Jeremiah 14:16
And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to overlook the chilling detail that no one will be left to bury anyone, not even their wives and children. This wasn't just about a lack of mourners; it reveals that their entire family unit, deeply intertwined with their communal sin, would be wiped out together, leaving no one to fulfill the sacred duty of burial for the rest. God's judgment here emphasizes the total collapse of their society and lineage as a direct consequence of their shared wickedness.
Jeremiah has just been warned by God not to pray for this unrepentant people, especially after declaring judgment upon the false prophets who have deceived them. Now, he turns his focus to the people themselves, explaining the devastating consequences they will face for believing the comforting lies of those false prophets instead of God's truth. This verse paints a grim picture of mass death and the ultimate indignity of being left unburied, a stark contrast to the peace the false prophets promised.
When the prophets spoke comforting lies, the people loved to hear them. But God's Word isn't about comfort apart from truth.
Jeremiah 14:16 paints a grim picture of the consequences for the people who chose to believe the false prophets over God's messenger, Jeremiah. These false prophets offered a false sense of security, promising peace and prosperity when disaster was imminent. The people, eager for good news and unwilling to face their sin, readily embraced these lies.
Loving Lies
It wasn't just the false prophets who were at fault; the people shared in the guilt. They 'loved to wander' from God's ways and 'loved to have it so' – meaning they enjoyed the false prophecies that soothed their ears (Jeremiah 14:10, Henry). Their willingness to believe a lie, rather than confront their sin and turn to God, sealed their fate.
What does it mean for God to 'pour out their wickedness upon them'? It's not just punishment; it's the natural, terrible consequence of their own choices.
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The phrase 'For I will pour out their wickedness upon them' is profound. It doesn't mean God arbitrarily inflicts evil. Instead, it signifies that the 'wickedness' they have sown will now yield its terrible harvest. It's the consequence of their actions and their rejection of God's truth.
The Harvest of Sin
Think of it like this: if you poison a well, the water becomes deadly. When the people drink from that poisoned well of falsehood and sin, the resulting sickness and death are the 'pouring out' of the wickedness they embraced. God is just; He ensures that sin ultimately consumes those who cling to it. The unburied dead in the streets are a stark, physical manifestation of this poured-out wickedness – a community utterly undone by its own rebellion.
The image of the dead left unburied in the streets is horrifying. It speaks to more than just physical death; it points to a loss of dignity and covenant community.
Jeremiah 14:16 describes a scene of absolute devastation: the bodies of the people, their wives, sons, and daughters, lie unburied in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword. This wasn't just a gruesome spectacle; it was a profound sign of God's judgment and the breaking of community bonds.
A Loss of Dignity and Hope
In ancient Jewish society, burial was incredibly important. It was a sign of respect, a proper passage, and a way to maintain the purity of the land. To be unburied meant being cast out, dishonored, and essentially forgotten. It signified a complete social and spiritual collapse, where the very family units were destroyed, leaving no one to perform this final act of love and duty.
This utter desolation emphasizes that their sin had not only brought physical death but had stripped away the very fabric of their existence, leaving them exposed and without hope, even in death.
Understand the original words
nābā' · Hebrew Verb
A declaration of God's will or future events, often spoken by a chosen messenger; in a negative sense, it refers to false proclamations leading people astray.
rā‘āb · Hebrew Noun
An extreme scarcity of food, often used in Scripture as a judgment from God for covenant disobedience, leading to devastation and death.
rā‘āh · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for God's judgment or the consequences of human sin, where the weight of committed evil returns upon the transgressor.
Jeremiah's stark prophecy of bodies left unburied in Jerusalem's streets vividly portrays the devastating consequences of the Babylonian siege. This was not just a military defeat but a divine judgment for the people's persistent idolatry and their rejection of God's true prophets in favor of false promises.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah receives his call to prophesy during the reign of King Josiah, a time of religious reform but also underlying societal and spiritual decay.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports some of Judah's elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This event signals the growing power of Babylon and a prelude to future conquests.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel. This further weakens Judah.
589-587 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, leading to widespread famine and the eventual destruction of the city and the Temple. This is the context for Jeremiah's dire prophecies.
c. 586 BC
Third Babylonian Deportation
After Jerusalem falls, the remaining population is largely deported to Babylon, leaving a small group behind.
This passage echoes the theme of false prophets misleading people with superficial pronouncements of peace, leading to disaster, mirroring Jeremiah's prophecy.
Leviticus 26:16This verse describes God's judgment involving famine and pestilence as a consequence of disobedience, directly aligning with the punishments described in Jeremiah 14:16.
Jeremiah 7:18This verse highlights the collective guilt of the people, including wives and children, in their idolatrous practices, providing context for why entire families would face judgment.
Romans 1:28This New Testament passage explains how God gives people over to a depraved mind when they reject truth, explaining the people's willing embrace of false prophecies despite Jeremiah's warnings.
Revelation 18:5This apocalyptic passage describes Babylon's sins reaching up to heaven and God remembering her evil deeds, paralleling the concept of God pouring out wickedness upon those who have deeply sinned.
clarkeJeremiah 14:16: "And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them."
And the people - shall be cast out - They shall be destroyed, because they preferred their lying words to my truth, proclaimed by thee.
calvinJeremiah 14:15-16: "Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed."
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
Propterea sic dicit Jehova super prophetas,…
It's easy to overlook the chilling detail that no one will be left to bury anyone, not even their wives and children. This wasn't just about a lack of mourners; it reveals that their entire family unit, deeply intertwined with their communal sin, would be wiped out together, leaving no one to fulfill the sacred duty of burial for the rest. God's judgment here emphasizes the total collapse of their society and lineage as a direct consequence of their shared wickedness.
Jeremiah has just been warned by God not to pray for this unrepentant people, especially after declaring judgment upon the false prophets who have deceived them. Now, he turns his focus to the people themselves, explaining the devastating consequences they will face for believing the comforting lies of those false prophets instead of God's truth. This verse paints a grim picture of mass death and the ultimate indignity of being left unburied, a stark contrast to the peace the false prophets promised.
Jeremiah has just been warned by God not to pray for this unrepentant people, especially after declaring judgment upon the false prophets who have deceived them. Now, he turns his focus to the people themselves, explaining the devastating consequences they will face for believing the comforting lies of those false prophets instead of God's truth. This verse paints a grim picture of mass death and the ultimate indignity of being left unburied, a stark contrast to the peace the false prophets promised.
"And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them." — It's easy to overlook the chilling detail that no one will be left to bury anyone, not even their wives and children. This wasn't just about a lack of mourners; it reveals that their entire family…
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