Jeremiah 12:4
in Jeremiah 12How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.
KJV
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
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This verse in Jeremiah 12
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHow long shall the land mourn - These hypocrites and open sinners are a curse to the country; pull them out, Lord, that the land may be delivered of that which is the cause of its desolation.
This site's exposition
Why does the way of the wicked prosper
on Jeremiah 12:1-4
Jeremiah’s complaint continues with “Why does the way of the wicked prosper”, while the men of Anathoth who seek his life seem to thrive. Verse 2 says of them, “You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts”. Verses 3 and 4 repeat the plea of chapter 11.
This site's exposition
How long will the land mourn
The people's taunt at the end has two readings. Rosenmüller, cited by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, takes He as the LORD, who cannot see their end. Those commentators and Albert Barnes take He as Jeremiah, and the people boast that they will outlive him and his warnings of evil.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 4) How long will the earth mourn, and all the herbage of the region wither because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it? The animal and the bird have perished because they have said: Our last things will not be seen (or God will not see our ways). Whatever happens in the world, whether good or evil, happens not without the providence and chance of God, but by his judgment. The earth is now barren, the herbage dries up. Do you want to know the reason?
"How long shall the land mourn and the grass of the field be dried up from the wickedness of those who dwell in it?" As though of a land that has a soul, here too the prophet discourses, saying that the land mourns because of the wickedness of those who tread upon it. In the case of each one of us, then, the land either mourns or rejoices; for it either mourns "from the wickedness of those who dwell in it," or it rejoices from the virtue of those who dwell in it. In the case of each one of us, then, the very element either rejoices or mourns. And if the land, then perhaps the remaining elements too. I will say likewise both the water and the angel appointed over the water, that I may explain also the land that mourns or does not mourn; for it is not this body, "the land," that mourns "from those who dwell in it," but understand for me that, in addition to the ordering of the whole, a certain angel is appointed over the land, and another appointed over the waters, and another over the air, and a fourth over the fire. Thus ascend for me by reasoning to the whole ordering that is in animals, that is in plants, that is in the heavenly stars. A certain angel is appointed both over the sun, and another over the moon, and another also over the stars; these angels, then, with whom we are — insofar as we are of earth — either rejoice if we act righteously, or mourn over us when we sin. The land mourns, he says, from those who dwell in it. By homonymy he called the angel "land" with the very land itself. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Lord, shall those prosper themselves that ruin all about them?" 1. See here what the judgment was which the land was now groaning under: The herbs of every field wither (the grass is burnt up and all the products of the earth fail), and then it follows of course, the beasts are consumed, and the birds, 1 Kings xviii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
How long shall the land mourn,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
23:10). for the wickedness-- (Ps 107:34). beasts-- (Ho 4:3). He shall not see our last end--Jehovah knows not what is about to happen to us (Jer 5:12) [ROSENMULLER]. Rather, "The prophet (Jeremiah, to whom the whole context refers) shall not see our last end." We need not trouble ourselves about his boding predictions.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Hebrew divides this verse differently. “How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of the whole field wither? Because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein cattle and fowl have ceased to be: for he will not see, say they, our latter end.” The people mock the prophet, saying, In spite of all his threatenings we shall outlive him. Jeremiah complained that at a time of great general misery powerful men throve upon the ruin of others: even the innocent cattle and fowl suffered with the rest. To him it seemed that all this might have been cured by some signal display of divine justice. If God, instead of dealing with men by general and slow-working laws, would tear (out some of the worst offenders from among the rest, the land might yet be saved.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| מָתַי֙ | matai | when? | H4970 → | 43 times |
| תֶּאֱבַ֣ל | teeval | will it dry up | H56 → | 39 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְעֵ֥שֶׂב | veesev | and [the] vegetation of | H6212 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה | hasadeh | <the> field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| יִיבָ֑שׁ | yivash | will it be dried up | H3001 → | 59 times |
| מֵרָעַ֣ת | meraat | from [the] evil of | H7451 → | 662 times |
| יֹֽשְׁבֵי־ | yoshevei- | [those who] dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָ֗הּ | vah | in <the> it | ||
| סָפְתָ֤ה | safetah | it has dwindled away | H5595 → | |
| בְהֵמוֹת֙ | vehemot | animals | H929 → | 190 times |
| וָע֔וֹף | vaof | and bird[s] | H5775 → | 71 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָמְר֔וּ | ʾameru | people have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִרְאֶ֖ה | yireh | he will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ׃ | ʾacharitenu | end our | H319 → | 61 times |
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
מָתַי֙when?
mataiH4970 →43 times
תֶּאֱבַ֣לwill it dry up
teevalH56 →39 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וְעֵ֥שֶׂבand [the] vegetation of
veesevH6212 →
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה<the> field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
יִיבָ֑שׁwill it be dried up
yivashH3001 →59 times
מֵרָעַ֣תfrom [the] evil of
meraatH7451 →662 times
יֹֽשְׁבֵי־[those who] dwell
yoshevei-H3427 →1079 times
בָ֗הּin <the> it
vah
סָפְתָ֤הit has dwindled away
safetahH5595 →
בְהֵמוֹת֙animals
vehemotH929 →190 times
וָע֔וֹףand bird[s]
vaofH5775 →71 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָמְר֔וּpeople have said
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִרְאֶ֖הhe will see
yirehH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ׃end our
ʾacharitenuH319 →61 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 9:10I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness pasture, for they have been scorched so no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not…
it leads to
- Hosea 4:3
Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 4:3
Through
Hosea 4:3Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:3
“I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. I will cut off mankind…
- Nahum 1:4
He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.
- Isaiah 24:4–12
The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.
- Zephaniah 1:3
Through
Jeremiah 7:20Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 42:18
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out…
- Jeremiah 42:18
Through
Psalms 107:34and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.
it leads to
- Genesis 13:10
And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was…
- Genesis 14:3
The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
- Genesis 13:10
Through
Jeremiah 4:25I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled.
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:2–3
“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
- Zephaniah 1:2–3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Calvin, Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 10.