Jeremiah 14:16
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What's easy to miss is that the terrible fate described – bodies left unburied in the streets – isn't just a consequence of famine and sword, but a direct pouring out of their own wickedness. God isn't just punishing them; He's revealing that their sin itself becomes the instrument of their destruction, a grim harvest of the seeds they've sown.
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)
Jeremiah has just declared judgment on the false prophets who have deceived the people with promises of peace. Now, the prophet turns to the people themselves, explaining that they too will face destruction. This verse vividly depicts the grim reality of famine and war, where death is so rampant that the dead, including entire families, will lie unburied in the streets as a consequence of their collective wickedness and their embrace of lies over God's truth.
Imagine a world where comforting lies lead to utter destruction. Jeremiah paints a grim picture of just that. What happens when people choose pleasant deceptions over harsh truths?
Jeremiah 14:16 reveals a devastating consequence of embracing false prophecy. The people who listened to the lying prophets, who promised peace and security, face a brutal reality.
The People's Choice
The Inescapable Judgment
This isn't just about empty promises; it's about the life-and-death implications of believing what we want to hear instead of what God says.
The phrase 'I will pour out their wickedness upon them' sounds harsh. What does it truly mean when God holds people accountable for their own evil deeds?
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The closing phrase, 'For I will pour out their wickedness upon them,' is a powerful declaration of divine justice. It's not that God is causing their wickedness in the sense of initiating it, but rather that He is allowing the natural and just consequences of their actions to fall upon them.
The Consequence is the Crime
Shared Guilt, Shared Fate
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.
This verse speaks to the horrific reality of Jerusalem's final siege, where not only were people starving and dying from warfare, but the social fabric was so broken that no one was left to perform the basic act of burial, a profound sign of God's judgment.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Begins Ministry
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah during a time of increasing political instability and spiritual decay.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, and many prominent citizens, including the prophet Daniel, are taken into exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans are exiled to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel.
589-587 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem, leading to widespread famine and ultimately the destruction of the city and the Temple.
587 BC
Third Deportation to Babylon
The remaining population of Jerusalem, save for a few poor remnant left to tend the vineyards, are exiled to Babylon.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's theme of false prophets building shaky structures, highlighting how their deceptive messages ultimately lead to disaster and ruin for those who trust them.
Jeremiah 2:19This verse directly links the people's own 'wickedness' to their suffering and correction, mirroring Jeremiah 14:16's declaration that God will 'pour out their wickedness upon them' as punishment.
1 Kings 22:22This passage describes a lying spirit being sent by God to deceive prophets, illustrating the broader biblical concept of divine judgment involving misleading messages sent to a disobedient people.
Matthew 7:26-27Jesus uses the analogy of a foolish builder whose house collapses in a storm to show the devastating consequences of ignoring God's words; this parallels Jeremiah's message about the destruction awaiting those who followed false prophets.
Romans 1:28Paul speaks of God giving people over to a 'corrupt mind' because they refused to acknowledge Him, which aligns with the idea in Jeremiah 14:16 that the people's own ingrained wickedness leads to their destruction by God's hand.
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,…
What's easy to miss is that the terrible fate described – bodies left unburied in the streets – isn't just a consequence of famine and sword, but a direct pouring out of their own wickedness. God isn't just punishing them; He's revealing that their sin itself becomes the instrument of their destruction, a grim harvest of the seeds they've sown.
Jeremiah has just declared judgment on the false prophets who have deceived the people with promises of peace. Now, the prophet turns to the people themselves, explaining that they too will face destruction. This verse vividly depicts the grim reality of famine and war, where death is so rampant that the dead, including entire families, will lie unburied in the streets as a consequence of their collective wickedness and their embrace of lies over God's truth.
Jeremiah has just declared judgment on the false prophets who have deceived the people with promises of peace. Now, the prophet turns to the people themselves, explaining that they too will face destruction. This verse vividly depicts the grim reality of famine and war, where death is so rampant that the dead, including entire families, will lie unburied in the streets as a consequence of their collective wickedness and their embrace of lies over God's truth.
"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." — What's easy to miss is that the terrible fate described – bodies left unburied in the streets – isn't just a consequence of famine and sword, but a direct pouring out of their own wickedness. God isn…
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Last reviewed October 2026
