The Meaning of Jeremiah 6:4 Explained

Jeremiah 6:4

KJV: Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

YLT: Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,

Darby: Prepare war against her. Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day hath declined, for the shadows of the evening are lengthening.

ASV: Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Prepare  ye war  against her; arise,  and let us go up  at noon.  Woe  unto us! for the day  goeth away,  for the shadows  of the evening  are stretched out. 

What does Jeremiah 6:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 6

1  The enemies sent against Judah,
4  encourage themselves
6  God sets them on work because of their sins
9  The prophet laments the judgments of God because of their sins
18  He proclaims God's wrath
26  He calls the people to mourn for the judgment on their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 6:4 mean?

Prepare against her war Arise and let us go up at noon Woe to us for goes away the day for are lengthening the shadows of the evening
קַדְּשׁ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה ק֖וּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה בַֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם א֥וֹי לָ֙נוּ֙ כִּי־ פָנָ֣ה הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י יִנָּט֖וּ צִלְלֵי־ עָֽרֶב

קַדְּשׁ֤וּ  Prepare 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙  against  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
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.
מִלְחָמָ֔ה  war 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
ק֖וּמוּ  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה  and  let  us  go  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בַֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם  at  noon 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֹהַר 
Sense: noon, midday.
א֥וֹי  Woe 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֹוי  
Sense: woe! alas! oh!.
לָ֙נוּ֙  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
פָנָ֣ה  goes  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
הַיּ֔וֹם  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יִנָּט֖וּ  are  lengthening 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
צִלְלֵי־  the  shadows 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
עָֽרֶב  of  the  evening 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.