Jeremiah 6:25
Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The chilling phrase "terror is on every side" isn't just a descriptor of the situation; it's a potent, almost personal, watchword that Jeremiah himself uses to encapsulate the all-encompassing dread of God's judgment. This isn't just about an invading army; it's about a pervasive, inescapable fear that has become the very atmosphere of their lives.
Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Jerusalem, warning them of impending doom as an enemy army surrounds the city. He's already described their stubborn refusal to listen to God's messages, likening them to spoiled goods. Now, he tells them to stay inside the city walls because venturing out into the fields or onto the roads means certain death by the enemy's sword and overwhelming terror.
Jeremiah isn't just telling people to stay inside; he's describing a city under siege, where danger isn't just outside the walls, but a palpable presence.
This verse paints a vivid picture of a city under extreme duress. The prophet commands, "Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way." This isn't just a suggestion for caution; it's a desperate warning stemming from a dire reality.
The Enemy's Sword
"For the enemy has a sword" means the enemy is armed and actively seeking to harm. It's not just a possibility, but a certainty. This sword represents the physical threat of invasion and destruction.
Fear on Every Side
The phrase "terror is on every side" is more than just feeling scared. In the original language, it's a powerful, almost proverbial expression that Jeremiah uses often. It signifies a pervasive dread, a feeling of being trapped and surrounded by danger, where no direction offers safety.
Why such a dire warning? The context reveals a city that has lost its divine protection and is now vulnerable to God's judgment.
Jeremiah 6:25 isn't an isolated command; it's a consequence of the spiritual state of Jerusalem. The people had turned away from God, and their outward religious practices were empty.
God's Rejection
Commentaries point out that this warning comes in the context of God rejecting their sacrifices because their hearts were far from Him. They were offering worship while living in sin, which made them vulnerable. God's presence, which once protected them, had withdrawn due to their disobedience.
Internal Corruption, External Danger
Their internal corruption meant they couldn't rely on God's shield. Therefore, the "enemy" (often the Babylonians in Jeremiah's time) had a legitimate "sword" against them—a divine commission to enact judgment. The fear wasn't just from the enemy's presence, but from the realization that they had no escape because they had severed their relationship with God.
Understand the original words
magor · Hebrew Noun
A feeling of intense fear, dread, or alarm, often associated with the presence or impending judgment of God or the wrath of enemies.
Jeremiah's stark warning reflects the terrifying reality of Jerusalem under siege by the Babylonians. The 'enemy's sword' and 'terror on every side' were not abstract threats but the immediate experience of a city facing annihilation and exile.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Campaigns in Judah
Under kings like Tiglath-Pileser III and Sennacherib, the Neo-Assyrian Empire exerted significant military and political pressure on Judah, leading to vassalage and tribute.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and Assyrians at Carchemish, then besieges Jerusalem and deports some of the Judean elite, including Daniel.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar again attacks Jerusalem, deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, and installs Zedekiah as a puppet king.
588-586 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem for an extended period, culminating in the city's destruction, the Temple's burning, and a final, massive deportation.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's warning by urging people to flee from danger and not even pause to grab belongings, highlighting the pervasive terror that leaves no safe space for normal activity.
Jeremiah 20:3This verse shows Jeremiah himself using the phrase 'terror on every side' as a name, demonstrating how this concept of inescapable dread was a deeply personal and recurring theme for him, mirroring the verse's description of overwhelming fear.
Lamentations 5:9This verse describes the desperate plight of people 'driven out by the sword of the wilderness,' illustrating the same kind of pervasive threat and danger from enemies that Jeremiah's warning conveys.
Psalm 31:13This psalm speaks of 'terror on every side' and the danger of enemies plotting destruction, reflecting the same atmosphere of pervasive threat and immediate danger that Jeremiah describes.
barnesJeremiah 6:25: "Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side."
For the sword of the enemy - literally, "for to the enemy a sword; i. e., for the enemy is armed," he has a commission from God to execute judgment. See Jeremiah 12:12 ; Isaiah 10:5 , and Psalm 17:13 note. Fear is on every side - Magor-Missabib, Jeremiah's watchword (compare Jeremiah 20:3, Jeremiah 20:10). The "and" before it should be omitted.
ellicottJeremiah 6:25: "Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side."
(25) The field. — i.e., the open country. To pass beyond the walls of the beleaguered city would be full of danger. The warning has its parallel in Matthew 24:17-18 . In the same chapter we find also an echo of the prophet’s reference to the pangs of childbirth ( Matthew 24:8 ). Fear is on every side.—The words are more notable than they seem. They impressed themselves on the…
The chilling phrase "terror is on every side" isn't just a descriptor of the situation; it's a potent, almost personal, watchword that Jeremiah himself uses to encapsulate the all-encompassing dread of God's judgment. This isn't just about an invading army; it's about a pervasive, inescapable fear that has become the very atmosphere of their lives.
Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Jerusalem, warning them of impending doom as an enemy army surrounds the city. He's already described their stubborn refusal to listen to God's messages, likening them to spoiled goods. Now, he tells them to stay inside the city walls because venturing out into the fields or onto the roads means certain death by the enemy's sword and overwhelming terror.
Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Jerusalem, warning them of impending doom as an enemy army surrounds the city. He's already described their stubborn refusal to listen to God's messages, likening them to spoiled goods. Now, he tells them to stay inside the city walls because venturing out into the fields or onto the roads means certain death by the enemy's sword and overwhelming terror.
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c. 582 BC
Third Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar conducts further deportations from Judah to Babylon following Zedekiah's failed rebellion and the assassination of Gedaliah.
"Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side." — The chilling phrase "terror is on every side" isn't just a descriptor of the situation; it's a potent, almost personal, watchword that Jeremiah himself uses to encapsulate the all-encompassing dread…
