Jeremiah 10 18

Jeremiah 10:18 kjv

For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.

Jeremiah 10:18 nkjv

For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will throw out at this time The inhabitants of the land, And will distress them, That they may find it so."

Jeremiah 10:18 niv

For this is what the LORD says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured."

Jeremiah 10:18 esv

For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will bring distress on them, that they may feel it."

Jeremiah 10:18 nlt

For this is what the LORD says:
"Suddenly, I will fling out
all you who live in this land.
I will pour great troubles upon you,
and at last you will feel my anger."

Jeremiah 10 18 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Jeremiah 10:18For thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will fling them out, like so much flung-out stone, from this time forward.”Direct fulfillment of threat
Isaiah 17:13The nations rage like the raging of a great sea; the peoples roar like the roaring of mighty waters!Nations raging against God
Isaiah 29:5But the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her stronghold, and that press against her, shall be like fine dust.Nations like dust/fine particles
Isaiah 30:25And there will be on every high mountain and on every high hill rivers of water in the day of the great slaughter, when towers fall.Judgment on high places
Isaiah 41:15Behold, I will make of you a new threshing sled, sharp, new, having teeth. You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and you shall make the hills like chaff.God's threshing tool metaphor
Jeremiah 50:16... Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handles the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the destroying sword they shall turn every one unto his people, and flee every one into his own land.Scattering due to destruction
Jeremiah 51:3Let not the archer bend his bow, and let him not array himself in his armor. Woe to Babylon! Spare not her young men; but put to the sword all her army.Judgment on oppressing armies
Nahum 1:9Whatever the LORD plots against the LORD, he will make a full end. Affliction shall not rise a second time.Complete destruction
Zephaniah 1:2"I will utterly sweep away everything from the land," declares the LORD.Complete removal
Zephaniah 3:8"Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day when I gather for plunder, for I have gathered nations to pour out my indignation upon them. All the earth shall be consumed by the fire of my jealousy."Gathering for judgment
Matthew 3:12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”Jesus' judgment imagery (wheat and chaff)
Revelation 18:21Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will not be found again."Symbolic destruction of oppressor
Psalm 1:4The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.Wicked compared to chaff
Psalm 18:42I will scatter them as dust before the wind; I will pour them out like mire in the streets.Scattering like dust/mire
Job 21:18They are like chaff that the wind hurries away, like fine dust that a storm snatches in its flight.Wicked like chaff/dust
Isaiah 41:2Who stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? Who gives the nations before him, and makes him rule over kings? Whose sword makes them like dust, and his bent bow like driven stubble?Nations like dust/stubble
Psalm 35:5Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on.Angel of LORD as agent of scattering
Jeremiah 23:39"Therefore, behold, I will surely take you and cast you off from you, and I will cast away from me the city that I gave to you and your fathers."God casting off and casting away
Jeremiah 13:24I will scatter them with a scorching wind among all the inhabitants of the earth, as the olive tree is cast away.Scattering with wind, being cast away
Jeremiah 15:13"Your goods and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, because of all your sins, throughout all your territory.Goods and treasures as plunder
Jeremiah 22:24"As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, yet I would tear you off.God tearing off and discarding
1 Samuel 2:8He raises the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's; on them he has set the world.God's sovereignty in elevation and casting down

Jeremiah 10 verses

Jeremiah 10 18 Meaning

This verse describes a time when God will act decisively to punish disobedient and idolatrous nations. The focus is on scattering them, likening it to windblown chaff. This act is portrayed as a judgment and a consequence for their destructive actions, particularly their allegiance to idols and their mistreatment of people. The imagery conveys utter destruction and powerlessness.

Jeremiah 10 18 Context

Jeremiah 10 is a powerful polemic against the idolatry of the surrounding nations and, by implication, Judah's susceptibility to it. The chapter contrasts the true God, the Creator and Sovereign Lord of all, with the lifeless, man-made idols that people worship. Verse 18 specifically speaks of God's imminent judgment against these idolatrous practices and the nations that uphold them. The immediate historical context involves the growing threat of Babylonian conquest and exile, a judgment that God orchestrates against both idolaters and those who have strayed from His covenant. Jeremiah is delivering this prophecy during a time of political instability and spiritual apostasy.

Jeremiah 10 18 Word Analysis

  • כִּי (ki): "For," "because," introducing a reason or explanation for what was previously stated or implied about God's covenant or relationship.
  • כֹּה (koh): "Thus," "so," indicating the manner or way in which God will act.
  • אָמַר (amar): "Says," "declared," signifying God's spoken word.
  • יְהוָה (Yahweh): The personal covenantal name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His role as redeemer and judge.
  • הִנְנִי (hin-nê): "Behold, I," a vocative particle used to draw attention to an imminent action or revelation of God.
  • וְהִטַּלְתִּֽי (v'hit-tal-ti): "And I will fling," "I will cast." From the root נטל (natäl), which can mean to bear, to lift, or to cast. Here, it signifies a forceful and deliberate casting away or out.
    • This verb can be linked to casting things aside, as in "casting out" refuse or undesirable things. It carries a sense of finality and abandonment.
  • כְּאֶבֶן (kə’e·ven): "Like a stone," "as a stone."
    • This simile highlights the inert, heavy, and discarded nature of what is being flung. Stones can be building materials but also rubble or refuse when unwanted.
  • הַטָּחוּ (hat-ta·khu): "The flung," "those hurled out," "the outcast." This is a passive participle of the same root נטל (natäl) used previously, intensifying the idea of being cast out.
    • The repetition emphasizes the active and complete casting out. The force implied is significant, suggesting a forceful expulsion or removal.
  • מִנִּי (min-ni): "From me," "from My presence."
    • Indicates the removal from God's proximity or favor, a stark judgment.
  • הַפָּעַם (hap-pa‘·am): "The time," "this time," "henceforth."
    • Refers to the present or an approaching appointed time when this judgment will occur.

Words-Group Analysis

  • "Behold, I will fling them out, like so much flung-out stone, from me": This phrase is powerful in its repetition of the root "flinging/casting out." It vividly pictures God actively and forcefully expelling these nations. The comparison to a "flung-out stone" conveys their worthlessness and rejection in God's sight at that moment. The removal "from me" signifies separation from His protection and presence, a profound state of judgment. This combined imagery stresses God's sovereignty in judgment and the complete abandonment of the offending entities. The repetition of the root emphasizes the thoroughness of the casting out.

Jeremiah 10 18 Bonus Section

The imagery of being "flung out like a stone" is similar to how one might discard broken pottery or unwanted rubble. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, curses could involve casting out objects or individuals from the community. This verse powerfully illustrates that God Himself is the one performing this act of utter rejection. The root of the Hebrew verb translated as "fling" (נטל - natäl) also has a meaning related to bearing or carrying, adding a layer of irony. While God bears all things, He will also bear His judgment upon these nations by carrying them away into ruin. This verse underscores God's absolute power over the nations and His commitment to justice, even though it results in their severe scattering and destruction.

Jeremiah 10 18 Commentary

Jeremiah 10:18 pronounces a severe judgment from God. It declares that God will forcefully cast out and discard those who follow idols, using the metaphor of throwing away worthless stones. This is not merely an abandonment but an active rejection, separating them from His presence and protection. The use of the word "stone" implies that these nations, like the idols they worship, are inert and lifeless when removed from God's source of true vitality. The phrase "from this time forward" signifies that this judgment is not distant but imminent. It serves as a stern warning to Judah about the consequences of their idolatry and a promise that God's justice will be enacted against nations that defy Him and oppress His people. The imagery resonates with the concept of divine judgment as seen in the parabolic winnowing of grain, where the chaff is blown away, utterly separated from the valuable wheat.