For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child--the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, "Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!" For I hear a cryThe phrase begins with the prophet Jeremiah conveying a message he perceives from God. The Hebrew word for "cry" (זְעָקָה, ze'akah) often denotes a loud, desperate call for help. This cry is not just a sound but a profound expression of distress and urgency, reflecting the deep emotional and spiritual turmoil of the people of Judah. Historically, cries of this nature were common in times of invasion or disaster, emphasizing the severity of the situation. like a woman in labor
This simile draws a vivid picture of intense pain and struggle. Labor is a universal experience that signifies both suffering and the hope of new life. In the Hebrew context, labor pains are often used metaphorically to describe the onset of divine judgment or significant change (Isaiah 13:8, Micah 4:9). Here, it underscores the inevitability and intensity of the coming judgment upon Jerusalem. a cry of anguish
The repetition of "cry" with the addition of "anguish" (חֶבְלֵי, chevlei) intensifies the emotional weight. This term is associated with severe distress and turmoil, often linked to the pains of childbirth. The anguish is not only physical but also spiritual, as the people face the consequences of their rebellion against God. like one bearing her first child
The mention of "first child" adds a layer of unfamiliarity and heightened fear. The first experience of childbirth is often the most daunting due to its unknowns. This analogy suggests that the Daughter of Zion is encountering an unprecedented level of suffering and fear, symbolizing the nation's unpreparedness for the calamity that is to come. the cry of the Daughter of Zion
"Daughter of Zion" is a poetic term for Jerusalem and its inhabitants. It personifies the city as a vulnerable woman, emphasizing the intimate relationship between God and His people. Zion, the spiritual heart of Israel, is depicted as crying out, highlighting the deep sorrow and impending doom due to the people's sins. gasping for breath
This phrase paints a picture of desperation and near-death. The Hebrew word used here (נָשַׁם, nasham) can imply both physical and spiritual exhaustion. It suggests that the people are overwhelmed by their circumstances, struggling to survive under the weight of divine judgment. stretching out her hands
The gesture of stretching out hands is one of supplication and desperation. In ancient Near Eastern culture, it was a common posture of pleading for mercy or help. This imagery conveys the helplessness of Jerusalem, reaching out in vain for deliverance from the impending destruction. ‘Woe is me
"Woe" (אוֹי, oy) is a lamentation, a cry of despair and acknowledgment of impending doom. It is a common prophetic expression used to announce judgment (Isaiah 3:9, Ezekiel 16:23). This exclamation reveals the depth of sorrow and recognition of the dire situation facing the people. for my soul faints
The soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh) in Hebrew thought encompasses the whole being—mind, will, and emotions. To say the soul "faints" indicates a complete collapse of strength and hope. It reflects the spiritual and emotional depletion of the people as they face the consequences of their actions. before the murderers!
The term "murderers" (הֹרְגִים, horegim) refers to the invading forces, likely the Babylonians, who are instruments of God's judgment. This word choice emphasizes the violence and ruthlessness of the coming destruction. It serves as a stark reminder of the reality of sin's consequences and the seriousness of turning away from God. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahThe prophet who conveyed God's messages to the people of Judah, warning them of impending judgment due to their sins. 2. Daughter of ZionA poetic term referring to the inhabitants of Jerusalem or the city itself, often used to personify the city in its relationship with God. 3. MurderersSymbolic of the invading forces or the consequences of the people's sins, leading to destruction and despair. Teaching Points The Reality of JudgmentThe imagery of a woman in labor highlights the inevitability and intensity of God's judgment. Just as labor pains are unavoidable, so is the consequence of sin. The Call to RepentanceThe anguish of the Daughter of Zion serves as a call to repentance. Recognizing the depth of our spiritual distress should lead us to seek God's mercy and forgiveness. Hope Amidst DespairWhile the passage speaks of anguish, it also implies the possibility of new beginnings, much like the birth process. God's judgment is not the end but a call to renewal and restoration. The Importance of Spiritual VigilanceThe cry of the Daughter of Zion is a reminder to remain spiritually vigilant and aware of the consequences of turning away from God. God's Compassionate WarningThe vivid imagery serves as a compassionate warning from God, urging His people to return to Him before it's too late. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of a woman in labor in Jeremiah 4:31 help us understand the severity of God's judgment? 2. In what ways can the cry of the Daughter of Zion be seen as a call to repentance for us today? 3. How do the themes of anguish and hope in Jeremiah 4:31 relate to the broader message of the book of Jeremiah? 4. What parallels can we draw between the warnings in Jeremiah 4:31 and Jesus' teachings in the New Testament about the end times? 5. How can we apply the lessons from Jeremiah 4:31 to remain spiritually vigilant in our daily lives? Connections to Other Scriptures Isaiah 13:8Similar imagery of labor pains is used to describe the fear and anguish that will come upon the people during God's judgment. Micah 4:9-10The metaphor of a woman in labor is also used to depict the distress and eventual deliverance of Zion. Lamentations 1:16The personification of Jerusalem weeping bitterly, similar to the Daughter of Zion's cry in Jeremiah 4:31. Matthew 24:8Jesus uses the metaphor of birth pains to describe the beginning of end-time events, connecting to the theme of distress leading to eventual redemption. People Dan, JeremiahPlaces Dan, Jerusalem, Mount Ephraim, ZionTopics Ah, Alas, Anguish, Bearing, Bewaileth, Birth, Birth-pains, Breath, Bringeth, Bringing, Brings, Child, Cry, Daughter, Distress, Ears, Faileth, Faint, Fainteth, Fainting, Faints, Fighting, First-born, Forth, Gaspeth, Gasping, Gasps, Giving, Groan, Hands, Herself, Labor, Moaneth, Murderers, Pain, Saying, Sick, Slayers, Sorrow, Soul, Spreadeth, Spreads, Strength, Stretching, Takers, Travail, Voice, Wearied, Weary, Wo, Woe, ZionDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 4:31 5196 voice
5483 punishment
5663 childbirth Library The Wailing of Risca
You all know the story; it scarce needs that I should tell it to you. Last Saturday week some two hundred or more miners descended in health and strength to their usual work in the bowels of the earth. They had not been working long, their wives and their children had risen, and their little ones had gone to their schools, when suddenly there was heard a noise at the mouth of the pit;--it was an explosion,--all knew what it meant. Men's hearts failed them, for well they prophesied the horror which …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861How those are to be Admonished who Sin from Sudden Impulse and those who Sin Deliberately.
(Admonition 33.). Differently to be admonished are those who are overcome by sudden passion and those who are bound in guilt of set purpose. For those whom sudden passion overcomes are to be admonished to regard themselves as daily set in the warfare of the present life, and to protect the heart, which cannot foresee wounds, with the shield of anxious fear; to dread the hidden darts of the ambushed foe, and, in so dark a contest, to guard with continual attention the inward camp of the soul. For, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Prevailing Prayer.
Text.--The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.--James v. 16. THE last lecture referred principally to the confession of sin. To-night my remarks will be chiefly confined to the subject of intercession, or prayer. There are two kinds of means requisite to promote a revival; one to influence men, the other to influence God. The truth is employed to influence men, and prayer to move God. When I speak of moving God, I do not mean that God's mind is changed by prayer, or that his …
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa. …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life "For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh,",
Rom. viii. 5.--"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,", &c. Though sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of man--though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without good reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of "flesh," and a "body of death," and men dead in sins, are …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning "Who Walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the Flesh,"
Rom. viii. 4, 5.--"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh," &c. If there were nothing else to engage our hearts to religion, I think this might do it, that there is so much reason in it. Truly it is the most rational thing in the world, except some revealed mysteries of faith, which are far above reason, but not contrary to it. There is nothing besides in it, but that which is the purest reason. Even that part of it which is most difficult to man, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning "If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Directions to Awakened Sinners.
Acts ix. 6. Acts ix. 6. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. THESE are the words of Saul, who also is called Paul, (Acts xiii. 9,) when he was stricken to the ground as he was going to Damascus; and any one who had looked upon him in his present circumstances and knew nothing more of him than that view, in comparison with his past life, could have given, would have imagined him one of the most miserable creatures that ever lived upon earth, and would have expected …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision B. Jesus Talks with Nicodemus. ^D John III. 1-21. ^d 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by a prudence amounting almost to timidity. At John vii. 50-52 he defends Jesus, but without committing himself as in any way interested in him: at John xix. 38, 39 he brought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph of Arimathæa had secured the body. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 4:31 NIVJeremiah 4:31 NLTJeremiah 4:31 ESVJeremiah 4:31 NASBJeremiah 4:31 KJV
Jeremiah 4:31 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
