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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Jeremiah 4:23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/4-23.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/24_Jer_04_23.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jeremiah 4:23 - Lamentation for Judah" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/jeremiah/4-23.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/jeremiah/4-23.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/">Jeremiah</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/4.htm">Chapter 4</a> > Verse 23</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/jeremiah/4-22.htm" title="Jeremiah 4:22">◄</a> Jeremiah 4:23 <a href="/jeremiah/4-24.htm" title="Jeremiah 4:24">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/4.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/jeremiah/4.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/4.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/jeremiah/4.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/4.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/4.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, and, lo, <i>it was</i> without form, and void; and the heavens, and they <i>had</i> no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/4.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, and indeed <i>it was</i> without form, and void; And the heavens, they <i>had</i> no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/4.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and behold, <i>it was</i> a formless and desolate emptiness; And to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/4.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/4.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />I looked on the earth, and behold, <i>it was</i> formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/4.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />I saw on the earth, and behold, <i>it was</i> formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/4.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth [in my vision], and behold, it was [as at the time of creation] formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/4.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty. I looked to the heavens, and their light was gone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/4.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty. I looked to the heavens, and their light was gone. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/4.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/4.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />After this, I looked around. The earth was barren, with no form of life. The sun, moon, and stars had disappeared. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/4.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/4.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />I see the earth. It's formless and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/4.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I looked at the earth--it was a barren waste; at the sky--there was no light. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/4.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void, at the heavens, and there was no light there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/4.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/4.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />"I looked at the land and saw that it was an empty wasteland. I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/4.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />I saw the earth, and, look, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/4.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/4.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/4.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />I looked [to] the earth, and behold—formless and void, "" And to the heavens, and they [had] no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/4.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> I looked to the land, and lo, waste and void, And unto the heavens, and their light is not.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/4.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />I saw the earth, and behold, emptiness and a void; and to the heavens, and no lights.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/4.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/4.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/4.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />I looked at the earth—it was waste and void; at the heavens—their light had gone out! <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/4.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/4.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />I looked on the earth, and, lo, it was without form and void; and on the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/4.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />I looked in the earth, and behold, chaos and emptiness, and to the Heavens, and their light is not there<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/4.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />I beheld the earth, And, lo, it was waste and void; And the heavens, and they had no light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/4.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />I looked upon the earth, and, behold, <i>it was</i> not; and to the sky, an there was no light in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=1242" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/4.htm">Lamentation for Judah</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">22</span>“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.” <span class="reftext">23</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7200.htm" title="7200: rā·’î·ṯî (V-Qal-Perf-1cs) -- To see. A primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively.">I looked</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: hā·’ā·reṣ (Art:: N-fs) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">at the earth,</a> <a href="/hebrew/2009.htm" title="2009: wə·hin·nêh- (Conj-w:: Interjection) -- Lo! behold! Prolongation for hen; lo!"></a> <a href="/hebrew/8414.htm" title="8414: ṯō·hū (N-ms) -- From an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation, i.e. Desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain.">and it was formless</a> <a href="/hebrew/922.htm" title="922: wā·ḇō·hū (Conj-w:: N-ms) -- Emptiness. From an unused root; a vacuity, i.e. an undistinguishable ruin.">and void;</a> <a href="/hebrew/413.htm" title="413: wə·’el- (Conj-w:: Prep) -- To, into, towards. ">I looked to</a> <a href="/hebrew/8064.htm" title="8064: haš·šā·ma·yim (Art:: N-mp) -- Heaven, sky. Dual of an unused singular shameh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky.">the heavens,</a> <a href="/hebrew/369.htm" title="369: wə·’ên (Conj-w:: Adv) -- As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.">and they had no</a> <a href="/hebrew/216.htm" title="216: ’ō·w·rām (N-csc:: 3mp) -- A light. From 'owr; illumination or luminary.">light.</a> </span><span class="reftext">24</span>I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/1-2.htm">Genesis 1:2</a></span><br />Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/24-19.htm">Isaiah 24:19-20</a></span><br />The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently. / The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Isaiah 34:11</a></span><br />The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_peter/3-10.htm">2 Peter 3:10</a></span><br />But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/6-14.htm">Revelation 6:14</a></span><br />The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/20-11.htm">Revelation 20:11</a></span><br />Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/45-18.htm">Isaiah 45:18</a></span><br />For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-29.htm">Matthew 24:29</a></span><br />Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/13-10.htm">Isaiah 13:10</a></span><br />For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/8-9.htm">Amos 8:9</a></span><br />And in that day, declares the Lord GOD, I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the daytime.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/zephaniah/1-2.htm">Zephaniah 1:2-3</a></span><br />“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. / “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 from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/8-12.htm">Revelation 8:12</a></span><br />Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light, and a third of the night as well.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/1-4.htm">Micah 1:4</a></span><br />The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nahum/1-5.htm">Nahum 1:5</a></span><br />The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/5-30.htm">Isaiah 5:30</a></span><br />In that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. If one looks over the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be obscured by clouds.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">I beheld the earth, and, see, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.</p><p class="hdg">the earth.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/9-10.htm">Jeremiah 9:10</a></b></br> For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through <i>them</i>; neither can <i>men</i> hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/1-2.htm">Genesis 1:2</a></b></br> And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness <i>was</i> upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/24-19.htm">Isaiah 24:19-23</a></b></br> The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly… </p><p class="hdg">the heavens.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/5-30.htm">Isaiah 5:30</a></b></br> And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if <i>one</i> look unto the land, behold darkness <i>and</i> sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/13-10.htm">Isaiah 13:10</a></b></br> For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/32-7.htm">Ezekiel 32:7,8</a></b></br> And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/isaiah/63-5.htm">Beheld</a> <a href="/isaiah/66-22.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-5.htm">Empty</a> <a href="/jeremiah/1-5.htm">Form</a> <a href="/genesis/1-2.htm">Formless</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-12.htm">Heavens</a> <a href="/isaiah/60-20.htm">Light</a> <a href="/isaiah/55-11.htm">Void</a> <a href="/jeremiah/4-20.htm">Waste</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/4-24.htm">Beheld</a> <a href="/jeremiah/4-28.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/14-3.htm">Empty</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-16.htm">Form</a> <a href="/genesis/1-2.htm">Formless</a> <a href="/jeremiah/4-25.htm">Heavens</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-16.htm">Light</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-7.htm">Void</a> <a href="/jeremiah/4-26.htm">Waste</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 4</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/4-1.htm">God calls Israel by his promise</a></span><br><span class="reftext">3. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/4-3.htm">He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/4-19.htm">A grievous lamentation for Judah</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/4.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/4.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void;</b><br>This phrase echoes the language of <a href="/genesis/1-2.htm">Genesis 1:2</a>, where the earth is described as "formless and void" before God began the work of creation. In Jeremiah's context, this imagery is used to depict the desolation and chaos that would result from God's judgment on Judah due to their persistent sin and rebellion. The prophet Jeremiah is conveying a vision of the earth reverting to a state of chaos, symbolizing the undoing of creation as a consequence of divine wrath. This serves as a stark warning to the people of Judah about the seriousness of their spiritual condition and the impending disaster if they do not repent. The use of this phrase also highlights the power of God to both create and dismantle, emphasizing His sovereignty over all creation.<p><b>I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.</b><br>The absence of light in the heavens signifies a withdrawal of God's presence and favor, as light is often associated with God's glory and guidance (e.g., <a href="/psalms/27.htm">Psalm 27:1</a>, <a href="/john/8-12.htm">John 8:12</a>). In the prophetic literature, darkness is frequently a metaphor for judgment and calamity (e.g., <a href="/amos/5-18.htm">Amos 5:18-20</a>, <a href="/joel/2-2.htm">Joel 2:2</a>). The imagery of darkened heavens suggests a cosmic upheaval, reflecting the severity of the judgment that is to come. This darkness can also be seen as a reversal of the creation order, where God initially brought light into the world (<a href="/genesis/1-3.htm">Genesis 1:3</a>). Theologically, this points to the consequences of sin, which brings spiritual darkness and separation from God. The phrase underscores the seriousness of turning away from God and the resulting loss of His illuminating presence.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>A major prophet in the Old Testament, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by themes of repentance and impending judgment.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/judah.htm">Judah</a></b><br>The southern kingdom of Israel, which was often warned by prophets like Jeremiah about the consequences of their idolatry and disobedience to God.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/c/creation_imagery.htm">Creation Imagery</a></b><br>The verse uses language reminiscent of the creation account in Genesis, where the earth was initially "formless and void" before God brought order and light.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/i/impending_judgment.htm">Impending Judgment</a></b><br>The context of this passage is a vision of desolation and chaos as a result of God's judgment on Judah for their sins.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/h/heavens_and_earth.htm">Heavens and Earth</a></b><br>Symbolic of the totality of creation, often used in prophetic literature to emphasize the scope of God's power and the seriousness of His judgments.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_sin.htm">The Consequences of Sin</a></b><br>Sin leads to chaos and destruction, both spiritually and physically. Just as the earth was formless and void, so too can our lives become when we turn away from God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_over_creation.htm">God's Sovereignty Over Creation</a></b><br>God has the power to create and to judge. The imagery of a darkened heaven and a desolate earth reminds us of His ultimate authority over all things.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/call_to_repentance.htm">Call to Repentance</a></b><br>Jeremiah's vision serves as a warning to turn back to God. It is a call for self-examination and repentance in our own lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_restoration.htm">Hope in Restoration</a></b><br>While the imagery is bleak, it also points to the hope of restoration. Just as God brought order to the chaos in Genesis, He can bring healing and renewal to our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/l/living_in_light_of_eternity.htm">Living in Light of Eternity</a></b><br>The temporary nature of earthly things should prompt us to focus on eternal truths and live in a way that honors God.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_4.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 4</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_can_land_be_'formless'_again.htm">Jeremiah 4:23–26: How can the land become “formless and void” again if there’s no scientific or historical record of a second global chaos after creation? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what's_the_biblical_gap_theory.htm">What is the Gap Theory in biblical context?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_'formless_and_void'_mean.htm">What does Genesis 1:2 mean by "formless and void"?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_zephaniah_1_2-3_align_with_science.htm">In Zephaniah 1:2–3, how can the claim that God will “sweep away everything from the face of the earth” be reconciled with scientific understanding of global biodiversity? </a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/4.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(23) <span class= "bld">I beheld the earth.</span>--In words of terrible grandeur the prophet speaks, as if he had already seen the consummated destruction; and repeating the words "I beheld," as if he had passed through four distinct visions, describes its completeness.<p><span class= "bld">Without form, and void.</span>--An obvious quotation from the <span class= "ital">tohu va-bohu </span>of <a href="/genesis/1-2.htm" title="And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.">Genesis 1:2</a>. The goodly land of Israel was thrown back, as it were, into a formless chaos, before the words "Let there be light" had brought it into order.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/4.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 23.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">I beheld</span>. The prophet is again the speaker, but in a calmer mood. God's judgment has been pronounced, and it is not for him to rebel. He has now simply to record the vision of woe which has been granted him. He foresees the utter desolation into which not only the land of Judah, <span class="cmt_word">but the earth</span> in general, will be brought, and which reminds him of nothing so much as the "waste and wild" condition of the earth previous to the first creative word. But why is "the earth" mentioned in this connection? Because the judgment upon Judah is but one act in the great general judgment which, when completed, will issue in a fresh order of things (comp. <a href="/isaiah/3-14.htm">Isaiah 3:14, 15</a>, where side by side are mentioned Jehovah's judgment of "the peoples" and of "his people," and <a href="/isaiah/24.htm">Isaiah 24</a>, where the judgment upon the enemies of Israel is interwoven with the judgment upon "the earth"). <span class="cmt_word">Without form, and void</span>; rather, waste <span class="accented">and</span> wild (to represent in some degree the characteristic assonance of the original - tohu <span class="accented">va-bohu</span>); more literally, <span class="accented">immovable and lifeless</span>. It is the phrase used in Genesis L 2 for primeval chaos. <span class="accented">Tohu</span> and <span class="accented">bohu</span> occur in parallel lines in <a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Isaiah 34:11</a>, to express utter desolation; <span class="accented">tohu</span> alone five times in the Book of Isaiah, and once in Job. <span class="cmt_word">They had no light</span>. The heavens were in the same condition as on the third day, subsequently to the creation of the heavens, but prior to that of the luminaries. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">I looked</span><br /><span class="heb">רָאִ֙יתִי֙</span> <span class="translit">(rā·’î·ṯî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7200.htm">Strong's 7200: </a> </span><span class="str2">To see</span><br /><br /><span class="word">at the earth,</span><br /><span class="heb">הָאָ֔רֶץ</span> <span class="translit">(hā·’ā·reṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earth, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and it was formless</span><br /><span class="heb">תֹ֖הוּ</span> <span class="translit">(ṯō·hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8414.htm">Strong's 8414: </a> </span><span class="str2">A desolation, desert, a worthless thing, in vain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and empty;</span><br /><span class="heb">וָבֹ֑הוּ</span> <span class="translit">(wā·ḇō·hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_922.htm">Strong's 922: </a> </span><span class="str2">A vacuity, an undistinguishable ruin</span><br /><br /><span class="word">[I looked] to</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאֶל־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’el-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_413.htm">Strong's 413: </a> </span><span class="str2">Near, with, among, to</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the heavens,</span><br /><span class="heb">הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם</span> <span class="translit">(haš·šā·ma·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8064.htm">Strong's 8064: </a> </span><span class="str2">Heaven, sky</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and they [had] no</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאֵ֥ין</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’ên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_369.htm">Strong's 369: </a> </span><span class="str2">A non-entity, a negative particle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">light.</span><br /><span class="heb">אוֹרָֽם׃</span> <span class="translit">(’ō·w·rām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_216.htm">Strong's 216: </a> </span><span class="str2">Illumination, luminary</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/4-23.htm">Jeremiah 4:23 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/4-23.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 4:23 I saw the earth and behold it (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/4-22.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 4:22"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 4:22" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/4-24.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 4:24"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 4:24" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>