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Jeremiah 30:6

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Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Ask {H7592} ye now, and see {H7200} whether a man {H2145} doth travail with child {H3205}? wherefore do I see {H7200} every man {H1397} with his hands {H3027} on his loins {H2504}, as a woman in travail {H3205}, and all faces {H6440} are turned {H2015} into paleness {H3420}?

Ask now and see: can men give birth to children? Why, then, do I see all the men with their hands on their stomachs like women in labor, with every face turned pale?

Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Commentary

Jeremiah 30:6 presents a vivid and unsettling image, painting a picture of extreme distress and fear among men. The prophet uses a rhetorical question to highlight the unnaturalness of the scene: "Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child?" This impossible scenario sets the stage for the shocking reality Jeremiah observes: men doubled over in pain, "with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail," and their faces drained of color, "turned into paleness."

Context

This verse is found within the "Book of Consolation" (Jeremiah chapters 30-33), which, despite its ultimate message of hope and restoration for Israel and Judah, first vividly portrays the severe distress they must endure. Verse 6 immediately precedes the declaration of "the day of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). This passage describes the intense suffering and fear that will come upon the people as a consequence of their disobedience and as a precursor to God's ultimate deliverance.

Key Themes

  • Unprecedented Agony: The comparison of men experiencing pain like a woman in childbirth emphasizes an extreme, unavoidable, and unnatural level of distress. This imagery conveys a sense of utter helplessness and profound suffering that is beyond normal experience.
  • Overwhelming Fear and Panic: The "paleness" of faces indicates a draining of color due to intense fear, shock, and anxiety, reflecting the terror that grips the nation in the face of impending or present calamity.
  • Divine Judgment and Purification: While horrific, this period of intense suffering is presented as a necessary part of God's judgment and purification for His people, leading towards their eventual restoration and a new covenant relationship. It is a painful but purposeful process.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "travail" (חֶבֶל, ḥebel) refers specifically to the intense pains of childbirth. By asking rhetorically if a man can "travail with child," the prophet highlights the utterly unnatural and shocking nature of the pain and fear gripping the men of Judah. Their posture, "hands on their loins," is a classic depiction of someone experiencing severe abdominal or lower back pain, mirroring the agony of labor. The "paleness" (יְרָקוֹן, yeraqon) describes a sickly, yellowish-green hue, indicative of extreme fear, sickness, or even death, underscoring the severity of their condition and the complete loss of composure.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 30:6 serves as a powerful reminder that periods of intense distress, even seemingly unbearable ones, can be part of a divine process. For ancient Israel, it was a prelude to restoration. For believers today, it can speak to the profound challenges and "birth pangs" that precede significant spiritual breakthroughs, personal growth, or even the greater events prophesied for the end times. It encourages us to recognize that even in the midst of overwhelming fear and suffering, God's ultimate plan is often one of purification and eventual deliverance. It also calls us to empathy for those undergoing severe trials, understanding that their pain can be as profound and incapacitating as the most intense physical agony.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Nahum 2:10 (7 votes)

    She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain [is] in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

  • Joel 2:6 (7 votes)

    Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

  • Jeremiah 4:31 (7 votes)

    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.

  • Isaiah 21:3 (6 votes)

    Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing [of it]; I was dismayed at the seeing [of it].

  • Hosea 13:13 (5 votes)

    The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he [is] an unwise son; for he should not stay long in [the place of] the breaking forth of children.

  • Psalms 48:6 (5 votes)

    Fear took hold upon them there, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.

  • Jeremiah 6:24 (5 votes)

    We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.