Jeremiah 4:17
New International Version
They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,’” declares the LORD.

New Living Translation
They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,” says the LORD.

English Standard Version
Like keepers of a field are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me, declares the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.

King James Bible
As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

New King James Version
Like keepers of a field they are against her all around, Because she has been rebellious against Me,” says the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her all around, Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares the LORD.

NASB 1995
‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares the LORD.

NASB 1977
‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about, Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her on all sides, Because she has rebelled against Me,’ says the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
They have her surrounded like those who guard a field, because she has rebelled against me. This is the LORD’s declaration.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They have her surrounded like those who guard a field, because she has rebelled against Me. This is the LORD’s declaration.

American Standard Version
As keepers of a field are they against her round about, because she hath been rebellious against me, saith Jehovah.

English Revised Version
As keepers of a field are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They surround them like men guarding a field, because Judah has rebelled against me," declares the LORD.

Good News Translation
and will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field, because her people have rebelled against the LORD. The LORD has spoken.

International Standard Version
They have surrounded her like those guarding a field because they have rebelled against me,'" declares the LORD.

Majority Standard Bible
They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,? declares the LORD.

NET Bible
They will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field because they have rebelled against me," says the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,'" says the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
As keepers of a field they are against her on all sides; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

World English Bible
As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
As the keepers of a field "" They have been against her all around, "" For she has been rebellious with Me,” "" A declaration of YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
As the keepers of a field They have been against her round about, For with Me she hath been rebellious, An affirmation of Jehovah.'

Smith's Literal Translation
As watching a field they were against her from round about; for she embittered against me, says Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They are set round about her, as keepers of fields: because she hath provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.

New American Bible
Like watchers in the fields they surround her, for she has rebelled against me—oracle of the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
They have closed in around her like watchers of a field, because she has rebelled against me, says the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
As keepers of the fields are they against her around about, because she has been rebellious against me, says the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
As the keepers of the fields they have been against her from around her, because she has angered me, says LORD JEHOVAH
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
As keepers of a field Are they against her round about; Because she hath been rebellious against Me, Saith the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
As keepers of a field, they have surrounded her; because thou, saith the Lord, has neglected me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Disaster from the North
16Warn the nations now! Proclaim to Jerusalem: “A besieging army comes from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah. 17They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD. 18“Your ways and deeds have brought this upon you. This is your punishment; how bitter it is, because it pierces to the heart!”…

Cross References
2 Kings 25:1-4
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. / And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year. / By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food. ...

Lamentations 1:17
Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

Isaiah 1:7-8
Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you—a desolation demolished by strangers. / And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.

Ezekiel 5:8-10
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. / Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. / As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’

Isaiah 29:3
I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you.

Jeremiah 6:3-6
Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents all around her, each tending his own portion: / ‘Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the daylight is fading; the evening shadows grow long. / Rise up, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!’” ...

Ezekiel 21:22
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.

Luke 19:43-44
For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. / They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Matthew 24:15-16
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), / then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Jeremiah 39:1-3
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city. / And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city was breached. / Then all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

Isaiah 5:26-30
He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come! / None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose and no sandal strap is broken. / Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are strung. The hooves of their horses are like flint; their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind. ...

Jeremiah 52:4-5
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. / And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

Ezekiel 4:2-3
Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides. / Then take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

Jeremiah 12:9-11
Is not My inheritance to Me like a speckled bird of prey with other birds of prey circling against her? Go, gather all the beasts of the field; bring them to devour her. / Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. / They have made it a desolation; desolate before Me, it mourns. All the land is laid waste, but no man takes it to heart.

Jeremiah 32:24
See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!


Treasury of Scripture

As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against me, said the LORD.

keepers.

Jeremiah 6:2,3
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman

2 Kings 25:1-4
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about…

Isaiah 1:8
And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

because.

Jeremiah 5:23
But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

Nehemiah 9:26,30
Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations…

Isaiah 1:20-23
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it

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Jeremiah 4
1. God calls Israel by his promise
3. He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments
19. A grievous lamentation for Judah














They surround her
In this phrase, the imagery of being surrounded is significant. The Hebrew root word used here is "סָבַב" (sabab), which means to encircle or encompass. This conveys a sense of being besieged or trapped, often used in military contexts. Historically, this reflects the siege tactics employed by ancient armies, where a city would be completely surrounded to cut off supplies and force surrender. Spiritually, this can symbolize the encroachment of sin or judgment upon a nation or individual, highlighting the inescapable nature of divine justice when one turns away from God.

like men guarding a field
The comparison to "men guarding a field" uses agricultural imagery familiar to the original audience. The Hebrew word for "guarding" is "שָׁמַר" (shamar), meaning to keep, watch, or preserve. In ancient times, fields were guarded to protect crops from thieves and animals, ensuring the harvest. This metaphor suggests vigilance and constant watchfulness. In a spiritual sense, it implies that the judgment upon Jerusalem is as certain and diligent as a farmer protecting his livelihood, underscoring the seriousness of the situation and the inevitability of God's decrees.

because she has rebelled against Me
The phrase "because she has rebelled against Me" identifies the cause of the impending judgment. The Hebrew word for "rebelled" is "פָּשַׁע" (pasha), which means to transgress or revolt. This rebellion is not merely a passive disobedience but an active defiance against God's authority. Historically, Israel's rebellion included idolatry, social injustice, and breaking covenantal laws. From a theological perspective, this highlights the gravity of turning away from God, emphasizing that rebellion leads to consequences. It serves as a warning and a call to repentance, reminding believers of the importance of faithfulness to God's commands.

(17) Field.--With the meaning, as in all early English, of "open," not "enclosed," country (Leviticus 14:7; Leviticus 17:5). The image is that of a nomadic tribe encamped in the open country, or of men watching their flocks (Luke 2:8) or crops (Job 27:18). So shall be the tents of the invaders round Jerusalem--keeping, or (as in 2Samuel 11:16) "observing," i.e., "blockading" the city.

Verse 17. - As keepers of a field. The prophet compares the tents, or perhaps the booths (1 Kings 20:12, 16), of the besieging army to the booths of the guardians of the crepe (Isaiah 1:8; Job 27:18).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They surround her
מִסָּבִ֑יב (mis·sā·ḇîḇ)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

like men guarding
כְּשֹׁמְרֵ֣י (kə·šō·mə·rê)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

a field,
שָׂדַ֔י (śā·ḏay)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

because
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

she has rebelled against Me,
מָרָ֖תָה (mā·rā·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4784: To be contentious or rebellious

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 4:17 As keepers of a field are they (Jer.)
Jeremiah 4:16
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