New American Standard Bible 1995

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Jeremiah

Note Journal Prayer

4

:

31

“

For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers."

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
For I heard to hear Verb H8085 שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי sha·ma'·ti
a cry sound, voice Noun H6963 קֹ֨ול ko·vl
as of a woman in labor, to whirl, dance, writhe H2342    
The anguish straits, distress Noun H6869 צָרָה֙ tza·rah
as of one giving birth to her first child, to bear new fruit, to constitute as first-born Verb H1069 כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔ה ke·mav·ki·rah,
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

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The cry sound, voice Noun H6963 קֹ֧ול ko·vl
of the daughter daughter Noun H1323 בַּת־ bat-
of Zion a mountain in Jer., also a name for Jer. Noun H6726 צִיֹּ֛ון tzi·yo·vn
gasping for breath, to breathe, puff Verb H3306 תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַ tit·yap·pe·ach
Stretching to spread out, spread Verb H6566 תְּפָרֵ֣שׂ te·fa·res
out her hands, hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan Noun H3709 כַּפֶּ֑יהָ kap·pei·ha;
[saying], "Ah, I (we) pray, now Interjection H4994 נָ֣א na
woe woe! Interjection H188 אֹֽוי־ o·vy-
is me, for I faint to be faint Verb H5888 עָיְפָ֥ה a·ye·fah
before murderers." to kill, slay Verb H2026 לְהֹרְגִֽים׃ le·ho·re·gim.

Parallel Verses

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Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers."
King James Bible For I have heard a cry voice as of a woman in labor, The travail, and the anguish as of one giving birth to her that bringeth forth her first child, The cry the voice of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, "Ah, woe Woe is me, me now! for I faint before my soul is wearied because of murderers."
Hebrew Greek English For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers."