Jeremiah 14 16

Jeremiah 14:16 kjv

And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

Jeremiah 14:16 nkjv

And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them?them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters?for I will pour their wickedness on them.'

Jeremiah 14:16 niv

And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.

Jeremiah 14:16 esv

And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them ? them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

Jeremiah 14:16 nlt

As for the people to whom they prophesy ? their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters ? all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

Jeremiah 14 verses

Jeremiah 14 16 Meaning

Jeremiah 14:16 prophesies the tragic and shameful fate of the people who succumbed to the false promises of their prophets. They will die from famine and the sword, suffering a complete lack of dignified burial, and their bodies, along with those of their entire families (wives, sons, daughters), will be discarded in the streets of Jerusalem. This is explicitly stated as God's righteous judgment, where their own "wickedness"—or the dire consequences of it—is poured out upon them as divine retribution for their sin and spiritual deceit.

Jeremiah 14 16 Context

Jeremiah 14:16 is situated within Jeremiah's deep lament over the severe drought and impending destruction facing Judah. Chapters 14-15 depict a national crisis: a crippling famine grips the land, driving the people to desperate cries to the Lord (14:1-6). Yet, their pleas are intertwined with confessions of deep-seated sin and unfaithfulness (14:7-9), prompting God's declaration that He will not deliver them but will rather visit them with punishment (14:10-12). Amidst this, false prophets emerge, proclaiming "peace and truth" where there is none, directly contradicting Jeremiah's warnings of imminent doom (14:13). God then issues a direct condemnation of these false prophets, stating that they themselves will perish by the very calamities they deny (14:14-15). Verse 16 extends this judgment to the people who heeded these false prophets, clearly indicating that following spiritual deceit leads directly to God's severe wrath. The historical context is Judah on the brink of Babylonian invasion, marked by rampant idolatry, social injustice, and a general spiritual apostasy, despite Jeremiah's consistent and unpopular message of repentance.

Jeremiah 14 16 Word analysis

• וְהָעָם֙ (v'ha'am - "And the people"): This connects directly to the preceding verses (14:14-15) where the false prophets are condemned. It emphasizes the collective responsibility of those who listened to and were misled by the false message, making them equally subject to judgment.
• אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֥מָּה מְנַבְּאִ֖ים (asher-hemmāh mənabbe'îm - "to whom they prophesy"): This phrase explicitly identifies the group targeted by the judgment. Mənabbe'îm (prophesy) is a Hithpael participle, indicating an active, continuous, and possibly self-exalting practice of prophesying falsely to the people. This highlights that the people were not just passively exposed but were actively the audience and recipients of deceit.
• וְהֻשְׁלְכ֛וּ (v'hushləḵû - "will be cast out"): The verb shalak (to cast, throw) in the Hophal stem (passive causative) vividly describes bodies being unceremoniously, perhaps even violently, thrown or left out. It implies a total lack of respect, dignity, or proper burial rites, reflecting extreme contempt or the overwhelming scale of death.
• בְּחֻצ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֗יִם (bəḥuṣôt yərûšālayim - "into the streets of Jerusalem"): Specifying the capital city and its public spaces underscores the pervasive nature of the catastrophe. Jerusalem, usually a place of safety and divine presence, becomes a place of open graves, symbolizing its profound fall and judgment.
• מִפְּנֵ֤י (mippənê - "because of," literally "from the face of"): This preposition establishes a direct causal link. The preceding "famine and sword" are not random occurrences but the direct divine means of punishment.
• הָרָעָב֙ (hārā'āḇ - "the famine"): Ra'av refers to severe hunger, a common biblical curse (Deut 28:48) and a specific consequence predicted for disobedience. It challenges the false prophets' assurances of abundance.
• וְהַחֶ֔רֶב (v'haḥerev - "and the sword"): Ḥerev (sword) represents war, violence, and lethal destruction, another prominent instrument of divine judgment (Lev 26:25). It stands in direct contrast to the false promise of "no sword."
• וְאֵין־קֹבֵ֣ר לָהֶ֗ם (v'ên-qôḇēr lâhem - "with none to bury them"): This phrase signifies a profound curse and dishonor in ancient Near Eastern culture. To be unburied was considered the ultimate degradation, denying rest in the afterlife, making the body food for scavengers, and demonstrating complete divine rejection (Deut 28:26; Ps 79:2-3). It indicates the sheer number of dead or the utter breakdown of social order.
• אֹתָ֞ם נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם וּבְנֵיהֶם֙ וּבְנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם ('ôtām nəšêhem ûḇnêhem ûḇənôṯêhem - "them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters"): This explicit listing of entire families emphasizes the comprehensive, devastating scope of the judgment. No segment of society, no household member, is spared, highlighting the totality of destruction.
• כִּֽי־אֶשְׁפֹּ֞ךְ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־רָעָתָֽם׃ (kî-'ešpōḵ 'ălêhem 'eṯ-rā'āṯām - "for I will pour out their wickedness on them."): This is a powerful declaration of divine justice.
  • כִּֽי (kî - "for"): Introduces the divine rationale and cause for the preceding judgment.
  • אֶשְׁפֹּ֞ךְ ('ešpōḵ - "I will pour out"): Shafak (to pour out) in the Qal imperfect indicates a decisive and abundant act by God. It often refers to pouring out blood or wrath, implying an overwhelming, unavoidable measure.
  • עֲלֵיהֶם֙ ('ălêhem - "on them"): Specifies the recipients of this outpouring.
  • אֶת־רָעָתָֽם ('eṯ-rā'āṯām - "their wickedness/evil"): Ra'ah (evil, wickedness, disaster, calamity) is crucial. Here, it signifies the accumulated consequences of their own sinful actions and adherence to falsehood returning upon them as divine judgment. It is not an arbitrary punishment, but a direct retribution where their own evil acts precipitate their suffering. The justice is perfectly tailored.

Jeremiah 14 16 Bonus section

The juxtaposition of God's "pouring out" and the "wickedness" of the people provides significant theological depth. The verb shafak (to pour out) is frequently used for God's outpouring of wrath (e.g., Ps 69:24), His spirit (e.g., Joel 2:28), or even blood. Here, God pours out their ra'ah. While ra'ah can mean "evil," in contexts of divine action, it often refers to "calamity" or "disaster" as a consequence of evil (e.g., Jer 1:14). This creates a powerful metonymy: God is pouring out the results of their evil actions (disaster, death, famine, sword) directly onto them. This principle of receiving the fruits of one's own doing (reaping what one sows) is a consistent theme in biblical justice and applies directly here. The false prophets promised freedom from these "evils" (sword, famine), yet the people's "evil" (listening to lies) directly caused the pouring out of those very "evils" upon them.

Jeremiah 14 16 Commentary

Jeremiah 14:16 stands as a somber fulfillment of divine judgment, meticulously outlining the horrific fate awaiting those who chose to follow false prophets rather than the true word of God. It's a stark contrast to the deceptive promises of "peace and prosperity," declaring instead a brutal end by famine and sword. The refusal of burial rites is not merely an added indignity; it signifies complete divine rejection and desecration, marking them as utterly cursed. This comprehensive destruction extends to every family member, leaving no hope or legacy. The final phrase, "I will pour out their wickedness on them," reveals the underlying principle: their suffering is a direct and just consequence of their own accumulated evil and rejection of truth. This verse powerfully underscores God's absolute opposition to spiritual falsehood and the devastating, inescapable reality of His righteous judgment upon those who embrace it.