Jeremiah 18 23

Jeremiah 18:23 kjv

Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.

Jeremiah 18:23 nkjv

Yet, LORD, You know all their counsel Which is against me, to slay me. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from Your sight; But let them be overthrown before You. Deal thus with them In the time of Your anger.

Jeremiah 18:23 niv

But you, LORD, know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.

Jeremiah 18:23 esv

Yet you, O LORD, know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.

Jeremiah 18:23 nlt

LORD, you know all about their murderous plots against me.
Don't forgive their crimes and blot out their sins.
Let them die before you.
Deal with them in your anger.

Jeremiah 18 verses

Jeremiah 18 23 Meaning

Jeremiah 18:23 presents a fervent prayer from the prophet to God, asking Him not to pardon the profound guilt and sins of his adversaries. Instead, Jeremiah pleads for God to cause their downfall and bring deserved judgment upon them when His divine wrath is active. This prayer reflects the prophet's righteous indignation against those who plotted to silence him and disregard God's message.

Jeremiah 18 23 Context

Jeremiah 18:23 concludes a section that follows Jeremiah's significant visit to the potter's house (Jer 18:1-12). At the potter's house, God revealed His sovereign power to reshape nations—just as a potter can reshape marred clay, God can reverse intended judgment if a nation repents, or withdraw mercy if a nation persists in wickedness. However, Judah's response (Jer 18:11-12) was defiant, stating they would follow their own plans and stiff-necked hearts.

The prophet's direct opposition in Jeremiah 18:18-20 is intense: his enemies, consisting of priests, wise men, and prophets, conspired against him, saying, "Come, let us devise schemes against Jeremiah, for instruction 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 let us not pay attention to any of his words." They sought to destroy him utterly. This verse, then, is Jeremiah's heartfelt plea for divine justice in response to these malevolent plots. It's an imprecatory prayer, expressing a deeply felt desire for God's righteousness to prevail against the severe and persistent evil arrayed against His messenger and message.

Jeremiah 18 23 Word analysis

• Forgive (Heb. סָלַח - salach): This term specifically denotes divine forgiveness, God's gracious act of pardoning sin and remitting guilt. In this context, Jeremiah's prayer is the opposite of what a supplicant typically seeks from God for themselves, demonstrating the prophet's profound distress and desire for justice for the wicked rather than mercy. It refers to God setting aside His righteous anger for a wrong committed.
• not (Heb. אַל - al): A strong negative particle, expressing a firm prohibition or fervent plea against an action. It emphasizes Jeremiah's passionate request.
• their iniquity (Heb. עֲוֹנָם - avonam): From the root awon, meaning "crookedness," "perversity," or "guilt." It signifies a deviation from God's straight path, carrying the idea of inherent moral twisting and the consequence or penalty of such perversion. This isn't just a simple mistake but a deeply rooted moral failing.
• neither blot out (Heb. וְאַל מָחָה - ve'al machah): Ve'al is "and not." Machah means to wipe away, erase, or obliterate, often metaphorically referring to removing something from a record or book. The imagery is often of God having a "book of life" or "book of remembrance" from which sins or names can be erased. Jeremiah is asking for their sins to remain recorded, present before God, for future reckoning.
• their sin (Heb. חַטָּאתָם - chattatam): From chattath, meaning "missing the mark," "failure," "offense against God." While avon emphasizes the twisted nature, chattath highlights the act of transgression. Coupled with "iniquity," it indicates the totality and depth of their wrongdoings, both their nature and actions.
• from before thee (Heb. מִפָּנֶיךָ - mippaneicha): Literally, "from your face/presence." It emphasizes that these sins are fully exposed to God's view and judgment, with no concealment possible.
• but let them be overthrown before thee (Heb. כַּחְשֵׁלָם לְפָנֶיךָ - kachshēlam lĕphaneicha):
  • Overthrown/Stumble (Heb. כַּחְשֵׁלָם - kachshelem): This term comes from the root chashal, meaning "to stumble, to fall, to be made weak, totter, overthrow." The preposition ka (like, according to, as) here often carries a causal sense: "as their stumbling (is/deserves), let them fall," or simply, "bring about their stumbling/overthrow." It implies a decisive downfall or ruin, not accidental but divinely ordained as a just consequence. It directly relates to the concept of judgment for plotting evil.
  • before thee (Heb. לְפָנֶיךָ - lĕphaneicha): Again, directly appealing to God's presence, signifying His direct action in their downfall. It's a plea for God to act immediately and visibly.
• deal thus with them (Heb. עֲשֵׂה לָהֶם כָּעֵת - aseh lahem ka'et):
  • Aseh is "do/make." Lahem is "to them." Ka'et means "according to the time/now." This phrase often suggests that the requested action is timely and appropriate for the given situation or even "now." It implies an urgent call for fitting retribution.
• in the time of thine anger (Heb. וּבְעֵת אַפֶּךָ - uv'et appekha):
  • Uv'et means "and in the time of." Appekha (from aph) signifies "your nose," but metaphorically, "anger" or "wrath." This denotes a specific, divinely appointed moment when God's patience ceases and His just wrath is unleashed against wickedness. It’s not human vengeance but a plea for God's righteous, timely judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from before thee": This is a double negative command to God, an intense plea to withhold the customary divine mercy and instead keep their full guilt and transgressions on record. It reveals the severity of the offenses against Jeremiah and the depth of their impenitence. The phrasing contrasts sharply with biblical pleas for forgiveness and erasure of sin, emphasizing a demand for unmitigated justice.
• "but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.": This transition clearly moves from a withholding of mercy to a call for active judgment. The prophet desires God to directly cause their downfall and administer retribution precisely when His just wrath is aroused, highlighting that this is a matter of divine judgment, not human revenge, executed by God at His appointed time.

Jeremiah 18 23 Bonus section

Jeremiah's imprecatory prayer highlights a significant theological tension between God's boundless mercy and His unwavering justice. While the New Testament emphasizes forgiveness of enemies (e.g., Matt 5:44; Rom 12:14), prayers like Jeremiah's are expressions of righteous indignation that trust God's sovereignty to administer justice. These Old Testament pleas often occur in contexts of covenantal violation and profound betrayal against God's appointed representative. They articulate a desire for cosmic righteousness where good is ultimately vindicated and evil judged, providing a catharsis for the suffering righteous while entrusting judgment entirely to God's hand. It reflects the understanding that God's honor and the integrity of His word are at stake, not merely the prophet's personal comfort. Such prayers serve as a reminder that divine justice, though sometimes delayed, will ultimately prevail.

Jeremiah 18 23 Commentary

Jeremiah 18:23 stands as a poignant example of an imprecatory prayer within the prophetic literature. It arises from Jeremiah's profound anguish and outrage at the plots against his life by those who rejected God's truth delivered through him. His plea is not an expression of personal vindictiveness in a human sense, but a cry for divine justice and righteousness. He implores God, who is both merciful and just, to refrain from showing grace to impenitent adversaries and, instead, to exact appropriate judgment when His anger is righteous. This prayer asserts faith in God's moral governance of the world, appealing to Him as the ultimate arbiter who will not ignore persistent wickedness, especially against His covenant and His messenger. The "time of thine anger" underscores the belief that God's patience has limits, and a specific moment for divine intervention and retribution is approaching.