Jeremiah 18:21
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The verse uses vivid, personified language where death and the sword are presented as active agents to whom people are "delivered up" or "poured out." This isn't just a description of suffering, but a divine declaration of the people's complete surrender to destructive forces because of their hardened hearts.
Therefore deliver up their children to famine; give them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of Jeremiah's lament and prophecy of judgment against his own people. Following his symbolic visit to the potter's house and God's explanation of how He can remake or destroy a nation, the people actively plotted against Jeremiah. In response, Jeremiah cries out to God, unleashing a torrent of curses that describe the utter devastation awaiting those who have rejected divine counsel and plotted against the prophet.
Jeremiah's words here sound like a bitter personal attack, filled with curses and imprecations. How can a prophet of God speak this way?
It's crucial to understand that these aren't Jeremiah's personal wishes or directed at his enemies as a private citizen. Instead, they function as prophetic declarations – solemn pronouncements of the judgment God Himself would bring upon Judah for their rebellion and sin.
Think of it this way: Jeremiah wasn't saying, 'I wish this horrible thing would happen to you.' He was saying, 'Because you have chosen this path of sin and defiance, this is what God is going to do.' The language is harsh because the reality of God's judgment is severe. This perspective helps distinguish between a prophet acting as God's mouthpiece for judgment and a personal outburst of anger.
The verse uses vivid imagery, like 'give them over to the power of the sword.' What does this intense language reveal about God's sovereignty in judgment?
The prophet employs powerful personification to underscore the totality and inevitability of God's judgment. Phrases like 'deliver up their children to the famine' and 'give them over to the power of the sword' are not just descriptive; they convey a sense of surrender to these destructive forces.
The 'sword' and 'death' (often referring to pestilence here) are spoken of as if they have agency, ready to receive or strike. This isn't a passive observation of disaster; it highlights that these very forces of destruction are instruments under God's ultimate command. He is the one who 'delivers up' and 'gives over.' This removes any doubt about who is in control and emphasizes that even the most terrifying calamities are subject to His sovereign will.
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Understand the original words
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A severe and prolonged shortage of food, often used in Scripture as a manifestation of divine judgment upon a land or people for their rebellion against God.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A symbol of warfare, violence, and divine judgment; it represents the instrument of death and the power of human aggression or sovereign wrath.
deber · Hebrew Noun
A deadly or virulent epidemic disease; in the Bible, it is frequently cited as a means of divine visitation or judgment upon a nation.
These verses come from the prophet Jeremiah, whose ministry was deeply intertwined with the devastating Babylonian invasions and the eventual destruction of Jerusalem. The imprecations here reflect the prophet's anguish and prophetic pronouncements of the severe judgments God would bring upon Judah for its persistent unfaithfulness, judgments that were horrifyingly realized in the events of the siege and exile.
Late 7th century BC
Jeremiah's Ministry Begins
Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry in Jerusalem during a time of increasing political instability and moral decay in Judah, facing strong opposition from religious and political leaders.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, exiling some of the royal family and educated elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
After a period of rebellion, Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This is a severe blow to the kingdom's leadership and population.
588-586 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces lay siege to Jerusalem, leading to widespread famine and suffering. The city is eventually conquered, its temple destroyed, and the majority of the remaining population is exiled.
After 586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The surviving population of Judah lives in exile in Babylon, experiencing loss and longing for their homeland. Jeremiah continues to prophesy to those left in the land and those in exile.
This passage contains strong imprecations against enemies, mirroring the intensity and specificity of Jeremiah's prophetic curses, detailing the suffering of their families and children.
Leviticus 26:16This verse from the Law outlines consequences for disobedience, including famine and pestilence affecting children and wives, directly aligning with the specific calamities Jeremiah is declaring upon his people.
Deuteronomy 28:15-20This passage details curses that will fall upon the disobedient, including affliction by famine, disease, and the sword, echoing the severe judgments Jeremiah is pronouncing.
Matthew 5:44Jesus' command to love enemies and pray for those who persecute us provides a stark contrast to Jeremiah's imprecations, highlighting the prophetic context as divine judgment rather than personal revenge.
clarkeJeremiah 18:21: "Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle."
Therefore deliver up their children - The execrations in these verses should be considered as simply prophetic declarations of the judgments which God was about to pour out on them. If we consider them in their grammatical m…
calvinJeremiah 18:21: "Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle."
- Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young…
The verse uses vivid, personified language where death and the sword are presented as active agents to whom people are "delivered up" or "poured out." This isn't just a description of suffering, but a divine declaration of the people's complete surrender to destructive forces because of their hardened hearts.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's lament and prophecy of judgment against his own people. Following his symbolic visit to the potter's house and God's explanation of how He can remake or destroy a nation, the people actively plotted against Jeremiah. In response, Jeremiah cries out to God, unleashing a torrent of curses that describe the utter devastation awaiting those who have rejected divine counsel and plotted against the prophet.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's lament and prophecy of judgment against his own people. Following his symbolic visit to the potter's house and God's explanation of how He can remake or destroy a nation, the people actively plotted against Jeremiah. In response, Jeremiah cries out to God, unleashing a torrent of curses that describe the utter devastation awaiting those who have rejected divine counsel and plotted against the prophet.
"Therefore deliver up their children to famine; give them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the s…" — The verse uses vivid, personified language where death and the sword are presented as active agents to whom people are "delivered up" or "poured out." This isn't just a description of suffering, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026
