Jeremiah 29 18

Jeremiah 29:18 kjv

And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

Jeremiah 29:18 nkjv

And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth?to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,

Jeremiah 29:18 niv

I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them.

Jeremiah 29:18 esv

I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,

Jeremiah 29:18 nlt

Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery.

Jeremiah 29 verses

Jeremiah 29 18 meaning

Jeremiah 29:18 details God's severe judgment upon the remnant left in Jerusalem and Judah, who had been misled by false prophets. God declares that He will actively pursue them with a combination of sword, famine, and plague, making them an object of dread. Their plight will become a visible public lesson to all surrounding nations, as they are scattered and serve as a living curse, horror, and object of scorn. This verse highlights the profound consequences of their disobedience and rejection of God's true prophetic word.

Jeremiah 29 18 Context

Jeremiah 29:18 is part of Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon, specifically addressed to the remaining community in Jerusalem and Judah (Jer 29:16-19). The broader chapter conveys a crucial message: contrary to false prophets promising a swift return, the exile will last 70 years. During this time, the exiles are to settle down, seek Babylon's welfare (v. 4-7), and trust in God's future restoration (v. 10-14). However, the portion where verse 18 lies specifically contrasts the promised hope for the obedient exiles with the grim fate awaiting those still in Jerusalem who continue to resist God's warnings through Jeremiah and cling to the deceitful words of false prophets like Hananiah (Jer 28) and Shemaiah (Jer 29:21). The verse emphasizes God's sovereign and devastating judgment on this defiant remnant, underscoring that their current presence in Jerusalem does not imply God's favor but rather impending doom worse than that experienced by the earlier exiles.

Jeremiah 29 18 Word analysis

• I will pursue them (רדף - radap): The Hebrew radap means to chase, pursue, or persecute. Here, it signifies God's active, relentless, and deliberate intent to hunt down those who have rebelled, ensuring their inescapable judgment. It’s not passive allowance but divine enforcement.
• with the sword (בחרב - ba-ḥerev): Ḥerev refers to a sword, symbolizing warfare and violent death. This denotes destruction through human conflict or execution, often as a consequence of siege.
• famine (ברעב - ba-ra'av): Ra'av means hunger or scarcity of food. Famine was a common and horrific consequence of prolonged sieges, economic disruption, and God's curse upon the land, leading to slow and agonizing death.
• and plague (ובדבר - uva-dever): Dever signifies pestilence or epidemic disease. Plague frequently accompanied war and famine, thriving in unsanitary conditions, often seen as a direct act of divine judgment. These "three evils" (sword, famine, plague) are a recurrent motif of comprehensive judgment in prophetic literature.
• and make them (ונתתים - unetaṯim): Literally "and I will give them" or "make them to be." Emphasizes God's active agency and sovereign determination in shaping their fate.
• a terrifying sight (לחרדה - la-ḥărādāh): Ḥărādāh denotes trembling, terror, or horror. They will not merely suffer but become an object that instills fear and dread in observers, a horrifying example.
• to all the kingdoms of the earth: This highlights the public, international nature of the judgment. It's a spectacle intended as a warning for other nations to witness God's justice.
• a curse (לקללה - li-qelālāh): Qelālāh means curse or execration. Instead of being a blessing (Gen 12:3), they will become a byword for misfortune, attracting public malediction and ill-will.
• and an object of horror (ולשׁמה - ul-šammāh): Šammāh refers to desolation, horror, or astonishment. This signifies the utterly shocking and devastating state to which they will be reduced, prompting incredulous awe.
• and scorn (ולחרפה - ul-ḥer_pāh): Ḥer_pāh means reproach, disgrace, or shame. They will be an object of public ridicule and humiliation, their once-proud status utterly disgraced.
• among all the nations where I drive them (בכל הגוים אשר הדחתים שׁם - bē-ḵol haggōyim 'ăšer hiddaḥtîm šām): Reaffirms God's sovereign hand in their scattering and that their disgrace will extend globally, not just locally. The phrase "where I drive them" powerfully indicates divine expulsion.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague": This phrase details the method of God's active judgment. It signifies a relentless, multi-pronged attack on the physical existence and well-being of the defiant remnant, directly countering any false sense of security or hope they might hold in Jerusalem. These three agents of destruction (sword, famine, plague) are a biblical triad of judgment, often occurring together in consequence of divine wrath.
• "and make them a terrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth": This specifies the visibility and impact of the judgment. God intends for Judah's suffering to be a public spectacle, not merely private affliction. The terror they inspire will be a global witness to the consequences of disobedience, acting as a profound, sobering lesson for other nations observing divine justice at work.
• "a curse and an object of horror and scorn among all the nations where I drive them": This describes the social and spiritual status that will result from their judgment. They will embody everything negative – rejected, terrifying, and despised. Their scattering among the nations underscores that this disgrace is universal and an unavoidable consequence of God's decree, reversing their covenant blessing into a public malediction.

Jeremiah 29 18 Bonus section

The intense language of Jer 29:18 highlights a significant theological point: the "cursing" described here is not just a human reaction but a divinely ordained state. God "makes them" a curse, horror, and scorn, signifying an active pronouncement that defines their new reality and public perception. This also served as a vindication of Jeremiah’s own prophetic ministry, as it confirmed the dire warnings he had issued for years against popular opposition, revealing the true prophets versus the false. The phrase "where I drive them" emphasizes God's control even over their dispersal, turning apparent human agency (Nebuchadnezzar's conquests) into instruments of divine purpose. The complete societal collapse and international shame described also reflect covenant curses articulated centuries earlier in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, confirming that Israel’s disobedience had finally brought the promised judgment in full measure.

Jeremiah 29 18 Commentary

Jeremiah 29:18 functions as a stark and severe pronouncement of God's unwavering judgment against those in Judah and Jerusalem who resisted His warnings, clung to false prophecies, and continued in their sin. Unlike the message of future hope for the exiled (v. 10-14), this verse clarifies the dire fate of the disobedient remnant. It underscores divine justice, demonstrating that God actively oversees both the gathering and the scattering, the restoration and the devastation. The "three evils" — sword, famine, and plague — are God's chosen instruments to manifest His wrath, ensuring no escape from His decree. The universal scope of "all the kingdoms of the earth" emphasizes that God’s justice is not a private matter for Judah but a public testament to His sovereignty and righteousness. Becoming a "curse, horror, and scorn" vividly depicts the complete reversal of their privileged covenant status, transforming them from a blessed nation into a profound object lesson of God's wrath. This warning also served to validate Jeremiah's message to the exiles, showing them the reality of Jerusalem's future and thereby solidifying their trust in Jeremiah's overall prophetic word, which included promises of eventual restoration for the truly penitent.