Jeremiah 10:17 kjv
Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
Jeremiah 10:17 nkjv
Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress!
Jeremiah 10:17 niv
Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege.
Jeremiah 10:17 esv
Gather up your bundle from the ground, O you who dwell under siege!
Jeremiah 10:17 nlt
Pack your bags and prepare to leave;
the siege is about to begin.
Jeremiah 10 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:33 | "I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you..." | Prophecy of exile and scattering as a consequence of disobedience. |
| Deut 28:49-50 | "The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar... a ruthless nation that will not regard the person..." | Warning of enemy nation (Babylon) as God's instrument of judgment. |
| Isa 22:4-5, 12 | "Therefore I said: 'Look away from me, let me weep bitterly...' for a day of tumult, trampling, and perplexity..." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's future destruction, characterized by great sorrow. |
| Jer 6:1 | "Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem!" | Direct command to flee Jerusalem, mirroring the urgency of 10:17. |
| Jer 6:7 | "As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps her wickedness fresh before me..." | Jerusalem's persistent sin as the justification for impending judgment. |
| Jer 20:4 | "For thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends..." | Prophecy of terrifying judgment leading to exile. |
| Jer 25:9-11 | "I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants... This whole land shall be a desolation..." | Prophecy detailing the 70 years of Babylonian captivity and land desolation. |
| Jer 39:9-10 | "Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile the rest of the people..." | Historical fulfillment of the people's exile to Babylon. |
| Jer 42:10-12 | "If you remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down..." | Contrast: remaining obediently versus fleeing, highlighting conditional promises. |
| Jer 52:27-28 | "And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah... This is the number of the people..." | Historical account of the execution and number of those exiled. |
| Lam 1:3 | "Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations..." | Lament reflecting the bitter reality and impact of the prophesied exile. |
| Ezek 12:3-4 | "Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile, and go into exile by day in their sight..." | Ezekiel's symbolic act demonstrating the coming exile, echoing "gather your belongings." |
| Ezek 12:7 | "So I did as I was commanded, and prepared my baggage for exile by day, and in the evening I went out..." | Ezekiel's obedience to the command, emphasizing the inevitability of the event. |
| Amos 4:2-3 | "He will take you away with hooks, and the rest of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out at the breaches..." | Prophecy of violent, undignified captivity and departure. |
| Mic 2:10 | "Arise and go, for this is no place of rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction." | Command to depart due to pervasive sin leading to overwhelming destruction. |
| Nah 3:17-18 | "Your princes are like locusts, your commanders like swarms of locusts... Your people are scattered on the mountains..." | Imagery of dispersion and scattering of people after an attack. |
| Hab 1:6 | "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth..." | God announcing the Babylonians as His chosen instrument of judgment. |
| Zeph 1:14-16 | "The great day of the Lord is near... a day of wrath and trouble, a day of ruin and devastation..." | Prophecy of the comprehensive judgment day, bringing distress to the land. |
| Matt 24:15-18 | "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel... then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." | Jesus' similar warning to flee Jerusalem during future, similar judgment. |
| Luke 21:20-21 | "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." | Jesus' specific warning for the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, a literal call to flee. |
Jeremiah 10 verses
Jeremiah 10 17 Meaning
Jeremiah 10:17 is a prophetic command from God, delivered through Jeremiah, to the people of Judah, specifically those residing in Jerusalem. It urges them to swiftly gather their essential possessions and prepare to leave the land because Jerusalem, here personified as a woman in distress, is destined for an imminent and unavoidable siege, leading to captivity and exile. It signifies the Lord's decreed judgment upon them for their idolatry and disobedience.
Jeremiah 10 17 Context
Jeremiah chapter 10 shifts sharply from a powerful polemic against idolatry and the futility of worshipping idols (verses 1-16) to an abrupt prophetic warning of impending disaster. Immediately preceding verse 17, the prophet eloquently contrasts the living God, the Creator of the heavens and earth, with lifeless, impotent carved images, asserting the Lord's absolute supremacy. This theological grounding sets the stage for God's judgment, as the people's reliance on such idols would prove utterly useless when faced with the divine decree of destruction. The historical context is critical: the rising power of Babylon (the Chaldeans), which was poised to execute God's judgment upon Judah. The people had consistently refused Jeremiah's earlier warnings to repent and return to the Lord. Therefore, this verse delivers an urgent, almost despairing, command to prepare for the inevitable consequences – a devastating siege, exile, and the loss of their homeland. The "besieged city" refers directly to Jerusalem, which would indeed be laid siege to by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, culminating in its destruction and the carrying away of its inhabitants into Babylonian captivity.
Jeremiah 10 17 Word analysis
- Gather up (אִסְפִּי, ispî): An imperative verb, feminine singular, signifying a direct, urgent command to the "daughter of Zion" (Jerusalem/Judah). It implies a swift, necessary action of collecting essentials, not a leisurely packing, for immediate departure.
- your belongings / your wares (כְּלֵךְ, kəlēḵ): This refers to personal possessions, household goods, or valuable articles, particularly those portable enough to be carried during a hurried flight or in anticipation of exile. It speaks to the material preparation for a forced removal.
- from the land (מִן־הָאָרֶץ, min-hāʾāreṣ): Literally "from the earth/land." It explicitly points to removal or departure from the specific territory of Judah/Israel, indicating a forced exodus and loss of their ancestral inheritance.
- O you who dwell (יוֹשֶׁבֶת, yôšeḇeṯ): A feminine singular participle, personifying Jerusalem or Judah as a female inhabitant or "daughter." This literary device highlights her vulnerability and the impending judgment against her.
- in a besieged city / in distress (מָצוֹר, māṣôr): This significant word has a double nuance. Primarily, it means "fortress" or "siege works," referring to a city under military siege. However, it can also carry a broader sense of "distress," "constraint," or "trouble." In this context, it speaks of Jerusalem either being currently or about to be under literal military siege, leading to utter distress.
Word-group analysis
- Gather up your belongings from the land: This phrase forms a stark command for immediate, physical action. It's a call to abandon their permanent dwelling and prepare for a nomadic, exiled existence, underscoring the finality and severity of God's judgment upon the land and its inhabitants. The futility of staying and defending is implicit.
- O you who dwell in a besieged city: This vocative phrase directly addresses Jerusalem. The term "besieged city" emphasizes the imminent or current military threat, highlighting the dire and inescapable peril facing the capital. The "dwelling one" is stripped of security and peace, forced to confront the harsh reality of captivity.
Jeremiah 10 17 Bonus section
The command to "gather up your belongings" can be interpreted with a touch of irony, implying that so little of true value will remain, thus highlighting the extent of the coming devastation. However, it also serves as a final, urgent act of divine warning—a last communication from the active, caring God to prepare His people for the inevitable suffering, in contrast to the utter silence and powerlessness of the idols they worshipped. This prophetic forewarning itself affirms God's omniscience and sovereign control over nations and their destinies, even when those destinies include judgment for His own people.
Jeremiah 10 17 Commentary
Jeremiah 10:17 acts as a stark, urgent divine imperative embedded within theological discourse. Following a forceful declaration of God's supremacy over powerless idols, this verse directly applies the consequences of Judah's idolatry. It commands Jerusalem, personified as a distressed woman, to "gather up your belongings" and prepare for departure from her land. This is not a strategic evacuation or a call to resistance, but an acknowledgment of inevitable divine judgment through the impending Babylonian siege and subsequent exile. The verse communicates a sense of irreversible doom and the futility of human efforts against God's decree. The act of gathering "belongings" points to the preservation of basic necessities for survival during forced relocation, not for defending the city. It underscores God's absolute sovereignty and the covenantal consequences of His people's unfaithfulness. The Lord provides a warning, not as an option for avoidance, but as an opportunity to brace for what is unalterable. This serves as a sober reminder of God's justice, even to His chosen people, when they turn away from Him.