Jeremiah 16 10

Jeremiah 16:10 kjv

And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

Jeremiah 16:10 nkjv

"And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?'

Jeremiah 16:10 niv

"When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?'

Jeremiah 16:10 esv

"And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?'

Jeremiah 16:10 nlt

"When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, 'Why has the LORD decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the LORD our God?'

Jeremiah 16 verses

Jeremiah 16 10 Meaning

Jeremiah 16:10 reveals the anticipated reaction of the people of Judah to God's pronounced judgment through Jeremiah. When confronted with the dire consequences foretold by the prophet—calamities, displacement, and suffering—the people question God's justice, feigning ignorance of their culpability. They deny any significant wrong-doing, asking why such a great "evil" (meaning calamity or disaster) has befallen them, demanding to know the specific "iniquity" and "sin" they committed against the LORD their God. This verse exposes the human tendency to resist self-examination and responsibility, projecting blame outward even in the face of divine pronouncement.

Jeremiah 16 10 Context

Jeremiah 16:10 is embedded within a passage (Jeremiah 16:1-13) where the prophet receives severe instructions from the LORD regarding his personal life and public ministry, serving as symbolic prophecies of the impending judgment. Jeremiah is commanded not to marry, have children, attend mourning feasts, or participate in celebration feasts. These actions dramatically foreshadow a future in which there will be no children to carry on the family name, no one left to mourn the dead (as death will be too widespread), and no joy or feasting due to the devastation. The judgment stems from Judah's persistent idolatry and covenant-breaking. This specific verse (16:10) anticipates the people's incredulous and self-righteous response once Jeremiah delivers this bleak message of total societal collapse, setting the stage for God's detailed explanation of their "iniquity" and "sin" in the subsequent verses (16:11-13). Historically, this period reflects Judah's decline before the Babylonian exile, marked by deep spiritual corruption despite outward religious observance.

Jeremiah 16 10 Word analysis

• And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you,

  • you tell: Hebrew taggid (תַּגִּ֔יד) from nagad (נָגַד), meaning "to declare, to make known." It highlights Jeremiah's role as God's messenger, delivering a direct, divine pronouncement, not his own opinion.
  • this people: Refers to the people of Judah, Jeremiah's immediate audience, highlighting their specific situation under the covenant.
  • all these words: Encompasses the pronouncements of judgment from Jeremiah 16:1-9 and possibly prior messages from God concerning their impending exile and desolation. It stresses the comprehensive and inescapable nature of God's message.
  • they say to you: Anticipates the direct, confrontational response of the people to Jeremiah. This is not passive listening, but active questioning.

• 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us?

  • Why: Hebrew madua (מַדּ֥וּעַ), indicating a question seeking reason or cause. The people are demanding justification from God, implying they do not see any.
  • the LORD: Hebrew YHWH (יְהוָה), the covenant name of God. By referring to "the LORD," they acknowledge Him but ironically question His justice while invoking His covenant identity.
  • pronounced: Hebrew diber (דִבֶּ֨ר), from dabar (דָּבַר), "to speak." It denotes a formal, authoritative declaration, indicating the finality and gravity of the judgment.
  • all this great evil: Hebrew kol hara'ah hag'dolah hazzot (כָל־הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדוֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את).
    • evil: Hebrew ra'ah (רָעָה). While it can mean moral evil (sin), in this context when used concerning God's actions, it primarily refers to "calamity, disaster, misfortune, affliction, distress." The people use it to imply injustice, portraying themselves as innocent victims, yet God uses it as a righteous consequence. They perceive it as an undeserved punitive measure.
    • great: Hebrew gadolah (גְדוֹלָה), emphasizing the immense scale and severity of the coming judgment.
  • against us: Highlights their self-perception as targets of divine aggression, rather than recipients of merited consequence.

• What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?'

  • What is our iniquity?: Hebrew mah-'avonenu (מָֽה־עֲוֹנֵ֣נוּ).
    • iniquity: Hebrew avon (עָוֹן). This term signifies perversity, guilt, or moral distortion; it often refers to an intentional deviation from moral standards, sometimes even carrying the connotation of the punishment or consequences of guilt. The people feign ignorance, asking what specifically is their persistent, deliberate wrong.
  • What is the sin?: Hebrew mah-chatta'tenu (וּמַה־חַטָּאתֵ֛נוּ).
    • sin: Hebrew chatta't (חַטָּאת). This word often means "missing the mark," an act that deviates from God's perfect standard or law, resulting in guilt. The repetition of the question, using two different terms for sin, emphasizes their profound spiritual blindness and denial, acting as if there is no basis for such severe judgment.
  • that we have committed: The verb here implies active engagement in the sinful acts.
  • against the LORD our God: Reaffirms that their transgressions are not against an abstract principle but directly against the One with whom they have a sacred covenant. "Our God" ironically underlines the intimacy of the relationship they have so grievously violated, making their questioning all the more jarring.

Jeremiah 16 10 Bonus section

This verse offers profound insights into the human condition across generations. The type of self-deception and moral blindness displayed by Judah is a recurring theme in biblical narratives and human history. It illustrates the deceptive nature of sin, which can blind individuals and communities to their own wrongdoing, even when faced with clear evidence or consequences. Often, outward religious observance can coexist with inward spiritual rebellion, creating a false sense of security or innocence. This challenges believers to cultivate a spirit of introspection and humility, consistently seeking God's truth to illuminate any hidden "iniquity" or "sin" within, rather than questioning divine correction when it inevitably arrives.

Jeremiah 16 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 16:10 provides a stark portrayal of human spiritual blindness and self-righteousness. Despite numerous warnings and overt acts of idolatry and injustice detailed throughout Jeremiah, the people of Judah genuinely fail to see their culpability. Their questioning of God's justice, expressed through demanding an explanation for their "iniquity" and "sin," reveals a profound disconnect between their actions and their self-perception. They attribute the coming "great evil" (calamity) to an arbitrary act of God rather than a righteous consequence of their persistent covenant breaking. This denial sets the stage for God's detailed indictment in the subsequent verses, highlighting that human ignorance of sin often stems from willful self-deception, preventing repentance and hindering their ability to grasp divine justice. This reflects a common human trait: a tendency to justify one's own actions and question divine judgment rather than introspect honestly.