Jeremiah 13 14

Jeremiah 13:14 kjv

And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

Jeremiah 13:14 nkjv

And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together," says the LORD. "I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them." ' "

Jeremiah 13:14 niv

I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.'?"

Jeremiah 13:14 esv

And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.'"

Jeremiah 13:14 nlt

I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the LORD. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.'"

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 14 Meaning

God declares a severe, unyielding judgment upon Judah. He will actively cause utter chaos and self-destruction among them, where even the foundational family relationships of fathers and sons will disintegrate into conflict. This divine pronouncement signifies a complete absence of mercy, ensuring their comprehensive ruin due to their deep-seated and persistent rebellion.

Jeremiah 13 14 Context

Jeremiah chapter 13, within the broader book of Jeremiah, consistently warns Judah of impending divine judgment due to their ingrained pride, idolatry, and covenant unfaithfulness. The chapter commences with the symbolic object lesson of the soiled linen belt, signifying Judah's transformation from being intimately bound to God to becoming defiled and useless through their persistent sin, ultimately destined for ruin. This is followed by the illustration of "wine jars," which portrays God filling all levels of society—from the king to the common citizen—with the "wine" of His wrath, leading to confusion, drunkenness, and internal strife. Verse 14 serves as a stark, explicit pronouncement of this chaotic judgment, elaborating on its indiscriminate nature and the divine withdrawal of mercy. It articulates the terrifying culmination of their unrepentant rebellion, aligning with Jeremiah's persistent warnings about the imminent Babylonian conquest (late 7th to early 6th century BC). Culturally, the mention of "fathers and sons" emphasizes the catastrophic collapse of the family unit, the foundational pillar of Israelite society, indicating that the judgment would disrupt the very fabric of their social order.

Jeremiah 13 14 Word analysis

• And I will dash them (וַהֲפִצֹתִים, vahafitsōtīm):

  • The Hebrew verb yāpaṣ signifies breaking, shattering, scattering, or dashing violently.
  • It vividly depicts a forceful and destructive fragmentation, implying complete disarray.
  • God is explicitly identified as the active agent initiating this violent destruction.

• one against another (אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו, ʼîsh ʼel ʼāḥîv):

  • Literally translates to "a man to his brother" or "each man against his fellow."
  • Emphasizes the breakdown of community, leading to internal strife, civil conflict, and social discord.
  • Suggests the people will contribute to their own downfall by turning hostilely against each other.

• even the fathers and the sons together (אבות ובנים יחדו, ʼāvôt ū-vānîm yaḥdāv):

  • This phrase highlights the complete disintegration of the family, the core unit of Israelite society.
  • Fathers and sons, meant to embody respect, protection, and lineage, will instead share a common, indistinguishable fate in the judgment and conflict.
  • Underscores that no age group or societal status will be spared from this pervasive calamity, symbolizing total generational breakdown.

• declares the LORD (נְאֻם־יְהוָה, nəʼum-YHWH):

  • A strong prophetic formula asserting that the message originates directly from YHWH, affirming its absolute divine authority and certainty.
  • It reinforces that this pronouncement is a divine decree, not merely a human warning, making its fulfillment inevitable.

• I will not pity or spare or have compassion (לֹא־אֶחְמֹל וְלֹא־אָחוּס וְלֹא־אֲרַחֵם, lō-ʼeḥmōl v'lō-ʼāḥûs v'lō-ʼaraḥēm):

  • A highly emphatic triple negation that underscores the complete and resolute withdrawal of God's mercy in this specific context.
  • ʼeḥmōl denotes showing tender regard or relenting.
  • ʼāḥûs refers to sparing or feeling pity.
  • ʼaraḥēm implies deep, covenantal compassion, often associated with a mother's visceral love.
  • The repetition powerfully signals that due to persistent and unrepentant rebellion, the door for divine mercy is closed for Judah's impending judgment.

• but I will destroy them (כִּי־הַשְׁחֵת אַשְׁחִיתֵם, kî-hashḥēt ʼašḥîtēm):

  • Uses the Hebrew infinitive absolute (הַשְׁחֵת) before the finite verb (אַשְׁחִיתֵם), an intensive construction that emphasizes total and irreversible destruction.
  • This phrase unequivocally seals Judah's fate, declaring God's intent for complete devastation, leaving no doubt about the severity and finality of the judgment.

Jeremiah 13 14 Bonus section

• Rhetorical Force: The prophetic language in Jeremiah 13:14 uses parallelism, strong verbs, and emphatic grammatical constructions to maximize its emotional and theological impact, leaving no ambiguity about the certainty and severity of the judgment.
• Contextual Echoes: This verse acts as a chilling fulfillment and amplification of earlier warnings and covenant curses, such as those found in Deuteronomy 28, which explicitly linked national blessing to obedience and national ruin to persistent disobedience.
• Thematic Development: The wine jars imagery (Jer 13:12-13) immediately preceding this verse introduces the theme of widespread drunkenness and confusion, which is then dramatically concluded and detailed by the explicit declaration of God causing them to "dash them one against another" (verse 14), thus filling the metaphorical "wine of wrath" with concrete actions of judgment.
• Divine Sovereignty: Even amidst Judah's self-inflicted chaos and an impending foreign invasion (Babylonian), the verse strongly reiterates God's ultimate sovereignty as the orchestrator of events, indicating that this destruction is not merely happenstance but a deliberate act of divine judgment.

Jeremiah 13 14 Commentary

Jeremiah 13:14 delivers one of the most uncompromising declarations of divine judgment against Judah, showcasing the devastating consequences of their profound and persistent unfaithfulness. The vivid imagery of God "dashing them one against another" depicts an ultimate breakdown of civil society, where chaos and internal strife consume the nation, essentially turning the people into agents of their own destruction. This internal fracturing is further intensified by the explicit mention of "fathers and sons together," highlighting the collapse of even the most fundamental and sacred social bonds within ancient Israel, leaving no one untouched by the sweeping calamity. The crucial phrase, "declares the LORD," establishes the divine, authoritative source of this impending doom, making it an unchangeable decree. Most strikingly, the triple negation – "I will not pity or spare or have compassion" – does not imply a fickle God devoid of mercy. Instead, it forcefully asserts that after prolonged, willful, and unrepentant rebellion, God's righteous justice now takes precedence, withholding the compassion that had been consistently rejected. This solemn withdrawal of mercy leads inevitably to the emphatic conclusion: "but I will destroy them." The verse portrays a God whose patience has been exhausted, and whose holiness now demands a comprehensive, irreversible judgment upon His defiant people.