Jeremiah 48:10
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The verse doesn't just condemn laziness in God's work; it highlights a crucial distinction. A "slack" or negligent approach to divine tasks is cursed, implying God desires wholehearted commitment, not just going through the motions.
“Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is delivering a severe judgment against Moab, detailing their impending destruction. This verse acts as a stern command to the instruments of that judgment, the Babylonians, urging them to carry out God's decree completely and without mercy. It highlights that this devastation is not a human initiative but the "work of the LORD," and warns against any half-heartedness in its execution.
What does it mean to do God's 'work' and why is doing it 'slackly' or 'deceitfully' so serious?
Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God, pronounces a curse on those who fail to carry out the destruction of Moab with complete diligence. This isn't just any task; it's called 'the work of the LORD.'
The Divine Mandate
This wasn't about human ambition or cruelty. God had ordained the devastation of Moab as a judgment for their sins. The Chaldeans were His chosen instruments, tasked with a severe but necessary act of justice.
The Call to Diligence
'Slackness' or 'deceitfully' means doing the job half-heartedly, negligently, or without full commitment. It's like a soldier holding back during a crucial battle, or a messenger delivering only part of an important warning. When God commands, His work requires our wholehearted engagement. Holding back is not an option.
The second part of the curse might make us uncomfortable: 'cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.' What does this mean?
This verse speaks to a specific historical context where God commanded the destruction of a sinful nation. The curse is pronounced on the Chaldeans if they fail to carry out this judgment fully.
God's Authority Over Life
God, as the Creator, has absolute authority over life and death. He uses nations and individuals as instruments to execute His justice against sin.
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The Danger of Withholding Divine Judgment
When God explicitly commands judgment and bloodshed as a consequence of severe sin and rebellion, withholding that action is not mercy; it's disobedience. The Chaldeans were under a divine mandate, and failure to execute it would incur God's curse. This isn't a blanket endorsement of violence, but an acknowledgment that in specific, divinely ordained circumstances, God's judgment must be carried out without hesitation.
Understand the original words
arur · Hebrew Adjective
To be under divine judgment or condemnation; it signifies exclusion from God's blessing and the pronouncement of just punishment upon those who disobey or oppose His will.
remiyah · Hebrew Noun
Laziness, lethargy, or negligence in performing tasks, particularly when applied to spiritual duties or service to God; it implies a failure to act with the diligence or passion that God requires.
This verse, spoken by Jeremiah, calls on the Babylonian army to utterly destroy Moab. It frames this military action as the 'work of the Lord,' demanding thoroughness and condemning any half-heartedness or restraint.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's First Deportation
The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and Jerusalem, exiling some of the royal family and skilled workers. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian threat to Judah and surrounding nations.
c. 589-582 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Final Siege of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, leading to the destruction of the city and the temple, and a mass deportation of the remaining population to Babylon.
c. 550-539 BC
Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Babylon, under rulers like Nebuchadnezzar II, becomes a dominant world power, leading campaigns across the ancient Near East, including against Judah and Moab.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. This shifts the geopolitical landscape, though the consequences for Moab are rooted in the earlier Babylonian actions.
c. 582 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Prophesies Against Moab
Jeremiah pronounces judgment against Moab, foretelling its devastation at the hands of the Babylonians. This prophecy serves as a divine warning and foreshadows the coming destruction.
This passage highlights King Saul's failure to fully obey God's command to destroy the Amalekites, directly paralleling the 'cursed' consequence of holding back from the Lord's work, as seen in Jeremiah 48:10.
Judges 5:23The curse pronounced on Meroz for not coming to help the Lord against His enemies in the Song of Deborah echoes the severity of Jeremiah 48:10, emphasizing the dire results of failing to engage in God's assigned 'work'.
Matthew 25:30Jesus' parable of the talents, where the unprofitable servant is cast into 'the outer darkness' for not using his master's resources, provides a New Testament parallel to the spiritual principle of diligence and accountability in fulfilling what is entrusted to us by God.
Romans 12:11Paul's exhortation to be 'fervent in spirit' and 'serving the Lord' speaks to the heart of Jeremiah 48:10, contrasting the passionate execution of God's will with the 'slackness' or negligence that draws divine displeasure.
pulpitJeremiah 48:10: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."
Verse 10. - Deceitfully; rather, slackly, negligently.
gillJeremiah 48:10: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully,.... Which is said with respect to the Chaldeans, who were enjoined to destroy the Moabites; which is called the work of the Lord, because he had given them a commission to do it; and which was to be done by them, not by halves, or in a remiss and negligent manner, but fully and faithfully; they were not to…
The verse doesn't just condemn laziness in God's work; it highlights a crucial distinction. A "slack" or negligent approach to divine tasks is cursed, implying God desires wholehearted commitment, not just going through the motions.
Jeremiah is delivering a severe judgment against Moab, detailing their impending destruction. This verse acts as a stern command to the instruments of that judgment, the Babylonians, urging them to carry out God's decree completely and without mercy. It highlights that this devastation is not a human initiative but the "work of the LORD," and warns against any half-heartedness in its execution.
Jeremiah is delivering a severe judgment against Moab, detailing their impending destruction. This verse acts as a stern command to the instruments of that judgment, the Babylonians, urging them to carry out God's decree completely and without mercy. It highlights that this devastation is not a human initiative but the "work of the LORD," and warns against any half-heartedness in its execution.
"“Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed." — The verse doesn't just condemn laziness in God's work; it highlights a crucial distinction. A "slack" or negligent approach to divine tasks is cursed, implying God desires wholehearted commitment, no…
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Last reviewed October 2026
