Jeremiah 29:17 kjv
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Jeremiah 29:17 nkjv
thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.
Jeremiah 29:17 niv
yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
Jeremiah 29:17 esv
'Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten.
Jeremiah 29:17 nlt
This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: "I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.
Jeremiah 29 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 29:4 | Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: | God's directive nature |
| Jeremiah 24:5-7 | ...I will look on them with favor and bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with all their heart. | Promise of return and restoration |
| Ezekiel 11:19-20 | I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. | Divine impartation for obedience |
| Isaiah 45:3 | I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. | God's intimate knowledge and calling |
| Jeremiah 30:3 | For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.' | Promise of future restoration |
| Psalm 50:7 | "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you. I am God, your God." | God as a speaking, testifying God |
| Zechariah 8:3 | Thus says the LORD: 'I am returning to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain.' | God's dwelling in Jerusalem |
| 1 Chronicles 17:24 | Let it be established, and let your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, God to Israel.' | God's identity and relationship |
| John 14:23 | Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." | God dwelling with His people |
| 1 Corinthians 1:10 | I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and the same judgment. | Unity in Christ |
| 1 Peter 2:5 | ...and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. | Spiritual house and priesthood |
| Deuteronomy 4:39 | Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD himself is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. | Exclusive deity of the LORD |
| Jeremiah 31:33 | But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | New covenant promises |
| Revelation 21:3 | And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." | Ultimate dwelling of God with man |
| Romans 11:26 | And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob." | Salvation for all Israel |
| 1 Samuel 17:45 | Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." | God's power against enemies |
| Jeremiah 33:21-22 | ... if my covenant with the day and night were broken, so that there should not be day and night at their appointed time, then might my covenant also with my servant David be broken... But as the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levites who minister to me.' | God's unfailing covenant |
| John 4:23-24 | But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. | True worship |
Jeremiah 29 verses
Jeremiah 29 17 Meaning
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "To all the exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon:
This verse is a direct message from God to the Israelites who were in exile in Babylon. It reassures them of His continued concern and authority, even in their distant and difficult circumstances. God identifies Himself with His title, "Lord of hosts, the God of Israel," emphasizing His power and His covenant relationship with His people. The verse clearly addresses the specific recipients: "all the exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon," highlighting the geographical displacement and the specific period of Babylonian captivity.
Jeremiah 29 17 Context
Jeremiah chapter 29 takes place during the Babylonian exile. The Israelites have been forcibly removed from their land due to their disobedience and idolatry, as prophesied by Jeremiah. This chapter contains a letter that Jeremiah, by the command of the Lord, sent to the exiles in Babylon. The purpose of the letter was to correct false hopes of immediate return and to provide instruction on how to live faithfully during their captivity. Verse 17 is part of a broader judgment and promise structure within this letter. The exiles were being misled by false prophets who claimed they would soon return. Jeremiah's message contrasts with this, detailing the length of the exile and God's continued dealings with them during this period.
Jeremiah 29 17 Word Analysis
- Thus (כֹּה - koh): Signifies "so," "thus," or "in this way." It introduces a statement or declaration as being of divine origin.
- says (אָמַר - amar): A common Hebrew verb meaning "to say," "to speak," or "to declare." It indicates God's active communication.
- the LORD (יהוה - YHWH): The personal, covenantal name of God. This title emphasizes His eternal existence and relationship with Israel.
- of hosts (צְבָאוֹת - tzəḇā’ôṯ): Literally "of armies" or "of companies." This epithet signifies God's supreme power and authority over all heavenly and earthly forces. It points to His omnipotence.
- the God (אֱלֹהִים - ’ĕlōhîm): A plural form of "god," used here as a singular noun for the one true God. It highlights His supreme and universal deity.
- of Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל - yiśrâ’êl): Refers to the covenant people. This confirms God's particular relationship and responsibility towards them, despite their current plight.
- to (אֶל - ’el): A preposition indicating direction or destination.
- all (כָּל - kol): Denotes the totality or entirety of the group being addressed.
- the exiles (גָּלוּת - gālûṯ): The Hebrew word for "exile" or "captivity." It refers to those carried away from their land.
- from (מִן - min): Indicates origin.
- Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם - yərūšālaiym): The holy city, the capital of Judah.
- to (אֶל - ’el): Indicates destination.
- Babylon (בָּבֶל - bāḇel): The city and empire that conquered Judah and carried them into exile.
Group Analysis:
- "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel": This triadic appellation strongly grounds the message in God's authority. "LORD of hosts" emphasizes His power, while "God of Israel" underscores His covenant faithfulness, assuring them that His power is aligned with His promises to them, even in their exile. This phrasing is consistent throughout Jeremiah, highlighting God's sovereignty and His active role in both judgment and deliverance.
- "To all the exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon": This phrase clearly defines the recipients and their geographical and spiritual situation. The use of "all" stresses that no one is excluded from God's directive. It highlights their complete displacement and their shared experience of God's judgment, while simultaneously receiving His word of continued engagement.
Jeremiah 29 17 Bonus Section
The statement, "the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel," is a recurring motif in the prophetic literature. It serves to connect God's universal power with His specific covenant promises. For the exiles, hearing this title would have been a profound reassurance. It signified that the God who brought them into exile is also the God who would eventually restore them. The exiles' faith was being tested, and these identifiers reinforce that their God remains in control, even when human institutions like the Davidic monarchy and the temple system seemed to have failed. This verse is the introduction to God's instructions to the exiles in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:4-32), outlining how they should live in exile: build houses, plant gardens, seek the welfare of the city where they are exiled, and understand that their time of exile will be seventy years, after which God will restore them (Jeremiah 29:10-14). God’s pronouncement, therefore, is the foundational assurance upon which all these subsequent instructions are given.
Jeremiah 29 17 Commentary
God identifies Himself as the all-powerful, covenant-keeping God of Israel to those taken captive to Babylon. This is not a generic greeting but a profound assertion of His sovereign power over the mighty empire of Babylon and His unwavering commitment to His people, despite their sin and exile. This statement counters the despair of the exiles by reminding them that their God reigns supreme, and He has not forgotten them. He is still the God of Israel, and His purposes will unfold. This truth offers stability and hope in a destabilizing situation, assuring them that their physical displacement does not sever their covenant relationship with Him. They are to understand that God's power extends even to the farthest reaches of their captivity, and His covenant will ultimately bring them through this tribulation.