Jeremiah 21:10 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 21:10 kjv
For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Jeremiah 21:10 nkjv
For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good," says the LORD. "It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire." '
Jeremiah 21:10 niv
I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.'
Jeremiah 21:10 esv
For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.'
Jeremiah 21:10 nlt
For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.'
Jeremiah 21 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text (shortened) | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 6:7 | ...I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land... | God's resolve to bring widespread judgment. |
| Exod 32:10 | ...Let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them... | God's intent to destroy Israel due to sin. |
| Lev 26:14-16 | "But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments... I will appoint terror over you..." | Curses for disobedience, fulfilled here. |
| Deut 28:49-51 | "The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away... with a fierce face who will not regard the old or show favor to the young." | Prophecy of foreign invasion and no mercy. |
| 2 Kgs 17:18 | Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight... | God's previous judgment leading to exile for the Northern Kingdom. |
| 2 Kgs 25:9 | And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. | Historical fulfillment of this prophecy regarding Jerusalem's burning. |
| 2 Chr 36:17 | Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men... | God's use of Babylon as His instrument for judgment. |
| Isa 1:7 | Your country is a desolation; your cities are burned with fire... | Prophetic description of a devastated land, similar to Jeremiah's warning. |
| Isa 5:5-6 | "And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge... I will lay it waste..." | God's decision to abandon and destroy His rebellious people. |
| Isa 10:5 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hand is my fury!" | God using a pagan nation (Assyria) as His instrument of judgment. |
| Isa 45:1 | "Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations..." | God's sovereignty over pagan kings and their actions. |
| Jer 7:4 | "Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'" | Polemic against false security, paralleled in Jer 21:10. |
| Jer 14:16 | ...and I will pour out their evil upon them. | God's direct involvement in bringing judgment/calamity. |
| Jer 19:9 | And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons... in the siege and distress... | Dire consequences of siege foretold, indicating extreme judgment. |
| Jer 25:9-11 | "Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north... and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon... and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants..." | Earlier detailed prophecy naming Nebuchadnezzar as God's agent. |
| Jer 29:10-11 | "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill my good word to you..." | Promise of restoration after the declared judgment and exile. |
| Jer 32:37-44 | "Behold, I will gather them from all the countries... and I will bring them back to this place..." | Hope for future restoration, contrasting with the immediate judgment. |
| Ezek 5:11 | "...I also will cut you down. My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity." | Similar imagery of God's resolute judgment without pity. |
| Ezek 14:21 | For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment... | Listing of multiple divine judgments, showing Jerusalem as a specific target. |
| Amos 3:6 | ...Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done it? | Affirmation of God's sovereignty over calamity in a city. |
| Nahum 1:2 | The LORD is a jealous and avenging God... | God's nature as one who justly brings vengeance/judgment. |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." | God's unchanging nature, applying to His judgments and promises alike. |
| 2 Pet 3:10-12 | ...the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved... | Prophecy of ultimate destruction by fire in eschatological context. |
| Rev 20:9 | ...and fire came down from heaven and consumed them. | Divine judgment involving fire in the final judgment. |
Jeremiah 21 verses
Jeremiah 21 10 meaning
Jeremiah 21:10 conveys a severe, unambiguous, and divinely decreed judgment upon Jerusalem. God Himself declares an unyielding determination to bring calamity upon the city, entirely negating any prospect of welfare or favor. This is not merely an external threat, but a sovereign act by the LORD who will hand Jerusalem over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to be utterly consumed by fire. The verse establishes God as the primary agent of destruction, using Babylon as His instrument, underscoring the irreversible nature of Jerusalem's fate due to its sustained disobedience and apostasy.
Jeremiah 21 10 Context
Jeremiah 21:10 occurs during the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army, likely around 588 BC. King Zedekiah, despite years of Jeremiah's warnings to surrender, has defiantly rebelled against Babylon. In a desperate act, Zedekiah sends two envoys, Pashhur and Zephaniah, to Jeremiah, inquiring if the LORD would miraculously intervene and repel Babylon, much like He did during Hezekiah's time against Assyria (Isa 37). Jeremiah's message in chapter 21 is a stark refusal of such hope. God's response through Jeremiah shatters any illusion that Jerusalem's covenant status or the presence of the Temple guaranteed immunity from judgment. Instead, God declares He Himself is fighting against the city, directly opposing their wish for deliverance, and confirms that destruction by Babylon is His determined plan for the city.
Jeremiah 21 10 Word analysis
- For (כִּי, kî): This conjunction serves as a causal explanation or an emphatic affirmation, introducing the definitive reason for the severity of God's action against Jerusalem. It states why no good outcome is possible.
- I have set my face against (שָׂמְתִּי פָנַי, śāmtî fānay): A powerful anthropomorphic idiom, literally "I have put my face." It signifies an unwavering, resolute, and irreversible divine determination. This is not passive disapproval, but an active, committed, and unchangeable decision by God Himself to oppose and bring judgment, making any reprieve impossible for this specific impending judgment. It emphasizes the divine origin of the impending doom.
- this city (הָעִיר הַזֹּאת, hā‘îr hazzō’t): Refers unequivocally to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, often referred to as "the holy city" or "the city of the Great King." The specific targeting underscores that its special status does not exempt it from judgment when covenant obligations are broken.
- for evil (לְרָעָה, lərā‘â): Here, "evil" (רָעָה, ra‘ah) refers not to moral wickedness, but to calamity, disaster, misfortune, and adversity. It signifies a negative, destructive outcome, explicitly brought about by divine agency.
- and not for good (וְלֹא לְטוֹבָה, wəlō’ ləṭōvâ): A stark, definitive negation, underscoring the absolute and complete nature of the judgment. There will be no welfare, prosperity, peace, or positive outcome for Jerusalem in this immediate future. It is a direct refutation of any hope for God's favor or protection.
- declares the LORD (נְאֻם יְהוָה, nə’um YHWH): This is a prophetic formula, a formal declaration attesting to the divine origin and unquestionable authority of the preceding statement. It establishes the message as the direct word of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, confirming its truth and certainty.
- it shall be given into the hand of (נִתְּנָה בְיַד, nittənaḥ bəyaḏ): The verb "given" (נָתַן, nātan) is in the passive voice, yet it implies active divine orchestration. God Himself will "hand over" or "deliver" the city, demonstrating His sovereignty over historical events and even over the actions of foreign rulers.
- the king of Babylon (מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל, meleḵ Bāvel): Refers to Nebuchadnezzar (נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר, nəḇūḵaḏne’ṣṣar), the powerful pagan monarch whose empire was at its zenith. God is identified as using this foreign ruler as His instrument of judgment, not as an ally, but as a "rod of His anger," exercising divine control over seemingly independent human affairs.
- and he shall burn it with fire (וְשׂרְפָהּ בָּאֵשׁ, wəśārfāh bā’ēš): This describes the ultimate, utter destruction of the city. Fire is a common biblical metaphor for divine judgment and complete annihilation. It indicates not just defeat or capture, but the complete desolation and physical destruction of Jerusalem, including its houses and symbolically, the Temple (as later happened, Jer 52:13). This confirms the thoroughness of the coming judgment.
- "I have set my face against this city": This phrase highlights God's personal and active involvement in the impending destruction, dispelling any notion that this is merely a consequence of political missteps or Babylon's independent aggression. It is a divinely willed outcome.
- "for evil, and not for good": This absolute contrast emphasizes the totality of the coming judgment. There is no positive alternative; only calamity awaits Jerusalem. It confronts any lingering hope for salvation or mercy from this specific doom.
- "it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire": This combined phrase demonstrates divine sovereignty, instrumental use of foreign powers, and the nature of the judgment. God, the ultimate sovereign, delegates the execution of His judgment to Nebuchadnezzar, ensuring a comprehensive and fiery destruction of Jerusalem, fulfilling the warnings of utter ruin.
Jeremiah 21 10 Bonus section
The severity of Jeremiah 21:10 also emphasizes Jeremiah's personal agony. As the prophet delivering such a harsh message, he deeply grieved for his people, underscoring that God's judgment, while righteous and just, is also deeply painful for God Himself and His faithful messengers. The prophecy's fulfillment would lead to the destruction of Solomon's Temple, an event of profound theological and national significance, signaling the breaking of the conditional covenant promises associated with the land and the holy site due to Israel's unfaithfulness. Yet, even in this absolute judgment, there is an implicit background to Jeremiah's wider message: judgment, though severe, often serves as a painful prelude to eventual restoration for a repentant remnant (Jer 29:10-14, 31:31-34), illustrating God's long-term redemptive plan even amid His immediate wrath. This specific verse, however, focuses solely on the inescapable immediacy and totality of the impending doom.
Jeremiah 21 10 Commentary
Jeremiah 21:10 is a pivotal declaration revealing God's irreversible decision to judge Jerusalem. It starkly shatters the false hope that circulated among the people and leaders, particularly Zedekiah, who sought divine intervention for deliverance from the Babylonian siege. By stating, "I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good," the LORD reveals an active, unwavering, and personal commitment to bring calamity, definitively negating any possibility of a favorable outcome. This polemic directly refutes the popular belief in Jerusalem's inviolability, often fueled by misinterpretations of past deliverances or reliance on the Temple's presence rather than genuine repentance and obedience. God clarifies that He, the covenant Lord (YHWH), is not merely allowing an external power to conquer but is actively orchestrating it. The naming of the "king of Babylon" as the executor confirms God's sovereignty over pagan nations, using them as instruments for His righteous judgment against His own disobedient people. The final pronouncement of "he shall burn it with fire" depicts the absolute and complete desolation, signifying the thoroughness of God's wrath and the culmination of years of unheeded prophetic warnings. It underlines that Jerusalem's fate is sealed due to persistent apostasy and rebellion against the divine covenant.