Jeremiah 25:16 kjv
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
Jeremiah 25:16 nkjv
And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them."
Jeremiah 25:16 niv
When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them."
Jeremiah 25:16 esv
They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them."
Jeremiah 25:16 nlt
When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them."
Jeremiah 25 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 75:8 | For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup... all the wicked of the earth shall drain them and drink them down. | God's cup of wrath for the wicked. |
| Isa 51:17 | Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath... | Jerusalem also drinks the cup of wrath. |
| Isa 51:22 | Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God, who pleads the cause of his people: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering..." | God removes the cup from His people. |
| Jer 49:12 | For thus says the LORD: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup have to drink it, will you go unpunished?" | Inevitable judgment for deserving nations. |
| Lam 4:21 | Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom... the cup will pass through to you also; you will become drunk and expose yourself. | Edom to face judgment and humiliation. |
| Obad 1:16 | For as you have drunk on my holy hill, so all the nations shall drink continually... they shall drink and gulp down and be as though they had not been. | Nations to drink judgment, cease to exist. |
| Nah 3:11 | You too will be drunk; you will be hid... all your strongholds are fig trees with first-ripe figs... eaten when shaken. | Nineveh’s judgment described as drunkenness. |
| Hab 2:16 | You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. Drink yourself, and show your nakedness... disgrace will cover your glory! | Drunkenness as shame and disgrace. |
| Rev 14:10 | ...he also will drink the wine of the wrath of God, poured full strength into the cup of his indignation... | Apocalyptic judgment of God's wrath. |
| Rev 16:19 | The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered great Babylon, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. | Final judgment on nations, esp. Babylon. |
| Isa 19:14 | The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they have made Egypt stagger in all its deeds... | Confusion/staggering as a divine judgment. |
| Isa 29:9-10 | Be astonished and wait! Blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine... For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep... | Spiritual blindness and stupor from God. |
| Zech 12:4 | On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness. | Panic and madness as divine infliction. |
| Eze 21:3 | ...“Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked." | Sword as God's instrument against all. |
| Eze 21:9 | "Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished;" | Sword is prepared by God for judgment. |
| Deut 32:41 | If I sharpen my glittering sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries... | God's sword as vengeance and judgment. |
| Jer 12:12 | Upon all the bare heights in the desert destroyers have come... the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the land to the other... | Widespread destructive power of God’s sword. |
| Joel 3:17 | ...and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. | Result of ultimate judgment: Holiness. |
| Gen 9:21 | He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. | Physical drunkenness, leading to vulnerability/shame. |
| Pro 23:29-35 | Who has woe? Who has sorrow?... Those who linger over wine... At the last it bites like a serpent... | Negative effects of literal drunkenness. |
Jeremiah 25 verses
Jeremiah 25 16 Meaning
Jeremiah 25:16 vividly portrays the debilitating effects of divine judgment upon the nations who drink from the "cup of the wine of My fury" (Jer 25:15). They will experience a profound disorientation, akin to severe intoxication, leading them to stagger uncontrollably and to act with a complete loss of reason, appearing insane. This catatonic state is a direct consequence of the sword—symbolizing war, slaughter, and destructive force—which the Lord Himself is sovereignly sending upon them as an instrument of His wrath.
Jeremiah 25 16 Context
Jeremiah 25 presents a pivotal summary of Judah's judgment and the impending seventy-year Babylonian exile (v. 11). Before describing this exile, the prophet, on behalf of the Lord, condemns Judah for persistent disobedience and idolatry despite many prophetic warnings (vv. 3-7). Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is identified as God's servant chosen to execute this judgment upon Judah and "all these surrounding nations" (v. 9).
The specific verse, Jeremiah 25:16, falls within a prophetic vision given to Jeremiah where he is commanded to make various nations drink from the "cup of the wine of My fury" (v. 15). This judgment cup is a potent symbol of divine wrath, signifying not merely defeat but a total incapacitation, madness, and devastation that overwhelms nations, just as excessive wine intoxicates a person. The previous verses established God's intent to bring judgment upon "all the nations about you" (v. 15), starting with Jerusalem and extending to Egypt, Philistia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Arabia, Elam, Media, and eventually Babylon itself (vv. 17-26). The image of drinking and staggering is an act of receiving God's decreed punishment, leading to their utter destruction by "the sword" of the Lord. The polemic here is against any belief that nations could resist Yahweh's predetermined judgment through their military strength or patron deities; He controls their fate absolutely.
Jeremiah 25 16 Word analysis
- They will drink (וְשָׁתוּ, v'shātû): From the root שָׁתָה (shatah), "to drink." Here, it signifies the act of consuming the content of the "cup of the wine of My fury" (v. 15). It implies involuntary submission to the judgment and an internalization of its devastating effects. This is not a leisurely drink but an enforced one, representing the unavoidable nature of divine decree.
- and stagger (וְהִתְחֹלָ֑לוּ, v'hithḥōlālû): From the root חָלַל (ḥālal), in the Hitpael stem, meaning to "reel," "whirl," "behave like a madman," or "act foolishly." This describes a physical and mental disorientation. It suggests a loss of equilibrium, control, and composure, similar to a person utterly incapacitated by extreme drunkenness. This state removes any sense of dignity or organized resistance from the nations.
- and go mad (וְהִשְׁתַּגֵּ֑עוּ, v'hishtagge'û): From the root שָׁגַע (shaga') in the Hitpael stem, meaning "to go mad," "behave like a maniac," or "become insane." This intensifies the previous description, depicting not just disorientation but complete mental derangement and irrationality. The nations will be struck with a panic and terror that drives them to act without sense or reason, making them easy prey for destruction. This highlights the severity of God's judgment, attacking their very sanity and ability to respond coherently.
- because of the sword (מִפְּנֵי הַחֶ֖רֶב, mip'nē haḥerev):
- מִפְּנֵי (mip'nē): A preposition meaning "because of," "on account of," "from the presence of." It establishes the cause or origin of the staggering and madness.
- הַחֶ֖רֶב (haḥerev): "The sword." The definite article points to a specific and significant instrument. The sword in prophetic literature universally represents war, violence, destruction, and punitive judgment. It is not just any sword but the sword, the chosen implement of God's wrath, often symbolizing military invasion and slaughter.
- that I will send (אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִ֣י שֹׁלֵ֑חַ, asher anōḵî shōlēaḥ):
- אֲשֶׁר (asher): Relative pronoun, "that," "which."
- אָנֹכִ֣י (anōḵî): "I" (emphatic form of first-person singular pronoun). Emphasizes the divine agent behind the action. It is God Himself who is orchestrating this judgment.
- שֹׁלֵ֑חַ (shōlēaḥ): Present participle of שָׁלַח (shalach), "to send," "stretch out," "release." The continuous nature of the participle emphasizes that this is an ongoing and deliberate act by God, not a one-time event or a mere consequence of human action. God is actively deploying this instrument of destruction.
- among them (בָּהֶֽם, bāhem): Prepositional phrase, "in them" or "among them." Indicates the target and pervasive nature of the judgment, permeating through the nations' populace.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- They will drink and stagger and go mad: This phrase presents a progression from initial submission to a state of complete incapacitation. "Drinking" is the forced acceptance of judgment. "Staggering" indicates physical and moral destabilization. "Going mad" shows utter loss of mental coherence, signaling extreme terror and an inability to resist or think rationally. This trio of verbs describes a profound and comprehensive breakdown.
- because of the sword that I will send among them: This specifies the means and the orchestrator of the nations' collapse. The "sword" is the concrete instrument of destruction (often referencing Babylon's military), while "I will send" definitively attributes this powerful, terrifying means of judgment directly to God's sovereign will and active involvement. It clarifies that the mental and physical incapacitation is a direct, intended consequence of God's appointed instrument of wrath.
Jeremiah 25 16 Bonus section
The metaphor of divine judgment as a cup to be drunk by nations is pervasive in biblical prophecy, appearing in Isaiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, and Revelation. This recurring imagery underscores a theological principle: divine justice is universal and applies to all, not just to Israel. The severity of the judgment described here foreshadows the fall of numerous powerful kingdoms, ultimately including Babylon itself, even though Babylon is initially God's chosen instrument. The madness and staggering depict the internal chaos and loss of cohesion that precedes external destruction, making the nations vulnerable to their divinely appointed conquerors. This demonstrates God's judgment operates on both physical (the sword) and psychological (madness/staggering) levels, breaking down enemies comprehensively.
Jeremiah 25 16 Commentary
Jeremiah 25:16 is a stark pronouncement of God's sovereign and overwhelming judgment upon the nations. The imagery of forced drinking, staggering, and madness powerfully conveys the complete debilitation and utter loss of control that awaits them. This is not merely physical defeat but a comprehensive collapse – mentally, socially, and militarily. The "cup of My fury," already introduced in the preceding verse, signifies the outpouring of divine wrath, which is inescapable once presented. The direct cause of this catastrophic state is explicitly named as "the sword," not a literal single weapon, but the devastating forces of war and conquest, ultimately wielded by God Himself. The emphatic "I will send" underscores God's personal agency and ultimate authority over the destinies of nations. He is not a passive observer but the orchestrator of their judgment, dispelling any notion that these calamities are accidental or due to the mere strength of an opposing army. This verse highlights the profound terror and despair that God’s righteous indignation brings upon those who have defied His holy standards and oppressed His people, demonstrating that there is no defense or escape when Yahweh rises to execute judgment.