Jeremiah 46 10

Jeremiah 46:10 kjv

For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Jeremiah 46:10 nkjv

For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord GOD of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.

Jeremiah 46:10 niv

But that day belongs to the Lord, the LORD Almighty? a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

Jeremiah 46:10 esv

That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, to avenge himself on his foes. The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Jeremiah 46:10 nlt

For this is the day of the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies,
a day of vengeance on his enemies.
The sword will devour until it is satisfied,
yes, until it is drunk with your blood!
The Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will receive a sacrifice today
in the north country beside the Euphrates River.

Jeremiah 46 verses

Jeremiah 46 10 meaning

Jeremiah 46:10 declares a pivotal "Day of the Lord" for Egypt, a time of divine judgment and retribution. It portrays God actively avenging Himself against His adversaries, specifically the Egyptian forces. The verse uses graphic imagery of a sword consuming and becoming drenched with blood, likening the brutal slaughter of Egyptian soldiers by the Babylonians to a sacrificial offering to the Lord in the region of the Euphrates River, where the battle of Carchemish took place. This signifies God's absolute sovereignty over nations and historical events, executing His justice through human instruments.

Jeremiah 46 10 Context

Jeremiah chapter 46 is the beginning of a series of "Oracles against the Nations" (Jer 46-51). This specific prophecy concerns Egypt and details their defeat by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army at Carchemish (near the Euphrates River) in 605 BC, an event that reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Near East. Judah had frequently sought alliance with Egypt, defying God's warnings through Jeremiah, making this oracle a direct message to Judah regarding the futility of relying on a human superpower rather than the Lord. Verse 10 specifically describes God's direct agency and ultimate purpose behind this historic battle, presenting it not merely as a clash of empires but as divine execution of justice. The defeat serves as a warning and an example of God's sovereign control over world events and His willingness to judge those, even powerful nations like Egypt, who stand against His divine plan or oppress His people.

Jeremiah 46 10 Word analysis

• For this is the day: Signals a definitive moment, divinely appointed and inescapable. It highlights the direct causality of God in the event.
• the LORD GOD of hosts: (YHWH Elohim Tsebaoth - יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת).
  • YHWH: God's covenant name, signifying His unchanging, personal relationship and power.
  • Elohim: General name for God, emphasizing His divine authority and might.
  • Tsebaoth (hosts): Refers to the Lord as the commander of heavenly armies and earthly forces, indicating His supreme military and universal authority. This title underlines His capacity to execute judgment effectively.
• a day of vengeance: (Yom Neqamah - יֹום נְקָמָה). This is a solemn occasion of divine retribution. God's vengeance here is not irrational human wrath, but a righteous, judicial act against evil and those who oppose His will or harm His people (Jer 2:34-35; 5:9).
• that he may avenge himself: Emphasizes divine initiative and justice. God is the one who initiates and carries out the recompense, highlighting His personal stake in the events and His holy character being vindicated.
• of his adversaries: (tsarav - צָרָיו). Refers to those who resist or oppose God's divine purpose, not merely Israel's enemies. Egypt had historically oppressed Israel and its pride often stood against God's plan.
• and the sword shall devour: (wĕ'āḵəlâ ḥereḇ - וְאָכְלָה־חֶרֶב). Personification of the sword as an insatiable, destructive force. It indicates complete and total annihilation, leaving no one unscathed.
• and it shall be satiate and made drunk: (wĕśāḇəʿâ wĕriwwətâ - וְשָׂבְעָה וְרִוְּתָה). Vivid, gruesome imagery of overconsumption. The sword is depicted as gorging itself on human life and becoming intoxicated by the immense quantity of blood, emphasizing the vast scale and brutal intensity of the slaughter.
• with their blood: Confirms the literal and extensive bloodshed.
• for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice: (kî zeḇaḥ lAdōnāy YHWH Tsebaoth - כִּי זֶבַח לַאדֹנָי יְהוִה צְבָאוֹת). This is deeply ironic and symbolic. A 'sacrifice' (zebach) usually refers to an offering to God for propitiation or fellowship. Here, it refers to the immense slaughter of Egyptian soldiers as an act of divine justice and an 'offering' that satisfies God's righteousness, comparable to the ḥerem (devotion to destruction) in holy war contexts, though in a metaphorical sense for judgment. It underscores that God orchestrates even horrific events for His ultimate purpose.
• in the north country by the river Euphrates: Pinpoints the geographical location of Carchemish, where the historical battle between Babylon and Egypt actually occurred, tying divine prophecy to specific, observable historical events.

Word-group analysis:

• "the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance": This powerful pairing merges the specific date of the Carchemish battle with the profound theological concept of the "Day of the Lord." It asserts that even a major military confrontation between world powers is actually God's own execution of judgment, marking a period where He openly intervenes to rectify wrong and assert His rule. This echoes prophetic themes of future divine judgment.
• "he may avenge himself of his adversaries": This emphasizes the divine agency behind the historical defeat. The adversaries are not just enemies of Judah or human foes, but directly enemies of God and His cosmic order, making the vengeance a holy, justified act of righteous judgment.
• "the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood": This graphic anthropomorphic depiction of the sword powerfully conveys the absolute brutality and thoroughness of the destruction. It's a hyperbole that stresses the enormity of the death toll, fulfilling God's complete judgment.
• "the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates": This starkly contrasts the expected image of a peaceful ritual sacrifice with the gruesome reality of a battlefield slaughter. It elevates the conflict at Carchemish to a sacred act of judgment, a "holy war" of a different kind where the victims are God's adversaries and the instrument is a foreign army (Babylon). This serves as a strong polemic against the idea that battles are merely outcomes of human might or chance; instead, they are instruments of the Sovereign Lord.

Jeremiah 46 10 Bonus section

The concept of a "Day of the Lord" found here is multi-faceted. While specifically describing a historical event (Carchemish), it resonates with the broader prophetic theme of a future, ultimate "Day of the Lord" when God will judge all nations and set all things right. This historical instance serves as a foretaste or an early fulfillment, demonstrating God's consistent character of intervention and justice throughout history. Moreover, the portrayal of the battle as a "sacrifice" might be seen as an inversion of pagan sacrifice where people tried to appease their gods. Here, God's holiness is appeased by the destruction of His adversaries, affirming His control over all earthly powers and challenging any idolatrous reliance on nations like Egypt. It teaches Judah that the fate of nations is not determined by alliances or military might, but by the will of Yahweh alone.

Jeremiah 46 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 46:10 provides a stark theological interpretation of the historical Battle of Carchemish. It transcends a mere historical account, revealing the battle as a divine orchestration rather than a purely human conflict. The powerful title "LORD GOD of hosts" underscores God's absolute sovereignty, implying He commands all forces—heavenly and earthly—to execute His will. The "day of vengeance" is not driven by capricious anger, but by righteous justice against nations, like Egypt, whose pride and actions have defied Him and potentially oppressed His people. The grotesque imagery of the "sword" devouring and becoming "drunk with blood" illustrates the utter completeness and horrific scale of the judgment. Furthermore, describing the slaughter as a "sacrifice" to the Lord is a profound, albeit chilling, theological statement. It signifies that the defeat and demise of His adversaries fulfill His righteous decree, functioning as a macabre offering that appeases His justice, highlighting the holiness and severity of God’s judgment upon human evil and arrogance, even when executed through other human agents.