Jeremiah 15 3

Jeremiah 15:3 kjv

And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.

Jeremiah 15:3 nkjv

"And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction," says the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

Jeremiah 15:3 niv

"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy.

Jeremiah 15:3 esv

I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

Jeremiah 15:3 nlt

"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," says the LORD. "I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left.

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 3 Meaning

The verse describes four different types of impending death that will befall the people of Judah: by pestilence, by the sword, by famine, and by captivity. Each mode of death signifies a distinct and devastating form of judgment from God for their sin.

Jeremiah 15 3 Context

Jeremiah 15:1-3 is part of God's stern pronouncement against Judah through the prophet Jeremiah. This chapter opens with God stating that even the intercession of Moses and Samuel would not suffice to avert His judgment because of Judah's deep-seated wickedness. The preceding verses (Jeremiah 14:1-18) depict a nation suffering from drought and famine, seeking the Lord through prayer, yet their sin makes their prayers ineffective. Jeremiah is instructed not to pray for them because of the magnitude of their iniquity. The judgment described in verse 3 is a direct consequence of their unfaithfulness and rebellion against God's covenant. Historically, this message was delivered during a period of increasing Babylonian pressure, leading up to the eventual destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people.

Jeremiah 15 3 Word Analysis

• “And” (וְ, ve): Conjunction connecting this declaration to the preceding context.
• “it” (יהיה, yiheyeh): Future tense of "to be." Signifies certainty.
• “shall be”: Confirms future, unavoidable destiny.
• “over them”: Refers to the people of Judah.
• “Four kinds”: Emphasizes the totality of destruction. Four represents completeness or a comprehensive nature in biblical numerology.
• “of strokes” (מַגֵּפָה, maggēpāh): Plague, pestilence, a stroke or blow. Implies a fatal affliction.
• “upon them”: Reiteration for emphasis.
• “says” (נְאֻם, neʾum): Declaration or oracle, signifying divine utterance.
• “the LORD” (יהוה, YHWH): The personal covenantal name of God.
• “says” (נְאֻם, neʾum): Repetition underscores the divine authority of the pronouncement.
• “The sword” (חֶרֶב, ḥereḇ): Military conquest and warfare. A common instrument of divine judgment.
• “to the slaughter”: Directed for execution and killing.
• “and the dogs”: Wild or scavenger dogs. Symbolizing extreme degradation and desecration of the dead, left unburied and torn apart.
• “to the killing”: Those that consume the dead bodies.
• “and the birds of the heavens”: Carrion birds, vultures. Also symbolizes desecration and the utter finality of death, leaving no remains.
• “to devouring”: For consumption and destruction.
• “and the beasts of the earth”: Wild animals. Another agent of destruction and complete consumption of the dead.
• “to destruction”: For annihilation, consumption.

Group Analysis:

• “Four kinds of strokes upon them”: This phrase powerfully communicates the comprehensive nature of the judgment. God will use multiple devastating means to bring about destruction, leaving no escape.
• “the sword... to the killing, and the dogs to devouring, and the birds of the heavens to devouring, and the beasts of the earth to destruction.”: This parallel structure, detailing specific agents of death (sword, dogs, birds, beasts), vividly paints a picture of complete annihilation. The repetition of "devouring" emphasizes the thoroughness of the consumption of the fallen. This imagery highlights not only death but also the dishonor and shame associated with such widespread demise in ancient Near Eastern culture, where proper burial was highly valued.

Jeremiah 15 3 Bonus Section

The phrase "dogs to devouring" reflects an ancient cultural abhorrence for the unburied dead, often seen as being given over to impurity and defilement. In Israelite society, proper burial was a sign of honor and respect (Genesis 50:11, Isaiah 34:3). To be left unburied and consumed by animals was a sign of extreme divine displeasure and public shame. This imagery served as a potent warning to the people of Judah, highlighting the catastrophic consequences of their persistent rebellion against God. The use of natural elements (birds, beasts) as agents of destruction further emphasizes God's sovereign power over all creation, which He can employ in His judgment.

Jeremiah 15 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:3 pronounces God's certain and multifaceted judgment upon Judah. The mention of "four kinds of strokes" — pestilence, sword, famine, and captivity (implied by the instruments of destruction that consume the dead, which results from war and societal collapse) — illustrates the comprehensive nature of the divine punishment. These are not mere threats but definitive pronouncements of what God will bring upon them. The specific enumeration of the sword, dogs, birds, and beasts as instruments of death and destruction emphasizes the ultimate disgrace and utter devastation awaiting those who reject God's commands. It signifies a breakdown of social order where even the dead are not honored but left to be consumed by scavengers, reflecting the complete overthrow of the nation and their spiritual defilement. This verse underscores the solemn truth that disobedience leads to severe, inescapable consequences, even in death.