Jeremiah 6:24

24 We [have] heard the fame thereof, our hands be aclumsid; tribulation hath taken us, sorrows have taken us as a woman travailing of child. (And ye shall say, We have heard of their reputation, and our hands be benumbed; tribulation hath taken hold of us, yea, sorrows have taken hold of us like a woman in labour.)

Jeremiah 6:24 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 6:24

We have heard the fame thereof
Meaning not the prophet's report then, but the rumour of the enemy's coming from another quarter, at the time he was actually coming. These are the words of the people, upon such a rumour spread; or the words of the prophet, joining himself with them, describing their case, when it would be strongly reported, and they had reason to believe it, that the enemy was just coming, and very near: our hands wax feeble;
have no strength in them, shake and tremble like men that have a palsy, through fear and dread: anguish hath taken hold of us;
tribulation or affliction; or rather anguish of spirit, on hearing the news of the near approach of the enemy: and pain, as of a woman in travail;
which comes suddenly, and is very sharp; and this denotes that their destruction would come suddenly upon them, before they were aware, and be very severe.

Jeremiah 6:24 In-Context

22 The Lord God saith these things, Lo! a people cometh from the land of the north, and a great folk shall rise together from the ends of [the] earth (and a great nation shall altogether rise from the ends of the earth).

23 It shall take arrow and shield; it is cruel, and shall not have mercy; the voice thereof shall sound as the sea, and they made ready as a man to battle shall ascend on horses against thee, thou daughter of Zion. (They shall take up arrows and shields; they be cruel, and shall not have mercy; their thunder shall sound like the sea, and like a man prepared for battle, they shall go upon horses against thee, O daughter of Zion.)

24 We [have] heard the fame thereof, our hands be aclumsid; tribulation hath taken us, sorrows have taken us as a woman travailing of child. (And ye shall say, We have heard of their reputation, and our hands be benumbed; tribulation hath taken hold of us, yea, sorrows have taken hold of us like a woman in labour.)

25 Do not ye go out to the fields, and go ye not in the way, for the sword of the enemy, dread in compass (Do not ye go out to the fields, and go ye not on the way, for the sword of the enemy, and fear all around.)

26 The daughter of my people, be thou girded with hair-shirt, and be thou sprinkled together with ashes; make to thee mourning of [the] one alone begotten son, a bitter wailing, for why a waster shall come suddenly [up]on you. (The daughter of my people, be thou girded with a hair-shirt, and be thou altogether sprinkled with ashes; make thyself as if mourning for thy only begotten son, yea, a bitter wailing, for a destroyer shall suddenly come upon you.)