This passage is a chilling example of divine retribution, where the very children sacrificed to idols are then consumed by their parents out of desperate hunger. It underscores God's exact justice: the sin of offering children to demons leads to the horrifying reality of children becoming food for their desperate families.
And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this verse, Jeremiah was commanded to break a clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom, symbolizing the irreversible destruction of Jerusalem and its people. This verse then spells out the horrifying consequence of their sin: a famine so severe during the coming siege that they would resort to cannibalism, driven to eat their own children and neighbors in the desperate struggle for survival. This stark prophecy echoes earlier warnings from God in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, showing a terrifying, literal fulfillment of divine judgment.
Jeremiah paints a picture so horrific it's hard to grasp: parents eating their own children. What does this extreme image reveal about God's justice?
This verse describes the ultimate horror of famine during a siege. But it's not just a random catastrophe. It's a specific judgment from God, directly mirroring the sins of His people.
The Horrific Consequence
The prophecy states that people will be forced to 'eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters' and even 'the flesh of his neighbor.' This is cannibalism, driven by unimaginable hunger and desperation.
The Principle of Retribution
God's justice often works through a principle of 'lex talionis' – the law of retaliation. In this case, the people had sacrificed their own children to pagan gods, offering them as food to idols. Now, God declares, they will experience the ultimate perversion of parental love by being forced to literally eat their children out of starvation.
It’s a chilling demonstration that sin’s consequences are not arbitrary but are deeply connected to the nature of the sin itself. God’s judgment is precise and aims to expose the true horror of their actions.
When we read about such gruesome acts, it's easy to blame only the enemies or the desperation. But who is ultimately in control here?
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The language used in Jeremiah 19:9 is crucial: 'And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters...' This isn't just about the suffering inflicted by the enemy; it's about God's direct hand in the judgment.
God as the Agent
Commentators note that 'I will cause' signifies God's active role. He is not passively observing the horror; He is bringing it about as a righteous punishment. This is often described as God 'giving them up' to the consequences of their sin, or actively ordaining the circumstances.
A Demonstration of Vengeance
This extreme judgment underscores the severity of Israel's rebellion. For generations, they had provoked God with their idolatry and disobedience. This prophecy serves as a terrifying display of God's wrath against persistent sin, showing that His patience has limits and His justice is absolute.
It’s a stark reminder that even the most devastating human events can be, in God’s sovereign plan, instruments of His judgment against His people for their sin.
Understand the original words
māṣōr · Hebrew Noun
A period of extreme hardship, trouble, or tight pressure, frequently used in the Bible to describe the painful experiences of individuals or nations, particularly under judgment or trial.
māṣōq · Hebrew Noun
A term for severe pain, suffering, or deep anguish; used throughout Scripture to describe the results of judgment, oppression, or difficult providential circumstances.
This prophecy paints a picture of God's ultimate judgment. The horrifying detail of parents eating their children was a stark warning, echoing curses from Deuteronomy, and was literally fulfilled during the sieges of Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians and later, even more brutally, by the Romans.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many inhabitants and scattering them throughout the empire.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes an initial group of exiles, including nobles and skilled workers, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
c. 588-586 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem. This intense and devastating siege leads to extreme famine and suffering within the city.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
After the prolonged siege, Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians. The city and Solomon's Temple are destroyed, and the majority of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon.
c. 400 years later
Roman Siege of Jerusalem
Centuries after the Babylonian exile, Jerusalem endures another catastrophic siege by the Roman army, fulfilling the prophecy in even more horrific ways.
This passage directly foreshadows the horrific outcome described in Jeremiah 19:9, explicitly warning the Israelites of cannibalism during a severe siege as a consequence of disobedience.
Leviticus 26:29Echoing the severity of God's judgment for covenant breaking, this verse also predicts that in extreme famine, people will eat the flesh of their own children.
Lamentations 4:10This passage in Lamentations serves as a direct fulfillment and eyewitness account of the prophecy in Jeremiah 19:9, detailing the very same acts of mothers eating their children during the siege of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 5:10Similar to Jeremiah's prophecy, Ezekiel foretells the extreme consequences of idolatry and disobedience, including the horrifying consumption of children by their parents due to famine.
clarkeJeremiah 19:9: "And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them."
I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons - This was literally fulfilled when Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans. This also the prophet might have had in view.
calvinJeremiah 19:9: "And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them."
- And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall…
This passage is a chilling example of divine retribution, where the very children sacrificed to idols are then consumed by their parents out of desperate hunger. It underscores God's exact justice: the sin of offering children to demons leads to the horrifying reality of children becoming food for their desperate families.
Just before this verse, Jeremiah was commanded to break a clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom, symbolizing the irreversible destruction of Jerusalem and its people. This verse then spells out the horrifying consequence of their sin: a famine so severe during the coming siege that they would resort to cannibalism, driven to eat their own children and neighbors in the desperate struggle for survival. This stark prophecy echoes earlier warnings from God in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, showing a terrifying, literal fulfillment of divine judgment.
Just before this verse, Jeremiah was commanded to break a clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom, symbolizing the irreversible destruction of Jerusalem and its people. This verse then spells out the horrifying consequence of their sin: a famine so severe during the coming siege that they would resort to cannibalism, driven to eat their own children and neighbors in the desperate struggle for survival. This stark prophecy echoes earlier warnings from God in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, showing a terrifying, literal fulfillment of divine judgment.
"And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.’" — This passage is a chilling example of divine retribution, where the very children sacrificed to idols are then consumed by their parents out of desperate hunger. It underscores God's exact justice: t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
