Jeremiah 25:37 kjv
And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jeremiah 25:37 nkjv
And the peaceful dwellings are cut down Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jeremiah 25:37 niv
The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jeremiah 25:37 esv
and the peaceful folds are devastated because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jeremiah 25:37 nlt
Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland
by the LORD's fierce anger.
Jeremiah 25 37 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 23:1 | "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. | Shepherd's responsibility |
| Ezekiel 34:6 | "My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them." | Spiritual abandonment, lack of care |
| Matthew 9:36 | When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. | Jesus' compassion, similar imagery |
| Mark 6:34 | When Jesus left the boat, he saw a large crowd; and he felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things. | Jesus' ministry |
| John 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." | Jesus as the Good Shepherd |
| John 10:14 | "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." | Intimate knowledge of the flock |
| 1 Peter 2:25 | For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. | Return to spiritual oversight |
| Isaiah 53:6 | We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. | Human sinfulness as straying sheep |
| Jeremiah 50:6 | "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and have turned them back on the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill and have forgotten their pasture." | Israel's past disobedience |
| Hosea 4:16 | Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like a lamb in a broad meadow? | Israel's rebellion |
| Psalms 23:1 | The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. | God as the ultimate shepherd |
| Psalms 78:52 | But he led his own people like a flock; he guided them like sheep through the desert. | God's guidance of Israel |
| Acts 20:28-30 | Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of God’s church, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after I am gone, fierce wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number one will arise speaking perversions of the truth to draw away disciples after them. | Warning to church leaders |
| Lamentations 1:6 | All that her people did in her going, the young and the old lay on the ground in the dust of the streets; her virgins and her young men fell by the sword of the enemy. | Destruction resulting from sin |
| Nahum 2:12 | The lion devoured enough for his cubs and strangled life for his mates, filled his lair with prey and his den with the victims of violence. | Result of sin and judgment |
| Ezekiel 34:5 | So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when scattered, they became food for all the wild beasts. | Consequence of lack of shepherds |
| Zechariah 10:3 | I will punish the shepherds and demand my sheep from them; I will not give them leave to remain to shepherd my flock any longer. | Judgment on negligent shepherds |
| Matthew 15:14 | Leave them alone. They are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. | Danger of false guidance |
| 1 Kings 22:17 | Micaiah said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each go home in peace.'" | Prophetic vision of scattering |
| Isaiah 59:1-2 | Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. | Sin separating from God |
Jeremiah 25 verses
Jeremiah 25 37 Meaning
This verse expresses God's intense displeasure with His people, likening their forsaken love and devotion to Him to sheep scattered because there is no shepherd. It signifies the devastating consequences of spiritual abandonment and the lack of divine guidance, leading to ruin and vulnerability.
Jeremiah 25 37 Context
Jeremiah 25 is a pivotal chapter where the prophet declares God's judgment on Judah and surrounding nations for their persistent idolatry and disobedience. After a lengthy period of warning, God's patience has run out. Verse 37 concludes this pronouncement by focusing on the immediate, devastating consequences of this divine judgment for Judah. The imagery of sheep scattered without a shepherd vividly portrays the loss of protection, leadership, and a sense of belonging, all due to their spiritual estrangement from God. Historically, this period precedes the Babylonian exile, a time of immense suffering and dispersal for the people of Judah.
Jeremiah 25 37 Word Analysis
- וְגַם (və-gam): "And also" or "Moreover." This particle emphasizes an additional consequence or intensification of the preceding pronouncements of judgment.
- בַּעֲרוֹת (ba-ʿăr-vōṯ): "Pastures" or "fields." The Hebrew word refers to grazing land, highlighting the place where sheep would normally be nurtured and protected. The plural form suggests various fields or areas of sustenance.
- שֶׁקֶט (šeqeṭ): "Peace," "rest," or "quietness." In this context, it denotes the absence of peace and tranquility that the people once enjoyed, but which is now lost due to divine judgment.
- חֵיל (ḥeil): "Strength," "power," or "force." Here it refers to the security and protective might that God's presence provided. Its loss leaves the people vulnerable.
- וַֽיְכַלּוּ (wa-yə-ḵal-lū): "And they were finished," "consumed," or "destroyed." This verb denotes complete ruin and annihilation, emphasizing the totality of the disaster that would befall them.
- מֵיָמִים (mê-yā-mîm): "From years." This phrase indicates a duration of time, signifying that this loss and destruction would persist over an extended period, implying exile.
- קִירוֹת (qîr-wōṯ): "Walls" or "buildings." Likely referring to the cities and structures of Jerusalem and Judah, implying their destruction and desolation.
- רָעִים (rā-ʿîm): "Evil" or "bad." This adjective modifies the preceding noun (likely implied or referred to from a broader context of divine pronouncements) indicating that these terrible outcomes were a direct result of their wickedness and God's judgment against it.
- עָלוּ (ʿā-lū): "Have gone up" or "ascended." This word suggests movement towards the heavens, implying a desperate plea or a movement away from God. In some interpretations, it refers to the destructive forces rising up against them.
- צֹאן (ṣōn): "Flock" or "sheep." This term is central, representing the people of Judah. It evokes vulnerability, dependence, and a need for care and leadership.
- וַאֲנַחְתּוּ (wa-aḇ-ə-ḥənnū): "And you are destroyed," "afflicted," or "consumed." The niphal conjugation suggests passive suffering. The plural "you" directly addresses the people of Judah.
- רָעָה (rô-ʿâ): "Evil" or "calamity." A direct consequence of the broken covenant and God's abandonment of them.
- בְּאֵין (bə-ʾē-yin): "Without." This crucial preposition highlights the absence of the vital element: a shepherd.
- רֹעֶה (rō-ʿēh): "Shepherd." The critical missing element whose absence leads to the scattering and destruction of the flock.
Word Group Analysis:
- "pastures of quietness, and strength": This phrase evokes a state of peaceful security and prosperity that the people had formerly enjoyed under God's protection. Their loss signifies the complete removal of this divine hedge.
- "my flock and you are destroyed": The direct connection between the "flock" (God's people) and their destruction underscores the severity of God's judgment. It’s not an impersonal event but a direct consequence of their state.
- "in that there is no shepherd": This is the core of the lament. The absence of a shepherd is the fundamental reason for the flock's desolation and vulnerability. It speaks to a spiritual leadership vacuum or divine withdrawal.
Jeremiah 25 37 Bonus Section
The imagery of sheep without a shepherd is a recurring motif in the Old Testament and is powerfully adopted by Jesus in the New Testament. Prophets like Elijah, Elisha, and Ezekiel also used shepherding analogies to describe leadership and the condition of God's people. In Jeremiah's time, the nation had been led astray by corrupt priests and kings who failed to "shepherd" them effectively, mirroring the people's own spiritual failure. This verse foreshadows the larger theological concept of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd who willingly lays down his life for the sheep, rescuing them from spiritual ruin and eternal scattering. The "pastures of quietness, and strength" can be seen as representing the blessings and security found in obedience to God's will and in fellowship with Him. The destruction described is not merely punitive but also corrective, aiming to bring the people back to a recognition of their absolute need for divine care and leadership.
Jeremiah 25 37 Commentary
Jeremiah 25:37 is a stark portrayal of spiritual desolation. God laments the state of His people, likening them to sheep who, having lost their shepherd, are scattered and vulnerable to ruin. This loss stems directly from their turning away from God, breaking the covenant relationship. The imagery of sheep abandoned and destroyed resonates deeply, highlighting the dire consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness and the crucial role of divine guidance. The scattering signifies not just physical displacement, like the upcoming Babylonian exile, but also a spiritual fragmentation. Without God as their Shepherd, the people become susceptible to all forms of harm, both externally and internally. The verse serves as a profound warning about the importance of maintaining a right relationship with God and the devastating reality when that relationship is severed.