Jeremiah 24 9

Jeremiah 24:9 kjv

And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

Jeremiah 24:9 nkjv

I will deliver them to trouble into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their harm, to be a reproach and a byword, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I shall drive them.

Jeremiah 24:9 niv

I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, a curse and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish them.

Jeremiah 24:9 esv

I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them.

Jeremiah 24:9 nlt

I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them.

Jeremiah 24 verses

Jeremiah 24 9 meaning

Jeremiah 24:9 declares God's explicit intention to inflict severe judgment upon those represented by the "bad figs" – namely, the inhabitants of Jerusalem who resisted Babylonian conquest and those who fled to Egypt, refusing to submit to God's divinely appointed will. He asserts His active role in transforming them into objects of dread, calamity, and profound shame for all nations. They are to become universally recognized symbols of public degradation, common derogatory sayings, sharp remarks of derision, and living examples of divine condemnation wherever God disperses them.

Jeremiah 24 9 Context

Jeremiah chapter 24 presents a vision given to the prophet shortly after Nebuchadnezzar's first deportation of Jehoiachin and leading citizens to Babylon in 597 BC. The chapter vividly contrasts two groups within Judah symbolized by baskets of figs. The "good figs" represent the exiles taken to Babylon, to whom God promises eventual restoration and spiritual renewal because their forced submission was a step toward acknowledging God's sovereign judgment. The "bad figs," to whom verse 9 directly applies, are King Zedekiah, his officials, and those who remained in Jerusalem or sought refuge in Egypt. This group stubbornly resisted God's command to surrender to Babylon, clung to false hopes, and believed their physical presence in Judah or flight to Egypt would somehow save them from God's decree. Verse 9 is a dire pronouncement of judgment against their disobedience, signaling not only their future demise but also their widespread infamy, underscoring that resistance to God's will results in greater and more public disgrace.

Jeremiah 24 9 Word analysis

• "I will make them" (וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֹתָ֜ם - wə·nā·ṯat·tî ʾō·ṯām): This opening phrase underscores God's direct and sovereign action. He is not a passive observer but the orchestrator of these judgments, taking deliberate steps to bring about these consequences.
• "a horror" (לְזַעֲוָ֗ה - lə·za·ʿă·wāh): Derived from za'ăvah, this term signifies a cause of terror, astonishment, or shuddering. It implies that their fate will be so dreadful as to evoke a profound sense of shock and fear in onlookers.
• "and an evil" (וּלְרָעָה֙ - ū·lə·rā·ʿāh): From ra'ah, meaning calamity, disaster, or suffering. It speaks of the unfortunate state and the detrimental consequences that will befall them, becoming an object lesson of suffering for others.
• "to all the kingdoms of the earth" (לְכֹל֩ מַמְלְכֹ֨ות הָאָ֜רֶץ - lə·ḵōl mam·lə·ḵō·wt hā·ʾā·reṣ): This phrase emphasizes the vast, universal scope of their ignominy. Their disgrace will be publicized and known across all nations, amplifying its severity and significance as a divine warning.
• "a reproach" (לְחֶרְפָּ֔ה - lə·ḥer·pāh): From ḥer·pāh, denoting shame, disgrace, or contempt. It implies public humiliation, a loss of honor, and becoming an object of scorn.
• "a byword" (לְמָשָׁל֙ - lə·mā·šāl): From mā·šāl, signifying a proverb, a common saying, or an illustrative tale. In this context, it means becoming a negative example or a popular, derogatory adage used to describe someone utterly fallen.
• "a taunt" (לְשְׁנִינָ֔ה - lə·šə·nî·nāh): From šə·nî·nāh, related to a verb meaning "to sharpen." It denotes a cutting remark, sharp ridicule, or biting derision. It emphasizes active, vocal mockery.
• "and a curse" (וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה - wə·liq·lā·lāh): From qə·lā·lāh, meaning an execration or a formal invocation of evil upon someone. It suggests that people will use them as a living example when they want to wish ill upon another, recognizing them as divinely cursed.
• "in all places where I scatter them" (בְּכָל־הַמְּקֹומֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַדִּיחֵֽם - bə·ḵāl-ham·mə·qō·w·mō·wṯ ʾă·šer ʾad·dî·ḥêm): This part reinforces God's active hand in their dispersion (ʾad·dî·ḥêm - I will drive them away/scatter them). It underscores that there will be no escaping this divine judgment; their ignominy will follow them everywhere, proving their inability to evade God's wrath.

Words-group analysis:

• "a horror and an evil to all the kingdoms of the earth": This powerful pairing signifies that the consequences of their disobedience will be seen universally, not merely as an internal Jewish matter. Their fate will serve as a terrifying object lesson for all humanity, making them a widely recognized symbol of calamity.
• "a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse": This cumulative list intensifies the nature of their degradation. "Reproach" speaks of the personal shame they embody, "byword" indicates their infamy woven into common speech, "taunt" describes the direct and vocal mockery they receive, and "curse" denotes their status as objects of malediction, deemed condemned by God. Together, these terms present an overwhelming and inescapable public disgrace orchestrated by divine judgment.

Jeremiah 24 9 Bonus section

• Polemics against Contemporary Beliefs: This prophecy directly contradicted the prevailing sentiment among the non-exiled population, especially in Jerusalem and Egypt, who clung to nationalistic pride, their temple, or military alliances as a guarantee of safety. Many believed they were superior to the exiles in Babylon. Jeremiah 24:9 starkly revealed this as a delusion, indicating that God judged their spiritual condition worse than those already in exile.
• Echo of Covenant Curses: The specific phraseology "a horror, a byword, a taunt, and a curse" closely parallels the curses for disobedience found in the Deuteronomic covenant (e.g., Deut 28:37). Jeremiah's use of these terms highlights God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, both for blessing and for judgment. It shows that these ancient warnings were indeed coming to pass for a disobedient generation.
• God's Control over National Reputations: The verse underscores God's ultimate authority over not just the fate of His people, but also their reputation among other nations. He sovereignly determines whether Israel will be a blessing (Gen 12:3) or a curse and an object of scorn. Their external image reflects their internal spiritual condition and God's response to it.

Jeremiah 24 9 Commentary

Jeremiah 24:9 functions as a vivid and somber declaration of divine justice against stubborn disobedience. It delineates the consequences for those who, unlike the "good figs" (exiles in Babylon), defiantly rejected God's instruction to submit to the divinely appointed Babylonian judgment. Their resistance, rooted in self-reliance and false hopes, ensures they will not find sanctuary but profound degradation. God actively promises to make them an example of abject horror and evil, seen by every nation, shattering their dignity and transforming their very existence into a public disgrace. This verse served as a direct refutation of false prophets who promised peace to those remaining in Judah, forcefully asserting that their path led only to widespread shame, mockery, and a confirmed state of being cursed, all orchestrated by a sovereign God whose judgments are both absolute and globally proclaimed.