Jeremiah 4:21
New International Version
How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

New Living Translation
How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war?

English Standard Version
How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Berean Standard Bible
How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?

King James Bible
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

New King James Version
How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?

New American Standard Bible
How long must I see the flag And hear the sound of the trumpet?

NASB 1995
How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet?

NASB 1977
How long must I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?

Legacy Standard Bible
How long must I see the standard And hear the sound of the trumpet?

Amplified Bible
How long [O LORD] must I see the banner [marking the way for flight] And hear the sound of the trumpet [urging the people to run for safety]?

Christian Standard Bible
How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the ram’s horn?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the ram’s horn?

American Standard Version
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Contemporary English Version
How long will I see enemy flags and hear their trumpets?

English Revised Version
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How long must I see the battle flag and hear the sound of rams' horns?

Good News Translation
How long must I see the battle raging and hear the blasts of trumpets?

International Standard Version
How long will I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Majority Standard Bible
How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?

NET Bible
"How long must I see the enemy's battle flags and hear the military signals of their bugles?"

New Heart English Bible
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Webster's Bible Translation
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

World English Bible
How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Until when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a horn?

Young's Literal Translation
Till when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a trumpet?

Smith's Literal Translation
How long shall I see the signal, shall I hear the voice of the trumpet?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
How long shall I see men fleeing away, how long shall I hear the sound of the trumpet?

Catholic Public Domain Version
How long shall I watch those who are fleeing, and listen to the voice of the trumpet?

New American Bible
How long must I see the signal, hear the blast of the horn!

New Revised Standard Version
How long must I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How long shall I see fugitives and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
How long shall I see fugitives and shall I hear the sound of the trumpets?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
How long shall I see the standard, Shall I hear the sound of the horn?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
How long shall I see fugitives, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Lamentation for Judah
20Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment. 21How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn? 22“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.”…

Cross References
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. ...

Joel 2:1-11
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near— / a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come. / Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them. ...

Amos 3:6
If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?

Zephaniah 1:14-16
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. / That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.

Ezekiel 7:14
They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one goes to war, for My wrath is upon the whole multitude.

Hosea 8:1
Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.

Isaiah 18:3
All you people of the world and dwellers of the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it; when a ram’s horn sounds, you will hear it.

Isaiah 30:17
A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.

Isaiah 58:1
“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins.

Isaiah 1:2
Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.

Matthew 24:31
And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

1 Corinthians 14:8
Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?

Revelation 8:13
And as I observed, I heard an eagle flying overhead, calling in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the remaining three angels!”

Revelation 9:14
saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.


Treasury of Scripture

How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

How long.

Jeremiah 4:14
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

shall I.

Jeremiah 4:5,6,19
Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities…

Jeremiah 6:1
O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

2 Chronicles 35:25
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

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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














How long
This phrase reflects a deep sense of urgency and lament. In Hebrew, the phrase "ad-matai" conveys a longing for an end to a distressing situation. Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," often expressed sorrow over the spiritual state of Israel. This question is rhetorical, emphasizing the prolonged period of warning and the people's continued disobedience. It invites reflection on the patience of God and the persistent call to repentance.

must I see
The act of seeing here is not just physical sight but a deeper perception and understanding of the impending judgment. In the Hebrew context, "to see" often implies awareness and acknowledgment. Jeremiah is burdened by the constant vision of warning signs, which the people of Judah seem to ignore. This highlights the prophet's role as a watchman, tasked with alerting the people to spiritual danger.

the signal flag
The "signal flag" or "banner" in Hebrew, "nes," was used in ancient times as a military standard or rallying point. It symbolizes a call to attention and action. In the context of Jeremiah, it represents the clear and visible warnings from God about the coming judgment. The signal flag serves as a metaphor for God's attempts to draw His people's attention back to Him, urging them to repent and return to His covenant.

and hear
Hearing, like seeing, involves more than just the physical act; it implies understanding and responding. The Hebrew word "shama" often means to listen with the intent to obey. Jeremiah's lament is that the people hear the warnings but fail to heed them. This reflects a recurring biblical theme where God calls His people to listen and respond to His voice.

the sound of the trumpet
The trumpet, or "shofar" in Hebrew, was used in Israel for various purposes, including calling people to worship, signaling war, or announcing significant events. In this context, it is a sound of alarm, warning of impending danger. The trumpet's blast is a divine call to repentance, urging the people to awaken from their spiritual slumber. Historically, the shofar's sound was unmistakable and urgent, symbolizing the need for immediate action in response to God's warnings.

(21) How long shall I see . . .--The "standard," as in Jeremiah 4:6, is the alarm signal given to the fugitives. The "trumpet" sounds to give the alarm, and quicken their flight to the defenced city. The prophet sees no end to the miseries of the coming war.

Verse 21. - Shall I see the standard. (See on ver. 6.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How long
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

must I see
אֶרְאֶה־ (’er·’eh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

the signal flag
נֵּ֑ס (nês)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5251: A flag, a sail, a flagstaff, a signal, a token

and hear
אֶשְׁמְעָ֖ה (’eš·mə·‘āh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the sound
ק֥וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the trumpet?
שׁוֹפָֽר׃ (šō·w·p̄ār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 4:21 How long shall I see the standard (Jer.)
Jeremiah 4:20
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