Jeremiah 5:19 kjv
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not your's.
Jeremiah 5:19 nkjv
And it will be when you say, 'Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?' then you shall answer them, 'Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.'
Jeremiah 5:19 niv
And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.'
Jeremiah 5:19 esv
And when your people say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.'"
Jeremiah 5:19 nlt
"And when your people ask, 'Why did the LORD our God do all this to us?' you must reply, 'You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.'
Jeremiah 5 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 5:15 | "Behold, I will bring a nation from afar, against you, O house of Israel..." | Judgment for Disobedience |
| Deuteronomy 28:49 | "The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies..." | Prophecy of National Judgment |
| Isaiah 5:26 | "He will lift up a standard to the nations from afar, and will whistle for them from the ends of the earth..." | Assyrian/Babylonian Inv. |
| Jeremiah 25:9 | "Behold, I will summon all the dynasties of the north," declares the LORD, "and I will send for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants..." | Babylonian Exile Justification |
| Jeremiah 17:4 | "And you will let go of your inheritance that I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know..." | Consequence of Apostasy |
| Psalm 107:17 | "Fools, because of their rebellious ways and because of their iniquities, were afflicted..." | Foolishness Leads to Affliction |
| Proverbs 1:24-26 | "Because I called and you refused to listen, because I stretched out my hand and no one gave heed, but you disregarded all my counsel and wanted none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity..." | God's Rejection of Rejection |
| Romans 11:22 | "Note then the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off." | Severity of God |
| Galatians 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. For whatever a man sows, he will also reap." | Principle of Reaping |
| Hosea 1:9 | "Then God said, 'Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.'" | Loss of Covenant Identity |
| Leviticus 26:33 | "I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you..." | Consequences of Disobedience |
| 1 Corinthians 10:11 | "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." | Warning for the Church |
| Amos 5:27 | "Therefore I will have you exiled beyond Damascus,' says the LORD, whose name is the God Almighty." | Exile Prophecy |
| Nahum 1:6 | "Who can stand before his indignation? Who can withstand his burning anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are shattered by him." | God's Wrath |
| Revelation 18:2 | "He gave a mighty cry with a loud voice: 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons..." | Judgment on Wicked Nations |
| 1 Samuel 2:30 | "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father would walk before me forever.’ But the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me! For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me shall be cursed." | Honor and Contempt |
| Jeremiah 4:7 | "The lion has come up from his thicket, the destroyer of nations has set out..." | Enemy as God's Agent |
| Psalm 89:31-32 | "If they forsake my law and do not walk in my statutes, if they profane my statutes and do not keep my commandments..." | Consequences of Covenant Break |
| Jeremiah 30:10 | "But as for you, my servant Jacob, do not fear, or be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease..." | Promise of Future Restoration |
| Isaiah 10:5-6 | "Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! Against a godless nation I send them, and against the people of my wrath I give them a command..." | God Using Nations in Judgment |
Jeremiah 5 verses
Jeremiah 5 19 Meaning
This verse describes a consequence for Israel's apostasy and rejection of God's covenant. It states that when they sin and break God's commands, the Lord will bring a foreign nation against them as a tool of judgment. This judgment will result in destruction, desolation, and the uprooting of their very existence from their land.
Jeremiah 5 19 Context
Jeremiah 5:19 occurs within the broader prophetic message of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem. The preceding verses in chapter 5 detail the rampant sin and corruption within the nation – injustice, greed, immorality, and a deep-seated refusal to acknowledge God. God, through Jeremiah, is explaining the reasons for the impending judgment, which is described as invasion and destruction by a foreign power. This verse specifically highlights that the inability or unwillingness of the people to understand God's dealings will be a sign of their impending doom. Their spiritual blindness mirrors their societal corruption, and this blindness will prevent them from comprehending why these calamities are happening. This judgment was understood by the original audience to be the invasion and exile by the Babylonians.
Jeremiah 5 19 Word Analysis
"And" (וְ - wə): Conjunction indicating addition or continuation of the previous thought.
"it": Refers to the statement or question that follows, which the people do not understand.
"shall": Indicates a future certainty, a declaration of what will surely happen.
"be": State of being, existence.
"that": Demonstrative pronoun, pointing to the following explanation.
"they": Refers back to the people of Judah, specifically those who have strayed from God.
"shall": Again, certainty of the action.
"say": To speak or declare.
"Wherefore": For what reason; why. This expresses confusion or lack of understanding.
"hath": Archaic form of "has."
"the": Definite article.
"LORD" (יְהוָה - Yahweh): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship and commitment to His people.
"done": Past action, completed event.
"this": Referring to the judgments being described.
"unto": To; towards.
"us": The people of Israel/Judah.
"or": Conjunction offering an alternative.
"wherefore": (reiterated) Further emphasis on their bewilderment.
"in": Within; at.
"our": Possessive pronoun belonging to "us."
"iniquity": Guilt, crookedness, perversity.
"or": Again, the alternative.
"in": Within.
"our": Possessive.
"sin": Error, falling short, transgression.
Phrase Group Analysis: "Wherefore hath the LORD done this unto us? or wherefore in our iniquity, and in our sins, are these?" The repetition of "wherefore" underscores the people's complete inability to connect their national calamity with their covenant infidelity. They see the disaster but fail to grasp the cause-and-effect relationship ordained by God as a consequence of their covenant-breaking and sin. The phrase highlights their spiritual blindness.
Jeremiah 5 19 Bonus Section
The verse speaks to a core principle of biblical theology: the reality of consequences for sin and covenant disobedience. This principle is consistently applied throughout Scripture. The failure of the people of Judah to understand these consequences, as highlighted in Jeremiah 5:19, points to a spiritual blindness that is a hallmark of true apostasy. Their rhetorical questions ("Wherefore?") are not seeking genuine understanding, but rather express frustration and a lack of repentance. This same theme of spiritual blindness is later echoed by Jesus when he spoke about the Pharisees being unable to understand his parables or recognize his signs (Matthew 13:14-15; John 9:39-41). The eventual restoration promised to Israel (as seen in later Jeremiah chapters and Isaiah) hinges on their eventual recognition of their sin and God's faithfulness, which is a prerequisite for turning back to Him.
Jeremiah 5 19 Commentary
This verse powerfully illustrates the spiritual bankruptcy of Judah. Their repeated transgressions against God's law had brought His judgment upon them in the form of foreign invasion. However, instead of recognizing their sin and God's righteous hand in the matter, they were utterly bewildered, asking "why?" This inability to discern the cause of their suffering—their own disobedience—was a profound symptom of their spiritual deadness. They could not connect their actions to the consequences because their hearts were far from God. They attributed their misfortunes to impersonal forces rather than to the direct actions of their covenant God, whom they had forsaken. Their confusion was a testament to their deep-seated apostasy, making them susceptible to judgment because they could not even recognize its divine source.