Jeremiah 5:10
“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just about destroying a city; it's a stark message that the very structures meant for defense—the "battlements" or branches of their nation—are forfeit because they are no longer recognized as belonging to the Lord. God is essentially saying, "I disown these defenses because you have disowned me."
The prophet is carrying out God's judgment on Judah for their pervasive sin and rebellion. He's instructed the invading Chaldeans to ascend Jerusalem's defenses and destroy its fortifications, but crucially, not to annihilate everything, implying a remnant will be preserved. This action is being taken because their "walls" and defenses are no longer God's to protect, as Judah has turned away from Him.
Imagine God commanding an enemy army to attack Jerusalem. It sounds harsh, but what does this reveal about God's justice?
Jeremiah 5:10 begins with a stark command from God to the enemy (the Chaldeans): 'Go up through her vine rows and destroy.' This isn't a suggestion; it's a divine directive.
God's Authority
Even in the midst of devastating judgment, God promises something unexpected. What is this crucial hope amidst ruin?
The command to destroy is immediately followed by a critical limitation: 'but make not a full end.' This is a profound word of hope embedded within God's judgment.
Preserving a Remnant
Understand the original words
gephen · Hebrew Noun
A common biblical metaphor for the nation of Israel as God’s cultivated people, meant to bear fruit for His glory; it is subject to pruning or destruction when it fails to produce righteousness.
Jeremiah's prophecy comes during a period of increasing Babylonian aggression, where Judah faces multiple invasions and deportations. The verse uses the imagery of a vineyard to describe God's judgment, where the enemy is commanded to strip away the branches (the people and their fortifications) but not destroy the root (the nation itself), preserving a remnant, for they have become estranged from God.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling many Israelites. This event serves as a stark warning of what awaits the southern kingdom of Judah if they continue in their sin.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is miraculously spared, the surrounding cities are devastated, showing the vulnerability of Judah.
626 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah begins a religious reformation in Judah, purging idolatry and restoring temple worship after the discovery of a scroll of the Law. This brief period of outward faithfulness offers a glimmer of hope.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and Assyrians at Carchemish and begins deporting Judean nobility, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's vassalage to Babylon.
This passage uses the extended metaphor of a vineyard, just like the imagery implied in Jeremiah 5:10, to depict God's people and their unfaithfulness leading to destruction.
Psalm 80:8-16Similar to Jeremiah 5:10, this psalm also portrays Israel as a vine that God planted, highlighting God's disappointment and judgment when it fails to produce good fruit.
Jeremiah 4:27This verse directly echoes the idea of not making a 'full end' of judgment, which is a key theme in Jeremiah 5:10, pointing to God's preservation of a remnant.
Luke 13:6-9Jesus tells a parable of a fig tree that is given one more year to produce fruit before being cut down, paralleling the judgment described in Jeremiah 5:10 but with a focus on a renewed opportunity for repentance.
Romans 11:17-22This passage discusses grafting wild olive branches onto a cultivated tree, illustrating how God preserves His people (the root and stock) even when branches (representing unfaithful individuals or generations) are broken off.
clarkeJeremiah 5:10: "Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S."
Go ye up upon her walls - This is the permission and authority given to the Chaldeans to pillage Jerusalem. Take away her battlements - Some translate נטישות netishoth, branches; others, vines. Destroy the branches, cut down the stem; but do not damage the root. Leave so many of the people that the state may be regenerated. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic,…
pulpitJeremiah 5:10: "Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S."
Verses 10-18. - Provoked by the open unbelief of the men of Judah, Jehovah repeats his warning of a sore judgment. Verse 10. - Her walls. There is a doubt about "walls," which should, as some think, rather be vine-rows (a change of points is involved; also of shin into sin - the slightest of all changes), or shoots, or branches (comparing the Syriac). The figur…
This isn't just about destroying a city; it's a stark message that the very structures meant for defense—the "battlements" or branches of their nation—are forfeit because they are no longer recognized as belonging to the Lord. God is essentially saying, "I disown these defenses because you have disowned me."
The prophet is carrying out God's judgment on Judah for their pervasive sin and rebellion. He's instructed the invading Chaldeans to ascend Jerusalem's defenses and destroy its fortifications, but crucially, not to annihilate everything, implying a remnant will be preserved. This action is being taken because their "walls" and defenses are no longer God's to protect, as Judah has turned away from Him.
The prophet is carrying out God's judgment on Judah for their pervasive sin and rebellion. He's instructed the invading Chaldeans to ascend Jerusalem's defenses and destroy its fortifications, but crucially, not to annihilate everything, implying a remnant will be preserved. This action is being taken because their "walls" and defenses are no longer God's to protect, as Judah has turned away from Him.
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Judah felt safe behind their 'walls' and 'battlements.' Why did God declare these things were no longer His?
The verse uses vivid imagery of fortifications – 'walls,' 'battlements,' or 'branches' – to symbolize Judah's misplaced trust. The declaration 'for they are not the LORD’s' is a powerful repudiation.
The Rejection of Apostasy
597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem again and deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel. This event significantly weakens the kingdom.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
After a final rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem, burns the Temple, and exiles the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event marks the end of the Davidic monarchy and the southern kingdom.
"“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s." — This isn't just about destroying a city; it's a stark message that the very structures meant for defense—the "battlements" or branches of their nation—are forfeit because they are no longer recognize…
