Jeremiah 18 22

Jeremiah 18:22 kjv

Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

Jeremiah 18:22 nkjv

Let a cry be heard from their houses, When You bring a troop suddenly upon them; For they have dug a pit to take me, And hidden snares for my feet.

Jeremiah 18:22 niv

Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

Jeremiah 18:22 esv

May a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet.

Jeremiah 18:22 nlt

Let screaming be heard from their homes
as warriors come suddenly upon them.
For they have dug a pit for me
and have hidden traps along my path.

Jeremiah 18 verses

Jeremiah 18 22 Meaning

This verse describes a call to action, a desperate plea from Jeremiah for swift retribution against his enemies who have plotted his demise. It's a prayer for immediate divine intervention to punish their wicked plans and expose their sin.

Jeremiah 18 22 Context

Jeremiah 18 is set within the broader narrative of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry in Judah during a turbulent period leading up to the Babylonian conquest. In the preceding verses (Jeremiah 18:1-17), God instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to observe the potter at work, using the shattered clay and the re-formed pot as a metaphor for God's sovereign power over nations and His ability to judge and restore. This chapter emphasizes God's faithfulness despite Judah's persistent sin.

Verse 18 immediately precedes this verse, highlighting the plot of Jeremiah's enemies: "They said, 'Come, let us devise plans against Jeremiah. For the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet; come, let us strike him with the tongue, and not pay attention to any of his words.'" This shows a concerted effort by the religious and leadership elite to discredit and silence Jeremiah. In this immediate context, verse 22 is Jeremiah's cry to God in response to their specific plots.

Jeremiah 18 22 Word Analysis

• Let (Hebrew: הִנֵּה, hinneh): Here, it functions as an exclamation, drawing attention to what follows. It's a way to say "Look!" or "Behold!" in a forceful manner, initiating a cry.
• be’: (Hebrew: יִהְיֶה, yihyeh): Future tense verb "shall be."
• brought (Hebrew: בָּאוּ, ba'u): Past tense, plural verb "they came" or "they brought." This suggests the arrival or manifestation of their plotted destruction.
• upon (Hebrew: עַל, al): A preposition indicating position or direction, "upon," "against," "over." Here it signifies the object or target of their plans.
• them (Hebrew: הֵם, hem): Plural pronoun "them."
• their (Hebrew: מֵהֶם, mehem): "From them" or "of them." This can imply the origin or source of the destruction, originating from their own wicked devices.
• counsel (Hebrew: עֵצָה, etsah): Refers to plan, advice, or conspiracy. In the preceding verse, they devised "plans" (also etsah).
• their (Hebrew: הֵם, hem): Plural possessive pronoun "their."
• destruction (Hebrew: חַטָּאת, chattah't): Primarily means "sin" or "iniquity." However, in contexts of judgment, it can carry the consequence of sin, which is ruin or destruction. It signifies the result of their sinful plotting.
• their (Hebrew: הֵם, hem): Plural possessive pronoun "their."
• weapons (Hebrew: נֶשֶׁק, nesheq): Implies implements for destruction, armaments. It represents the means by which they intend to bring about the ruin.

Group by Words Analysis:

• "Let be brought upon them their own counsel;" This phrase captures the desire for reciprocal justice, where the very plans formulated by the enemies against Jeremiah and God's word should instead rebound and ensnare them. It's a call for divine judicature where the tools of wickedness become the instruments of the wicked's downfall. The Hebrew phrasing, "their own counsel," underscores the source of their downfall being their own malicious design.

Jeremiah 18 22 Bonus Section

The term translated as "destruction" (chattah't) for "their destruction" is the same root word for "sin." This linkage powerfully conveys that their ultimate ruin will stem directly from the sinfulness of their own plotting. It's a plea not just for God to act, but for the inherent consequences of sin to manifest in their punishment. This highlights God's sovereign justice; His judgment is not arbitrary but intrinsically linked to the choices and actions of humanity. The verse underscores the prophet's personal suffering, but within the broader framework of God's righteous governance of the world.

Jeremiah 18 22 Commentary

Jeremiah, facing intense opposition and literal threats to his life and ministry from the religious and political establishment, appeals to God's justice. He is not simply asking for vengeance for personal hurt but for the vindication of God's truth and prophet against those who sought to corrupt or destroy them. The request for their own "counsel" or "sin" to be brought upon them reflects a fundamental theological principle: that iniquity often carries its own retribution. This is seen in other wisdom literature and Psalms, where the wicked's traps are often described as ensnaring themselves. Jeremiah's prayer is rooted in his unwavering trust that God is the ultimate arbiter of justice, who sees the secret plots and will ultimately hold the wicked accountable.