Jeremiah 9:9 kjv
Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 9:9 nkjv
Shall I not punish them for these things?" says the LORD. "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?"
Jeremiah 9:9 niv
Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?"
Jeremiah 9:9 esv
Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?
Jeremiah 9:9 nlt
Should I not punish them for this?" says the LORD.
"Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?"
Jeremiah 9 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 9:11 | "...Why has the land perished and become scorched like a wilderness...?" | Jer 17:6 |
| Jer 9:10 | "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a dwelling place for jackals..." | Jer 19:12, Jer 21:6, Jer 52:13 |
| Jer 9:11 | "...because they abandoned my law which I had set before them..." | Deut 28:15, Neh 9:26 |
| Jer 9:12 | "Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord...?" | Job 9:4, Isa 40:13-14 |
| Jer 9:12 | "...to explain why the land is destroyed and scorched like a desert...?" | Jer 22:8-9, Judg 2:14-15 |
| Jer 9:13 | "The Lord answered, 'It is because they have abandoned my law...'" | Lev 26:14-15, Deut 29:24-25 |
| Jer 9:14 | "'...they have followed the stubbornness of their own hearts...'" | Jer 3:17, Jer 7:24 |
| Jer 9:15 | "'Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says...'" | Jer 23:5, Isa 1:24 |
| Jer 9:15 | "'I will feed them—these people—with bitterness and give them poison to drink.'" | Ps 75:8, Rev 18:6 |
| Jer 9:16 | "'I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known...'" | Lev 26:33, Deut 4:27 |
| Jer 9:16 | "'...and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them.'" | Jer 14:12, Ezek 5:12 |
| Isa 60:12 | "For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish..." | 2 Chr 15:13 |
| Ezek 36:35 | "They will say, 'This land that was formerly desolate has become like the garden of Eden...'" | Isa 51:3, Joel 2:3 |
| Ps 107:34 | "...makes the fruitful land a barren waste because of the wickedness of its inhabitants." | Jer 22:5, Deut 29:23 |
| Luke 17:29 | "...but it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all." | Gen 19:24-25, 2 Pet 2:6 |
| Jer 5:29 | "'Should I not punish them for this?' declares the Lord." | Jer 1:12, Rom 2:5 |
| Deut 29:27 | "And the Lord’s anger burned against that land, to bring on it all the curses written in this book." | Jer 7:20, Mal 3:1 |
| 2 Kings 17:18 | "So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence..." | Jer 15:1, Hos 1:6 |
| Rev 18:8 | "Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her..." | Jer 51:47 |
| Zech 7:11-13 | "But they refused to pay attention...they made their hearts as hard as flint..." | Jer 17:1, Heb 3:7-8 |
| Jer 15:3 | "I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers...the sword, the dogs, the birds of the sky, and the beasts of the earth..." | Ezek 14:21, Rev 6:8 |
Jeremiah 9 verses
Jeremiah 9 9 Meaning
The Lord declares that the land of Israel will become a desolate wasteland. Those who pass by will be astonished at the destruction. It will be like the devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah, a place that was overthrown because of its wickedness.
Jeremiah 9 9 Context
Jeremiah 9:9-16 is part of a larger prophecy by Jeremiah directed at the people of Judah. The prophet is lamenting the impending judgment that will fall upon Jerusalem and Judah due to their pervasive sin and rebellion against God. This specific section describes the desolation of the land and the scattering of its people. The oracle highlights the direct consequence of their apostasy: God will turn their fertile land into a wasteland, a judgment mirroring the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasizing the severity of their sin. The passage explains that this is a direct result of their abandonment of God's law and their pursuit of their own desires. The Lord states that he will bring foreign nations to scatter and punish them, a theme recurrent in Jeremiah's ministry. This foretells the Babylonian conquest.
Jeremiah 9 9 Word Analysis
כִּי (ki): Often translated as "because" or "for." It introduces a reason or explanation for the preceding statement. Here, it links the desolation of the land to the sins of the people.
יִשְׁמְמוּ (yishməmu): From the root שָׁמַם (shamam), meaning "to be desolated," "to be astonished," "to be stunned." It conveys a sense of utter ruin and shock. The land itself will become a testament to God's judgment.
הָעוֹלִים (haʿolím): From the root עָלָה (ʿalah), meaning "to go up," "to pass by," "to ascend." Here, it refers to travelers or passers-by.
וְתָמְהוּ (wəṯamhû): From the root תָּמַה (tāmah), meaning "to be astonished," "to be amazed," "to wonder." This verb reinforces the idea of shock and disbelief at the sight of the devastation.
לֵאמֹר (ləʾmōr): Meaning "to say." It introduces a direct statement explaining the cause of the desolation.
עַל־בְּזָבְחָם (ʿal-bəzāḇḥām): "because they abandoned." From the root עָזַב (ʿāzāḇ), meaning "to leave," "to forsake," "to abandon." This points to their deliberate rejection of God's covenant and commandments.
הַשְׁעָרָה (hašʿārāh): Likely a dittography or scribal error. It doesn't appear in critical editions of Jeremiah or have a clear semantic connection.
חֻקּוֹת (ḥuqqōṯ): From the root חָקַק (ḥāqaq), meaning "to carve," "to decree," "to legislate." It refers to laws, statutes, or ordinances. Here, it signifies the commandments God had given to Israel.
יְהוָה (YHWH): The personal name of God, often translated as "LORD."
Their abandonment of God's law: The core reason for the judgment is their rejection of God's statutes, highlighting the covenantal relationship and the consequences of its breach.
The parallel to Sodom and Gomorrah: This comparison emphasizes the severity of their sin and the totality of the judgment, portraying the land as utterly uninhabitable and a place of divine wrath.
The astonishment of passers-by: This phrase illustrates the dramatic and unprecedented nature of the desolation, meant to be a visible sign to all who witnessed it.
Jeremiah 9 9 Bonus Section
The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24-25) is significant. Like those cities, whose sin was so egregious it provoked God's direct, fiery intervention, Judah's persistent rebellion and disobedience warranted a judgment that would transform their once-promised land into a desolate waste. This judgment served not only as punishment but also as a warning to future generations. The concept of the land crying out for justice (cf. Genesis 4:10) is also implicitly present, as the land itself is made to suffer the consequences of its inhabitants' sins. Jeremiah's lament and pronouncements here underscore the holiness of God and His unwavering commitment to justice in response to sin, especially within the context of His covenant people.
Jeremiah 9 9 Commentary
Jeremiah 9:9 starkly pronounces a future desolation upon the land of Israel as a divine consequence for forsaking God's law. The LORD declares that passers-by will be utterly astonished at the utter ruin. This abandonment of God's statutes, their foundational laws and commandments, results in a land so devastated it becomes comparable to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't merely a physical destruction but a spiritual and moral one, where the very earth bears witness to the judgment of God upon a people who rejected His ways. The imagery is powerful: a land rendered lifeless, its people scattered, a testament to the severe ramifications of spiritual infidelity.