The Meaning of Jeremiah 4:16 Explained

Jeremiah 4:16

KJV: Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

YLT: Make ye mention to the nations, Lo, sound ye to Jerusalem: 'Besiegers are coming from the land afar off, And they give forth against cities of Judah their voice.

Darby: Inform the nations; behold, make Jerusalem to hear: Besiegers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

ASV: make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Make ye mention  to the nations;  behold, publish  against Jerusalem,  [that] watchers  come  from a far  country,  and give out  their voice  against the cities  of Judah. 

What does Jeremiah 4:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord continued to instruct Jeremiah to announce to all nations, as well as to Jerusalem, that besiegers were coming from a distant country and would lift their battle cries against Jerusalem.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 4

1  God calls Israel by his promise
3  He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments
19  A grievous lamentation for Judah

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 4:16 mean?

Make mention to the nations Yes proclaim against Jerusalem [That] watchers come from a country far and raise the cities of Judah their voice
הַזְכִּ֣ירוּ לַגּוֹיִ֗ם הִנֵּה֙ הַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ עַל־ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם נֹצְרִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים מֵאֶ֣רֶץ הַמֶּרְחָ֑ק וַֽיִּתְּנ֛וּ עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה קוֹלָֽם

הַזְכִּ֣ירוּ  Make  mention 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לַגּוֹיִ֗ם  to  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
הִנֵּה֙  Yes 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ  proclaim 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
נֹצְרִ֥ים  [That]  watchers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נְצוּרִים 
Sense: to guard, watch, watch over, keep.
בָּאִ֖ים  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ  from  a  country 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַמֶּרְחָ֑ק  far 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶרְחָק  
Sense: distant place, distance, far country.
וַֽיִּתְּנ֛וּ  and  raise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עָרֵ֥י  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָ֖ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
קוֹלָֽם  their  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.