Jeremiah 18:16 kjv
To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
Jeremiah 18:16 nkjv
To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head.
Jeremiah 18:16 niv
Their land will be an object of horror and of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads.
Jeremiah 18:16 esv
making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head.
Jeremiah 18:16 nlt
Therefore, their land will become desolate,
a monument to their stupidity.
All who pass by will be astonished
and will shake their heads in amazement.
Jeremiah 18 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 18:16 | Their land shall be a desolation and an everlasting mockery... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment |
| Jeremiah 25:9 | ...and bring all the nations from the north and against its inhabitants... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment |
| Jeremiah 49:17 | Edom shall become an astonishment; every one that goes by it shall be... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Edom |
| Jeremiah 51:37 | And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for jackals... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Babylon |
| Lamentations 5:18 | ...for mount Zion, which is desolate; foxes walk over it. | O.T. Lament, Desolation |
| Zephaniah 2:15 | This is the rejoicing city that was full of inhabitants, that said... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Nineveh |
| Psalm 79:4 | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and mockery... | O.T. Psalm, National Shame |
| Isaiah 5:14 | Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire and opened its mouth... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Israel |
| Isaiah 34:10 | Its smoke ascends forever. From generation to generation it shall be... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Edom |
| Isaiah 63:18 | Your holy people have possessed it only a little while... | O.T. Prophecy, Divine action |
| 1 Kings 9:7 | And if this house is too high, then whoever passes by it will be... | O.T. Judgment on Israel |
| 1 Kings 9:8 | and this house will become a heap of rubble, and everyone passing by... | O.T. Judgment on Israel |
| Ezekiel 5:14 | Moreover, I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Jerusalem |
| Ezekiel 6:14 | I will lay your cities waste, and they shall be desolate... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Israel |
| Ezekiel 14:15 | If I cause savage beasts to cross the land and devour its people... | O.T. Prophecy, Divine judgment |
| Ezekiel 35:3 | and say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Mount... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Seir |
| Hosea 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment |
| Micah 6:16 | For the statutes of Omri are kept; and all the works of Ahab's house... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Israel |
| Nahum 3:7 | So shall Nineveh be a place for nothing to look upon with disgust... | O.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Nineveh |
| Revelation 18:2 | He called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great..." | N.T. Prophecy, Judgment on Babylon |
Jeremiah 18 verses
Jeremiah 18 16 Meaning
Their land shall be a desolation and an everlasting mockery; all who pass by it shall be astonished and wag their heads.
Jeremiah 18 16 Context
Jeremiah 18 details a divine encounter with the prophet Jeremiah at the potter's house. God instructs Jeremiah to observe the potter shaping clay, illustrating His power to shape nations. The Lord then reveals that if a nation He has spoken against turns from its evil, He will relent. Conversely, if a nation persists in wickedness, God will bring disaster upon it. Jeremiah 18:16 specifically describes the fate of Israel, due to their persistent sinfulness, portraying their land becoming a desolate and ridiculed wasteland, a stark consequence of their disobedience and rejection of God's warnings.
Jeremiah 18 16 Word Analysis
- Their (lahem, לָהֶם): A masculine plural pronoun indicating possession or relation, referring to the people of Israel in this context.
- land (erets, אֶרֶץ): Hebrew for land, earth, ground, territory. Signifies the physical inheritance of Israel, which God is turning into a ruin.
- shall be (hayethah, הָיְתָה): Future tense of the verb "to be." Denotes an inevitable outcome or state.
- a desolation (shammamah, שַׁמָּה): Feminine noun meaning astonishment, devastation, ruin, a waste. Implies emptiness and utter destruction.
- and (wa, וְ): Conjunction joining words or clauses.
- an everlasting (olam, עוֹלָם): Hebrew for perpetuity, eternity, antiquity. Indicates a prolonged and continuous state of ruin, not temporary.
- mockery (cherpah, חֶרְפָּה): Feminine noun meaning reproach, disgrace, insult, mockery. Suggests they will be objects of contempt by others.
- all (kol, כֹּל): Collective term signifying entirety.
- who pass by (ha'obrim, הָעֹבְרִים): Present participle from the verb "to pass by," indicating those who journey through or by the devastated land.
- shall be astonished (yishtomu, יִשָּׁתְּמוּ): Future tense of the root sh-m-m, meaning to be stunned, astonished, dismayed. Relates to the "desolation."
- and (wa, וְ): Conjunction.
- wag their heads (yeqaru
u, יָקִירוּ): Future tense from the verb q-i, meaning to shake the head, signify amazement or derision. A gesture of contempt or pity towards the ruined land.
Group Analysis:
- "desolation and an everlasting mockery" (shammamah u-cherpah olam, שַׁמָּה וְחֶרְפַּת עוֹלָם): This powerful phrase describes the ultimate state of the land and its people as a result of divine judgment. "Cherpah olam" (everlasting reproach) emphasizes the enduring shame and contempt that will be associated with their ruins, not just a physical destruction but a lasting infamy.
- "all who pass by it shall be astonished and wag their heads": This vivid imagery captures the global spectacle of God's judgment. Observers would react with shocked disbelief and scorn, pointing to Israel's ruined state as a cautionary tale. The "wagging of heads" is a universal gesture of derision or shocked sympathy.
Jeremiah 18 16 Bonus Section
The imagery of "wagging heads" (Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15) was a common expression of derision and contempt in the ancient Near East, frequently depicted in art and described in literature concerning the humiliation of conquered nations or individuals facing extreme misfortune. This verse highlights how Israel's failure to learn from past judgments would lead to an even more profound and lasting disgrace on a global stage, underscoring the seriousness with which God views covenant infidelity. The totality of the desolation and mockery signifies a complete reversal of the blessings promised for obedience (Deut 28:3-14), demonstrating the exhaustive nature of the curses for disobedience.
Jeremiah 18 16 Commentary
This verse delivers a severe pronouncement of judgment upon Israel for their persistent apostasy and refusal to heed God's warnings, as portrayed in the potter's house imagery from earlier in the chapter. The land will not simply be destroyed but will become a monument of divine wrath, a place that instills awe and scorn in all who witness its ruin. The judgment signifies a complete reversal of God’s initial blessing and protection upon the land of promise. Their experience will serve as a perpetual testimony to the consequences of turning away from the Lord. It illustrates the spiritual reality that national identity and prosperity are intimately linked to faithfulness to God. The destruction and reproach described here extend beyond mere physical desolation to a profound and enduring shame that will mark the land and its memory throughout history.