Jeremiah 4 28

Jeremiah 4:28 kjv

For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

Jeremiah 4:28 nkjv

For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.

Jeremiah 4:28 niv

Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back."

Jeremiah 4:28 esv

"For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back."

Jeremiah 4:28 nlt

The earth will mourn
and the heavens will be draped in black
because of my decree against my people.
I have made up my mind and will not change it."

Jeremiah 4 verses

Jeremiah 4 28 Meaning

Jeremiah 4:28 declares that the impending, catastrophic judgment upon Judah will be so profound that the very earth will express deep sorrow and the heavens will darken. This cosmic distress is the direct and unalterable consequence of the Lord God's sovereign decision and firm resolve. He has not only spoken this judgment but has meticulously purposed it, indicating an absolute commitment from which He will neither retract nor turn away.

Jeremiah 4 28 Context

Jeremiah chapter 4 describes Judah's persistent sin despite calls to repentance and prophecies of an impending, devastating invasion, primarily by Babylon. This specific verse (Jer 4:28) acts as the divine explanation and unwavering confirmation for the preceding description of utter cosmic and earthly desolation (Jer 4:23-27), where the prophet sees the land return to a state of primeval chaos: "without form, and void," all light removed, and life gone. It solidifies that this extreme level of destruction is not an accident of war but a deliberate and unavoidable decree from the Lord. The historical/cultural context is Judah's systemic idolatry, social injustice, and reliance on political alliances instead of God, leading to the breaking of the covenant. This prophecy directly counters the prevailing belief that God would never allow His Temple or chosen city, Jerusalem, to be destroyed, exposing a polemic against Judah's false security and misguided theology.

Jeremiah 4 28 Word analysis

• Therefore (עַל־כֵּן - ‘al-ken): "For this reason," or "on account of this." This adverbial phrase establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship between God's prior declaration and the resulting cosmic and terrestrial mourning. It connects the stated judgment directly to His unchanging word.
• the earth (הָאָרֶץ - ha'aretz): The land, here specifically Judah. The noun is personified, implying the entire region's physical manifestation will express sorrow.
• shall mourn (תִּתְאַבַּל - tit’abbal): From אָבַל (’aval), "to grieve, lament, wail." This strong verb indicates an intense, audible, and public display of sorrow. The personification emphasizes the overwhelming impact of God's judgment, as even creation itself is overwhelmed with grief.
• and the heavens (וְהַשָּׁמַיִם - v’hashamayim): The celestial sphere; the sky. Like the earth, the heavens are personified.
• above (מִמַּעַל - mimma'al): "From above," or "up high." This further clarifies the spatial domain of the heavens, ensuring no ambiguity and adding to the dramatic scope.
• be black (יִקְדָּרוּ - yiq’daru): From קָדַר (qadar), "to grow dark, be dim, somber." This imagery depicts a cessation of celestial light and brilliance, signaling utter gloom and desolation, reminiscent of creation returning to chaos before light. It's a sign of profound divine displeasure.
• because (כִּי - ki): Introduces the foundational reason: the Lord's absolute agency and immutability.
• I have spoken it (דִּבַּרְתִּי - dibbartiy): "I have declared it" or "I have pronounced it." Emphasizes God's oral, authoritative proclamation, stressing that the judgment is a result of His divine word. His decree is the initiating power.
• I have purposed it (יָעַצְתִּי - ya‘atztî): "I have counseled it" or "I have planned it." This highlights God's deliberate and intelligent design behind the judgment. It wasn't an impulse but a considered and firm intention, implying strategic and just cause.
• and will not repent (וְלֹא אִנָּחֵם - v’lo’ innachem): From נָחַם (nacham), "to be sorry, comfort, relent, change one's mind." The emphatic negation signals that God will not withdraw His sentence. It’s an unchangeable resolve regarding this specific judicial outcome, distinct from His ability to "repent" from conditional threats when people genuinely repent.
• neither will I turn back from it (וְלֹא אָשׁוּב מִמֶּנָּה - v’lo’ ashuv mimmennah): "And I will not return from it" or "I will not retract from it." This phrase strongly reinforces the finality of God’s decision, underscoring that His path of judgment, once decided in this specific instance, is unalterable and irrevocable.

Words-group analysis:

• "the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black": This phrase vividly uses parallelism and personification to convey a cosmic catastrophe. The entire created order — from the ground beneath to the skies above — experiences distress, indicating a judgment of unprecedented and all-encompassing severity that reflects humanity's deep-seated spiritual disorder.
• "because I have spoken it, I have purposed it": This dual declaration by God emphatically attributes the coming devastation solely to His authoritative word and sovereign, deliberate will. It dismisses any notion of chance or a solely human cause, asserting divine orchestration behind the events and validating Jeremiah’s prophecy.
• "and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it": This forceful double negative serves as an absolute statement of divine resolve. It emphasizes the immutability of God's counsel for this specific judgment. For Judah at this point, all possibilities of reprieve or God changing His mind (in the sense of withdrawing punishment) have expired due to their prolonged impenitence.

Jeremiah 4 28 Bonus section

• Covenant Fidelity (from God's perspective): This verse powerfully underscores God's absolute faithfulness to His covenant. It reveals that His promises include not only blessings for obedience but also sure curses for disobedience (cf. Deut 28). In this case, His unchanging character means His word of judgment will be just as certainly fulfilled as His promises of salvation in other contexts.
• Ethical Universe: The imagery of the cosmos reacting to human sin and divine judgment implies an ethically ordered universe. Humanity’s moral choices have implications that extend beyond themselves, affecting even the non-human creation, signifying a deep theological connection between spiritual state and cosmic well-being. This perspective shows that creation is not a neutral backdrop but intrinsically linked to God's governance.

Jeremiah 4 28 Commentary

Jeremiah 4:28 encapsulates the unwavering severity of God's imminent judgment upon Judah. It declares the judgment to be not merely a localized event but a cosmic disruption, affecting creation itself, mirroring the profound spiritual disorder of the people. The personification of earth and heavens mourning and blackening speaks to an ultimate sorrow and total absence of hope under divine wrath. Critically, the verse provides God's own explanation: "I have spoken it, I have purposed it." This emphasizes divine sovereignty and forethought; the disaster is not capricious but the measured and determined outcome of His perfect justice. The concluding declaration, "will not repent, neither will I turn back from it," is an emphatic and irreversible decree. While God demonstrates His capacity to relent (e.g., in response to Nineveh's repentance), this specific passage conveys that Judah’s continuous, deep-seated sin and refusal to heed earlier warnings have crossed a critical threshold, leading to an irrevocable sentence of destruction. It affirms that divine threats, when consistently ignored, are executed with steadfast faithfulness, ensuring justice prevails even amidst long-suffering mercy. This serves as a sober reminder of the gravity of persistent disobedience and the absolute authority of God's word.