Jeremiah 6:25 kjv
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
Jeremiah 6:25 nkjv
Do not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way. Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side.
Jeremiah 6:25 niv
Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side.
Jeremiah 6:25 esv
Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
Jeremiah 6:25 nlt
Don't go out to the fields!
Don't travel on the roads!
The enemy's sword is everywhere
and terrorizes us at every turn!
Jeremiah 6 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 20:3,10 | ...Magor-Missabib. For I hear the slandering... fear on every side. | Jeremiah's personal experience of "terror on every side." |
| Lam 1:4 | The ways of Zion do mourn... her gates are desolate. | Desolate roads and city reflecting the danger. |
| Lam 4:18 | They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets. | Danger and insecurity even in public spaces. |
| Lev 26:36-37 | ...I will send a faintness into their hearts... they shall flee when none pursues. | Fear causing irrational flight, a consequence of disobedience. |
| Deut 28:25 | The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies... be removed into all the kingdoms. | Prophecy of defeat and dispersion by enemies. |
| Isa 24:17-18 | Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee... he who fleeth from the noise of the fear. | Omnipresent judgment and no escape. |
| Eze 7:25 | Destruction comes; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. | No refuge or safety during God's judgment. |
| Amos 5:19 | As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him... and a serpent bit him. | Illustrates inescapable peril and pervasive danger. |
| Zep 1:14-15 | The great day of the LORD is near... a day of trouble and distress. | Describing the impending day of wrath and judgment. |
| Jer 5:15-17 | Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far... they shall devour your harvest and your bread. | Identifying the invading enemy and their destructive actions. |
| Jer 6:22-23 | ...a people cometh from the north country... they are cruel, and have no mercy. | Specific description of the feared enemy. |
| Isa 5:26-29 | He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far... coming swiftly. | God raising up foreign nations as instruments of judgment. |
| Hab 1:6-8 | For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans... a bitter and hasty nation. | Prophecy against the Chaldeans (Babylonians) as God's instrument. |
| Ps 119:120 | My flesh trembles for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. | Physical manifestation of terror at God's judgments. |
| Isa 2:10 | Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD. | Attempted evasion of divine wrath due to intense fear. |
| Luke 21:26 | Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming. | Eschatological fear associated with cataclysmic events. |
| Rev 6:15-17 | And the kings of the earth... hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks. | Seeking refuge from inescapable divine wrath. |
| Isa 33:8 | The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth. | Desolation causing the cessation of normal travel and commerce. |
| Jer 12:4 | How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither...? | Describing the impact of judgment on the land itself. |
| Matt 24:16-18 | Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains... neither return to take his clothes. | Jesus' warning for fleeing Jerusalem, echoing the need for urgent escape. |
| Zech 8:10 | For before these days there was no hire for man... neither was there any peace to him that went out. | Absence of safety and normal economic activity due to conflict. |
| Job 24:12 | From out of the city men groan... and God lays not folly to them. | Pervasive distress experienced in common areas. |
Jeremiah 6 verses
Jeremiah 6 25 Meaning
Jeremiah 6:25 issues a dire warning to the inhabitants of Judah: do not venture out into the fields for work or travel the roads. The reason is explained immediately: the threat of the invading enemy's sword, bringing with it pervasive fear and terror, is everywhere. This verse vividly portrays a state of complete insecurity, where normal life and movement are impossible due to the imminent and widespread destruction.
Jeremiah 6 25 Context
Jeremiah chapter 6 serves as a continuation of God's urgent message of impending judgment upon Judah through the prophet Jeremiah. It portrays Jerusalem as a spiritual "threshing floor" (v.9) destined for harvest, that is, destruction. The immediate context of verse 25 is a prophetic call for preparation, implicitly urging people to mourn and seek refuge (v.24), followed by this specific warning of universal danger outside the city walls. Historically, this prophecy came during a period when the powerful Neo-Babylonian empire was rising, posing an existential threat to Judah. God uses Babylon as His instrument of judgment for Judah's persistent idolatry, social injustice, and reliance on false prophets. The verse thus shatters any lingering illusion of safety or "peace, peace" (Jer 6:14) fostered by unfaithful spiritual leaders, forcefully stating that absolute terror and destruction are imminent and pervasive.
Jeremiah 6 25 Word analysis
- Go not forth: (Hebrew: al-teṣe’u - Negated imperfect verb, plural command). This is a direct command, forbidding a normal activity. It indicates that what was once a common and safe action (going out to fields or roads) will become mortally dangerous.
- into the field: (Hebrew: hassadeh - "the field" or open country). Refers to agricultural lands and open rural areas outside settled towns. Life in ancient Israel depended on these fields, so preventing access means cutting off sustenance and normal livelihood.
- nor walk: (Hebrew: vebadderek - "and in the way/road," with an implied verb like "go" or "walk"). Reinforces the prohibition. Not only open country but also the established paths for travel and commerce are rendered unsafe.
- by the way: (Hebrew: badderek - "in the road," or "along the path"). Roads were vital for trade, communication, and movement between cities. Their danger signals a breakdown of civil order and pervasive lawlessness/military control.
- for: (Hebrew: ki - "because, for"). Introduces the reason or justification for the severe warning.
- the sword: (Hebrew: herev - sword). A primary weapon of war and symbol of violent death and military conquest. It vividly represents the literal threat from the invading army.
- of the enemy: (Hebrew: ōyev - enemy, adversary). Refers to the foreign invading power, specifically the Babylonians mentioned elsewhere by Jeremiah. They are instruments of divine judgment.
- and fear: (Hebrew: ūmāgôr - "and terror, dread, fear"). This word signifies deep psychological anguish and pervasive panic, not just the physical threat. It anticipates the widespread emotional distress among the populace.
- is on every side: (Hebrew: mīsābīv - from around, on all sides). This phrase amplifies the sense of being surrounded and entrapped. It indicates the ubiquitous nature of the danger, making escape or finding refuge impossible anywhere.
- Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way: This phrase emphatically declares the complete cessation of normal life, agricultural activity, and safe movement due to extreme danger. It signifies that daily routines will be replaced by an oppressive climate of terror.
- the sword of the enemy and fear: This grouping highlights the dual nature of the threat: external physical violence from the adversary (the sword) combined with internal, debilitating psychological terror (fear). The "fear" is not merely a reaction but an active, consuming presence.
- and fear is on every side (ūmāgôr mīsābīv): This specific phrase, "terror on every side," is a significant motif in Jeremiah's prophecy. It's echoed in Jeremiah's personal suffering (Jer 20:3,10), signifying a prophet deeply internalizing the very terror he prophesied for his nation. This connection adds profound depth, suggesting Jeremiah knew firsthand the overwhelming nature of this despair.
Jeremiah 6 25 Bonus section
The motif of "Magor-Missabib" (terror on every side), explicitly found here and repeated in Jeremiah's personal laments (Jer 20:3,10), provides a crucial link between the national experience of judgment and the prophet's individual suffering. Jeremiah not only announced this terror to others but felt its crushing weight personally due to rejection, slander, and persecution. This imbues the prophecy with intense emotional authenticity, suggesting that God's spokesmen often bear a heavy burden of empathy and personal distress when conveying messages of judgment. Furthermore, the complete cessation of activity "into the field" and "by the way" speaks to a complete economic collapse and an abandonment of hope for the future, not just temporary danger.
Jeremiah 6 25 Commentary
Jeremiah 6:25 is a chilling prophetic command not to seek refuge or sustenance outside city walls, as a hostile, divinely commissioned enemy will make all open spaces lethal. This terse injunction portrays an ultimate breakdown of peace, security, and normal life. The twin perils of the literal "sword of the enemy" and the paralyzing "fear on every side" reveal a comprehensive, inescapable judgment. This pervasive "terror on every side" (Magor-Missabib) underlines a spiritual desolation as much as a physical one, emphasizing God's severe but just retribution for Judah's unfaithfulness. The warning stands as a stark contrast to the false sense of security promoted by false prophets.