Jeremiah 44:12 kjv
And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
Jeremiah 44:12 nkjv
And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach!
Jeremiah 44:12 niv
I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.
Jeremiah 44:12 esv
I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed. In the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed. From the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine, and they shall become an oath, a horror, a curse, and a taunt.
Jeremiah 44:12 nlt
I will take this remnant of Judah ? those who were determined to come here and live in Egypt ? and I will consume them. They will fall here in Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die, from the least to the greatest. They will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery.
Jeremiah 44 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 1:10 | "See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” | Appointment of Jeremiah's Ministry |
| Jeremiah 7:15 | "And I will throw you out of my sight, as I have thrown out all your brothers—all the descendants of Ephraim.” | Rejection of disobedience |
| Jeremiah 18:7-10 | God's sovereign power over nations; repentance leads to withholding judgment. | God's conditional judgment |
| Jeremiah 21:7 | "And after that," declares the Lord, "I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. He will strike them down with the sword; he will show no mercy, no pity or compassion.” | God giving them to their enemies |
| Jeremiah 24:10 | "I will lay My sword against them and against their gods." | God's judgment against idols and people |
| Jeremiah 28:8 | Prophets prophesying falsely are challenged. | Condemnation of false prophets |
| Deuteronomy 28:63-65 | Curses for disobedience, including being uprooted from the land. | Covenant curses |
| Psalm 52:5 | "But God will utterly destroy you, He will tear you down; He will drive you out of your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living." | God's ultimate destruction of the wicked |
| Ezekiel 6:3 | Prophecy against the mountains of Israel, implying divine removal. | Judgment on idolatrous land |
| Ezekiel 33:27 | God's judgment upon the desolate land because of its detestable things. | Judgment for detestable things |
| Amos 9:15 | Promise of planting them in their land, never to be uprooted again. | Contrast: security after judgment |
| Matthew 13:41 | The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will take out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. | Removal of the wicked |
| Acts 7:42-43 | Stephen recounting Israel's idolatry and God's subsequent turning them over to serve the host of heaven. | Historical parallel of apostasy and judgment |
| Romans 11:22 | "Consider therefore the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off." | Severity and kindness of God |
| 1 Corinthians 10:11 | "Now these things occurred as examples for us, to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did." | Israel's experiences as examples |
| Revelation 18:20-24 | Judgment on Babylon, highlighting destruction as a result of sin. | Judgment on wicked systems |
| Genesis 17:14 | The uncircumcised male who does not circumcise his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. | Consequence of covenant breaking |
| Joshua 1:5 | "No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." | Promise of presence for obedience |
| Psalm 37:9 | "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth." | Outcome for evildoers |
| Jeremiah 15:7 | "I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, for they have not turned from their ways." | Divine winnowing/scattering |
Jeremiah 44 verses
Jeremiah 44 12 Meaning
This verse signifies a turning point from divine judgment to divine action for removal. The rebellion and idolatry have sealed the people's fate. God, through Jeremiah, declares His intention to completely eradicate them from the land they claimed as inheritance, indicating a finality to their disobedience and the consequences that follow. The focus shifts from the people's actions to God's retributive actions.
Jeremiah 44 12 Context
This verse occurs in Jeremiah chapter 44, a lamentation over the spiritual apostasy of the remnant of Judah, specifically those who fled to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem. Despite witnessing God's judgment upon Jerusalem and the temple due to their sin, these Judeans persist in their idolatry, particularly the worship of the "Queen of Heaven." They openly defy Jeremiah's prophetic warnings, attributing their previous calamities not to their sin but to the cessation of Queen of Heaven worship. Jeremiah, burdened by God's word, pronounces judgment against them, foretelling their destruction and scattering in Egypt. Verse 12 specifically details the consequence for their continued rebellion and blasphemy.
Jeremiah 44 12 Word analysis
וְהָיָה (wə·hā·yâ): "and it shall be," "and it came to pass." Introduces a future consequence or event. Signifies the unfolding of God's decree.
נַקָּמוֹת (naq·mō·ṯ): "vengeances," "punishments." Plural form of naqam (to avenge, to punish). Indicates a comprehensive and multifaceted retribution for their sins.
לִי (lî): "to me," "for me." Emphasizes that the vengeance is enacted by God Himself. The retribution is a direct consequence of their affront against Him.
בָּכֶם (bā·ḵem): "in you," "upon you." Directed at the specific people addressed, the Judeans in Egypt. The punishment is targeted and personal.
נְאֻם (nə·’um): "utterance," "declaration," "oracle." Denotes the authoritative word of God. Reinforces the certainty of the statement.
יְהוָה (Yahweh): "the LORD." The covenantal name of God, signifying His personal relationship with Israel and His faithfulness to His covenant (even in judgment).
לְהִשְׁחִית (lə·hiš·ḥîṯ): "to destroy," "to consume," "to corrupt." From the root shachath (to destroy, ruin, corrupt). Denotes utter annihilation, not just punishment but obliteration.
אֶת־כָּל־(’eṯ-kāl-): "all." A sweeping quantifier, indicating total destruction without exception.
בְּאֶרֶץ־(bə·’e·reṣ-): "in the land." Refers to the land of Egypt where they have taken refuge. Their judgment will be experienced in their current location.
מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (miṣ·rā·yim): "Egypt." The geographical setting of this particular judgment, marking the end of their presence in that land due to their sins.
Grouped phrase "and it shall be that my vengeance shall be upon you": The certainty and inevitability of divine retribution. It's not a possibility, but a decree.
Grouped phrase "to consume all of you in the land of Egypt": This emphasizes the completeness of the destruction intended for them, leaving no remnant within that land.
Grouped phrase "the LORD declares": This attribution clearly marks the judgment as coming directly from God, underlining His sovereignty and His commitment to address rebellion.
Jeremiah 44 12 Bonus section
The worship of the "Queen of Heaven," referenced in Jeremiah 44, was a form of astral or fertility cult, often associated with ancient Mesopotamian goddesses like Ishtar or Semiramis. This syncretic practice infiltrated Judah during periods of foreign influence and even continued among the exiles, despite its condemnation by prophets like Jeremiah. The Judeans in Egypt believed their woes were due to discontinuing this worship, a complete inversion of reality that God addresses in this chapter. Their misplaced devotion and defiance, even in exile, demonstrate a profound hardening of heart and a preference for familiar idolatrous practices over submission to the true God. This verse exemplifies the principle that God's judgment extends to His people when they deliberately turn from Him, even to the lands of their refuge.
Jeremiah 44 12 Commentary
Jeremiah 44:12 announces a definitive and comprehensive judgment upon the Judean remnant in Egypt. Their persistent idolatry, particularly their allegiance to the Queen of Heaven, is portrayed as a grave affront to Yahweh, the covenant God. This verse functions as a pronouncement of final retribution. God declares His intention to 'consume' or utterly destroy them. This is not merely a punishment but an eradication, signaling that their spiritual rebellion has alienated them irrevocably. The phrase 'my vengeance' highlights that this judgment is a direct response to their provocations against God. The location, Egypt, specifies where this final purging will take place, indicating their refuge has become their place of judgment. The statement is delivered as God's own declaration, underscoring its divine authority and absolute certainty. This verse serves as a stark warning against syncretism and the abandonment of true worship, demonstrating the severe consequences of spiritual infidelity.