Jeremiah 8:3 kjv
And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jeremiah 8:3 nkjv
Then death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of those who remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places where I have driven them," says the LORD of hosts.
Jeremiah 8:3 niv
Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the LORD Almighty.'
Jeremiah 8:3 esv
Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, declares the LORD of hosts.
Jeremiah 8:3 nlt
And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!
Jeremiah 8 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 8:1 | “At that time, declares the Lord, they shall cast out of the tombs the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. | God's judgment upon Jerusalem (contextual) |
| Jeremiah 8:2 | and they shall cast them out before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have followed, which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as refuse on the surface of the ground. | Rejection of idolatry |
| Jeremiah 8:3 | And death shall be chosen rather than life by the remnant of these people who remain in the places where I have driven them, declares the Lord of hosts. | Divine election and remnant |
| Jeremiah 8:4 | “You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: When men fall, do they not rise up again? When one turns away, does he not turn back? | Hope and repentance |
| Jeremiah 8:5 | Why then has this people turned an)¶ apostate in Jerusalem with an ever-turning back? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return. | Persistent rebellion |
| Jeremiah 8:6 | I have given ear and listened, but they do not speak what is right, as no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Every one turns to his own course, like a horse plunging into battle. | Lack of repentance |
| Jeremiah 8:7 | Even the stork in the heavens knows its times, and the turtledove, the swift, and the crane, they keep the time of their return, but my people do not know the ordinance of the Lord. | Israel's ignorance of God's timing |
| Jeremiah 8:11 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. | False security |
| Jeremiah 13:10 | This people have a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. | Stubbornness of the people |
| Jeremiah 21:9 | He who stays in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out and throws himself on the side of the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and have as his life a prize of his own. | Choices during siege |
| Jeremiah 24:10 | And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence among them, until they are utterly consumed from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.’ | Consequences of disobedience |
| Jeremiah 29:11 | For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. | God's ultimate plans for Israel |
| Jeremiah 30:17 | For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast, ‘Zion, for whom no one cares!’ | Restoration of Zion |
| Jeremiah 44:28 | As for all the remnant of Judah who came to live in the land of Egypt, you shall by them know whose words fail, whether mine or theirs. | Failure of false promises |
| Isaiah 1:3 | The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. | Israel's lack of discernment |
| Ezekiel 33:10 | So you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have said: “Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we become like that in which we rot; how then can we live?”’ | Burden of sin |
| Ezekiel 34:16 | I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will give themshepherdsin accordance with my heart. | God's care for His people |
| Matthew 10:33 | but whoever denies me before men will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. | Denying Christ |
| Romans 11:5 | So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. | The remnant |
| Revelation 2:26 | The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations. | Overcoming for reward |
| 1 Peter 1:5 | who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. | Protection by God's power |
Jeremiah 8 verses
Jeremiah 8 3 Meaning
This verse signifies the divine decision that even though Jerusalem's people will face the sword, their ultimate fate will not be total annihilation. Instead, some will be exiled, but the prophetic word regarding judgment and scattering will stand.
Jeremiah 8 3 Context
Jeremiah chapter 8 describes God's severe judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness. The chapter opens with a vivid image of unearthed bones, signifying the totality of the impending destruction. The people have stubbornly refused to turn back to God, embracing deceit and false promises of peace. They are portrayed as ignoring the natural order and God's appointed times, showing no knowledge of His ways. The verse in question comes amidst this pronouncement of judgment, highlighting the severe plight of those who survive the initial devastation but are scattered and spiritually broken. Even in their suffering, their choice is to prefer death over life because of the desolate conditions they face. This reflects a state of profound despair brought about by their sin and its consequences.
Jeremiah 8 3 Word Analysis
- And (וְ - we): A conjunction linking clauses, showing sequence or consequence. Here, it connects the pervasive judgment of the sword with the psychological state of the remnant.
- death (מָוֶת - maveth): Meaning death, mortality. It signifies not just physical cessation of life, but also a state of spiritual and national death due to alienation from God.
- shall be chosen (יִבְחַר - yivchar): From the root בָּחַר (bachar), meaning to choose, select, elect. This is in the passive voice, indicating a choice forced upon them by their dire circumstances, rather than an active preference for death, but a despairing choice that seems better than the suffering.
- rather than (מִן - min): A preposition indicating separation, out of, from. It sets up the comparison between death and life.
- life (חַיִּים - chayyem): Meaning life, vitality. In contrast to the chosen death, this refers to continued existence.
- by the remnant (שְׁאֵרִית - sh’erith): Meaning remnant, residue, what is left over. This specifically refers to the portion of the population that survives the initial onslaught.
- of these people (הָעָם - ha’am): The people; refers specifically to the people of Judah.
- who remain (הַנּוֹתָרִים - han-notarim): Those left behind, remaining survivors.
- in the places (בִּמְקֹמוֹת - bimkomoth): In the places. This refers to the scattered locations where they have been exiled or driven.
- which (אֲשֶׁר - asher): Relative pronoun.
- I have driven them (נִדַּחְתִּי אֹתָם - niddachti otam): From the root נָדַח (nadach), meaning to drive away, scatter, impel. It highlights God's active role in their dispersion as a consequence of their disobedience.
- declares (נְאֻם - ne’um): Utterance, declaration, saying. Emphasizes the authority and certainty of the following statement.
- the Lord (יְהוָה - Yehovah): The covenant name of God.
- of hosts (צְבָאוֹת - tzeva’oth): Of hosts, armies. Refers to God's supreme authority over all heavenly and earthly powers.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "death shall be chosen rather than life": This phrase conveys the extreme despair and suffering experienced by the survivors, where existence itself becomes unbearable. It speaks of a desolation so profound that it makes the prospect of death a release.
- "the remnant of these people who remain in the places which I have driven them": This highlights the specific condition of those left behind after judgment, scattered and experiencing the direct consequences of God's action (driving them away).
Jeremiah 8 3 Bonus Section
The choice of "death rather than life" in such extreme circumstances can be seen as a hyperbole to emphasize the crushing misery and hopelessness of the situation. This sentiment is echoed in other biblical passages where individuals cry out for death due to unbearable suffering (e.g., Elijah in 1 Kings 19:4). However, in the broader context of Jeremiah, and indeed all of Scripture, God's ultimate purpose is always redemption and restoration, not mere destruction. The existence of a "remnant" itself is a promise of future hope, albeit a hope that passes through immense suffering and judgment. The chosen word "chosen" (yivchar) in the passive form underscores that this is a consequence of their fallen state and the dire situation, not a positive desire for death itself.
Jeremiah 8 3 Commentary
This verse powerfully illustrates the depth of despair that sin and divine judgment can bring. The survivors are not experiencing life as a blessing, but as an unbearable burden. Their preferred choice is death because of the suffering inflicted by God's judgment and their abandonment of Him. The "remnant" is in a state of spiritual and emotional death, even while physically alive, reflecting their lost connection to God and the destruction of their homeland and societal structures. This points to the profound misery of a people cut off from their source of life, which is God Himself.