Jeremiah 49:15 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 49:15 kjv
For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.
Jeremiah 49:15 nkjv
"For indeed, I will make you small among nations, Despised among men.
Jeremiah 49:15 niv
"Now I will make you small among the nations, despised by mankind.
Jeremiah 49:15 esv
For behold, I will make you small among the nations, despised among mankind.
Jeremiah 49:15 nlt
The LORD says to Edom,
"I will cut you down to size among the nations.
You will be despised by all.
Jeremiah 49 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Obadiah 1:2 | "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised." | Direct parallel concerning Edom's humiliation. |
| Jer 49:7 | "Is wisdom no more in Teman?..." | Part of the same oracle questioning Edom's famed wisdom. |
| Isa 34:5 | "For My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; Behold, it shall come down on Edom..." | Prophecy of divine judgment upon Edom. |
| Ezek 25:12 | "Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah..." | Judgment for Edom's animosity toward God's people. |
| Ezek 35:3 | "Behold, I am against you, O Mount Seir, and I will stretch out My hand against you..." | Prophecy against Edom (Mount Seir) for its pride and hatred. |
| Amos 1:11 | "Thus says the Lord: 'For three transgressions of Edom...'" | Condemnation of Edom for persistent violence. |
| Mal 1:3 | "but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a desolation..." | God's historical disfavor and judgment upon Edom (Esau). |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Principle of pride leading to downfall. |
| James 4:6 | "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." | New Testament affirmation of God opposing pride. |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | "...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for 'God resists the proud...'" | Reiterates the divine resistance to pride. |
| Luke 14:11 | "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." | Jesus' teaching on humility and exaltation. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | "For exaltation comes neither from the east... But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another." | God's sovereignty over nations' destinies. |
| Job 40:11-12 | "Pour out the fury of your wrath... Scatter the proud in the might of your hand." | God's power to humble the arrogant. |
| Isa 2:11 | "The haughty eyes of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be bowed down..." | Prophecy of the universal humbling of human pride. |
| Isa 40:23 | "He brings princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless." | God's ability to nullify human authority and power. |
| Dan 4:37 | "And those who walk in pride He is able to put down." | Nebuchadnezzar's testimony after God humbled him. |
| Deut 7:7 | "The Lord did not set His love on you... because you were more in number than any other people..." | Israel's election not due to size or strength, but grace. |
| Lev 26:19 | "I will break the pride of your power..." | God warns Israel against pride, threatening to humble them. |
| Prov 18:12 | "Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty..." | Foreshadowing of destruction due to pride. |
| Jer 13:9 | "In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem." | God's judgment against His own people's pride. |
| Zeph 2:8 | "I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the people of Ammon, with which they have reviled My people and magnified themselves against their territory." | Judgment against nations for pride and reviling God's people. |
| Num 24:18 | "Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession..." | Balaam's prophecy anticipating Israel's conquest over Edom. |
| Ps 83:6 | "The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites..." | Edom listed among the confederation of nations hostile to Israel. |
| Obadiah 1:3 | "The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock..." | Elaborates on Edom's self-deception in its fortified position. |
Jeremiah 49 verses
Jeremiah 49 15 meaning
Jeremiah 49:15 delivers a profound declaration of God's certain judgment against Edom. It prophesies that despite Edom's pride and perceived strength, God himself will supernaturally diminish their national status, reducing them to utter insignificance among the other nations. Furthermore, this reduction will result in them becoming a universally despised entity, held in contempt by all humanity, thereby demonstrating God's sovereign power to humble the proud and self-exalted.
Jeremiah 49 15 Context
Jeremiah 49 is part of a larger section (chapters 46-51) containing oracles against various foreign nations. These pronouncements emphasize God's absolute sovereignty not only over Israel but over all peoples. Verses 7-22 of chapter 49 are specifically directed against Edom, a nation descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, whose territory was south of Judah in Mount Seir, noted for its high, rugged, and naturally fortified terrain, particularly the city of Petra. Historically, Edom harbored a deep-seated antagonism towards Israel, often celebrating Judah's calamities and even participating in their plunder (e.g., during Jerusalem's fall to Babylon). The Edomites were known for their pride, wisdom (often referenced as from Teman), and self-confidence in their impregnable dwelling places. Jeremiah 49:15 functions as a stark and ironic rebuttal to this national pride, asserting that the God of Israel will personally intervene to reduce Edom from a powerful, respected entity to an insignificant and scorned people, directly addressing their self-exalting nature and showing the futility of human strength against divine decree.
Jeremiah 49 15 Word analysis
- For behold (כִּי הִנֵּה - kī hinnēh): Kī introduces a strong causal connection or explanation, while hinnēh is an interjection meaning "behold" or "lo," demanding attention. Together, they signify a solemn, certain, and divinely ordained declaration, underlining the gravity and truth of the subsequent prophecy.
- I will make you (נְתַתִּיךָ - neta̱ttīḵā): This phrase employs the Hebrew verb נָתַן (nātan), which means "to give," "to put," "to place," or "to make." Its usage here indicates a direct, intentional, and sovereign action by God Himself, actively causing Edom's fate rather than simply predicting it. It underscores God's absolute control over the destinies of nations.
- small (קָטָן - qāṭān): This Hebrew adjective primarily denotes literal physical smallness, but in the context of a nation, it metaphorically conveys political insignificance, diminished influence, reduced power, and decreased population or territory. It implies a reduction from prominence to a negligible entity on the world stage, directly countering Edom's perceived strength.
- among the nations (בַּגּוֹיִם - bagōyim): The term goyim (plural of goy) refers to "nations," "peoples," or "Gentiles." Its inclusion here specifies the arena of Edom's diminishment: it will be a public, internationally recognized humiliation, visible and understood by all other states, thus highlighting the reversal of their once-proud standing among their neighbors.
- despised (בָּזוּי - bāzûy): A passive participle derived from the verb בָּזָה (bāzāh), meaning "to despise," "to scorn," or "to hold in contempt." This describes Edom's ultimate state—one of utter contempt, lacking honor, dignity, or respect from anyone. It signifies a complete moral and social degradation beyond mere political weakness.
- among mankind (בָּאָדָם - bāʾāḏām): The Hebrew term ʾāḏām broadly refers to humanity or humankind in general. This expands the scope of Edom's contempt from just other nations to individuals universally. It means that Edom will become despised not just by other states or rulers, but by people at large, on a fundamental human level, emphasizing the thoroughness of their shame.
- "I will make you small among the nations, despised among mankind": This composite declaration details the two-fold consequence of God's judgment: an active reduction in national standing ("small") coupled with an enduring state of universal contempt ("despised"). This dual blow effectively targets both Edom's physical power and their national honor, leading to their complete degradation and demonstrating the severity of divine wrath against their long-standing pride and animosity.
Jeremiah 49 15 Bonus section
The nearly identical wording of Jeremiah 49:15 and Obadiah 1:2 is one of the most direct textual parallels in the prophetic books. This strong intertextual link suggests either that one prophet quoted the other, or more commonly held by scholars, that both prophets were drawing from an existing, widely known, common prophetic tradition or a shared divine oracle concerning Edom. This repetition not only adds emphatic weight to the prophecy against Edom but also attests to the long-standing nature of their sin and the certainty of their eventual downfall. The judgment against Edom also stands in sharp contrast to God's relationship with Israel; while Israel, too, faced judgment for its pride and disobedience, God consistently preserved a remnant and promised restoration, a promise notably absent in the stern pronouncements against Edom. Edom's ultimate end highlights the severity of unrepentant national pride and sustained enmity against God's purposes and His people.
Jeremiah 49 15 Commentary
Jeremiah 49:15 serves as a quintessential biblical illustration of God's unyielding opposition to pride, especially when coupled with antagonism toward His chosen people. Edom, secure in its rocky fastnesses and boasting of its wisdom, exemplified a nation rooted in self-sufficiency and defiance. God's declaration, echoed almost verbatim in Obadiah 1:2, directly assaults this arrogant confidence. It's a decree not merely of decline, but of active reduction by God's hand: He will make them "small," meaning insignificant in political power, military might, and territorial expanse, stripping away their geopolitical relevance. Beyond this material diminishment, they will be made "despised," facing universal scorn and utter loss of honor and respect among all peoples. This prophecy serves as a powerful theological statement, reaffirming that ultimate power and authority reside solely with God, who can raise up or bring down any nation, exposing the utter futility of human pride and reliance on earthly strength against divine justice. It’s a vivid example of the principle that "God resists the proud."