Jeremiah 13 19

Jeremiah 13:19 kjv

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

Jeremiah 13:19 nkjv

The cities of the South shall be shut up, And no one shall open them; Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; It shall be wholly carried away captive.

Jeremiah 13:19 niv

The cities in the Negev will be shut up, and there will be no one to open them. All Judah will be carried into exile, carried completely away.

Jeremiah 13:19 esv

The cities of the Negeb are shut up, with none to open them; all Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken into exile.

Jeremiah 13:19 nlt

The towns of the Negev will close their gates,
and no one will be able to open them.
The people of Judah will be taken away as captives.
All will be carried into exile.

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 19 Meaning

Jeremiah 13:19 describes a profound national catastrophe for Judah. It prophesies that the cities in the southern region will be utterly abandoned and unopenable, signifying widespread desolation and lack of habitation or defense. Furthermore, the entire nation of Judah, without exception, will be led away into captivity. The verse unequivocally conveys a message of complete and irreversible exile, illustrating the severe consequences of God's judgment upon His people due to their persistent sin and disobedience.

Jeremiah 13 19 Context

Jeremiah chapter 13 serves as a dire warning to Judah regarding the consequences of its spiritual pride, deep-seated idolatry, and obstinate disobedience. Through symbolic acts and pronouncements, Jeremiah illustrates the nation's spiritual decay and impending judgment. The chapter begins with the metaphor of a linen waistband, once close to God but now ruined and useless due to its pride (vv. 1-11), signifying Judah's fallen state. This is followed by the image of winejars filled with drunkenness and chaos, leading to their shattering (vv. 12-14), predicting utter destruction and internal conflict. Jeremiah then urgently appeals to the people to humble themselves and turn to God before the "darkness" of judgment descends (vv. 15-17). Directly preceding verse 19, a specific warning is issued to the king and queen mother (v. 18), admonishing them of their impending downfall and loss of glory. Verse 19 then transitions from the prophetic warnings and symbolic illustrations to a grim declaration of the immediate and tangible outcome: the complete desolation of Judah's cities and the nation's wholesale deportation, confirming the finality of God's decreed judgment.

Historically, Jeremiah prophesied during a period of intense geopolitical instability, marked by the rising power of the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar. Judah, having witnessed the fall of its northern neighbor, Israel, to Assyria, failed to learn from its past. Despite religious reforms under King Josiah, the people quickly reverted to idolatry and pagan practices. The phrase "cities of the South" (Negev) highlights that the invasion was not limited to central regions but encompassed even the outer territories, showing the scale of the impending disaster. The mass deportation of conquered peoples was a common and devastating tactic of ancient Near Eastern empires, aimed at breaking national identity and preventing rebellion.

Jeremiah 13 19 Word analysis

• הערים (Ha-arim): "The cities." This is the definite plural form ofעִיר(iyr`), meaning "city" or "town." It emphasizes specific urban centers, not just general habitation.
• הנגב (Ha-Negev): "The South," or specifically, the region of the Negev. This term refers to the southern geographical area of Judah, characterized by its arid and semi-arid landscape. Mentioning the Negev specifically highlights the wide scope of the desolation, reaching even the peripheries of the kingdom.
• סגרוּ (Sagərû): "are shut up" or "have been shut up." This verb, in the Qal perfect (passive voice in sense), signifies a completed action. It implies the cities are sealed, deserted, and without access, suggesting they have been abandoned or made uninhabitable rather than fortified for defense. There's no activity or commerce within them.
• אין (`ayn): "No one" or "there is no." This is a strong negation, emphasizing absolute absence or lack.
• פתח (Petaḥ): "opens." This refers to opening for passage, commerce, or even for defense and habitation. Coupled with אין (no one), it underscores the utter finality of the desolation. No one is present to open these deserted cities for any purpose, implying an irreversible state of abandonment.
• תהגלה (Tehagâlâh): "Judah is carried away captive." This verb is from the root גלה (galah, "to uncover, go into exile, deport"). Here, it functions as a passive/reflexive form (Ni/Ho in later grammar, but effectively expressing being "made to go into exile" or "to be carried off"). It emphasizes the involuntary nature of the removal; Judah is subjected to deportation.
• כּלּה (Kol-lâh): "all of it," or "her whole self." This is an emphatic form, including the pronominal suffix "-her." It stresses the totality and comprehensiveness of the captivity, indicating that the entire nation, without exception, will experience this fate.
• הגלתה (Hōgelâ): "completely carried away captive." This is the Hophal perfect form of the same root גלה. The repetition of the verb (תהגלה... הגלתה) is a rhetorical device (a figura etymologica or cognate construction). It serves to intensely emphasize and affirm the absolute certainty, completeness, and finality of the deportation. It's not just "carried away," but "truly, wholly, and completely carried away into exile."

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "The cities of the South are shut up; no one opens them.": This opening phrase paints a vivid picture of dereliction and cessation of normal life. The southern region, perhaps expected to be a place of refuge or a front line of defense, is rendered completely impotent. "Shut up" here doesn't mean fortified, but rather abandoned, perhaps emptied of its inhabitants, leaving no one behind to conduct any activity, implying a finality beyond just military closure. It suggests utter desertion and desolation.
• "Judah is carried away captive, all of it, completely carried away captive.": This part is the climactic statement, conveying the full scope of the judgment. The emphatic repetition of the verb "carried away captive" combined with "all of it" leaves no room for doubt or hope of partial escape. It signals a national death—a total removal from their ancestral land, stripping them of their covenant identity and promised inheritance. This isn't just a political defeat; it is the ultimate fulfillment of divine wrath and the curse for chronic unfaithfulness.

Jeremiah 13 19 Bonus section

• The specificity of "the South" (Negev) could be strategic. Invading armies from the north often encircled Judah. The cities to the south being "shut up" could signify their abandonment by fleeing inhabitants seeking escape routes to Egypt (which would then be cut off by Babylonian control) or that the invasion was so thorough it reached all parts, making even remote regions uninhabitable.
• For the ancient Israelite audience, the concept of being "carried away captive" was the ultimate anathema. It meant the loss of land (which was central to their identity as God's chosen people), the loss of the Temple (the dwelling place of God's presence), and a forced assimilation into foreign cultures, thereby threatening their very existence as Yahweh's unique people. This verse shattered any false sense of security derived from their Abrahamic covenant or the mere presence of the Temple in Jerusalem.
• The prophetic message, conveyed so vividly and completely in this single verse, encapsulates the central theme of much of Jeremiah's ministry: that unrepentant sin inevitably leads to divine judgment, even for the covenant people. It serves as a stern warning against spiritual complacency and willful disobedience to God's word.
• While the exile to Babylon was horrific, it also played a critical role in shaping post-exilic Judaism, leading to a renewed emphasis on the Torah, synagogue worship, and the re-establishment of a strong monotheistic identity, albeit through a painful crucible. This verse prophesies the start of that crucial transformative period.

Jeremiah 13 19 Commentary

Jeremiah 13:19 delivers a profound, lament-like prophecy, revealing the full extent of Judah's impending destruction and exile. The prophet employs stark, unvarnished language to communicate the unavoidable judgment. The desolation begins on the fringes of the kingdom, as "the cities of the South" become abandoned, shut off from any form of life or hope, a testament to the advancing foreign power. This imagery immediately strips away any illusion of national security or divine protection for the land itself. The absence of anyone to "open them" signifies not merely a siege, but an utter, enduring abandonment, devoid of commerce, movement, or human presence. This setting lays the groundwork for the most devastating pronouncement: the complete deportation of the entire nation. The intense, almost redundant phrasing—"Judah is carried away captive, all of it, completely carried away captive"—serves as a powerful rhetorical device, sealing the fate of the people. It emphasizes the comprehensiveness and absolute certainty of the exile, eradicating any possibility of partial escape or a swift return. This is God's covenant curse fully enacted, dissolving the foundational relationship between Judah and its promised land, making it a profound spiritual and national crisis for the people, fulfilling the words of a true prophet despite widespread unbelief. It is a severe demonstration that the Lord, in His justice, holds nations accountable for their persistent sin and covenant unfaithfulness.