Jeremiah 1:16 kjv

And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 1:16 nkjv

I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 1:16 niv

I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.

Jeremiah 1:16 esv

And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 1:16 nlt

I will pronounce judgment
on my people for all their evil ?
for deserting me and burning incense to other gods.
Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!

Jeremiah 1 verses

Jeremiah 1 16 Meaning

Jeremiah 1:16 announces Yahweh's decisive judgment upon the people of Judah. The Lord states He will personally declare and execute His decrees of punishment because of their inherent wickedness, specifically highlighting their abandonment of Him, their worship of foreign deities through incense burning, and their veneration of idols fashioned by human hands. This verse establishes the fundamental reason for the coming exile: their profound and repeated spiritual unfaithfulness.

Jeremiah 1 16 Context

Jeremiah 1:16 falls within the inaugural prophetic call of Jeremiah. In the preceding verses (1:11-15), God reveals two symbolic visions to Jeremiah: the almond branch, signifying God's swiftness to perform His word, and the boiling pot tilting from the north, signifying the imminent danger and judgment coming from northern invaders. Verse 15 states that God will summon "all the clans of the kingdoms of the north" to attack Judah, besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah 1:16 then provides the explicit theological rationale for this impending catastrophe: God is bringing this judgment directly upon His own covenant people, Judah, because of their rampant and sustained wickedness, specifically their idolatry and abandonment of the One True God. Historically, Jeremiah prophesied during a turbulent period in Judah, from the righteous reforms of King Josiah to the eventual fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. Despite Josiah's efforts to eradicate pagan worship, idolatry was deeply ingrained in society, leading the people to provoke God's wrath, culminating in the Babylonian exile, which this verse anticipates and explains.

Jeremiah 1 16 Word analysis

• "I" (Hebrew: וְדִבַּרְתִּ֣י - v'dibarti - lit. "and I will speak")
  • Significance: The subject is God Himself (Yahweh). This emphasizes divine initiative and sovereignty. God is not merely reacting but actively proclaiming and executing judgment, asserting His supreme authority as the covenant Lord and righteous Judge.
• "will pronounce" (Hebrew: וְדִבַּרְתִּ֣י - v'dibarti)
  • Meaning: "And I will speak/declare." The Hebrew term dabar refers to a direct, intentional, and performative speech act. It's not just a warning but a definitive declaration that carries the power to bring about what is spoken. God's words are active and potent, revealing His decree and indicating its certain execution.
• "my judgments" (Hebrew: מִשְׁפָּטַ֗י - mishpatai)
  • Meaning: "my judgments/ordinances/decisions." This refers to God's legal decrees or verdicts. In this context, mishpat denotes punitive judgments or sentences meted out in accordance with divine justice. These judgments are righteous and deserved, consequences of breaking the covenant.
• "on my people" (Hebrew: עַל־עֲמִּֽי - 'al 'ammi)
  • Significance: This phrase is profoundly weighty. "My people" highlights the covenant relationship established at Sinai. They were uniquely chosen by God. Their sin is not just general wickedness but an act of betrayal against their personal God, making their transgression especially heinous and inexcusable. It underscores the severity of breaking a sacred bond.
• "because of their wickedness" (Hebrew: עַל֙ כָּל־רָ֣עָתָ֔ם - 'al kol-ra'atam)
  • Meaning: "concerning all their evil/harm." Ra'ah denotes moral evil, corruption, calamity, or misfortune that is self-inflicted through sin. It's comprehensive ("all their wickedness"), indicating pervasive sin, not isolated acts, which has saturated their society.
• "in forsaking me" (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר֙ עֲזָב֣וּנִי - 'asher 'azavuni)
  • Meaning: "who abandoned me/left me." This is the primary charge and root of all their other sins. To "forsake" (Hebrew: 'azav) implies a deliberate and comprehensive turning away from allegiance and relationship. It's spiritual abandonment or "divorce" from the covenant partner, Yahweh. It often connotes leaving behind or renouncing a covenant, like spurning a spouse.
• "in burning incense" (Hebrew: וַֽיְקַטְּר֖וּ - vayeḥaṭṭəru)
  • Meaning: "and they burned incense." This is a specific cultic act. While legitimate for Yahweh's worship (Lev 16:12), here it denotes illicit offering to pagan deities. Incense (Hebrew: qetar, related to qatar) was seen as a way to commune with deities, creating a fragrant atmosphere in worship. Its dedication to other gods was a direct, blasphemous act of idolatry, a physical manifestation of their forsaking God.
• "to other gods" (Hebrew: לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים - le'elohim 'aḥerim)
  • Meaning: "to other gods." This is a direct violation of the First Commandment (Exod 20:3). These were typically the deities of surrounding nations, like Baal and Asherah, believed to control fertility and rain, tempting agrarian societies in Judah. It reveals syncretism and polytheism, contrasting sharply with Yahweh's exclusive claim.
• "and worshiping" (Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ - vayyištabăvu)
  • Meaning: "and they bowed down/prostrated themselves." This verb indicates humble reverence, homage, or adoration, physically expressed. It denotes the act of total submission and veneration, signifying worship given to something regarded as divine.
• "what their hands have made" (Hebrew: לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶֽם - le-ma'aseh yedehem)
  • Meaning: "to the work of their hands." This is a severe indictment against idolatry, highlighting its absurdity and degradation. They worshipped inert objects of their own creation rather than the living Creator. It underscores the futility and foolishness of making an object and then venerating it as a god. This emphasizes the fundamental error: worshipping the created rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25).

Words-group analysis

• "I will pronounce my judgments on my people": This phrase establishes the divine Speaker, the action (judgment), and the specific recipients ("my people"), underscoring a broken covenant relationship rather than a general cosmic law. The personal pronoun "my" used twice highlights God's ownership and thus the magnitude of their betrayal.
• "because of their wickedness in forsaking me": This points to the root cause. Their "wickedness" isn't merely a set of behaviors, but stems from a foundational spiritual rebellion – a deliberate turning away from the source of life and truth, God Himself. It's the abandonment of relationship.
• "in burning incense to other gods and worshiping what their hands have made": These are concrete examples and manifestations of their root sin. Burning incense was a cultic act of devotion, while worshipping man-made idols epitomized the degradation of their faith – choosing lifeless objects over the living God. These are specific violations of the First and Second Commandments, revealing the extent of their syncretism and polytheistic practices.

Jeremiah 1 16 Bonus section

• Covenant Theology: The verse is deeply rooted in Israel's covenant theology, where blessing followed obedience, and curses followed disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). Judah's experience of exile and defeat is framed as a direct consequence of their covenant breaking, emphasizing God's faithfulness to His own declared curses for rebellion.
• The Nature of Idolatry: This verse, consistent with Old Testament thought, portrays idolatry not merely as a quaint religious practice, but as an abominable affront to God, rooted in spiritual pride (human creation) and infidelity (forsaking God). It reveals the inherent degradation of humanity when it worships that which it has made, rather than the true Source of all being.
• Divine Agency: It's critical to note that God emphasizes "I will pronounce my judgments." While foreign nations like Babylon will be the instruments, the ultimate cause and executor of judgment is Yahweh Himself, highlighting His ultimate control and sovereignty over historical events to bring about His divine purposes and justice.

Jeremiah 1 16 Commentary

Jeremiah 1:16 powerfully encapsulates the core message of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry: God's righteous judgment against His covenant people, Judah, due to their chronic and pervasive idolatry. The Lord Himself, with sovereign authority, declares that He will bring His disciplinary judgments upon them. The primary offense is "forsaking me," indicating a breach of the exclusive covenant relationship established at Sinai. This abandonment of the one true God manifested concretely in two intertwined acts of rebellion: burning incense to foreign deities and bowing down to idols crafted by human hands. These acts were not isolated incidents but represent the spiritual adultery that had permeated Judah's society, directly violating the very essence of the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants. The irony is stark: the Creator is abandoned for the created; the Living God for lifeless objects. This verse thus serves as the theological foundation for the severe impending national crisis – the Babylonian invasion and subsequent exile – affirming that divine retribution is a just consequence of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness.