Jeremiah 15 7

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 verses

Jeremiah 15 7 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:7 declares God's decisive and severe judgment against Judah for their unyielding sin. It announces a public, total dispersal and destruction of the population, specifically highlighting the tragic loss of children, all due to their steadfast refusal to turn from their rebellious ways back to Him. This pronouncement emphasizes the irrevocability of divine wrath against an unrepentant people, even "His people."

Jeremiah 15 7 Context

Jeremiah 15 opens with God rejecting Jeremiah's intercession for Judah, declaring that even great figures like Moses and Samuel could not avert the impending judgment due to the nation's severe sins, especially Manasseh's idolatry. God pronounces a series of four dreadful fates (death, sword, famine, captivity/exile) for His people (v. 2-3) and promises that Jerusalem will be made "a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth" (v. 4). Verse 7, therefore, elaborates on these judgments, focusing on the public disgrace of scattering, the deep sorrow of child bereavement, and the ultimate destruction of His own people, precisely because they stubbornly refused to "return from their ways" (v. 6). The surrounding verses confirm the finality of this judgment, leading Jeremiah himself to lament his calling due to the harsh message he had to deliver (v. 10-18).

Jeremiah 15 7 Word analysis

• And I will scatter them:
  • וְאֶזְרֵם (və'ezrēm): From the Hebrew root זָרָה (zārâ), meaning "to scatter," "to winnow," or "to disperse." This verb emphasizes a forceful, complete, and wide-ranging dispersion, not just a gentle spread.
  • Significance: It paints a picture of violent dismemberment of the nation, flung abroad without cohesion or mercy.
• with a winnowing fork:
  • בְמִזְרֶה (bəmizrâ): This is the tool (a fork-like shovel) used to toss grain into the air, allowing the wind to blow away the lighter chaff (waste) while the heavier grain falls back down.
  • Significance: This imagery directly implies a judgment of separation where Judah is treated as chaff – light, useless, and destined for removal. It's a vivid agricultural metaphor for divine sifting and destruction of the unrighteous.
• in the gates of the land;
  • שַׁעֲרֵי־אָרֶץ (shaʿărê-ʾāreṣ): Literally "gates of the land" or "gates of the city/cities within the land." City gates in ancient Israel were focal points for public life: administration, justice, commerce, social gatherings, and defense.
  • Significance: Judgment enacted "in the gates" meant it was public, inescapable, universally observed, and affected every aspect of civic life. It was a place of public shame and visible desolation.
• I will bereave them of children:
  • שִׁכַּלְתִּי (shikkaltî): From the root שָׁכַל (shākal), meaning "to be childless," "to miscarry," or "to cause to lose children." The perfect tense suggests the certainty and divine determination of this action, almost as if it's already done.
  • Significance: Losing children was among the most devastating consequences and curses in ancient society, striking at the very core of family, lineage, and future hope. It meant the severing of the generational line and the end of communal existence as they knew it.
• and destroy My people;
  • אִבַּדְתִּי (ʾibbadtî): From the root אָבַד (ʾābad), meaning "to perish," "to destroy," or "to be lost." Another perfect tense, denoting certainty.
  • עַמִּי (ʿammî): "My people." This possessive pronoun highlights the profound tragedy and seriousness. God is executing judgment against those whom He had chosen, covenanted with, and called His own.
  • Significance: This emphasizes that their covenant status does not grant immunity from judgment when sin is persistent. It underscores God's holiness and justice that He would punish even His own.
• they have not returned from their ways.
  • לֹא שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכֵיהֶם (lōʾ shāḇû miḏḏarḵêhem): Literally, "they have not returned from their ways." From the root שׁוּב (shûḇ), meaning "to turn," "to return," "to repent."
  • Significance: This clause is the rationale and justification for God's severe actions. The repeated prophetic call to repentance had been persistently ignored, leading to this inevitable consequence. God's judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to an unyielding refusal to change course.

Jeremiah 15 7 Bonus section

The winnowing imagery not only implies scattering but also a separation, suggesting that amidst the physical scattering of Judah, there was an underlying divine purpose to distinguish between those truly God's and the dross. The unrepentant heart, described by "not returned from their ways," is consistently highlighted throughout Jeremiah as the core issue that led to such extreme judgments. This phrase reveals God's continuous desire for His people's spiritual return, even in the face of their persistent apostasy. The pronouncements in this chapter, following God's rejection of Jeremiah's intercession (15:1), mark a definitive point where the divine patience has run out, signifying that the time for restorative repentance has passed and the time for punitive judgment has arrived.

Jeremiah 15 7 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:7 is a potent declaration of God's unwavering justice against a people entrenched in sin. The vivid agricultural metaphor of winnowing graphically illustrates total dispersion and removal. The "gates of the land" signify that this judgment will be public and comprehensive, impacting every facet of national life. The heart-wrenching loss of children emphasizes the ultimate severity, striking at the very fabric of family and future. The possessive "My people" underscores the profound tragedy of a God judging those He had chosen, demonstrating that divine election does not preclude divine discipline for rebellion. Ultimately, the verse serves as a stark reminder that God's justice is linked directly to His people's refusal to repent from their "ways," confirming that His covenant relationship requires obedient faithfulness, not just privileged status.