Jeremiah 6 9

Jeremiah 6:9 kjv

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

Jeremiah 6:9 nkjv

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches."

Jeremiah 6:9 niv

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes."

Jeremiah 6:9 esv

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "They shall glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel; like a grape gatherer pass your hand again over its branches."

Jeremiah 6:9 nlt

This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says:
"Even the few who remain in Israel
will be picked over again,
as when a harvester checks each vine a second time
to pick the grapes that were missed."

Jeremiah 6 verses

Jeremiah 6 9 Meaning

The verse speaks of a severe judgment against Judah. God is calling for a swift and total reaping of the land, likening it to a harvest. Every part of the nation will be examined, and none will escape God's impending wrath. The image is one of utter destruction, where even the gleanings, those few remnants usually left behind, will be gathered and destroyed.

Jeremiah 6 9 Context

Jeremiah 6 is part of a series of pronouncements of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem due to their pervasive sinfulness and unfaithfulness to God. The chapter begins with an urgent call for the people to flee the coming Babylonian invasion. God instructs them to turn aside from the cities and the fortifications that they so desperately rely upon. They have ignored previous warnings and calls to repentance, thus sealing their fate. The surrounding nations are described as being prepared for war against Jerusalem, highlighting the imminence of the danger. The people of Judah, particularly their leaders, are characterized by their persistent deceit, corruption, and rejection of God's law and prophets. The verse in question serves as a powerful metaphor for the comprehensive nature of the coming destruction.

Jeremiah 6 9 Word Analysis

• Verse: Jeremiah 6:9

• Text: "They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn your hand again the briers."

• Hebrew Words & Meanings:

  • atsam (עָצַם): to gather thoroughly, to glean (related to bones, "to the bone," implying completeness).
  • she'erith (שְׁאֵרִית): remnant, residue, that which is left over.
  • Yisra'el (יִשְׂרָאֵל): Israel (referring here to the Southern Kingdom, Judah).
  • Shuv (שׁוּב): turn, return.
  • yadeck (יָדֶךָ): your hand.
  • balash (בָּלַשׁ): to glean, to search out, to plunder (used as "turn your hand" in this context suggests to examine thoroughly, or perhaps to reach/strip).
  • siyyim (סִלְּעִים): thorny bushes, briers, sharp thorns (can also refer to rocky/thorny ground).

• Word-group Analysis:

  • "thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine": This phrase paints a picture of meticulous harvesting. Vines are typically harvested by stripping them clean of grapes, with a second pass sometimes made for any missed fruit. The "remnant" signifies that a portion has already been destroyed or removed, but even this remaining group will be fully gathered.
  • "turn your hand again the briers": This idiom suggests a thorough and fruitless search or a stripping of all that is accessible. Briers are unproductive and troublesome; attempting to get fruit from them yields nothing but pain or damage. It implies a destructive action that strips even the unusable parts, leaving nothing behind. It also highlights the futility of the remnant's current state – they are as worthless and painful as briers to any would-be gatherer, yet they will still be stripped bare.

Jeremiah 6 9 Bonus Section

The imagery of judgment as a harvest is prevalent throughout Scripture, both for judgment and for God's redemptive gathering. In this specific instance, the harvest is one of divine wrath, underscoring that God sees all aspects of His people, even their sin and corruptions (likened to thorns), and will deal with them thoroughly. This thoroughness contrasts sharply with the "gleaning" that a normal vineyard owner might do, where some small amount of fruit is intentionally left for the poor. Here, there is no mercy left in the harvest of judgment; it is an absolute stripping. This passage reinforces the covenantal consequences of breaking God's law – faithfulness leads to blessing, but unfaithfulness leads to severe, comprehensive judgment.

Jeremiah 6 9 Commentary

Jeremiah 6:9 describes a devastating completeness of judgment. God is not merely scattering His people; He is thoroughly reaping them. The image of gleaning a vine suggests a deliberate and exhaustive process. Even the last remaining "fruit" (the remnant of Israel) will be stripped bare. The addition of "turn your hand again the briers" conveys that even the unusable, the thorny and the painful aspects of the nation will be subjected to this thorough destruction. There is no escape; even the "useless" elements will be seized or destroyed, emphasizing the totality of the coming judgment. It signifies that their sinfulness has made them liable to be stripped of everything, and even their very "thorny" existence will be accounted for in God's judgment. The futility of seeking anything of value from a thorny bush is like the nation's current state – only judgment can be extracted.