The Meaning of Jeremiah 4:28 Explained

Jeremiah 4:28

KJV: For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

YLT: For this doth the land mourn, And black have been the heavens above, because I have spoken -- I have purposed, And I have not repented, Nor do I turn back from it.

Darby: For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back therefrom.

ASV: For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For this shall the earth  mourn,  and the heavens  above  be black:  because I have spoken  [it], I have purposed  [it], and will not repent,  neither will I turn back  from it. 

What does Jeremiah 4:28 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh"s fixed purpose to bring this destruction on Judah was such bad news that even the earth and heavens would mourn upon hearing His plan.

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 4:28 mean?

For this shall mourn the earth and be black the heavens above because that I have spoken I have purposed and not will relent nor will I turn back from it
עַל־ זֹאת֙ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ וְקָדְר֥וּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם מִמָּ֑עַל עַ֤ל כִּי־ דִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ זַמֹּ֔תִי וְלֹ֥א נִחַ֖מְתִּי וְלֹא־ אָשׁ֥וּב מִמֶּֽנָּה

זֹאת֙  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
תֶּאֱבַ֣ל  shall  mourn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָבַל 
Sense: to mourn, lament.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְקָדְר֥וּ  and  be  black 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָדַר  
Sense: to mourn, be dark.
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
מִמָּ֑עַל  above 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
עַ֤ל  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
דִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙  I  have  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
זַמֹּ֔תִי  I  have  purposed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: זָמַם  
Sense: to have a thought, devise, plan, consider, purpose.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נִחַ֖מְתִּי  will  relent 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
וְלֹא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָשׁ֥וּב  will  I  turn  back 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מִמֶּֽנָּה  from  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.