Jeremiah 9 16

Jeremiah 9:16 kjv

I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

Jeremiah 9:16 nkjv

I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them."

Jeremiah 9:16 niv

I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them."

Jeremiah 9:16 esv

I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them."

Jeremiah 9:16 nlt

I will scatter them around the world, in places they and their ancestors never heard of, and even there I will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely."

Jeremiah 9 16 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Jeremiah 13:12-14As the flask fills with wine, so will they fill themselves with it; and they will fall, and never rise again.Judgment for pride/sin
Psalm 75:8For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, with the wine of his wrath, poured out, a mingled drink.God's cup of wrath
Isaiah 51:17, 22Awake, awake, and stand up, O Jerusalem... your children have fainted.Jerusalem's suffering
Habakkuk 2:16You are filled with shame instead of honor. Drink, you yourself, and be exposed! The cup in the LORD's right hand will be turned against you.Shame and judgment
Revelation 14:10He also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is pure and is poured into the cup of his anger.Wine of God's wrath in NT
Revelation 18:6Pay her back as she herself has paid back, and multiply your payment twofold according to her deeds.Judgment on Babylon
Deuteronomy 28:65And among these nations you shall not find rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a place to rest.Exile and no rest
Jeremiah 42:22But now know for certain that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live.Certainty of destruction
Ezekiel 23:31-34You have walked in the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.Judgment shared by sisters
Hosea 8:8Israel has been swallowed up; now they are among the nations like a useless pot.Uselessness after scattering
Jeremiah 15:2-3...by sword, by the sword; by knife, by the knife; by famine, by the famine; by captivity, by captivity. Thus declares the LORD: "For the four kinds of destroyers..."Multiple forms of judgment
Jeremiah 7:15and I will cast you out of my sight. As I have cast out all your brothers, the whole offspring of Ephraim.Casting out of sight
Jeremiah 17:1-2"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart...Inscribed sin
Isaiah 30:14and shatter it as a potter shatters a jar, breaking it so thoroughly that among the shards there will not be a fragment left.Complete destruction
Psalm 60:3You have made the land to shake and to tremble; you have healed its breaks, for it is exceedingly quick.Shaking and healing
Jeremiah 9:15therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them poison to drink.Foreshadowing of judgment
Jeremiah 50:17Israel is a scattered sheep. The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gnawed his bones.Scattered sheep
Romans 11:10Let their eyes be darkened, so that they may not see, and ever bow down their backs.Spiritual blindness
1 Corinthians 11:29For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.Discerning the Lord's body

Jeremiah 9 verses

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Jeremiah 9 16 Meaning

This verse describes the inevitable consequence of the nation's unfaithfulness and idolatry: God will make them drink the bitter cup of judgment, and they will scatter among the nations.

Jeremiah 9 16 Context

Jeremiah chapter 9 continues the prophet's lament and denunciation of Judah's sins. The preceding verses highlight their deceitfulness, arrogance, and persistent idolatry. God, through Jeremiah, pronounces severe judgment upon them, predicting their exile and scattering among the nations. This specific verse acts as a direct consequence of their actions, detailing the bitter experience of God's judgment and dispersion. It falls within a broader prophetic message of impending doom for an unrepentant people, underscoring the severity of breaking the covenant.

Jeremiah 9 16 Word Analysis

  • לָכֵן (laken)
    • Meaning: therefore, for this reason.
    • Significance: Indicates a direct causal link between their sin and the coming judgment. It signifies a conclusion drawn from the preceding descriptions of Judah's unfaithfulness.
  • כֹּה (koh)
    • Meaning: so, thus, in this way.
    • Significance: Emphasizes the manner in which the judgment will be executed. It's a pronouncement of how God will act.
  • אָמַר (amar)
    • Meaning: said.
    • Significance: Introduces God's direct pronouncement through the prophet. It's an authoritative statement of divine intent.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH)
    • Meaning: LORD.
    • Significance: The personal, covenantal name of God, emphasizing that this judgment comes from the God who has a relationship with Israel.
  • צְבָאוֹת (Tzva'ot)
    • Meaning: hosts, armies.
    • Significance: "LORD of Hosts" emphasizes God's supreme power and authority over all heavenly and earthly armies, underscoring His capability to execute judgment.
  • אֱלֹהֵי (Elohei)
    • Meaning: God of.
    • Significance: Connects God's overarching power with His specific relationship to Israel.
  • יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrael)
    • Meaning: Israel.
    • Significance: Identifies the specific nation upon whom this judgment is pronounced, even though at this time it primarily refers to Judah.
  • מַשְׁקֶה (mashkeh)
    • Meaning: I will give drink, I will cause to drink.
    • Significance: Implies a forced consumption, a bitter draught that cannot be refused. It signifies the people will experience the full measure of God's wrath.
  • אֹתָם (otam)
    • Meaning: them.
    • Significance: Refers back to the people of Judah who are the subject of the prophecy.
  • אֲבָר (avar)
    • Meaning: bitter. (related to אֲבִיעָר – 'avir). However, in context, it likely refers to 'bitter' or 'wormwood'.
    • Significance: Describes the nature of the drink—bitter and likely poisonous. This signifies the agonizing and destructive nature of the judgment. The word itself evokes pain and suffering.
  • וְנָתַתִּי (venatati)
    • Meaning: and I will give.
    • Significance: Continues the pronouncement of God's active involvement in administering the judgment.
  • לָהֶם (lahem)
    • Meaning: to them.
    • Significance: Reinforces that the judgment is directly and personally applied to the people of Judah.
  • לָגֶשֶׁת (lagashet) - (This word seems to be a variant or misprint. A more likely reading is לָגֹמֶא (lagome) or לָשׁוֹת (lashtot), meaning 'to drink'.)
    • Meaning (Assuming לָגֹמֶא): to drink.
    • Significance: Underscores the completeness of their submission to judgment. They will not merely be afflicted but will drink the very essence of God's wrath.
  • מֵרִירִים (merirrim)
    • Meaning: bitter things, poisons. (plural of מֵר, mar)
    • Significance: Further emphasizes the poisonous and painful quality of the judgment. It's a strong intensification of the bitterness.
  • וְהִפְלֵיתִי (vehifleti)
    • Meaning: and I will scatter. (Hiphil conjugation of פָּלַט, palat, though sometimes this root is related to fleeing or escape; more likely related to פוץ, putz - to scatter or spread) A common rendering of the root meaning is 'to scatter'.
    • Significance: Introduces the consequence of dispersal among the nations. This points to exile and the loss of their national identity and homeland.
  • אֹתָם (otam)
    • Meaning: them.
    • Significance: Again, refers to the people of Judah being scattered.
  • בַּגּוֹיִם (bagoyim)
    • Meaning: among the nations.
    • Significance: Specifies the destination of their scattering, signifying a loss of status as God's chosen people and their integration (or rather, alienation) into the gentile world.
  • אֲשֶׁר (asher)
    • Meaning: which, who.
    • Significance: Introduces a relative clause describing the nations.
  • לֹא (lo)
    • Meaning: not.
    • Significance: Introduces negation.
  • יָדְעוּ (yad'u)
    • Meaning: they knew.
    • Significance: This crucial word refers to the ignorance of the nations regarding God's judgment or covenant. It implies that the scattering will be to places where they will be unfamiliar and estranged, possibly where their God is not known.
  • לֹא (lo)
    • Meaning: not.
    • Significance: Another negation.
  • יָדְעוּ (yad'u)
    • Meaning: they knew.
    • Significance: Repeats and emphasizes the ignorance. The combination highlights that they will be sent to places and among peoples who do not know their God, increasing their isolation and distress.

Jeremiah 9 16 Bonus Section

The imagery of God causing His people to drink a bitter cup is powerful. It predates Christ's experience in Gethsemane, but the theme of bearing a divinely appointed cup of suffering resonates. The contrast between those who know God and those who do not underscores the privilege and protection found in covenant relationship. For the Jews of Jeremiah's time, exile was the ultimate fear, representing God's abandonment and the dismantling of His covenant promises. The phrase "nations that did not know" also highlights that their punishment would be a public demonstration of God's justice to the wider world. This theme of scattering and suffering among foreigners is a recurring motif in Israel's history and prophetic literature.

Jeremiah 9 16 Commentary

This verse delivers a stark prophecy of judgment, depicting God Himself administering a bitter draught of wrath to His people, Judah. Their persistent disobedience and turning away from the Lord necessitate this severe measure. The "bitter drink" symbolizes not just punishment but the excruciating experience of that punishment—a forced ingestion of the consequences of sin. The scattering "among the nations" that "do not know" them speaks of deep alienation and the complete loss of covenantal privilege and recognition. They are to be exiled to a world indifferent or even hostile to their God. This serves as a solemn reminder of the holiness of God and the devastating reality of His judgment against those who reject Him, even His own people. The NT concept of judgment and separation echoes this, particularly regarding spiritual blindness and being estranged from God.