Jeremiah 20:5
Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse doesn't just list what will be taken; it emphasizes how it's taken. God declares He will deliver not only the "treasures" but also the "strength" and "labors" of the city, highlighting that their hard-won gains and even their defensive capabilities will be plundered, not merely lost. This reveals that the devastation will strip away everything they relied on, showing the completeness of God's judgment.
Just before this, the priest Pashur had Jeremiah publicly beaten and thrown into the stocks for his prophecies. Now, God tells Jeremiah that not only will Pashur face personal judgment, but the entire city will be plundered, with all its wealth, hard-earned gains, and royal treasures carried off to Babylon as spoils of war. This prophecy amplifies the grim future facing Judah, showing the sweeping scale of the coming judgment.
Imagine the most valuable things in your life – your hard-earned savings, cherished heirlooms, or even symbols of your status. What if God declared He would hand them over to your enemies?
Jeremiah is delivering a brutal message to Jerusalem, and this verse lays out the devastating consequences of their rebellion. God isn't just predicting a military defeat; He's declaring that He Himself will be the one to hand over everything the city holds dear.
The Full Extent of Loss
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God's judgment is comprehensive. It targets not just what is easily plundered, but the deepest, most valuable, and hard-won assets of Jerusalem and its rulers.
Who is really in control when enemies plunder a city? Is it just the invading army, or is there a deeper power at play?
This verse delivers a sobering theological truth: God Himself is orchestrating the downfall of His own people. He declares, "I will give... into the hand of their enemies." This isn't a passive observation of destruction, but an active pronouncement.
God's Hand in Judgment
This emphasizes that even the most devastating human actions ultimately fall under God's sovereign plan, particularly when He is executing judgment for sin.
Understand the original words
bāzaz · Hebrew Verb
To plunder is to seize property, wealth, or resources by force, usually as an act of war or divine judgment. It symbolizes the total loss of security and the stripping away of earthly comforts due to the abandonment of God's protection.
This verse directly reflects the impending Babylonian conquest, a historical reality that would strip Jerusalem of its wealth and treasures, fulfilling God's judgment through Jeremiah's prophetic warnings.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captures Jerusalem and deports some of the Jewish elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon. This event further strips Judah of its wealth and leadership.
c. 590 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Prophecy
Jeremiah delivers prophecies of doom to the people of Jerusalem, including the specific prediction of their city's complete plunder and the treasures being carried to Babylon, as described in Jeremiah 20:5.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, carrying off the remaining treasures and a final wave of exiles to Babylon. This is the ultimate fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies.
This passage vividly describes a similar future of plunder and exile for disobedience, directly paralleling the fate of Jerusalem's treasures and people.
2 Kings 24:13This historical account shows the fulfillment of such prophecies, detailing how Nebuchadnezzar plundered Jerusalem, including the treasures of the temple and palace, and took them to Babylon.
Isaiah 39:6This earlier prophecy warned King Hezekiah that his treasures would be carried to Babylon, directly foreshadowing the specific judgment declared in Jeremiah 20:5.
Ezekiel 26:12This prophecy against Tyre offers a striking parallel in its detailed description of how all their wealth, treasures, and plunder would be taken away and scattered by their enemies.
calvinJeremiah 20:5: "Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon."
- Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enem…
barnesJeremiah 20:5: "Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon."
All the strength - "All the stores." The labors - The gains of the citizens.
This verse doesn't just list what will be taken; it emphasizes how it's taken. God declares He will deliver not only the "treasures" but also the "strength" and "labors" of the city, highlighting that their hard-won gains and even their defensive capabilities will be plundered, not merely lost. This reveals that the devastation will strip away everything they relied on, showing the completeness of God's judgment.
Just before this, the priest Pashur had Jeremiah publicly beaten and thrown into the stocks for his prophecies. Now, God tells Jeremiah that not only will Pashur face personal judgment, but the entire city will be plundered, with all its wealth, hard-earned gains, and royal treasures carried off to Babylon as spoils of war. This prophecy amplifies the grim future facing Judah, showing the sweeping scale of the coming judgment.
Just before this, the priest Pashur had Jeremiah publicly beaten and thrown into the stocks for his prophecies. Now, God tells Jeremiah that not only will Pashur face personal judgment, but the entire city will be plundered, with all its wealth, hard-earned gains, and royal treasures carried off to Babylon as spoils of war. This prophecy amplifies the grim future facing Judah, showing the sweeping scale of the coming judgment.
"Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon." — This verse doesn't just list what will be taken; it emphasizes how it's taken. God declares He will deliver not only the "treasures" but also the "strength" and "labors" of the city, highlighting t…
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