echoing Genesis, Jeremiah asserts that the God of Israel, the one true Creator, is also the one with absolute power to bring His ordered creation back to a state of disorder as a consequence of human sin. The depth of the judgment described here foreshadows the extreme suffering found in Lamentations, confirming that Jeremiah's vision of de-creation was not mere hyperbole but a chillingly accurate premonition of Judah's devastating experience.

Jeremiah 4 23 Commentary

Jeremiah 4:23 is not a prophecy of literal cosmic undoing but an intense, poetic, and hyperbole-rich vision communicating the severity of divine judgment. The tohu va'vohu imagery borrowed from Genesis 1:2, coupled with the absence of light (Genesis 1:3-4), reveals that the impending destruction of Judah and Jerusalem will be so profound that it will feel like the entire created order is dissolving. It’s a return to a pre-creation void, emphasizing desolation, barrenness, and utter darkness. This judgment signifies a breakdown of all social, political, and spiritual order because the covenant with God has been fundamentally broken. It shows God's sovereign power not only to create and order but also to 'de-create' and bring chaos as an act of justice. The message underscores that life and order depend entirely on God's sustaining presence, and His withdrawal leads to utter ruin. It is a stark warning of the consequences of sustained unfaithfulness, revealing that a people's rebellion can disrupt their entire world.

• Practical usage example: For those living in spiritual rebellion, Jeremiah 4:23 serves as a chilling reminder that persistent sin leads to a collapse of life's spiritual and even physical order, feeling like chaos and darkness have engulfed one's world, until one turns back to the Creator who brings order and light.