Jeremiah 10 25

Jeremiah 10:25 kjv

Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Jeremiah 10:25 nkjv

Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, And on the families who do not call on Your name; For they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate.

Jeremiah 10:25 niv

Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.

Jeremiah 10:25 esv

Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not, and on the peoples that call not on your name, for they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

Jeremiah 10:25 nlt

Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you ?
on the peoples that do not call upon your name.
For they have devoured your people Israel ;
they have devoured and consumed them,
making the land a desolate wilderness.

Jeremiah 10 verses

Jeremiah 10 25 Meaning

This verse is a heartfelt petition from Jeremiah, acting on behalf of the suffering nation of Judah, to the Almighty God. It implores the Lord to direct His righteous, consuming fury not upon His chastised people, but specifically upon the foreign nations and communities who are characterized by their spiritual ignorance ("know thee not") and active disavowal of His divine authority ("call not on thy name"). The foundational justification for this appeal is the brutal and thorough devastation these ungodly nations have inflicted upon "Jacob" (Israel), having metaphorically "eaten up," "devoured," and "consumed" them, leaving their homeland and way of life desolate. It underscores a divine principle of justice where those who disregard God and maliciously harm His chosen will ultimately face His inevitable wrath.

Jeremiah 10 25 Context

Jeremiah 10:25 appears at the end of a chapter primarily dedicated to a strong polemic against the folly of idolatry, contrasting the impotent practices of the "nations" (Gentiles) with the sovereign power of the one true God (Jer 10:1-16). Following this theological instruction, the chapter shifts to Judah's impending judgment, specifically the threat of invasion and exile by Babylon (Jer 10:17-18). Jeremiah expresses deep lament over his people's inevitable suffering due to their unfaithfulness (Jer 10:19-22) and offers a personal prayer of humility and reliance on God's guidance (Jer 10:23-24). Verse 25 then serves as a culminating plea, where Jeremiah petitions God to redirect His righteous judgment, allowing Judah to experience tempered discipline while unleashing His full fury upon the pagan oppressors who relentlessly devastated Israel and have no relationship with the Lord. This verse is deeply rooted in the historical reality of Judah facing Babylonian conquest, viewing the enemies not merely as human armies but as agents whose actions demand divine retribution.

Jeremiah 10 25 Word analysis

• Pour out (שְׁפֹ֨ךְ, shəp̄ōḵ): A strong, imperative verb indicating a complete, unreserved, and forceful release. It describes the comprehensive outpouring of divine judgment, emphasizing the full measure of wrath. This imagery implies an unstoppable, abundant flow.

• thy fury (חֲמָתְךָ֜, ḥămat̄əḵā): Refers to God's righteous, burning indignation against sin and injustice. It is not uncontrolled human anger but a holy and just response to covenant breaking and oppression. Its intensity underscores the seriousness of the offenses committed.

• upon the heathen (עַל־הַגּוֹיִ֣ם, ‘al-hagōyīm): Translates to "nations" or "Gentiles." It designates the non-Israelite peoples who worship false gods and are outside the covenant relationship with God. This term highlights their pagan identity as the object of God's judgment.

• that know thee not (אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יְדָעוּךָ֙, ’ăšer lō’-yədā‘ûḵā): Emphasizes a lack of personal, experiential, and relational knowledge of God. It's not just intellectual ignorance but a fundamental rejection or unawareness of His existence, character, and covenantal claims, leading to their idolatry and unrighteous actions. This spiritual blindness justifies God's judgment.

• and upon the families (וְעַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת֙, wə‘al-hammišpāḥôṯ): "Families" or "clans." This expands the scope beyond broad "nations" to include individual communities and social units, signifying a comprehensive judgment upon all elements of the Gentile world. It suggests that judgment will be thorough, down to their constituent parts.

• that call not on thy name (אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּשִׁמְךָ֙ לֹ֣א קָרָ֔אוּ, ’ăšer bəšimḵā lō’ qārā’û): To "call on the name" of God signifies worship, invocation, allegiance, and dependence upon Him. The absence of this action implies active rejection, disregard, or disloyalty to the true God, identifying them as those who have chosen other gods or none at all.

• for they have eaten up Jacob (כִּֽי־אָכְל֤וּ אֶת־יַעֲקֹב֙, kî-’āḵəlû ’eṯ-ya‘ăqōb): "Jacob" refers to the nation of Israel. "Eaten up" is a vivid, aggressive metaphor signifying the complete consumption, destruction, exploitation, and ravaging of Israel. It denotes total economic, social, and physical devastation.

• and devoured him (וַיֹּאכְלֻ֙הוּ֙, wayyōḵəlūhû): This repetition, effectively "and consumed him," intensifies the destructive imagery. It serves to underscore the thoroughness and finality of the enemies' aggressive actions, leaving nothing behind. It suggests relentless, insatiable aggression.

• and consumed him (וַיְכַלֻּ֖הוּ, wayḵalûhû): To "finish him," bring him to an end, destroy completely. This word indicates the ultimate result of the oppression – Israel brought to a state of near annihilation, stripped of all resources and vitality. It elevates the prior imagery to a point of near obliteration.

• and have made his habitation desolate (וְאֶת־נָוֵ֥הוּ הֵשַֽׁמּוּ׃ ס, wə’eṯ-nāwēhû hēšammû): "Habitation" refers to his dwelling place, home, or pasture land, signifying Israel's territory, cities, and physical security. "Desolate" means to lay waste, make barren, ruin. This phrase emphasizes the physical destruction of their land and their inability to thrive, reinforcing the depth of their suffering and the enemies' culpability.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Pour out thy fury": This strong command reflects an imprecatory prayer, seeking God's decisive, divine retribution rather than human vengeance. It places justice entirely in God's hands.
  • "the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name": This double identification defines the primary target of divine wrath. The first part highlights spiritual ignorance and unrecognition of God; the second points to a refusal to worship or invoke His name. These are two aspects of apostasy and hostility towards the Lord.
  • "for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him": This triple, escalating depiction of destruction graphically portrays the enemies' brutal and comprehensive annihilation of Israel. The predatory animal imagery emphasizes their rapacious and merciless actions against God's people. This sequence powerfully justifies the prophet's petition for divine judgment.
  • "and have made his habitation desolate": This final statement emphasizes the practical, devastating consequence of the enemies' actions, extending the destruction beyond the people themselves to their land and societal structure. It seals the enemies' culpability through their observable, destructive impact on Israel's homeland.

Jeremiah 10 25 Bonus section

This verse articulates a profound distinction between those who are in a covenant relationship with God and those who are not. The "heathen" are judged precisely because they "know thee not" and "call not on thy name," showcasing the foundational importance of recognizing and worshiping the one true God. While God disciplined His own people (Jacob), He still considered their ruthless oppressors deserving of a distinct and ultimate judgment due to their spiritual ignorance and violent malice. This concept resonates throughout Scripture, where accountability is tied to revelation and response. It underscores that God, though patient, is not indifferent to unrighteousness, especially when it targets His chosen. This provides a deep theological understanding of divine justice operating simultaneously in corrective discipline for believers and retributive judgment for unbelievers who commit acts of evil.

Jeremiah 10 25 Commentary

Jeremiah 10:25 serves as a potent concluding plea within a lament, reflecting the prophet's identification with his suffering people. While earlier verses in the chapter admonished Judah for their own idolatry and faced impending divine judgment through the nations, this verse redirects the full, righteous indignation of God (His "fury") away from a chastened Judah and towards the utterly culpable "heathen." These nations are characterized by their double transgression: a fundamental lack of saving knowledge of God, meaning they neither acknowledged nor understood His unique sovereignty, and a complete absence of reverential invocation of His name in worship or reliance. Their sin is further compounded by their aggressive actions—they brutally and comprehensively "eaten up," "devoured," and "consumed" "Jacob," signifying a total destruction and exploitation of God's chosen nation. Furthermore, they left "his habitation desolate," stripping Israel of its land and means of sustenance.

This imprecatory prayer is not an expression of personal vindictiveness but a fervent call for divine justice, rooted in God's covenant with Israel and His ultimate sovereignty over all nations. It implies that while God used these nations as instruments of correction for Israel's sin, their own malicious intent and godlessness made them equally deserving of wrath. For the prophet, seeking God's vengeance on the ungodly oppressors was a righteous act of faith, trusting that the Living God would ultimately vindicate His name and protect His people against those who mocked Him and laid waste to His heritage. The prayer thus affirms God's justice in punishing sin, whether in His own people (through discipline) or in the pagan world (through destruction). It provides solace that there is a just Judge who will settle all accounts, affirming His control even in chaotic times.