Jeremiah 4:31 kjv
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Jeremiah 4:31 nkjv
"For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, 'Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!'
Jeremiah 4:31 niv
I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child? the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, "Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers."
Jeremiah 4:31 esv
For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, "Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers."
Jeremiah 4:31 nlt
I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor,
the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child.
It is beautiful Jerusalem
gasping for breath and crying out,
"Help! I'm being murdered!"
Jeremiah 4 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 13:21 | "What will you say when he punishes you? For you have trained them as lovers to rule over you." | Sin leads to painful consequences |
| Jeremiah 22:23 | "Live in Lebanon, and nest among the cedars, as you exalt yourself. How you will groan when pangs come upon you, like the pangs of a woman in labor!" | Compares affliction to labor pains |
| Jeremiah 50:43 | "The kingdom of Babylon shall become a ruin, a waterless desert." | Babylonian judgment |
| Isaiah 13:8 | "They are also a and their faces aglow, faces that devour the spirit." | Desolation and fear |
| Isaiah 26:17 | "Like labor pains, O Lord, we have felt your presence; we have writhed in pain, but you have not saved us." | National suffering and prayer |
| Isaiah 54:1-3 | "Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of him who is married, says the Lord." | Future restoration through birth |
| Isaiah 66:7-9 | "Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pangs came she delivered a son." | Sudden miraculous birth, prophecy |
| Micah 4:10 | "Be in anguish, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in childbirth, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the field..." | Exile and suffering |
| John 16:21 | "The woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has been delivered of the boy, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child has been born into the world." | Christ's analogy of sorrow and joy |
| Galatians 4:19 | "My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you—" | Spiritual birth pains |
| Romans 8:22 | "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." | Creation's suffering |
| Revelation 12:2 | "She was pregnant and was crying out in pain as she was about to give birth." | Heavenly woman in labor |
| Revelation 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." | End of all pain |
| Lamentations 1:2 | "She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; she has no one to comfort her among all her lovers..." | Jerusalem's weeping and desolation |
| Lamentations 2:10 | "The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have cast dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground." | Mourning and silence |
| Ezekiel 7:16-17 | "If any escape, it will be those of them who escape to the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each over his iniquity." | Survivors moaning in their sin |
| Hosea 13:13 | "The pains of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for he does not present himself at the opening of the womb." | Unwisdom leading to destruction |
| Psalms 38:17 | "For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me." | Personal suffering |
| Jeremiah 4:30 | "And you, O devastated one, what will you do? Though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, you adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life." | Describes Jerusalem's outward attempt to appear beautiful while inwardly decaying. |
Jeremiah 4 verses
Jeremiah 4 31 Meaning
Jeremiah 4:31 depicts Jerusalem experiencing intense destruction, akin to childbirth pains. This signifies the unavoidable and agonizing suffering brought by judgment due to the people's unfaithfulness. It's a powerful metaphor for the pain of birthing something new amidst utter devastation.
Jeremiah 4 31 Context
Jeremiah 4 speaks of impending judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah for their idolatry and disobedience. Verse 31 follows descriptions of devastation and the lament of a woman in labor, vividly portraying the immense suffering and destruction that will come upon the city. It's a dire warning about the consequences of turning away from God, emphasizing the inescapable nature of His judgment when His people rebel. The prophet uses the imagery of birth pangs to communicate the violent and agonizing process of national ruin and exile.
Jeremiah 4 31 Word Analysis
- וְקֹל — ve-qol: "and the voice" / "and the sound." Highlights the sensory experience of the calamity, emphasizing audible evidence of destruction.
- שֹׁמְעָה — shom‘ah: "hearing" / "one who hears." Suggests not just sound, but the act of perception and response. In this context, it refers to Jerusalem experiencing or hearing the pronouncement of doom.
- כִּי — ki: "for" / "because." Introduces the reason for the voice of hearing, connecting it to the immediate suffering.
- מִשְׁפָּט — mishpaṭ: "judgment." The core reason for the distress. It is God's divine ruling upon sin.
- מַדְּבֵר — mad-ber: "a place of speech" / "a pronouncement" / "a decision." Implies a spoken verdict or a designated place where a sentence is carried out. Can also refer to the proclamation or execution of the judgment.
- יְלָדַיִךְ — ye-ladayikh: "your children" / "your offspring." Refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah.
- מַצְר — matsar: "straits" / "narrow place" / "distress" / "oppression." Emphasizes the confining and agonizing nature of the experience, linking to childbirth difficulties.
- חַלְצַיִךְ — chal-tseh-yikh: "your loins" / "your hips" / "your legs." Specifically refers to the part of the body where labor pains are physically felt most intensely.
- כִּי — ki: "for" / "because." Reinforces the causal link to the impending suffering.
- יָסַדְתְּ — yasad-t: "you have founded" / "you have established." Refers to Jerusalem's foundation and existence, which are now being violently undone.
- וְגָלִית — ve-ga-litis: "and you shall be carried away captive" / "and you shall go into exile." The direct consequence of the judgment and distress.
- שָׁם — sham: "there." Refers back to the place of exile or ruin.
Words-group Analysis:
- "The voice of hearing" (וְקֹל שֹׁמְעָה): This pairing highlights an auditory perception of doom; Jerusalem will hear and recognize the pronouncements of judgment against her.
- "judgment of the inhabitants" (מִשְׁפַּט מַדְבֵּר יְלָדַיִךְ): This phrase denotes that the judgment belongs to and concerns the people, indicating a collective responsibility and experience of God's sentence.
- "straits of your loins" (מַצְר חַלְצַיִךְ): A powerful and specific metaphor for birth pangs, emphasizing the intense physical and emotional agony that the city and its people will endure as judgment is "born." It likens the collapse and suffering of Jerusalem to the severe contractions experienced during difficult childbirth.
- "you have founded and you shall be carried away captive there" (יָסַדְתְּ וְגָלִית שָׁם): This juxtaposes Jerusalem's established identity and foundation with its ultimate fate of dissolution and displacement, underscoring the totality of its ruin.
Jeremiah 4 31 Bonus Section
The imagery of birth pangs (יִסּוּרֵי — yissurei) is a recurring theme in prophetic literature when describing judgment or severe trial. It emphasizes that destruction is not simply cessation but a violent, painful transformation. This particular use by Jeremiah underscores the shock and trauma the city will experience, transforming its identity from the cherished capital to a place of ruins. It’s a divine lament, showing God’s sorrow over His people’s condition, expressed through the empathetic imagery of a mother’s pain at the potential loss of her child (Jerusalem). The contrast with Isaiah 66:7-9, which speaks of a swift and miraculous birth before pangs, highlights the direness of Jerusalem's current situation, where the pain is prolonged and evident.
Jeremiah 4 31 Commentary
Jerusalem's suffering is vividly portrayed as the agonizing labor pains of a woman about to give birth. This metaphor underscores the violence, the unavoidable nature, and the deep agony associated with the impending destruction and exile. God's judgment is presented not as an arbitrary act, but as a consequence of the city's own founding sins and subsequent unfaithfulness, making the suffering even more poignant. The pains are for Jerusalem's "children" (its people), indicating a national calamity that affects all within. The prophecy contrasts the city's established foundation with its eventual disintegration and dispersal into exile. It is a somber depiction of God's justice in response to prolonged rebellion, highlighting that even the most established structures and proud defenses cannot withstand His verdict.
Practical Usage Example:In times of severe personal or communal crisis, this verse can remind believers that difficult periods, though agonizing, can be seen as painful processes of purging or leading to eventual, albeit often unforeseen, new beginnings, drawing parallels to the painful but ultimately life-generating process of childbirth. It also serves as a potent reminder of the consequences of sin and unfaithfulness.