Jeremiah 4:23-26
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Jeremiah isn't just describing a future wasteland; he's deliberately echoing Genesis 1:2, picturing the destruction of Judah as a terrifying undoing of creation itself. This isn't merely a land stripped bare, but a return to a primal chaos where the divine order has been violently reversed.
I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is describing a vision of utter devastation that will befall Judah as God's judgment for their sin. He's not just talking about a military defeat, but a complete unmaking of the land, reminiscent of the formless void before creation. This profound emptiness and darkness, where even the heavens are devoid of light, sets the stage for the detailed description of destruction in the following verses.
Jeremiah uses words straight out of Genesis. What does this powerful connection reveal about God's judgment?
When Jeremiah looks upon the devastated land of Judah, he doesn't just see ruins; he sees a return to the formless, void state that existed before creation. He uses the Hebrew phrase 'tohu va'bohu,' the exact words found in Genesis 1:2, to describe the earth.
A World Unmade
This isn't just poetic flair. By referencing the very beginning of creation, Jeremiah is saying that the sins of Judah have so profoundly disrupted God's ordered world that the land itself looks like it's being unmade. It's as if God's creative work is being reversed because of their rebellion. The land isn't just empty; it's a terrifying picture of the primal, unformed state, stripped of all light and order.
The heavens themselves lose their light in Jeremiah's vision. What does this celestial darkness signify?
The description doesn't stop with the land; it extends to the heavens. "And the heavens, and they had no light." This imagery is incredibly potent.
God's Withdrawal
Light in Scripture often symbolizes God's presence, truth, and favor. When the heavens have no light, it signifies a profound absence of God's blessing and protection. It's a picture of utter desolation, where even the natural order, designed by God, seems to mourn or be obscured by the judgment.
Some commentators suggest this darkness could be literal, perhaps from the smoke of destruction, while others see it as a metaphor for God's withdrawn presence. Either way, it paints a picture of a world plunged into the deepest gloom, reflecting the spiritual and national darkness brought on by Judah's unfaithfulness.
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Understand the original words
tōhū wābōhū · Hebrew Noun phrase
The foundational state of chaos and emptiness described in Genesis 1:2, representing a condition of desolation devoid of order, life, and divine blessing.
rā‘ash · Hebrew Verb
The act of shaking, trembling, or vibrating, often associated with the manifestation of God’s glory, judgment, or presence in the natural world.
karmel · Hebrew Noun
An adjective describing land that is barren, unproductive, and uninhabited, often serving as a divine judgment for covenant disobedience.
tohu · Hebrew Noun
A state of total emptiness, waste, or destruction, frequently used in prophetic literature to depict the consequence of God’s judgment upon a sinful nation.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the holy and personal name of God, YHWH, who is the sovereign Creator and Judge of all nations.
aph · Hebrew Noun
The righteous, burning wrath of God against sin and covenant unfaithfulness, which demands justice and leads to the manifestation of His holy displeasure.
Jeremiah's vision of a chaotic, lightless earth echoes the Genesis creation account, powerfully conveying the utter devastation of Judah. This wasn't just a political defeat, but a spiritual and national un-creation, a return to primal void caused by sin.
~1400 BC
Genesis Creation Account
The creation account describes the earth as 'without form and void' before God brought order and light. This foundational story deeply influenced Hebrew poetic and prophetic language.
c. 8th-7th century BC
Prophetic Warnings of Judgment
Prophets like Isaiah warned of impending judgment, often using imagery of cosmic disruption and desolation, drawing parallels to chaos and darkness.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar sacks Jerusalem and destroys Solomon's Temple, bringing a devastating end to the southern kingdom of Judah. This event plunged the land into a state of extreme ruin and desolation.
c. 586 BC - 538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The majority of the population of Judah is exiled to Babylon. The land is left largely empty, and the people experience a profound sense of loss and brokenness.
This passage directly uses the same Hebrew words, 'tohu va-bohu,' to describe the formless, empty state of the earth before creation, highlighting the utter ruin and desolation Jeremiah sees.
Isaiah 13:10Isaiah also uses imagery of darkened heavens and a disordered earth to depict judgment, showing this prophetic language of cosmic chaos was understood as a sign of severe divine wrath.
2 Peter 3:10Peter alludes to the original chaos and future destruction by fire, connecting the concept of the earth returning to a formless state with the 'Day of the Lord,' a theme echoed in Jeremiah's vision of judgment.
Ezekiel 32:7-8Ezekiel paints a similar picture of cosmic upheaval during judgment, describing the sun and moon being covered and the stars refusing to shine, mirroring Jeremiah's vision of darkened heavens.
pooleJeremiah 4:23: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light."
I beheld; either I Jeremiah saw all this in a vision, or I fancied and framed such an idea of it in my mind; it seems to be impressed upon my thoughts graphically, as in a map, in such a rueful manner; for in this and the three following verses he doth, as one transported with sorrow, elegantly and hyperbolically describe the phaenomenon , face or appearance of it. It was without…
wesleyJeremiah 4:23: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light."
4:23 I beheld - I Jeremiah saw this in a vision. It - The land was squalid, and ruined, like the first chaos, for which reason possibly he calls Judah the earth, in allusion to Gen 1:2. The heavens - He seems to proceed in his metaphor of the chaos. Every thing above and below seemed to be wrapped up in dismal blackness.
Jeremiah isn't just describing a future wasteland; he's deliberately echoing Genesis 1:2, picturing the destruction of Judah as a terrifying undoing of creation itself. This isn't merely a land stripped bare, but a return to a primal chaos where the divine order has been violently reversed.
Jeremiah is describing a vision of utter devastation that will befall Judah as God's judgment for their sin. He's not just talking about a military defeat, but a complete unmaking of the land, reminiscent of the formless void before creation. This profound emptiness and darkness, where even the heavens are devoid of light, sets the stage for the detailed description of destruction in the following verses.
Jeremiah is describing a vision of utter devastation that will befall Judah as God's judgment for their sin. He's not just talking about a military defeat, but a complete unmaking of the land, reminiscent of the formless void before creation. This profound emptiness and darkness, where even the heavens are devoid of light, sets the stage for the detailed description of destruction in the following verses.
"I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold,…" — Jeremiah isn't just describing a future wasteland; he's deliberately echoing Genesis 1:2, picturing the destruction of Judah as a terrifying undoing of creation itself. This isn't merely a land strip…
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Last reviewed October 2026
