Jeremiah 29:18
I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God's judgment here isn't just about destruction; it's about making the people an object lesson. The vivid imagery of "a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach" highlights that their suffering is intended to be so extreme that all nations will point to them as a warning of divine vengeance for disobedience. This shows God's desire for His justice to be seen and understood, even through the pain of His people.
This prophecy is God's direct response to the deceptive promises of false prophets who are telling the exiles in Babylon that they'll return home soon. Instead of a quick return, Jeremiah declares that those who escape the initial judgment will be relentlessly pursued by divine punishment, scattered among all nations, and become a horrifying example of God's wrath. This stark contrast is meant to shatter the exiles' false hopes and compel them to listen to God's actual word.
When God's judgment falls, it's not a fleeting storm but a relentless pursuit. How does Jeremiah describe the inescapable nature of this divine reckoning?
Jeremiah paints a stark picture of God's judgment pursuing the unrepentant. It's not just a single blow, but a multi-faceted, inescapable force. The verse lists:
These aren't random occurrences but divine instruments. God declares, "I will pursue them." This active, intentional pursuit underscores that judgment, when it comes, is thorough and comprehensive, leaving no stone unturned in its execution. It’s a reminder that turning away from God has profound and far-reaching consequences.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Jeremiah 29:18 is available in the Sola app.
Imagine being so marked by God's judgment that you become a living lesson for the world. What does this verse say about the public and lasting shame of disobedience?
The latter part of the verse reveals the devastating public consequence of Israel's rebellion: they will be made "a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth." This isn't just about suffering; it's about becoming a profound, negative example.
The specific terms used paint a vivid picture of this shame:
This signifies that their exile and suffering would be so extreme and so obviously linked to God's wrath that other nations would look upon them with shock, pity, and scorn, learning from their dire fate. Their punishment becomes a global testament to the consequences of rejecting God's word.
Understand the original words
alah · Hebrew Noun
A formal pronouncement or state of being under divine judgment. It signifies a person or community set apart for destruction or exclusion from the blessing of God.
This prophecy from Jeremiah was delivered during the exile to Babylon, emphasizing that the suffering and scattered state of God's people were a direct consequence of their disobedience, meant to serve as a stark warning to surrounding nations.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, begins deporting Jewish people, including Daniel and his companions, to Babylon following a siege of Jerusalem.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
A larger group of Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the end of the Judean monarchy.
c. 586 BC - 539 BC
The Babylonian Exile
The Jewish people live in exile in Babylon and surrounding regions, enduring hardship and dispersion.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, leading to the eventual decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Judah.
This passage in Deuteronomy directly parallels Jeremiah's prophecy, foretelling that Israel will become a proverb, a byword, and a curse among all the nations where the Lord will drive them, echoing the severe consequences of disobedience.
Jeremiah 24:9Jeremiah describes the exiles as being 'a curse and a reproach, a byword, and an execration' among the nations, directly mirroring the specific terms used in chapter 29 to describe their fate as a consequence of their sin.
Ezekiel 5:14-15Ezekiel prophesies a similar scattering and a resulting shame, stating that Israel will become a reproach and a mockery to the surrounding nations, emphasizing the widespread disgrace that follows their rejection of God.
Psalm 44:13-14The Psalmist laments Israel's condition, becoming a reproach to their neighbors and a subject of scorn and derision, highlighting the deeply personal and communal shame that arises from God's judgment.
calvinJeremiah 29:18-19: "And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:"
- And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissi…
pooleJeremiah 29:18: "And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:"
These verses contain no more than the threatening which we have had more than once before. He had compared them to vile figs , Jeremiah 24:8,9,10 there threatened them with being made a reproach, a proverb, a…
God's judgment here isn't just about destruction; it's about making the people an object lesson. The vivid imagery of "a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach" highlights that their suffering is intended to be so extreme that all nations will point to them as a warning of divine vengeance for disobedience. This shows God's desire for His justice to be seen and understood, even through the pain of His people.
This prophecy is God's direct response to the deceptive promises of false prophets who are telling the exiles in Babylon that they'll return home soon. Instead of a quick return, Jeremiah declares that those who escape the initial judgment will be relentlessly pursued by divine punishment, scattered among all nations, and become a horrifying example of God's wrath. This stark contrast is meant to shatter the exiles' false hopes and compel them to listen to God's actual word.
This prophecy is God's direct response to the deceptive promises of false prophets who are telling the exiles in Babylon that they'll return home soon. Instead of a quick return, Jeremiah declares that those who escape the initial judgment will be relentlessly pursued by divine punishment, scattered among all nations, and become a horrifying example of God's wrath. This stark contrast is meant to shatter the exiles' false hopes and compel them to listen to God's actual word.
"I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them," — God's judgment here isn't just about destruction; it's about making the people an object lesson. The vivid imagery of "a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach" highlights that their suffe…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
