Jeremiah 9:22

Brenton's Septuagint

And the carcases of the men shall be for an example on the face of the field of your land, like grass after the mower, and there shall be none to gather them.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Speak as follows: ‘This is what the Lord declares: Human corpses will fall like manure on the surface of the field, like newly cut grain after the reaper with no one to gather it.

Hebrew Names Version
Speak, Thus says the LORD, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and none shall gather [them].

King James Version
Speak, Thus saith the Lord , Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.

English Standard Version
Speak: "Thus declares the Lord , ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.'"

New American Standard Bible
Speak, "This is what the LORD says: 'The corpses of people will fall like dung on the open field, And like the sheaf after the reaper, But no one will gather them.'"

New Century Version
Say, "This is what the Lord says: ‘The dead bodies of people will lie in the open field like dung. They will lie like grain a farmer has cut, but there will be no one to gather them.'"

Amplified Bible
Speak, "Thus says the LORD, 'The dead bodies of men will fall like dung on the open field, And like sheaves [of grain] behind the reaper, And no one will gather them.'"

World English Bible
Speak, Thus says Yahweh, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and none shall gather [them].

Geneva Bible (1587)
Speake, thus sayth the Lorde, The carkeises of men shall lye, euen as the doung vpon the fielde, and as the handfull after the mower, and none shal gather them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Speak, "Thus declares Yahweh,‘The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open fieldAnd like the sheaf after the reaper,But no one will gather them.'"

Berean Standard Bible
Declare that this is what the LORD says: "The corpses of men will fall like dung upon the open field, like newly cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather it."

Contemporary English Version
"The Lord has told us the ground will be covered with dead bodies, like stalks of ungathered grain or like manure."

Complete Jewish Bible
Here is what Adonai says: "The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth;

Darby Translation
Speak, Thus saith Jehovah: Yea, the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the reaper, and there shall be none to gather.

Easy-to-Read Version
This is what you should say: "The Lord says, ‘Dead bodies will lie in the fields like dung. Their bodies will lie on the ground like grain a farmer has cut. But there will be no one to gather them.'"

George Lamsa Translation
For thus says the LORD, The carcasses of men shall fall as rubbish upon the open field and as the grass after the reaper, and none shall gather them.

Good News Translation
Dead bodies are scattered everywhere, like piles of manure on the fields, like grain cut and left behind by the reapers, grain that no one gathers. This is what the Lord has told me to say."

Lexham English Bible
Speak, ‘thus declares Yahweh: "The dead body of the human will fall like dung upon the surface of the field, and like cut grain behind the reaper, and there is no one who gathers."'"

Literal Translation
Speak, So says Jehovah, Even the bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the swath after the reaper, and no one shall gather them .

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But tell thou planely, thus saieth ye LORDE: The deed bodies of men shal lye apon ye grounde, as the donge vpon the felde, and as the hay after the mower, and there shalbe no man to take them vp.

American Standard Version
Speak, Thus saith Jehovah, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman; and none shall gather them.

Bible in Basic English
The bodies of men will be falling like waste on the open fields, and like grain dropped by the grain-cutter, and no one will take them up.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus saith the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches;

King James Version (1611)
Speake, Thus saith the Lord, Euen the carkeises of men shall fall as dung vpon the open field, and as the handfull after the haruest man, and none shall gather them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But tell thou playnely, thus saith the Lord: The dead bodyes of men shall lye vpon the ground as the dunge vpon the fielde, and as the handfull after the mower, and there shalbe no man to take them vp.

English Revised Version
Speak, Thus saith the LORD, The carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Speke thou, the Lord seith, these thingis, And the deed bodi of a man schal fal doun as a toord on the face of the cuntrei, and as hei bihynde the bak of the mowere, and noon is that gaderith.

Update Bible Version
Speak, Thus says Yahweh, The dead bodies of man shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman; and none shall gather [them].

Webster's Bible Translation
Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvest-man, and none shall gather [them].

New English Translation
Tell your daughters and neighbors, ‘The Lord says, "The dead bodies of people will lie scattered everywhere like manure scattered on a field. They will lie scattered on the ground like grain that has been cut down but has not been gathered."'"

New King James Version
Speak, "Thus says the LORD: "Even the carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field, Like cuttings after the harvester, And no one shall gather them."'

New Living Translation
This is what the Lord says: "Bodies will be scattered across the fields like clumps of manure, like bundles of grain after the harvest. No one will be left to bury them."

New Life Bible
Say, "This is what the Lord says: ‘The dead bodies of men will fall like animal waste on the open field, and like grain after the gatherer. But no one will gather them.'"

New Revised Standard
Speak! Thus says the Lord : "Human corpses shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves behind the reaper, and no one shall gather them."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Speak thou, Thus, declareth Yahweh, So shall fall the dead bodies of men, Like dung heaps on the face of the field, - And like swaths after the harvestman, With none to gather.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Speak: Thus saith the Lord: Even the carcass of man shall fall as dung upon the face of the country, and as grass behind the back of the mower, and there is none to gather it.

Revised Standard Version
Speak, "Thus says the LORD: 'The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.'"

Young's Literal Translation
Speak thus -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And fallen hath the carcase of man, As dung on the face of the field, And as a handful after the reaper, And there is none gathering.

THE MESSAGE
Speak up! " God 's Message: "‘Dead bodies everywhere, scattered at random like sheep and goat dung in the fields, Like wheat cut down by reapers and left to rot where it falls.'"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Speak, "Thus says the LORD, 'The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field, And like the sheaf after the reaper, But no one will gather them."'

Contextual Overview

¹² Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? and he that has the word of the mouth of the Lord addressed to him, let him tell you wherefore the land has been destroyed, has been ravaged by fire like a desert, so that no one passes through it. ¹³ And the Lord said to me, Because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them, and have not hearkened to my voice; ¹⁴ but went after the lusts of their evil heart, and after the idols which their fathers taught them to worship: ¹⁵ therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them with trouble and will cause them to drink water of gall: ¹⁶ and I will scatter them among the nations, to them whom neither they nor their fathers knew; and I will send a sword upon them, until I have consumed them with it. ¹⁷ Thus saith the Lord, Call ye the mourning women, and let them come; and send to the wise women, and let them utter their voice; ¹⁸ and let them take up a lamentation for you, and let your eyes pour down tears, and your eyelids drop water. ¹⁹ For a voice of lamentation has been heard in Sion, How are we become wretched! we are greatly ashamed, for we have forsaken the land, and have abandoned our tabernacles! ²⁰ Hear now, ye women, the word of God, and let your ears receive the words of his mouth, and teach your daughters lamentation, and every woman her neighbour a dirge. ²¹ For death has come up through your windows, it has entered into our land, to destroy the infants without, and the young men from the streets.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fall: Jeremiah 7:33, Jeremiah 8:2, Jeremiah 16:4, Jeremiah 25:33, 2 Kings 9:37, Psalms 83:10, Isaiah 5:25, Zephaniah 1:17

Reciprocal: Isaiah 17:5 - as when Jeremiah 6:21 - fathers Jeremiah 14:16 - be cast Jeremiah 19:7 - and their Lamentations 1:20 - abroad Lamentations 4:5 - embrace Ezekiel 5:2 - shalt burn Ezekiel 16:5 - but thou Amos 4:10 - the stink Amos 8:3 - many Hebrews 3:17 - whose

Cross-References

Genesis 9:12
And the Lord God said to Noe, This is the sign of the covenant which I set between me and you, and between every living creature which is with you for perpetual generations.

Genesis 9:13
I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of covenant between me and the earth.

Genesis 9:15
And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and between every living soul in all flesh, and there shall no longer be water for a deluge, so as to blot out all flesh.

Genesis 9:16
And my bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look to remember the everlasting covenant between me and the earth, and between every living soul in all flesh, which is upon the earth.

Genesis 9:19
These three are the sons of Noe, of these were men scattered over all the earth.

Genesis 9:20
And Noe began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.

Genesis 9:21
And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was naked in his house.

Genesis 9:25
And he said, Cursed be the servant Chanaan, a slave shall he be to his brethren.

Genesis 10:6
And the sons of Cham, Chus, and Mesrain, Phud, and Chanaan.

1 Chronicles 1:8
And the sons of Cham, Chus, and Mesraim, Phud and Chanaan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Speak, thus saith the Lord,.... These are the words of the Lord to Jeremiah, to go on with his prophecy in his name; so the Targum,

"prophesy, thus saith the Lord:''

even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field; or, "upon the face of the field" f; this shows the reason why the women are called to mourning, because the men would fall by the sword in the open field, and there lie and rot, and become dung upon it. The Targum is,

"as dung spread upon the face of the field;''

which denotes the great number that should fall, which would cover the face of the field; the condition they should be in; and the contempt and neglect they should be had in:

and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them; as a handful of corn that is forgot, and left by the harvestman; or as ears of corn which are dropped by the reaper, or binder, and are usually gleaned or gathered up by the poor that follow; but in the case referred to, or supposed, are not gathered; so it would be with these people; they should be left upon the ground, like a handful forgot, or like ears of corn dropped, and not gathered up, and there they should lie, and none should bury them.

f על פני השדה "super faciebus agri", Montanus, Schmidt; "in facie agri", Cocceius; "in superficie agri", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The punishment described in general terms in the preceding three verses is now detailed at great length.

Jeremiah 9:10

The habitations i. e - the temporary encampments of the shepherds (see Jeremiah 6:3).

So that none can ... - Or, “They are parched up, with no man to pass through them; neither do they hear the voice of cattle; from the birds of the heaven even to the beasts they “are fled, they are gone.”

Jeremiah 9:11

Dragons - Rather, jackals.

Jeremiah 9:12

For what the land perisheth ... - This is the question proposed for consideration. The prophet calls upon the wise man to explain his question; that question being, Wherefore did the land perish? He follows it by the assertion of a fact: “It is parched like the wilderness with no man to pass through.”

Jeremiah 9:13

The cause of the chastisement about to fall upon Jerusalem, was their desertion of the divine Law.

Jeremiah 9:14

Imagination - Or, as in the margin.

Which their fathers taught them - It was not the sin of one generation that brought upon them chastisement: it was a sin, which had been handed down from father to son.

Jeremiah 9:15

I will feed them ... - Rather, I am feeding them. The present participle used here, followed by three verbs in the future, shows that the judgment has beam, of which the successive stages are given in the next clause.

Wormwood - See Deuteronomy 29:18, note, and for “water of gall,” Jeremiah 8:14, note.

Jeremiah 9:16

This verse is taken from Leviticus 26:33. The fulfillment of what had been so long before appointed as the penalty for the violation of Yahweh’s covenant is one of the most remarkable proofs that prophecy was something more than human foresight.

Till I have consumed them - See Jeremiah 4:27 note. How is this “consuming” consistent with the promise to the contrary there given? Because it is limited by the terms of Jeremiah 9:7. Previously to Nebuchadnezzars destruction of Jerusalem God removed into safety those in whom the nation should revive.

Jeremiah 9:17

The mourning women - Hired to attend at funerals, and by their skilled wailings aid the real mourners in giving vent to their grief. Hence, they are called “cunning,” literally “wise” women, wisdom being constantly used in Scripture for anything in which people are trained.

Jeremiah 9:18

Take up a wailing for us - i. e., for the nation once God’s chosen people, but long spiritually dead.

Jeremiah 9:19

Forsaken - Or, left: forced to abandon the land.

Because our dwellings ... - Rather, “because they have east down our dwellings.” The whole verse is a description of their sufferings. See 2 Kings 25:1-12.

Jeremiah 9:20

The command is addressed to the women because it was more especially their part to express the general feelings of the nation. See 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 1:24. The women utter now the death-wail over the perishing nation. They are to teach their daughters and neighbors the “lamentation, i. e., dirge,” because the harvest of death would be so large that the number of trained women would not suffice.

Jeremiah 9:21

Death is come up ... - i. e., death steals silently like a thief upon his victims, and makes such havoc that there are no children left to go “without,” nor young men to frequent the open spaces in the city.

Jeremiah 9:22

The “handful” means the little bundle of grain which the reaper gathers on his arm with three or four strokes of his sickle, and then lays down. Behind the reaper came one whose business it was to gather several of these bundles, and bind them into a sheaf. Thus, death strews the ground with corpses as thickly as these handfuls lie upon the reaped land, but the corpses lie there unheeded.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 9:22. And as the handful after the harvestman — The reapers, after having cut enough to fill their hand, threw it down; and the binders, following after, collected those handfuls, and bound them in sheaves. Death is represented as having cut down the inhabitants of the land, as the reapers do the corn; but so general was the slaughter, that there was none to bury the dead, to gather up these handfuls; so that they lay in a state of putrescence, as dung upon the open field.