Jeremiah 6:11
Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary of holding it in. “Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly and the very aged.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just Jeremiah declaring God's anger; it's the prophet feeling so overwhelmed by God's wrath that he can no longer contain it, comparing himself to a vessel about to burst. The sheer inclusiveness of the judgment he’s commanded to pronounce—from the youngest playing in the street to the very oldest—underscores the total corruption that has gripped every level of society.
The prophet Jeremiah is overwhelmed by God's impending judgment on Judah, a message he has struggled to contain due to his love for his people. He feels compelled to unleash this divine wrath, describing it as a torrent to be poured out upon everyone, from the youngest children playing in the streets to the oldest adults, indicating that no one will be spared the coming destruction.
Jeremiah feels overflowing with God's fury, weary of holding it back. What does it mean for a prophet to be 'full of wrath' and 'weary of holding it in'?
This isn't about Jeremiah's personal anger. The scholars highlight that Jeremiah is speaking as an instrument of God's Spirit. The "fury" he feels is God's righteous indignation being infused into him to be declared to the people. He's "weary with holding it in" not because he enjoys delivering bad news, but because the divine impulse is so strong, it must be released. It's a heavy, divinely-ordained burden, not a personal emotional outburst.
Think of it like a pressure cooker: the steam (God's wrath) builds up, and the prophet is the one who has to release the valve. His "weariness" comes from the immense weight of this message and the internal struggle to faithfully deliver it, even though it means pronouncing judgment on his own people.
The judgment is coming for everyone – children, young men, husbands, wives, the old. Why does the prophecy list such a sweeping range of people?
The detailed listing of various life stages—children in the street, young men, husbands and wives, the aged, and those 'full of days'—isn't just poetic language. It emphasizes the totality and inescapability of God's judgment on Judah.
The Message:
Understand the original words
chemah · Hebrew Noun
God's settled, righteous, and holy opposition to sin and rebellion. It is not an uncontrolled outburst of temper but a judicial response to human defiance against His covenant and character.
Jeremiah's powerful declaration in this verse comes at the very cusp of Jerusalem's final destruction. It reflects God's overwhelming judgment on a people who, despite repeated warnings and exiles, have refused to repent, making even the youngest and oldest vulnerable to the coming devastation.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its population. This event serves as a stark warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, crown prince of Babylon, defeats the Egyptian forces at Carchemish and advances into Judah. He deports some of the Judean nobility and skilled workers, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a brief rebellion, Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar. He deports King Jehoiachin, his family, court officials, and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar besieges and utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple. The remaining population is largely deported to Babylon, marking the end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
This passage mirrors Jeremiah's message by describing how those who go out to battle and those within the city will be consumed by God's wrath, emphasizing the indiscriminate nature of the coming judgment.
Amos 5:2-3Amos echoes Jeremiah's lament and warning, highlighting how even a remnant of a thousand in a city will be left, and a hundred in a family, illustrating the devastating loss of life that judgment brings.
Isaiah 22:12-14This passage shows a similar response to impending judgment where, instead of repentance, there was feasting and revelry, leading to God's declaration that the iniquity would not be forgiven until death, much like the unrepentant Judah facing Jeremiah's prophecy.
Jeremiah 15:17Jeremiah describes his isolation and weariness from being a messenger of judgment, similar to the burden he expresses in chapter 6, showing the prophet's internal struggle with the difficult message he must deliver.
calvinJeremiah 6:11: "Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days."
- Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged w…
pooleJeremiah 6:11: "Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days."
Therefore. Heb. And ; which seems to be a better connexion; for that which putteth him upon this work seems rather to be that Spirit of prophecy that is in him than any consideration drawn from them. I am full of the fury of the…
This isn't just Jeremiah declaring God's anger; it's the prophet feeling so overwhelmed by God's wrath that he can no longer contain it, comparing himself to a vessel about to burst. The sheer inclusiveness of the judgment he’s commanded to pronounce—from the youngest playing in the street to the very oldest—underscores the total corruption that has gripped every level of society.
The prophet Jeremiah is overwhelmed by God's impending judgment on Judah, a message he has struggled to contain due to his love for his people. He feels compelled to unleash this divine wrath, describing it as a torrent to be poured out upon everyone, from the youngest children playing in the streets to the oldest adults, indicating that no one will be spared the coming destruction.
The prophet Jeremiah is overwhelmed by God's impending judgment on Judah, a message he has struggled to contain due to his love for his people. He feels compelled to unleash this divine wrath, describing it as a torrent to be poured out upon everyone, from the youngest children playing in the streets to the oldest adults, indicating that no one will be spared the coming destruction.
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c. 580-570 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecies of Judgment
Jeremiah, who remained in Judah after the final destruction, continues to prophesy God's judgment upon the remnant who fled to Egypt, emphasizing the totality of the impending wrath.
"Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary of holding it in. “Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the…" — This isn't just Jeremiah declaring God's anger; it's the prophet feeling so overwhelmed by God's wrath that he can no longer contain it, comparing himself to a vessel about to burst. The sheer inclus…
