Jeremiah 15 14

Jeremiah 15:14 kjv

And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

Jeremiah 15:14 nkjv

And I will make you cross over with your enemies Into a land which you do not know; For a fire is kindled in My anger, Which shall burn upon you."

Jeremiah 15:14 niv

I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you."

Jeremiah 15:14 esv

I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever."

Jeremiah 15:14 nlt

I will tell your enemies to take you
as captives to a foreign land.
For my anger blazes like a fire
that will burn forever. "

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 14 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:14 declares God's imminent judgment upon Judah, foretelling their forced exile into an unfamiliar land by their enemies. This severe punishment is a direct consequence of the nation's persistent sin, kindling God's intense, consuming anger against them. It signifies a divinely orchestrated catastrophe, a direct fulfillment of covenant curses for their prolonged disobedience.

Jeremiah 15 14 Context

Jeremiah 15:14 follows a series of grim pronouncements from God, indicating an irreversible judgment on Judah. Beginning in verse 1, God explicitly states that He will not relent, even if Moses and Samuel were to intercede. He decrees four instruments of destruction: sword, famine, pestilence, and exile, to scatter the people across all the kingdoms of the earth (v.2-4). Judah's desolation will be so severe that no one will mourn for Jerusalem (v.5). The immediate preceding verses (v.10-13) speak of Jeremiah's own suffering due to his prophetic message and explicitly warns that God will send the people and their wealth into exile as a result of their sins throughout the land. Verse 14 is a direct restatement and amplification of this unyielding decree, specifically focusing on the personal experience of being led into an unknown captivity by their enemies, emphasizing God's wrath as the driving force. Historically, Jeremiah's prophecies came during Judah's final decline before the Babylonian exile (late 7th-early 6th century BCE), a period marked by persistent idolatry, social injustice, and defiance of God's law.

Jeremiah 15 14 Word analysis

• And I will make thee to pass (וְהַעֲבַרְתִּיךָ - v'ha'avar'ticha):
  • This phrase emphasizes divine causation. The verb is a Hiphil perfect from עָבַר ('avar), meaning "to pass over, send across, bring through." God is not merely allowing events to unfold; He is the active agent forcefully bringing about this displacement. It highlights His sovereignty in judgment.
  • Significance: This is not merely an unfortunate political turn of events but a deliberate act of divine justice.
• with thine enemies (אֶת־אֹיְבֶיךָ - 'et-oy'vecha):
  • Refers to their adversaries, specifically the Babylonian invaders. This is a point of humiliation and subjugation. God uses these foreign powers, who act out of their own desires for conquest, as instruments of His judgment.
  • Significance: Being taken captive by one's enemies symbolized ultimate defeat and disgrace in the ancient Near East, stripping a people of their identity, land, and dignity.
• into a land which thou knowest not (אֶל־אֶרֶץ לֹא יָדָעְתָּ - 'el-erets lo' yada'ta):
  • Refers to an unknown territory. This emphasizes the terror, disorientation, and complete displacement that exile entails. It signifies being uprooted from the familiar, holy land God promised, into a foreign cultural and religious environment.
  • Significance: Loss of a secure homeland was a deep spiritual and physical trauma, designed to break their self-sufficiency and reliance on false gods, fostering a desperate need for Yahweh.
• for a fire is kindled (כִּי־אֵשׁ קָדְחָה - ki-esh qad'cha):
  • fire (אֵשׁ - 'esh): A powerful biblical metaphor for divine judgment, consuming wrath, and destructive holiness.
  • kindled (קָדְחָה - qad'cha): A verb often denoting a violent or fierce kindling, like a burning fever or intense flame. It indicates a vigorous, active burning, not a slow ember.
  • Significance: This clarifies the reason for the judgment: God's wrath is intense and has been fully ignited by Judah's rebellion. It is not an arbitrary punishment.
• in mine anger (בְּאַפִּי - b'appiy):
  • Literally "in my nose/nostrils." In Hebrew idiom, the flaring of the nostrils signifies intense rage and fury. It portrays God's emotion as fervent and active.
  • Significance: Underscores the divine passion and righteous indignation driving the judgment. It's a justified response to sustained sin.
• which shall burn upon you (עֲלֵיכֶם תּוּקַד - aleychem tu'qad):
  • Emphasizes the direct and personal impact of the judgment. The fire of God's anger is not a distant, general phenomenon but will be felt individually and collectively by the people.
  • Significance: The judgment will be experienced by Judah directly. It is their experience of the consuming divine wrath that is in view.

Words-group Analysis:

• "And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not": This entire phrase delineates the active divine orchestration of forced deportation into foreign captivity. It highlights God's sovereignty over history, even through the actions of hostile nations. The imagery stresses extreme hardship, psychological distress, and a complete reversal of their fortunes as a covenant people promised a secure land.
• "for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you": This section unequivocally provides the theological justification for the judgment. God's righteous wrath, consuming and unquenchable like fire, is the direct cause. This metaphor conveys the intensity and destructive nature of His holiness when confronted with deep and persistent sin. The phrase "burn upon you" confirms the inescapable, personal experience of this divine wrath.

Jeremiah 15 14 Bonus section

• Covenant Fulfillment: This verse serves as a chilling fulfillment of the conditional curses detailed in the Deuteronomic covenant (e.g., Deut 28:36, 49-50; Lev 26:33). God is demonstrating His faithfulness to both His promises and His warnings.
• Polemic against Idolatry and False Security: By stating they will be taken "into a land which thou knowest not," the verse implicitly challenges Judah's reliance on their false gods and alliances. These foreign deities are impotent to save, and the very land they hoped to preserve through unholy alliances becomes a place of exile, exposing the vanity of their former trust.
• Nature of Divine Anger: The "fire... in mine anger" is a facet of God's holiness. It's not a human, irrational rage, but a holy indignation against evil and injustice that demands a response. It signifies the seriousness of sin in the eyes of a holy God.

Jeremiah 15 14 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:14 serves as a stern summary of God's impending judgment upon Judah, directly linking their forced exile to an unfamiliar land with the intensity of divine wrath. The phrase "I will make thee to pass" removes any doubt regarding the ultimate author of this calamitous event; it is not mere historical contingency but the sovereign act of God. Their "enemies" are but instruments in His hand. The destination, an "unknown land," amplifies the terror and displacement, representing a profound loss of identity, security, and connection to their God-given heritage. The foundational reason for this severe sentence is explicitly stated: "a fire is kindled in mine anger." This vivid imagery of divine fury—a "consuming fire" that will "burn upon" them—underscores that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous, passionate response to Judah's prolonged and unrepentant rebellion against His covenant. This purifying fire, while destructive, ultimately aims at refining a remnant, but first entails severe national suffering to provoke repentance and restore true worship.