Jeremiah 7 20

Jeremiah 7:20 kjv

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

Jeremiah 7:20 nkjv

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place?on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched."

Jeremiah 7:20 niv

"?'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place?on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land?and it will burn and not be quenched.

Jeremiah 7:20 esv

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched."

Jeremiah 7:20 nlt

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger."

Jeremiah 7 verses

Jeremiah 7 20 Meaning

Jeremiah 7:20 declares God's imminent and severe judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah due to their persistent sin and idolatry, as detailed in the preceding verses. The verse portrays God's intense anger and wrath being "poured out" comprehensively and unceasingly upon every aspect of life in the land – people, animals, vegetation, and the produce of the earth. This divine fire of judgment will consume without abatement, signifying an inescapable, total, and permanent devastation of the land and its inhabitants, affecting all living things and the very fabric of their existence. It underscores the profound consequences of breaking the covenant and rejecting God's commands.

Jeremiah 7 20 Context

Jeremiah 7:20 is part of what is known as Jeremiah's "Temple Sermon," delivered at the gate of the Lord's house during the reign of King Jehoiakim. In this chapter (7:1-15), Jeremiah confronts the people's misguided and complacent belief that the presence of the Lord's Temple would guarantee their safety and protect them from judgment, even while they engaged in rampant idolatry, injustice, and immorality (7:4, 8-10). They were violating fundamental covenant laws (murder, theft, adultery, false swearing, burning incense to Baal, etc.). God's message, conveyed through Jeremiah, is a stark warning that their ritualistic worship, unaccompanied by true repentance and righteous living, is an abomination. God promises to destroy the Temple and the city of Jerusalem just as He had destroyed the sanctuary at Shiloh (7:12-15). The subsequent verses (7:16-19) describe God's absolute refusal to hear intercession for such a stubbornly disobedient people, highlighting their collective rejection of Him, from children to elders. Verse 20, therefore, functions as a direct declaration of the devastating consequence: God's righteous, unquenchable wrath will be poured out comprehensively upon every aspect of their existence because of this profound and unyielding betrayal. The historical context is that of Judah's increasing moral decay and political instability, heading towards the inevitable Babylonian exile, which was viewed as the ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies of devastation.

Jeremiah 7 20 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן - lakhen): This crucial adverb functions as a strong consequential marker. It signals that what follows is the direct and inescapable result of the previous actions and pronouncements, emphasizing the cause-and-effect relationship between Judah's rebellion (described in 7:1-19) and God's ensuing judgment. It is not an arbitrary act but a righteous response to deliberate covenant breaking.
• thus says the Lord GOD (כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה - koh amar Adonai YHVH): A standard prophetic formula asserting divine authority. "Adonai YHVH" combines the sovereign title "Lord" with the covenant name "Yahweh," highlighting both God's supreme authority and His personal relationship, which has now been betrayed. This makes the declaration unequivocally from God Himself.
• Behold (הִנֵּה - hinneh): An interjection used to draw immediate attention to the grave pronouncement that follows, underscoring its certainty and importance. It prepares the audience for a significant, often dire, revelation.
• My anger (אַף - ʾaph) and My wrath (חֵמָה - ḥemah): These terms represent intense divine displeasure. ʾaph often refers to a physical manifestation of anger (like flaring nostrils) and signifies strong indignation. ḥemah conveys burning rage, fury, or intense heat. Their conjunction here intensifies the severity, indicating a profound and total indignation that will not be held back. This isn't mere annoyance, but righteous indignation against profound betrayal.
• will be poured out (תּוּפַּךְ - tûppakh / nattakh): While some texts use tuppakh (likely related to pouring/striking), the underlying verb commonly used for "pouring out" wrath is natakh (נָתַךְ). This verb carries the imagery of liquid being completely emptied from a vessel, implying a full, abundant, and unstoppable outpouring. It suggests that God's wrath, which has been contained, will now be released without restraint.
• on this place (אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה - ʾel-hammaqom hazzeh): Refers specifically to Jerusalem and the land of Judah, the central stage of their idolatry and sin. It makes the judgment geographically precise and unavoidable for those dwelling there. This includes the very precincts of the Temple they falsely relied upon.
• on man (עַל־הָאָדָם - ʿal-haʾadam) and on beast (וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָה - wəʿal-habbĕhemah): Denotes a universal impact across all living beings within the cursed land. It highlights the completeness of the destruction; neither humans nor animals will be spared, illustrating a cosmic unraveling of their existence, impacting even the created order.
• on the trees of the field (וְעַל־עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה - wəʿal-ʿetz hassadeh) and on the fruit of the ground (וְעַל־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה - wəʿal-pĕrî haʾadamah): This extends the scope of judgment to the natural environment and agricultural sustenance. It means that the very means of livelihood and the natural blessings of the land will be consumed. This devastation affects all resources, signifying utter ruin and the stripping away of all blessing, fulfilling covenant curses (Deut 28).
• it will burn (וּבָעֲרָה - uḇaʿărāh): From the verb בָּעַר (baʿar), meaning "to burn," "to consume by fire." This depicts the nature of God's wrath: a destructive, consuming fire. Fire is a common biblical metaphor for divine judgment, purification, and destruction, signifying both God's holiness and His severe justice.
• and not be quenched (וְלֹא תִכְבֶּה - wəlōh thikbeh): From the verb כָּבָה (kavah), "to be extinguished," "to be put out." This emphasizes the finality, inevitability, and utter destructiveness of the judgment. Once kindled, this divine fire will run its full course; there will be no stopping or escaping it. It signifies complete, unmitigated devastation leading to total desolation, distinguishing it from temporary chastisement.

Jeremiah 7 20 Bonus section

The concept of God's wrath being "unquenchable" here in Jeremiah foreshadows later biblical descriptions of eschatological judgment. While in Jeremiah's immediate context it refers to the unstoppable and total devastation of Judah leading to exile, its linguistic resonance points to the ultimate, eternal consequences of rejecting God. The involvement of all creation—man, beast, trees, and ground—in the suffering caused by human sin is a recurring biblical theme. This underscores the holistic interconnectedness within God's creation, where human spiritual corruption has cosmic implications, impacting the very environment (cf. Gen 3:17-18; Rom 8:19-22). This verse highlights that God's holiness demands justice, and His covenant with Israel was never a blank check for moral laxity but always came with a clear conditional call to obedience. The specificity of "this place" served as a powerful direct warning to those present, confronting their false sense of security with a divine verdict of unparalleled severity.

Jeremiah 7 20 Commentary

Jeremiah 7:20 is a pivotal declaration within the "Temple Sermon," starkly illustrating the absolute and total judgment God intends to bring upon Judah. The repetition of "on" (ʿal) for man, beast, trees, and ground underscores the comprehensive nature of the devastation—no sphere of life, animate or inanimate, will be untouched. This is not a partial disciplinary action but a complete dismantling of their societal and ecological fabric. The vivid imagery of "poured out" wrath and "unquenchable" fire highlights both the intensity and the inevitability of God's righteous indignation. Their reliance on the Temple for security, while rejecting the covenant's moral demands, has made them ripe for such a judgment. God's response to their sin—idolatry, injustice, and hypocritical worship—is therefore absolute, stripping them of every blessing and sustenance, aligning precisely with the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 for covenant unfaithfulness. The judgment is portrayed as irreversible in its historical context, leaving no hope of abatement or escape once it begins.