Jeremiah 9:15 kjv
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Jeremiah 9:15 nkjv
therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Jeremiah 9:15 niv
Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water.
Jeremiah 9:15 esv
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink.
Jeremiah 9:15 nlt
So now, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink.
Jeremiah 9 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 9:15 | "Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink." | Theme: Divine judgment |
| Psalm 69:21 | "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." | Fulfillment: Suffering |
| Proverbs 25:20 | "As he that teth a song to a heavy heart, so is he that taketh away a garment in a day of winter, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart." | Comparison: Bitter emotions |
| Jeremiah 23:15 | "For from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land." | Cause: False prophecy |
| Jeremiah 23:40 | "And I will bring a perpetual reproach upon them, and a perpetual shame of face, which shall not be put away." | Consequence: Shame |
| Jeremiah 48:36 | "Wherefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kircheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished." | Symbolism: Wailing/Lament |
| Amos 6:12 | "Shall horses run on the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:" | Action: Perverting justice |
| Deuteronomy 29:18 | "Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;" | Warning: Idolatry |
| Isaiah 1:25 | "And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:" | Process: Purification |
| Jeremiah 15:10 | "For I have heard the malediction of many: fear on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they devised my life." | Context: Personal suffering |
| Jeremiah 17:6 | "For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but he shall inhabit the parched places of the wilderness in a salt land and not inhabited." | Condition: Desolation |
| Revelation 8:11 | "And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." | Parallel: Heavenly judgment |
| Revelation 16:4 | "And the third angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea." | Parallel: Deadly consequence |
| Leviticus 26:16 | "I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it." | Consequence: Destructive plagues |
| Deuteronomy 32:33 | "Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps which is in the fields." | Imagery: Extreme harm |
| Isaiah 14:11 | "Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee." | Outcome: Demise |
| Hosea 10:4 | "They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making covenants: thus judgment springeth up as wicked hemlock in the furrows of the field." | Action: Unjust judgment |
| Ezekiel 18:2 | "What mean ye, that ye use this proverb by day concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?" | Context: Generational sin |
| Jeremiah 31:30 | "But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge." | Clarification: Personal accountability |
| Lamentations 3:15 | "He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood." | Personal experience: Anguish |
Jeremiah 9 verses
Jeremiah 9 15 Meaning
This verse speaks of a judgment from the Lord. He will nourish the people with wormwood and give them poisoned water. This signifies extreme suffering, bitterness, and a deadly fate as a consequence of their sin. The actions described are symbolic of a complete destruction and a life-ending experience.
Jeremiah 9 15 Context
Jeremiah 9:15 is part of a larger prophecy delivered by Jeremiah to Judah. In this section (Jeremiah 9:12-16), God explains the reason for the impending judgment: Judah's abandonment of God's law and their descent into idolatry and false worship. They have rejected His covenant. The consequence for this disobedience is a devastating spiritual and physical drought and devastation. The imagery of being fed wormwood and given water of gall vividly portrays the extreme suffering and destruction that will come upon them. This judgment is a direct response to their persistent unfaithfulness and their pursuit of false deities. The historical context is the period leading up to the Babylonian exile, a time when Judah’s spiritual and moral condition was severely deteriorated.
Jeremiah 9 15 Word analysis
- Therefore (Hebrew: על־כן, al-ken): Connects the following declaration of judgment to the preceding reasons. It signifies consequence, "because of this."
- thus (Hebrew: כֹּה, koh): Indicates manner or way, often introducing a direct pronouncement or declaration from God.
- saith (Hebrew: אָמַר, amar): A common verb for speaking or declaring, here used for God's authoritative pronouncement.
- the LORD of hosts (Hebrew: יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, Yahweh Tseva'ot): A title emphasizing God's supreme power and sovereignty over all armies and creation, indicating His authority to execute judgment.
- the God of Israel: Identifies the God who is speaking as the covenant God of His chosen people, underscoring the gravity of the judgment being announced against them.
- Behold (Hebrew: הִנֵּה, hinneh): A particle of attention-getting, drawing the listener's focus to what is about to be said, signifying an imminent and important declaration.
- I (Hebrew: אֲנִי, ani): Emphatic use of the first person, stressing God's direct involvement in enacting this judgment.
- will feed (Hebrew: הַאֲכִל, ha'akhil): To cause to eat, to give food to. Here, it implies a forced consumption of something harmful.
- them, even this people: Refers specifically to the people of Judah who are the recipients of God’s judgment.
- with wormwood (Hebrew: לַעֲנָה, la'anah): A bitter herb. Symbolically represents bitterness, suffering, affliction, and divine punishment. (See Deuteronomy 29:18).
- and give (Hebrew: וְהִשְׁקָה, v'hishkah): And cause to drink, to provide a drink for. Similar to "feed," it indicates a deliberate provision of something destructive.
- them water of gall (Hebrew: מֵימֵי רוֹשׁ, meimei rosh): Literally, "waters of poison" or "waters of bitter substance." "Rosh" can refer to hemlock or a similarly poisonous and bitter substance. It signifies a deadly, noxious drink, representing extreme hardship and destruction.
Jeremiah 9 15 Bonus section
The imagery of "wormwood" and "water of gall" serves as a powerful metaphor for the ultimate consequence of spiritual adultery and rebellion against God. In the ancient Near East, bitter substances were sometimes associated with judgment and ordeal. The act of "feeding" and "giving water" emphasizes that this judgment is not a passive observation by God, but an active dispensing of deserved consequences by His hand. This aligns with the prophetic pattern of God directly intervening in history to punish His people for their covenant breaking, as seen throughout the Old Testament.
Jeremiah 9 15 Commentary
This verse is a stark pronouncement of divine judgment against unfaithful Israel. God, the Lord of Hosts, will administer a severe and unavoidable sentence. He will actively provide the means of their destruction. "Wormwood" and "water of gall" are not literal food and drink but symbolic representations of extreme bitterness, suffering, and death. This judgment is a direct consequence of their spiritual infidelity and rejection of God's ways, leading them to experience the dire results of their actions. It underscores God's faithfulness to His word in bringing consequences for sin.