Jeremiah 6:18 kjv
Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
Jeremiah 6:18 nkjv
Therefore hear, you nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them.
Jeremiah 6:18 niv
Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them.
Jeremiah 6:18 esv
Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
Jeremiah 6:18 nlt
"Therefore, listen to this, all you nations.
Take note of my people's situation.
Jeremiah 6 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:6-8 | "...who has God so near him...who has statutes and righteous judgments..." | Nations witness God's unique justice for Israel. |
| Deut 28:20 | "...until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly because of..." | Warnings of curse and judgment for disobedience. |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-18 | "...the children of Israel sinned against the Lord their God, who..." | Judah's earlier sister kingdom, Israel, already judged similarly. |
| Pss 96:3-10 | "Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples." | God's works, including judgment, are for all to see. |
| Isa 1:2-3 | "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; For the LORD has spoken..." | God summons creation to witness His charge against Israel. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel..." | Israel's unfaithfulness despite God's care. |
| Jer 5:7-9 | "Why should I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me..." | God's justice in judging Judah for pervasive sin. |
| Jer 7:1-11 | "Amend your ways...that I may dwell with you...do not trust in lying..." | False security and unrepentant sin leading to judgment. |
| Jer 8:6 | "No one repents of his wickedness...Everyone turns to his own course..." | Persistent, unrepentant rebellion as the cause of judgment. |
| Ezek 5:8-10 | "Therefore thus says the Lord God: Indeed I, even I, will be against you..." | Judgment made a spectacle before the nations. |
| Ezek 16:27 | "So I stretched out My hand against you...gave you to the will of those..." | God's public disgrace of Israel for their spiritual harlotry. |
| Hos 4:1-2 | "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land." | Complete breakdown of morality and knowledge of God. |
| Amos 3:1-2 | "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore..." | God's specific accountability for His chosen people. |
| Amos 3:9-11 | "Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod and in the palaces in the land of..." | Calling pagan nations to witness Israel's injustices. |
| Hab 1:5 | "Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work..." | God raising a pagan nation (Chaldeans) for judgment. |
| Rom 1:18-32 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness..." | Universal judgment against all who suppress truth. |
| Rom 2:9-11 | "Tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil...Jew first..." | Judgment begins with God's people but is impartial. |
| 1 Cor 10:11-12 | "Now all these things happened to them as examples...for our admonition..." | Old Testament judgments serve as warnings for believers today. |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God..." | Echoes the principle that judgment often starts with God's people. |
| Rev 18:20 | "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets..." | Call to witness and affirm divine judgment on evil. |
Jeremiah 6 verses
Jeremiah 6 18 Meaning
Jeremiah 6:18 serves as a divine summons, a public proclamation by God. He calls upon all "nations" and "assembly" (specifically, the congregation of Israel/Judah) to witness and comprehend the dire situation of Judah. The phrase "what is among them" refers to the pervasive and profound sinfulness, idolatry, injustice, and corruption within Judah's society, which has ripened the nation for God's severe and unavoidable judgment. It signifies that their imminent destruction is a direct consequence of their deeply entrenched rebellion against God, made visible to the entire world.
Jeremiah 6 18 Context
Jeremiah chapter 6 details the impending siege and destruction of Jerusalem by an enemy from the north. The prophet describes the moral and spiritual depravity of Judah, likening it to a land of thorns, highlighting its deep-seated sinfulness (vv. 1-7). God's repeated warnings through Jeremiah have been entirely rejected, hardening the hearts of the people from the least to the greatest (vv. 8-15). Their religious leaders and false prophets preach "peace, peace," when there is no peace, leading the people further astray. God declares He will "bring calamity on this people" because they have rejected His law and ignored His warnings. In this grim context, verse 18 acts as a divine, public decree. It transitions from an internal denunciation of Judah's sin to a worldwide announcement of the justice of the coming judgment, preparing both Judah and surrounding nations to witness its full unfolding as a clear lesson.
Jeremiah 6 18 Word analysis
- Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): This word strongly connects the verse to the preceding divine pronouncements of judgment (Jer 6:1-17). It indicates that the summons to hear and know is a direct, logical consequence of Judah's unyielding sin and their consistent rejection of God's ways. It marks the culmination of their actions necessitating divine action.
- hear (שִׁמְעוּ, shim'u): An imperative verb, commanding not just passive auditory reception but active attention, understanding, and even an implicit call to respond. Here, it is an urgent plea to truly listen and perceive the weight of God's decree and the ensuing events.
- O nations (גּוֹיִם, goyim): Refers to the Gentile peoples of the world. This universal address broadens the scope of God's audience beyond Judah, indicating that Judah's judgment is not a private matter but an open display of divine justice, intended as a testimony and warning to all humanity. It highlights God's sovereignty over all peoples.
- and know (וּדְעוּ, ud'u): Another imperative verb, moving beyond mere hearing to internalizing and comprehending the spiritual and theological implications of what is being declared. It signifies intellectual and experiential understanding, emphasizing the need for a full grasp of God's actions and character.
- O assembly (עֵדָה, 'edah): Often used to denote the gathered congregation of Israel, specifically God's covenant people. Addressing both "nations" and "assembly" signifies that no one, neither outsiders nor God's chosen, is excused from witnessing and understanding this judgment. It underlines that covenant status does not provide immunity from accountability.
- what is among them (מָה־בָם, mah-bam): This is a crucial and rich phrase.
- מָה (mah - "what"): A pronoun seeking identification or clarification.
- בָם (bam - "in/among/upon them"): The preposition be (בְּ) combined with the suffix -hem (־הֶם), meaning "them."
- Words-group interpretation: The most direct interpretation points to the state of depravity, wickedness, idolatry, injustice, and spiritual rebellion that permeated Judah's society (their actions, character, and moral condition). This evil, deep "among them," is the cause that demands divine judgment. Some translations interpret this phrase as "what I will do to them" or "what I purposed to do concerning them," viewing it as the judgment itself. However, the direct Hebrew suggests a focus on the condition within Judah that warrants such a severe judgment, thereby establishing the justice of God's action. It exposes the true character of Judah, showing why judgment is coming.
Jeremiah 6 18 Bonus section
- Theological Polemic: By inviting all "nations" to witness His judgment on Judah, God directly challenges the efficacy and justice of surrounding pagan deities. Unlike the unpredictable or self-serving actions attributed to idol gods, the God of Israel's judgment is righteous, publicly declared, and based on clear covenant violations, serving as a powerful vindication of His unique nature and truth.
- "Show-and-Tell" Judgment: This verse highlights a common motif in prophetic literature where God's dealings with Israel (both blessings and curses) are meant to instruct not only Israel but also the watching nations. Judah's punishment serves as a stark warning about the consequences of defying the Creator God.
- Legal Language: The command to "hear" and "know," directed to "nations" and "assembly," carries an almost legal overtone. God acts as the divine Judge, convening a cosmic courtroom where humanity is summoned to witness His just verdict against an unfaithful covenant people.
Jeremiah 6 18 Commentary
Jeremiah 6:18 stands as a profound declaration, elevating Judah's imminent judgment from a mere national tragedy to a universal object lesson in divine justice. God's summons to both "nations" and "assembly" underscores the global relevance of His actions. He is not a tribal deity but the sovereign Lord who holds all peoples accountable, beginning with His own covenant people. The phrase "what is among them" is pivotal, acting as both a summary of Judah's crimes and a justification for God's impending wrath. It highlights the deeply ingrained moral and spiritual corruption within the nation—their rejection of God's law, pursuit of idols, rampant injustice, and deaf ears to prophetic warnings. This verse proclaims that God's judgment is not arbitrary or hidden but a just and public consequence of consistent unfaithfulness, demonstrating His unblemished righteousness and consistent character to all who witness it. It forces a clear recognition: the destruction is directly proportional to the pervasive evil that defines "what is among them."