“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)
The command to "make not a full end" and "strip away her branches" isn't about leaving a few people alive for pity. Instead, it highlights that God is removing only what has become corrupt and no longer belongs to Him, like diseased branches on a vine, implying a future renewal. This shows God’s judgment is precise, distinguishing between the healthy core and the corrupted parts that have turned away from Him.
“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)
The prophet Jeremiah, in God's name, commands the enemy to attack and plunder Jerusalem and the surrounding land. This judgment is a consequence of Judah's widespread rebellion and infidelity, depicted as a failing vineyard. God instructs the invaders to destroy the "branches" or fortifications—symbols of Judah's pride and defenses—but to spare the "root" or a remnant of the people, because the nation has rejected God and is no longer truly His.
Why would God command destruction, yet forbid a 'full end'? It sounds like a contradiction, but it reveals God's character even in judgment.
Jeremiah 5:10 is a divine command to the Chaldean army, but it's laced with specific limitations. God tells them to 'go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end.' This isn't a free-for-all destruction. The invaders are permitted to strip away the unhealthy parts – the 'branches' that are not fruitful or loyal – but they are not to obliterate the entire nation. This concept of a limited judgment is crucial. It shows that God's wrath, while fearsome, is not arbitrary. Even in severe discipline, God is preserving a remnant, a seed for the future, demonstrating His faithfulness to His covenant promises.
The verse calls the branches 'not the LORD's.' What does it mean for parts of a nation to be disowned by God?
The reason given for the destruction is stark: 'for they are not the LORD’s.' The imagery here is powerful, drawing from the common metaphor of Israel as a vineyard (Psalm 80:8-16, Isaiah 5:1-7). The 'branches' or 'battlements' (variously translated, but referring to the unproductive or defiant parts) are to be cut off because they no longer belong to God. They have been corrupted by sin and idolatry, acting like wild shoots on a cultivated vine. God's claim on His people is conditional on their faithfulness. When they persistently rebel and refuse to bear the fruit of righteousness, they forfeit their claim to being His, and thus invite judgment.
Understand the original words
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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.
The verse vividly captures the moment of judgment when Babylon is allowed to breach Jerusalem's defenses. The instruction to 'make not a full end' and 'take away her branches' speaks to a divinely limited destruction, preserving a remnant, a theme central to Jeremiah's message of hope amidst devastation.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling a significant portion of its population and scattering them among other conquered territories. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army defeats the Egyptians at Carchemish and then advances into Judah. As a result, members of the Judean royal family and nobility, including the prophet Daniel, are taken captive to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt by King Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem. He deports King Jehoiachin, thousands of the skilled artisans, and important officials to Babylon, further weakening the kingdom.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After a prolonged siege, the Babylonians breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the Temple, and raze the city. The majority of the remaining population, except for the poorest, are exiled to Babylon, marking the end of the Davidic monarchy.
c. 586 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecies to Exiles
Jeremiah continues to deliver God's message, including prophecies of future restoration, to those who remained in or fled to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem.
This passage uses the extended metaphor of Israel as a vineyard that failed to produce good fruit, directly paralleling God's judgment on Judah's 'branches' or 'battlements' that are not His.
Psalm 80:8-16This psalm powerfully depicts Israel as a vine that God brought out of Egypt, highlighting the deep connection between God and His people, and the sorrow when that vine is damaged and fails to thrive.
Jeremiah 4:27This verse speaks of God's intention not to make a complete end of His people, echoing the command in Jeremiah 5:10 to 'make not a full end,' pointing to a prophetic theme of preservation amidst judgment.
Ezekiel 14:23This passage describes God's sovereignty over disaster, stating that He sometimes leaves a remnant in judgment, which aligns with the idea that even in destruction, there can be a spared portion for future purposes.
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…
The command to "make not a full end" and "strip away her branches" isn't about leaving a few people alive for pity. Instead, it highlights that God is removing only what has become corrupt and no longer belongs to Him, like diseased branches on a vine, implying a future renewal. This shows God’s judgment is precise, distinguishing between the healthy core and the corrupted parts that have turned away from Him.
The prophet Jeremiah, in God's name, commands the enemy to attack and plunder Jerusalem and the surrounding land. This judgment is a consequence of Judah's widespread rebellion and infidelity, depicted as a failing vineyard. God instructs the invaders to destroy the "branches" or fortifications—symbols of Judah's pride and defenses—but to spare the "root" or a remnant of the people, because the nation has rejected God and is no longer truly His.
The prophet Jeremiah, in God's name, commands the enemy to attack and plunder Jerusalem and the surrounding land. This judgment is a consequence of Judah's widespread rebellion and infidelity, depicted as a failing vineyard. God instructs the invaders to destroy the "branches" or fortifications—symbols of Judah's pride and defenses—but to spare the "root" or a remnant of the people, because the nation has rejected God and is no longer truly His.
"“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." — The command to "make not a full end" and "strip away her branches" isn't about leaving a few people alive for pity. Instead, it highlights that God is removing only what has become corrupt and no lon…
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Last reviewed October 2026