Jeremiah 12:9
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Is not My inheritance to Me like a speckled bird of prey with other birds of prey circling against her? Go, gather all the beasts of the field; bring them to devour her.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter we have, I. The prophet's humble complaint to God of the success that wicked people had in their wicked practices (Jer 12:1, Jer 12:2) and his appeal to God concerning his own integrity (Jer 12:3), with a prayer that God would, for the sake of the public, bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end (Jer 12:3, Jer 12:4). II. God's rebuke to the prophet for his uneasiness at his present troubles, bidding him prepare for greater (Jer 12:5, Jer 12:6). III. A sad lamentation of the present deplorable state of the Israel of God (Jer 12:7-13). IV. An intimation of mercy to God's people, in a denunciation of wrath against their neighbours that helped forward their affliction, that they should be plucked out; but with a promise that if they would at last join themselves with the people of God they should come in sharers with them in their privileges (Jer 12:14-17).
Open source ↗12:9 The people of Judah would become prey to huge flocks of speckled vultures. The people would soon be corpses that wild animals would pick . . . clean.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest.
The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.
And the LORD sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets.
The young lions have roared at him; they have growled with a loud voice. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant.
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.