Jeremiah 16:13
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The verse uses a bitter irony: the people chose to serve other gods in their own land, so God declares they will be forced to serve those gods in exile, without relief day or night. This isn't just about worship, but also about enduring bondage to the worshippers of false gods, who will impose their ways upon them.
Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is explaining to Jeremiah what will happen when he delivers the message of judgment to the people. They will protest, asking why God is bringing such disaster upon them, questioning their iniquity. Jeremiah is to tell them it's because their ancestors forsook God, and they themselves have done even worse by following their own desires and refusing to listen.
Have you ever felt that God's judgment is unfair or too harsh? Jeremiah's message here confronts that very idea.
Jeremiah 16:13 reveals the profound justice of God in the face of persistent disobedience. The people of Judah were asking, 'What did we do to deserve this?' (Jeremiah 16:10). God's answer, laid out in this verse and its context, is that their exile and forced service to other gods is a direct consequence of their actions.
The promise of serving other gods 'day and night' sounds like a life sentence of misery. What does this reveal about the nature of idols?
The heart of God's judgment in Jeremiah 16:13 is not just removal from the land, but the experience of serving false gods. This highlights the utter futility and painful reality of idol worship.
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Understand the original words
tul · Hebrew Verb
To cast, throw, or expel with force. Biblically, it refers to the decisive act of God in executing judgment by driving His people out of their inheritance as a consequence of covenant violation.
chen · Hebrew Noun
Unmerited kindness, grace, or mercy. In this context, the withdrawal of God's favor signifies the cessation of His divine protection and the imposition of the consequences of sin.
This prophecy is directly tied to the Babylonian conquest and exile, a catastrophic event where the people of Judah were forcibly removed from their ancestral land and dispersed into a foreign territory, fulfilling God's judgment for their persistent disobedience and idolatry.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its population and beginning a long period of foreign domination and exile for many Israelites.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire conquer Judah. As a prelude to greater destruction, he deports some of the royal family and elite citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, to Babylon after a rebellion. This further weakens the kingdom.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, carrying off a large portion of the remaining population into Babylonian exile. This marks the most devastating loss for Judah.
c. 586-539 BC
Babylonian Exile
The majority of the Judean population lives in exile in Babylon, experiencing a loss of land, sovereignty, and the ability to worship God in the Temple. Jeremiah's prophecy of being cast into a land they and their fathers never knew is fulfilled.
This passage foretells a similar fate for disobedience, explicitly stating that the Israelites would be carried captive to a foreign land where they would serve other gods, mirroring Jeremiah's prophecy.
1 Samuel 26:19This verse reflects the idea that serving other gods is equivalent to serving those who send you into exile, connecting the act of worship to the loss of freedom and divine favor, as seen in Jeremiah's warning.
Ezekiel 18:4This passage emphasizes individual responsibility for sin, contrasting with the generational judgment implied in Jeremiah's prophecy, and highlights that it's the soul that sins that dies, not necessarily the innocent child.
Jeremiah 1:18This earlier prophecy to Jeremiah positions him as a 'bronze wall' against an obstinate people. It sets the stage for him to deliver harsh messages, like the one in Jeremiah 16:13, without being discouraged by their inevitable rejection.
Daniel 3:12This chapter illustrates the reality of being forced to serve other gods in exile, showing the fiery furnace punishment for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's idols, which is a practical outworking of the curse predicted in Jeremiah.
calvinJeremiah 16:10-13: "And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?"
- And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what…
pooleJeremiah 16:13: "Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour."
You would not hearken to me to obey my voice in that good land which I gave you, and which you have known and inherited now many years; therefore I will throw you out into a land which you know not, and which your fathers knew not. You would not serve me in this land, but chose to serve other…
The verse uses a bitter irony: the people chose to serve other gods in their own land, so God declares they will be forced to serve those gods in exile, without relief day or night. This isn't just about worship, but also about enduring bondage to the worshippers of false gods, who will impose their ways upon them.
God is explaining to Jeremiah what will happen when he delivers the message of judgment to the people. They will protest, asking why God is bringing such disaster upon them, questioning their iniquity. Jeremiah is to tell them it's because their ancestors forsook God, and they themselves have done even worse by following their own desires and refusing to listen.
God is explaining to Jeremiah what will happen when he delivers the message of judgment to the people. They will protest, asking why God is bringing such disaster upon them, questioning their iniquity. Jeremiah is to tell them it's because their ancestors forsook God, and they themselves have done even worse by following their own desires and refusing to listen.
"Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’" — The verse uses a bitter irony: the people chose to serve other gods in their own land, so God declares they will be forced to serve those gods in exile, without relief day or night. This isn't ju…
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Last reviewed October 2026
