They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

JEREMIAH 16:4KJV
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Jeremiah 16:4 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 16:4 mean?

Jeremiah 16:4 describes a coming disaster where many people will die in terrible ways, and their bodies will not be mourned or buried but left exposed, becoming food for birds and animals. The verse emphasizes the severity of the judgment, showing that the dead will be treated with no dignity because of war and famine.

The prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah, warning them about the consequences of their unfaithfulness. In this verse, the lack of burial and mourning highlights just how overwhelming and devastating the coming calamity will be. The verse paints a vivid picture of total breakdown in normal social and religious customs due to the scale of suffering.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 16:4

  • "Grievous" (תַּחֲלֻאִים, taḥalu'im) means severe or dreadful, often used to describe serious sickness or suffering. Here, it stresses that the deaths will be especially harsh and painful.
  • "Dung" (דֹּמֶן, domen) refers to animal waste. By saying the bodies will be like dung on the ground, the verse underscores how the dead will be treated as worthless and left in open shame.
  • "Consumed" (כָּלָה, kalah) means to be finished or brought to an end. The word here suggests that the sword (war) and famine will completely destroy many people, leaving nothing behind.
  • "Carcases" (פֶּגֶר, peger) is a word for dead bodies, usually those left unburied. Its use here reinforces the image of widespread death and disgrace.

Why Jeremiah 16:4 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the coming judgment will be so overwhelming that normal acts of grief and respect for the dead will be impossible, highlighting the seriousness of the warning.
  • By using strong images like bodies left as dung and eaten by animals, Jeremiah stresses the total collapse of society’s order and values during the disaster.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage, where Jeremiah is told not to marry or have children because of the terrible future awaiting the people, showing the depth of the coming crisis.

Where else these words appear

“deaths” Hebrew H4463 · used in 2 verses

  • Ezekiel 28:8 They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.

“grievous” Hebrew H8463 · used in 5 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:22 So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it;
  • 2 Chronicles 21:19 And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
  • Psalms 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

“dung” Hebrew H1828 · used in 6 verses

  • 2 Kings 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
  • Psalms 83:10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
  • Jeremiah 9:22 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.

“lamented” Hebrew H5594 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 23:2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
  • 1 Kings 14:13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
  • Jeremiah 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.