Jeremiah 19 9

Jeremiah 19:9 kjv

And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.

Jeremiah 19:9 nkjv

And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the desperation with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair." '

Jeremiah 19:9 niv

I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh because their enemies will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.'

Jeremiah 19:9 esv

And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.'

Jeremiah 19:9 nlt

I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.'

Jeremiah 19 verses

Jeremiah 19 9 Meaning

Jeremiah 19:9 prophesies a horrific divine judgment upon Judah, specifically Jerusalem, due to its persistent sin and idolatry. It vividly describes a time of extreme siege, famine, and distress so severe that the people will resort to cannibalism, consuming the flesh of their own children and even their friends. This act of unspeakable depravity signifies the utter collapse of societal norms, family bonds, and human dignity, directly imposed by God as a consequence of their unfaithfulness and brought about by their relentless enemies. It underscores the severity of God's justice against a people who had repeatedly broken His covenant.

Jeremiah 19 9 Context

Jeremiah chapter 19 is a vivid and stark prophecy of irreversible destruction for Judah, specifically Jerusalem and the valley of Ben Hinnom (Topheth). This judgment is delivered at a notorious location outside Jerusalem, the "Potter's Gate," in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, which was synonymous with the horrific practice of child sacrifice to Molech (Topheth). Jeremiah is commanded by God to take an earthenware jar, gather some of the elders and priests, and publicly shatter the jar there, symbolizing God's judgment: "Thus says the LORD of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended" (Jer 19:11). The preceding verses (19:1-8) detail the extent of their idolatry and unfaithfulness, warning that Topheth will become a place of slaughter. Verse 9 then reveals one of the most horrifying consequences of this divine judgment: extreme famine under siege conditions leading to cannibalism. The historical context is the period leading up to the Babylonian invasions and the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Judah, despite repeated warnings from prophets like Jeremiah, continued in rampant idolatry and moral corruption, refusing to repent. This prophecy serves as a final, dreadful warning that their actions would bring about unimaginable suffering.

Jeremiah 19 9 Word analysis

• And I will make them eat: This phrase (וְהַאֲכִלֹתִים, wəha'ǎkhîlōthîm) employs a causative verb form, signifying God's direct agency in bringing about this consequence. It is not merely that they will eat but that God will cause them to eat. This highlights the judgment as a divinely orchestrated outcome, a direct fulfillment of the covenant curses found in the Torah.
• the flesh (bāśār - בָּשָׂר): Refers to literal human flesh. The raw, graphic detail emphasizes the visceral horror and the depths of degradation to which the people will sink, stripping away all vestiges of civilization and humanity in the face of ultimate starvation.
• of their sons and the flesh of their daughters: This specific mention highlights the breakdown of the most fundamental and sacred human bond—that of parent and child. Parents are naturally inclined to protect and provide for their children, even at great personal cost. For them to consume their children underscores the absolute extremity of the famine and distress, turning the natural order upside down. This detail forms a stark contrast to their earlier sacrifices of children to false gods in this very valley, becoming a horrifying form of poetic justice.
• and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend: The horror extends beyond immediate family to societal breakdown. The term "friend" (רֵעַ - rēa') signifies neighbor or companion. This illustrates the utter collapse of communal ties and trust, where self-preservation overrides all social obligations, deepening the tragedy beyond parental agony.
• in the siege (bamāṣôr - בַּמָּצוֹר): Denotes a prolonged military encirclement. Sieges were a common ancient warfare tactic designed to starve a city into submission. The term immediately conveys conditions of severe deprivation, isolation, and desperation, which would force people to resort to unthinkable acts.
• and straitness (ūbam·mĕṣûqāh - וּבַמְּצוּקָה): This word implies deep distress, anguish, affliction, and extreme difficulty or oppression. It amplifies the "siege" condition, suggesting not just physical restriction but also profound psychological and emotional suffering, a complete lack of escape or relief.
• wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them: Explicitly identifies the instruments of this divine judgment. God is using Judah's enemies – in this historical context, primarily the Babylonians – as the means by which this dire prophecy will be fulfilled. The repetition of the root "straiten" emphasizes the relentless and crushing pressure applied by these foes, acting as God's agents to bring His curse to bear. "Seek their lives" indicates malicious intent and determination to utterly destroy, leaving no avenue for escape.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And I will make them eat...the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters": This entire phrase conveys divine, active, and specific judgment targeting the core of family and societal life. It's a curse directly paralleling covenant blessings, reversing life and natural order. The Lord is the direct orchestrator of this horrific consequence.
• "and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend": This expands the scope of desolation from intimate family units to the broader community, signifying a complete moral and social disintegration. All bonds are shattered by the primal drive for survival under divine judgment.
• "in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies...shall straiten them": These phrases connect the ghastly act of cannibalism directly to its immediate environmental causes and the ultimate divine agents. The physical realities of blockade and psychological pressure are presented as the means through which God's curse manifests, executed by hostile nations. The triple use of the "straiten" root highlights inescapable, compounding distress.

Jeremiah 19 9 Bonus section

The shock value of Jeremiah 19:9 was immense for its original audience. The explicit mention of cannibalism would have been instantly recognized as one of the direst covenant curses (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28), thus affirming the absolute breakdown of God's covenant with Judah due to their profound unfaithfulness. By delivering this prophecy in Topheth, where child sacrifice occurred, God drew a direct and terrifying parallel between their ritualistic evil and the desperate acts they would perform under judgment. It suggests a form of lex talionis – an ironic justice – where those who "ate" their children through fiery sacrifice to Molech would be compelled to physically eat them out of famine. This underscores a powerful prophetic technique: using extreme, visceral imagery not just to describe events, but to stir conscience and to highlight the moral outrage that precedes such divine judgment. While fulfilled literally in the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophecy also serves as a perpetual reminder of how deeply human societies can degrade when they persistently reject the life-giving ways of God.

Jeremiah 19 9 Commentary

Jeremiah 19:9 serves as a potent and chilling declaration of God's unyielding justice against deep-seated rebellion and idolatry. It vividly illustrates the terrifying end results of persistent sin and covenant breaking, transforming God's chosen people into agents of unspeakable horror upon themselves. Delivered in the very valley where children were sacrificed to pagan deities, this prophecy is fraught with tragic irony; the people who willingly offered their children to false gods would, in a cruel twist of fate, be forced by starvation to consume their offspring as a consequence of their sin. This serves not only as a severe warning of imminent doom but also as an indictment of a heart completely hardened against the living God. The unbreakable jar shattered in front of the elders of Judah and the priests symbolized the irreversible nature of this impending judgment—there would be no mending. The horror described is not gratuitous; it's the culmination of covenant curses found in the Torah, emphasizing the gravity of Judah's departure from Yahweh and serving as a testament to the fact that turning from the Creator leads to ultimate self-destruction and the degradation of human dignity. This verse teaches the terrifying consequences of abandoning God, reminding us of the radical implications of sin for both individuals and nations.