Jeremiah 4:31
in Jeremiah 4For 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!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 4
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
climb among the rocks
on Jeremiah 4:29-31
The chapter closes on the Daughter of Zion as a woman in labor with “her first child”. The scarlet, the gold jewelry and the painted eyes of verse 30 show Jerusalem dressed for lovers who turn on her. Her beauty and ornament cannot buy back a covenant she has broken.
This site's exposition
a cry like a woman in labor
The Daughter of Zion is Jerusalem pictured as a woman. The painted lover of verse 30 becomes a mother in her first labor, gasping and stretching out her hands. Gill had described the prophet's own pain at verse 19 in the same way, as labor pain.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 31) For I heard a voice like that of a woman in labor, the anguish (or groaning) of one giving birth. The voice of the daughter of Zion, fading away and stretching out her hands: Woe to me, for my soul is faint because of the slain! Like a woman in labor, that is, one who is giving birth for the first time, she describes the city of Jerusalem lamenting and crying out.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
In travail - When the scripture would express any exquisite sorrow, it doth it by a woman in travail. First child - Which is usually the most painful.
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail,....
"Thou must utterly abandon all sin, and not retain any of the relics of idolatry: Put away thy abominations out of my sight, " that is, out of all places (for every place is under the eye of God), especially out of the temple, the house which he had in a particular manner his eye upon, to see that it was kept clean.
He had often compared the sin of Jerusalem to whoredom, not only her idolatry, but her trust in creatures, in the neighbouring powers. Now here he compares her to a harlot abandoned by all the lewd ones that used to make court to her. She is supposed to do all she can to keep up her interest in their affections.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
anguish--namely, occasioned by the attack of the enemy. daughter of Zion--There is peculiar beauty in suppressing the name of the person in trouble, until that trouble had been fully described [HENDERSON]. bewaileth herself--rather, "draweth her breath short" [HORSLEY]; "panteth." spreadeth . . . hands-- (La 1:17).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Bringeth forth her first child - In such a case the fear, danger, and pain were naturally the greatest. Spreadeth her hands - The gesture indicated by nature to signify distress, and implore help. We have met with this figure in other parts, and among the classic writers it is frequent.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For a cry have I heard as of one writhing in vain: Anguish as of one that bringeth forth her first-born: The cry of the daughter of Zion. She gasps for breath: she stretches out her palms: Woe is me! for my soul faints before the murderers.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ק֨וֹל | kol | a sound | H6963 → | 506 times |
| כְּחוֹלָ֜ה | kecholah | like a sick [woman] | H2470 → | 76 times |
| שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי | shama'ti | I have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| צָרָה֙ | tzarah | distress | H6869 → | 73 times |
| כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔ה | kemavkirah | like a [woman] bearing a first child | H1069 → | |
| ק֧וֹל | kol | [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| צִיּ֛וֹן | tziyon | Zion | H6726 → | 154 times |
| תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַ | tityapeach | she is gasping for breath | H3306 → | |
| תְּפָרֵ֣שׂ | tefares | she is spreading out | H6566 → | 67 times |
| כַּפֶּ֑יהָ | kapeiha | hands her | H3709 → | 192 times |
| אֽוֹי־ | ʾo- | woe! | H188 → | 24 times |
| נָ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| לִ֔י | li | to <the> me | ||
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עָיְפָ֥ה | ʾayefah | it is weary | H5888 → | |
| נַפְשִׁ֖י | nafshi | self my | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לְהֹרְגִֽים׃ פ | lehoregim | to murderers | H2026 → | 167 times |
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
ק֨וֹלa sound
kolH6963 →506 times
כְּחוֹלָ֜הlike a sick [woman]
kecholahH2470 →76 times
שָׁמַ֗עְתִּיI have heard
shama'tiH8085 →1159 times
צָרָה֙distress
tzarahH6869 →73 times
כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔הlike a [woman] bearing a first child
kemavkirahH1069 →
ק֧וֹל[the] sound of
kolH6963 →506 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
צִיּ֛וֹןZion
tziyonH6726 →154 times
תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַshe is gasping for breath
tityapeachH3306 →
תְּפָרֵ֣שׂshe is spreading out
tefaresH6566 →67 times
כַּפֶּ֑יהָhands her
kapeihaH3709 →192 times
אֽוֹי־woe!
ʾo-H188 →24 times
נָ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
לִ֔יto <the> me
li
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עָיְפָ֥הit is weary
ʾayefahH5888 →
נַפְשִׁ֖יself my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
לְהֹרְגִֽים׃ פto murderers
lehoregimH2026 →167 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
Matthew 21:5“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
it leads to
- Zechariah 9:9–10
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of…
- Isaiah 62:11
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.”
- Isaiah 9:6–7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Isaiah 12:6
Cry out and sing, O citizen of Zion, for great among you is the Holy One of Israel.”
- Genesis 49:10
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
- Zechariah 9:9–10
Through
Isaiah 1:15When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
it leads to
- Micah 3:4
Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.
- Isaiah 59:2–3
But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
- Proverbs 1:28
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
- Micah 3:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.