Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Updated Bible Version

Jeremiah 4:7

A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he has gone forth from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Condescension of God;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Lion;   Thompson Chain Reference - Thicket;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Lion, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Kir-Hareseth;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Thicket;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Desolate;   Forest;   Thicket;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ariel;   Lion;   Zodiac;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A lion has gone up from his thicket;a destroyer of nations has set out.He has left his lairto make your land a waste.Your cities will be reduced to uninhabited ruins.
Hebrew Names Version
A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
King James Version
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
English Standard Version
A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
New American Standard Bible
"A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins, Without an inhabitant.
New Century Version
A lion has come out of his den; a destroyer of nations has begun to march. He has left his home to destroy your land. Your towns will be destroyed with no one left to live in them.
Amplified Bible
"A lion has left his lair, And a destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone out from his place To desolate your land; Your cities will be in ruins Without an inhabitant.
World English Bible
A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The lyon is come vp from his denne, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is departed, and gone forth of his place to lay thy land waste, and thy cities shalbe destroyed without an inhabitant.
Legacy Standard Bible
A lion has gone up from his thicket,And a destroyer of nations has set out;He has gone out from his placeTo make your land a desolation.Your cities will be turned into ruinsWithout inhabitant.
Berean Standard Bible
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste to your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.
Contemporary English Version
An army will come out, like a lion from its den. It will destroy nations and leave your towns empty and in ruins."
Complete Jewish Bible
A lion has risen from his lair, a destroyer of nations has set out, left his own place to ruin your land, to demolish and depopulate your cities."
Darby Translation
The lion is come up from his thicket, the destroyer of the nations is on his way; he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate; thy cities shall be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Easy-to-Read Version
A lion has come out of his cave. A destroyer of nations has begun to march. He has left his home to destroy your land. Your towns will be destroyed. There will be no one left to live in them.
George Lamsa Translation
A powerful king is come up like a lion from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he has gone forth from his country to make your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste without an inhabitant.
Good News Translation
Like a lion coming from its hiding place, a destroyer of nations has set out. He is coming to destroy Judah. The cities of Judah will be left in ruins, and no one will live in them.
Lexham English Bible
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has gone out from his place to make your land as a horror, your cities will go to ruin without inhabitant.
Literal Translation
The lion has come up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will fall into ruins without one living in them .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For the spoyler of the Gentiles is broken vp from his place, as a lyon out of his dene, that he maye make the londe waist, and destroye the cities, so, that no man maye dwell therin.
American Standard Version
A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Bible in Basic English
A lion has gone up from his secret place in the woods, and one who makes waste the nations is on his way; he has gone out from his place, to make your land unpeopled, so that your towns will be made waste, with no man living in them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is set out, gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
King James Version (1611)
The Lion is come vp from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; hee is gone foorth from his place to make thy land desolate, and thy cities shall be layed waste, without an inhabitant.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the spoyler of the gentiles is broken vp from his place as a lion out of his denne: that he may make thy lande waste, and destroy the cities, so that no man may dwell therin.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The lion is gone up from his lair, he has roused himself to the destruction of the nations, and has gone forth out of his place, to make the land desolate; and the cities shall be destroyed, so as to be without inhabitant.
English Revised Version
A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A lioun schal `rise vp fro his denne, and the robbere of folkis schal reise hym silf. He is goon out of his place, to sette thi lond in to wildirnesse; thi citees schulen be distried, abidynge stille with out dwellere.
Webster's Bible Translation
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
New English Translation
Like a lion that has come up from its lair the one who destroys nations has set out from his home base. He is coming out to lay your land waste. Your cities will become ruins and lie uninhabited.
New King James Version
The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.
New Living Translation
A lion stalks from its den, a destroyer of nations. It has left its lair and is headed your way. It's going to devastate your land! Your towns will lie in ruins, with no one living in them anymore.
New Life Bible
A lion has gone up from his secret place. A destroyer of nations has begun to move. He has gone out from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be destroyed and no people will live in them.
New Revised Standard
A lion has gone up from its thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
There hath come up a lion out of his thicket, Yea, a destroyer of nations - hath set forward, hath come forth out of his place, - To make thy land a desolation, Thy cities, shall fall in ruins, so as to have no inhabitant.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The lion is come up out of his den, and the robber of nations hath roused himself: he is come forth out of his place, to make thy land desolate: thy cities shall be laid waste, remaining without an inhabitant.
Revised Standard Version
A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone forth from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
Young's Literal Translation
Gone up hath a lion from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations hath journeyed, He hath come forth from his place To make thy land become a desolation, Thy cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins Without inhabitant.

Contextual Overview

5 Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow the trumpet in the land: cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities. 6 Set up a standard toward Zion: flee for safety, don't stay; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. 7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he has gone forth from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant. 8 For this gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Yahweh has not turned back from us. 9 And it shall come to pass at that day, says Yahweh, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. 10 Then I said, Ah, Lord Yahweh! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace; whereas the sword reaches to the life. 11 At that time it shall be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse; 12 a full wind from these shall come for me: now I will also utter judgments against them. 13 Look, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as the whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! for we are ruined. 14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge inside you?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lion: Jeremiah 5:6, Jeremiah 25:38, Jeremiah 49:19, Jeremiah 50:17, Jeremiah 50:44, 2 Kings 24:1, 2 Kings 25:1, Daniel 7:4

destroyer: Jeremiah 25:9, Jeremiah 27:8, Ezekiel 21:19-21, Ezekiel 26:7-10, Ezekiel 30:10, Ezekiel 30:11, Daniel 5:19

to: Jeremiah 2:15, Jeremiah 9:11, Jeremiah 26:9, Jeremiah 33:10, Jeremiah 34:22, Isaiah 1:7, Isaiah 5:9, Isaiah 6:11

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:31 - And I will make Job 4:11 - old lion Psalms 76:4 - mountains Psalms 80:13 - The boar Isaiah 5:29 - roaring Isaiah 21:8 - General Isaiah 24:1 - maketh the Isaiah 44:1 - now Jeremiah 4:27 - The Jeremiah 5:17 - they shall impoverish Jeremiah 22:7 - I Jeremiah 44:2 - a desolation Jeremiah 46:1 - against Ezekiel 7:24 - I will bring Ezekiel 12:20 - General Ezekiel 12:28 - There shall Ezekiel 15:6 - General Ezekiel 21:31 - and skilful Ezekiel 32:2 - Thou art like Micah 5:1 - gather Nahum 2:11 - the dwelling Habakkuk 1:9 - for Zephaniah 1:13 - their goods

Cross-References

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth sons; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.
Genesis 4:6
And Yahweh said to Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:8
And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Genesis 4:9
And Yahweh said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I don't know: am I my brother's keeper?
Genesis 4:10
And he said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.
Genesis 4:11
And now cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand;
Genesis 4:12
from now on when you till the ground, it shall not yield its strength to you; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said to Yahweh, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Genesis 19:21
And he said to him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
Numbers 32:23
But if you will not do so, look, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The lion is come up from his thicket,.... Meaning Nebuchadnezzar s, from Babylon, who is compared to a lion for his strength, fierceness, and cruelty; see Jeremiah 50:17 so the Roman emperor is called a lion, 2 Timothy 4:17, agreeably to this the Targum paraphrases it,

"a king is gone from his fortress;''

or tower; and the Syriac version,

"a certain most powerful king is about to go up as a lion out of his wood:''

and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he who had conquered and destroyed other nations not a few, and these mighty and strong; and therefore the Jews could not expect but to be destroyed by him. This tyrant was a type of antichrist, whose name is Apollyon, a destroyer of the nations of the earth, Revelation 9:11

he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate; from Babylon, where his royal palace was, in order to lay waste the land of Judea; and he is represented as being come out, and on the road with this view, to strike the inhabitants of Judea with the greater terror, and to hasten their flight, their destruction being determined and certain:

and thy cities shall be laid waste without an inhabitant; they shall become so utterly desolate, that there should be none dwelling in them, partly by reason of the multitudes of the slain, and partly by reason of multitudes that should flee; and should be laid waste to such a degree, that they should be covered with grass growing upon them; which is the signification of the word t here used, according to R. Joseph Kimchi.

s So T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 11. 1. & Sanhedrin. fol 94. 2. t תצינה "gramine succrescente obducantur quidam" in Gataker.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, A “lion”... a “destroyer” of nations: a metaphor descriptive of the impending calamity. A lion is just rousing himself from his lair, but no common one. It is destroyer, not of men, but of nations.

Is on his way - literally, “has broken up his encampment.” Jeremiah uses a military term strictly referring to the striking of tents in preparation for the march.

Without an inhabitant - The final stage of destruction, actually reached in the utter depopulation of Judaea consequent upon Gedaliah’s murder.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 4:7. The lion is come up — Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. "The king (Nebuchadnezzar) is come up from his tower." - Targum.

The destroyer of the Gentiles — Of the nations: of all the people who resisted his authority. He destroyed them all.


 
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