Jeremiah 15:7 kjv
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people since they return not from their ways.
Jeremiah 15:7 nkjv
And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, Since they do not return from their ways.
Jeremiah 15:7 niv
I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways.
Jeremiah 15:7 esv
I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people; they did not turn from their ways.
Jeremiah 15:7 nlt
I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities
and take away the children you hold dear.
I will destroy my own people,
because they refuse to change their evil ways.
Jeremiah 15 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 15:7 | They are scattered like chaff before the wind | Psa 1:4 (like chaff driven away by the wind) |
| Psalm 35:5 | Let them be like chaff before the wind | Psa 1:4 (like chaff driven away by the wind) |
| Isaiah 17:13 | Like chaff driven by the wind | Isa 29:5 (like driven stubble) |
| Hosea 13:3 | Like chaff scattered from the threshing floor | Hos 10:11 (like a young heifer that loves to thresh) |
| Nahum 1:12 | though they are planted, yet will I cut them down | Nahum 3:12 (like figs that fall) |
| Job 13:25 | Will you frighten a wind-blown leaf? | Job 21:18 (blown away by the wind) |
| Psalm 18:42 | I will scatter them like dust | Jer 13:24 (scattered like chaff) |
| Jeremiah 13:24 | I will scatter them like chaff | Isa 41:2 (chaff scattered by the wind) |
| Isaiah 41:2 | like chaff driven by a mighty wind | Jer 15:7 (chaff before the wind) |
| Revelation 18:2 | fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! | Jer 51:8 (she is fallen) |
| Jeremiah 4:11 | A hot wind from the bare heights | Jer 17:6 (scorched by heat) |
| Psalm 83:14 | Like chaff before the wind | Psa 1:4 (like chaff driven away by the wind) |
| Leviticus 26:16 | diseases and fever that consume | Jer 14:12 (terrible pestilence) |
| Deuteronomy 28:48 | by hunger, thirst, nakedness, and want | Jer 15:2 (sword, famine, pestilence) |
| Deuteronomy 32:30 | by their enemies and triumph over them | Isa 30:17 (1000 will flee at a threat) |
| Jeremiah 5:20 | when I have made a full end of you | Jer 50:37 (I have made an end of all her nations) |
| Isaiah 5:10 | no fruit shall be left | Hosea 9:16 (fruit is withered) |
| Jeremiah 22:24 | though you, Coniah the son of Jehoiakim | Jer 22:30 (he shall be childless) |
| Jeremiah 22:29 | O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD | Jer 2:2 (O land, land, land) |
| Jeremiah 4:29 | The whole land shall be a desolation | Jer 20:16 (a desolate land) |
Jeremiah 15 verses
Jeremiah 15 7 Meaning
This verse signifies God's just judgment against His people due to their pervasive sinfulness. It expresses a forceful and decisive rejection, indicating a severe consequence for their actions, portraying them as scattered like chaff before the wind, implying a loss of stability and a fate determined by destructive forces.
Jeremiah 15 7 Context
This verse is found within the book of Jeremiah, a prophet speaking to Judah during a period of extreme spiritual and national decline. The preceding verses describe God's unwavering commitment to His people, yet also His decision to punish their idolatry and unfaithfulness. The broader context of Jeremiah 15 is God's response to Jeremiah's intercessory prayer, where Jeremiah laments the suffering of his people and questions God's judgment. God reassures Jeremiah that even if righteous individuals like Moses or Samuel were to plead, He would still proceed with the judgment due to the ingrained sinfulness of the nation. This verse, therefore, is part of God's declaration of the inevitability and totality of the punishment, emphasizing the pervasive nature of their corruption.
Jeremiah 15 7 Word analysis
- v'kashati (וְשָׁבַרְתִּי) - "and I will break" (from sh-b-r, to break, shatter). This signifies a forceful, complete destruction or defeat. It's not a gentle breaking but a violent rending apart.
- lo et yedeichem (לֹא אֶת יְדֵיכֶם) - "not your hands". The Lord explicitly states He will not "break your hands," but rather a more encompassing destruction. The mention of "hands" could allude to their capacity to work, create, or even fight, which God will ultimately nullify.
- ki kolet yotzet letzarim (כִּי כֹל אֵת יוֹצֵאת לְצָרִים) - "for the end comes, the end has come upon them" (lit. "for every hand goes forth to sorrow/distress"). This phrase emphasizes the inevitability and finality of the coming destruction, implying that judgment is already in motion and directed towards them, leading to great affliction.
- hinei katzet ba (הִנֵּה הַקֵּץ בָּא) - "Behold, the end has come". "Kat'zet" (קֵץ) means "end," "limit," or "appointed time." The use of "hinei" (הִנֵּה), "behold" or "lo," draws immediate attention to the imminent and certain finality.
- vashagga’ah (וְשָׁגָֽעָה) - "and it is gone mad" or "it has rushed". This describes the unbridled, destructive nature of the coming judgment. It implies an unstoppable and overwhelming force that has become unrestrained.
- chotsothamech (חֲצֹצֶיהָ) - "its blows" or "its appointed times" (from ḥāṣaṣ, to shoot, send forth; or ḥēṣṣ, boundary, appointed time). It can imply the full measure of its attacks or predetermined periods of its operation, now unleashed upon them.
- veli mar’ut otam (וּלִי מְרֻצֹּות עָתַם) - "and I will mete them out (my indignation)". "Mar'ut" (מְרֻצֹּות) refers to measure or apportion. God declares He will deal with them justly and precisely according to His indignation.
- chotset alah vahem (חָצוּ בַעֲלֵי הֵמָּה) - "but My indignation against them". The structure here highlights the direct object of God's action, emphasizing His personal involvement in administering justice.
Word-by-word analysis
- and I will break: Implies complete ruin and desolation.
- not your hands: The judgment targets their existence, not merely their physical ability.
- for the end comes: Signifies the inescapable arrival of divine punishment.
- the end has come: Reinforces the certainty and imminence of judgment.
- and it is gone mad: Describes the uncontrolled, destructive fury of the judgment.
- its blows: Refers to the specific, destructive actions of the judgment.
- and I will mete them out: God precisely calibrates the punishment according to His righteous anger.
- my indignation against them: Highlights God's active wrath and just response to their sin.
Jeremiah 15 7 Bonus Section
The concept of being scattered like chaff is a metaphor for complete destruction and loss of community, national identity, and divine protection. It signifies a state of powerlessness and exposure to destructive forces. This imagery often contrasts with the stability and blessedness of the righteous, who are likened to a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1). The verse highlights the sovereignty of God in administering justice; He is not merely reacting but actively orchestrating the consequences of sin, precisely measuring out His indignation. The depth of God's sorrow is also implied, as He declares He "will break" them, suggesting a tragic severance rather than an arbitrary act of cruelty.
Jeremiah 15 7 Commentary
Jeremiah 15:7 paints a grim picture of God's judgment upon a rebellious and unrepentant people. The imagery of being "scattered like chaff before the wind" is powerful and recurring in scripture. It evokes the picture of the threshing floor, where grain was separated from the useless husk by being thrown into the air, allowing the wind to carry the lighter chaff away. This implies a loss of identity, stability, and purpose. They will be blown away, devoid of substance, easily dispersed and lost. God states that "the end has come, the end has come upon them" and that He will "mete them out" His indignation, showing that the judgment is not accidental but divinely ordained and precise. This is a consequence for their pervasive corruption, a forfeiture of their status as God's chosen people in a temporal sense, leading to national dissolution.