Deep Dive

Jeremiah 29:18

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I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 18

The contest between Jeremiah and the false prophets was carried on before by preaching, here by writing; there we had sermon against sermon, here we have letter against letter, for some of the false prophets are now carried away into captivity in Babylon, while Jeremiah remains in his own country. Now here is, I. A letter which Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon, against their prophets that they had there (Jer 29:1-3), in which letter, 1. He endeavours to reconcile them to their captivity, to be easy under it and to make the best of it (Jer 29:4-7). 2. He cautions them not to give any credit to their false prophets, who fed them with hopes of a speedy release (Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9). 3. He assures them that God would restore them in mercy to their own land again, at the end of 70 years (Jer 29:10-14). 4. He foretels the destruction of those who yet continued, and that they should be persecuted with one judgment after another, and sent at last into captivity (Jer 29:15-19). 5. He prophesies the destruction of two of their false prophets that they had in Babylon, that both soothed them up in their sins and set them bad examples (Jer 29:20-23), and this is the purport of Jeremiah's letter. II. Here is a letter which Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, wrote to the priests at Jerusalem, to stir them up to persecute Jeremiah (Jer 29:24-29), and a denunciation of God's wrath against him for writing such a letter (Jer 29:30-32). Such struggles as these have there always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 18

רָדַף (râdaph, H7291) — to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by) אַחַר (ʼachar, H310) — properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various… חֶרֶב (chereb, H2719) — drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or… רָעָב (râʻâb, H7458) — hunger (more or less extensive) דֶּבֶר (deber, H1698) — a pestilence נָתַן (nâthan, H5414) — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.) זַעֲוָה (zaʻăvâh, H2189) — agitation, maltreatment זְוָעָה (zᵉvâʻâh, H2113) — agitation, fear מַמְלָכָה (mamlâkâh, H4467) — dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm) אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) אָלָה (ʼâlâh, H423) — an imprecation שַׁמָּה (shammâh, H8047) — ruin; by implication, consternation שְׁרֵקָה (shᵉrêqâh, H8322) — a derision חֶרְפָּה (cherpâh, H2781) — contumely, disgrace, the pudenda

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

II Chronicles 29:8rank 6

Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you can see with your own eyes.

Jeremiah 15:4rank 6

I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 42:18rank 6

For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’

Jeremiah 34:17rank 5

Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Deuteronomy 28:25rank 5

The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Jeremiah 24:9rank 5

I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them.

Ezekiel 12:15rank 4

And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.

Isaiah 65:15rank 4

You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.

Jeremiah 25:9rank 4

behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.

Luke 21:24rank 3

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

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