Jeremiah 14:18
If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse powerfully depicts the utter devastation where there's no escape – the fields are littered with the slain, and cities are filled with the starving. What's easily missed is the shocking inclusion of "both prophet and priest" caught in this same despair, driven to wander in lands they don't know, stripping away their authority and safety. This highlights that even spiritual leaders are not exempt from God's judgment when they fail to lead people wisely.
Jeremiah continues to paint a grim picture of Judah's impending doom, describing scenes of utter devastation. Whether venturing outside the city walls or remaining within, the people face death: sword-wielding enemies in the fields and starvation's grip within the city. This widespread suffering is so severe that even the spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests who once offered guidance, are themselves lost and wandering in an unknown land, unable to find their way or provide any real help.
Jeremiah paints a grim picture where escape is impossible, and death lurks everywhere. What does this intense imagery reveal about the severity of God's judgment?
Jeremiah uses stark contrasts to show that Judah's destruction is inescapable. Whether people flee the city into the open fields or try to find refuge within the city walls, death finds them.
Slaughter in the Fields
'If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword!' This speaks of the enemy's army surrounding and attacking anyone trying to escape or find sustenance outside the city. The battlefield is everywhere.
Starvation in the City
'And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine!' Inside the city, the lack of food has become so severe that it causes widespread sickness and death. The very walls meant for protection offer no relief from hunger's deadly grip.
This dual imagery emphasizes that there is no safe haven; judgment has fallen comprehensively.
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The prophets and priests are supposed to guide the people, but here they are lost themselves. What does their condition reveal about the spiritual state of Judah?
The verse points to a profound failure at the heart of Judah's spiritual leadership. Both the prophets (who spoke for God) and the priests (who served in the Temple) are implicated.
Professional Blindness
'For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.' The original language suggests they are 'wandering' or 'trafficking' through the land, but crucially, they 'do not know' or 'have no understanding.' This isn't just about physical displacement; it's about a deep spiritual ignorance.
Consequences of Deception
These leaders had misled the people with false assurances of peace and security, ignoring God's warnings. Now, they themselves are caught in the very destruction they failed to foresee or prevent. Their 'trade' or profession has led them, and the nation, astray. They lack knowledge of God's will and His judgment, and therefore, they cannot lead anyone to safety.
Understand the original words
nābî' · Hebrew Noun
A generic term for spiritual leaders or prophets; in this context, it refers to those who claim to speak for God but operate without divine understanding or authority.
kōhēn · Hebrew Noun
An office established by God to represent the people before Him through sacrifices and intercession; failure in this role leads to spiritual blindness and national decay.
Jeremiah's vivid imagery of destruction and famine reflects the devastating reality of the Babylonian conquest and subsequent exile, a direct consequence of Judah's sustained unfaithfulness.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to widespread exile and cultural assimilation. This event serves as a stark warning of future judgment for Judah.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a portion of the population, including skilled individuals and members of the royal family (like Daniel), to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile the majority of the remaining population. This is the catastrophic event Jeremiah has been prophesying.
c. 580 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecies of Exile
Jeremiah continues to deliver his prophetic messages, often from exile or imprisonment, detailing the consequences of disobedience and offering hope for future restoration.
This passage echoes the devastation described by Jeremiah, with weeping mothers and dying children due to famine, painting a grim picture of a city under siege and divine judgment.
Ezekiel 7:15-17Ezekiel describes a similar scene of widespread death and despair, where those who go out to battle are killed by the sword, and those in the city face famine and terror, highlighting the totality of God's judgment.
Isaiah 9:13-15This passage condemns the spiritual leaders (prophets and priests) for misleading God's people, paralleling Jeremiah's accusation that these leaders have 'no knowledge' and contribute to the nation's downfall.
Jeremiah 5:31This verse directly accuses the prophets and priests of lying and deceit, stating that they 'love to have it so,' which aligns with Jeremiah 14:18's implication that these leaders are part of the problem, not the solution.
Lamentations 4:1This verse describes a stark reversal of fortune where the 'precious children' once highly valued are now treated as worthless pottery, reflecting the profound societal breakdown and suffering caused by the calamities Jeremiah witnessed.
calvinJeremiah 14:18: "If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not."
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
Si exiero in agrum, ecce (copula…
ellicottJeremiah 14:18: "If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not."
(18) Them that are sick with famine. —Literally, with even a more awful force, as summing all individual sufferings in one collective unity, the sickness of famine— the pestilence that follows on starvation. Go about into a land that they know not.—Literally, g…
The verse powerfully depicts the utter devastation where there's no escape – the fields are littered with the slain, and cities are filled with the starving. What's easily missed is the shocking inclusion of "both prophet and priest" caught in this same despair, driven to wander in lands they don't know, stripping away their authority and safety. This highlights that even spiritual leaders are not exempt from God's judgment when they fail to lead people wisely.
Jeremiah continues to paint a grim picture of Judah's impending doom, describing scenes of utter devastation. Whether venturing outside the city walls or remaining within, the people face death: sword-wielding enemies in the fields and starvation's grip within the city. This widespread suffering is so severe that even the spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests who once offered guidance, are themselves lost and wandering in an unknown land, unable to find their way or provide any real help.
Jeremiah continues to paint a grim picture of Judah's impending doom, describing scenes of utter devastation. Whether venturing outside the city walls or remaining within, the people face death: sword-wielding enemies in the fields and starvation's grip within the city. This widespread suffering is so severe that even the spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests who once offered guidance, are themselves lost and wandering in an unknown land, unable to find their way or provide any real help.
"If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.’”" — The verse powerfully depicts the utter devastation where there's no escape – the fields are littered with the slain, and cities are filled with the starving. What's easily missed is the shocking incl…
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