The Meaning of Jeremiah 4:24 Explained

Jeremiah 4:24

KJV: I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

YLT: I have looked to the mountains, And lo, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly.

Darby: I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills shook violently.

ASV: I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I beheld  the mountains,  and, lo, they trembled,  and all the hills  moved lightly. 

What does Jeremiah 4:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He described the mountains, symbols of stability and strength, as moving back and forth. This was a picture for the people of their nation"s instability and weakness.

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 4:24 mean?

I beheld the mountains and indeed they trembled and all the hills moved back and forth
רָאִ֙יתִי֙ הֶֽהָרִ֔ים וְהִנֵּ֖ה רֹעֲשִׁ֑ים וְכָל־ הַגְּבָע֖וֹת הִתְקַלְקָֽלוּ

רָאִ֙יתִי֙  I  beheld 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הֶֽהָרִ֔ים  the  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְהִנֵּ֖ה  and  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
רֹעֲשִׁ֑ים  they  trembled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָעַשׁ 
Sense: to quake, shake.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַגְּבָע֖וֹת  the  hills 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
הִתְקַלְקָֽלוּ  moved  back  and  forth 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.