Jeremiah 4:31 Meaning and Explanation
“For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jeremiah hears the anguish of Zion crying out like a woman in the worst pain of childbirth, wearied by violence and betrayal.
The Context of Jeremiah 4:31
Jeremiah is prophesying in the final decades before Jerusalem's fall to Babylon (circa 605-586 BC). The 'daughter of Zion' is Jerusalem personified as a woman in mortal anguish. The voice of a woman in travail with her firstborn is the sharpest metaphor for acute pain—the listener knows Zion is not giving birth but dying.
What Does Jeremiah 4:31 Mean?
We hear what Jeremiah heard: a woman's cry at the threshold of destruction, hands spread in despair, uttering 'Woe is me.' The image is visceral—not metaphorical but felt. Zion bewails herself because violence surrounds her, and the people who should have protected her have turned murderous. In labor, a woman's body is rent; here, a nation is rent by internal treachery and external siege.
Yet even in this extremity, Jeremiah records the cry rather than ignoring it. God hears Zion's voice. Later, when Israel is in the furnace of exile, the prophet Jeremiah will speak of a future where 'her pain shall turn to joy' (Jeremiah 30:16-17). The cry of the crucified also sounds like this—'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'—but it is a cry that God hears, holds, and transforms. Grief is not the end of the story.
Jeremiah 4:31 in the Original Language
chabel (חבל), 'labor pains / anguish' -- the convulsion of birth, used metaphorically for the extremity of a people's judgment.
How to Apply Jeremiah 4:31 Today
When we sit with grief—our own or the world's—we need not hide it. Jeremiah teaches us that God hears the cry, the anguish, the raw honest prayer of a people undone. We can spread our hands and say 'Woe' before the God who loves us, and that prayer is heard. Our pain is not ignored; it is witnessed and held within God's larger redemption.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jeremiah 4:31
What does Jeremiah 4:31 mean?
Jeremiah hears the anguish of Zion crying out like a woman in the worst pain of childbirth, wearied by violence and betrayal.
What is the context of Jeremiah 4:31?
Jeremiah is prophesying in the final decades before Jerusalem's fall to Babylon (circa 605-586 BC). The 'daughter of Zion' is Jerusalem personified as a woman in mortal anguish. The voice of a woman in travail with her firstborn is the sharpest metaphor for acute pain—the listener knows Zion is not giving birth but dying.
How can I apply Jeremiah 4:31 today?
When we sit with grief—our own or the world's—we need not hide it. Jeremiah teaches us that God hears the cry, the anguish, the raw honest prayer of a people undone. We can spread our hands and say 'Woe' before the God who loves us, and that prayer is heard. Our pain is not ignored; it is witnessed and held within God's larger redemption.