Jeremiah 29:18

18 I will pursue them with sword, famine and plague and make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth; and they will bring on themselves cursing, astonishment, ridicule and reproach among all the nations where I have driven them;

Jeremiah 29:18 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 29:18

And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine,
and with the pestilence
Or, "follow after F1 them"; such as should make their escape out of the city, and go into Egypt, or other countries, for shelter and safety, should be pursued by the vengeance of God, and should fall by sword, famine, or pestilence, in other places: and will deliver them;
such as should not perish by the above mentioned calamities: to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth;
where they should be scattered, and live in exile: or "for a shaking to all the kingdoms of the earth" F2; who should shake and tremble at such a dreadful spectacle of vengeance; or rather they should shake and tremble at the wrath of God upon them; or else their enemies, among whom they should be, should shake their heads at them, by way of insult and triumph over them: to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach,
among all the nations whither I have driven them;
where men shall look at them with amazement, and curse theft, and hiss at them, and reproach them, as the offscouring of the world.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 (Mhyrxa ytpdrw) "et persequar post eos", Calvin, Piscator.
F2 (hewzl) "in commotionem", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 29:18 In-Context

16 But here is what ADONAI says about the king occupying David's throne and about all the people living in this city, your kinsmen who did not go into exile with you -
17 thus says ADONAI-Tzva'ot: 'I will attack them with sword, famine and plague; I will make them like bad figs, so bad they are inedible.
18 I will pursue them with sword, famine and plague and make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth; and they will bring on themselves cursing, astonishment, ridicule and reproach among all the nations where I have driven them;
19 because they have not paid attention to my words,' says ADONAI, 'which I sent to them through my servants the prophets. I sent them frequently, but you refused to listen,' says ADONAI.
20 "So pay attention now to the word of ADONAI, all of you in exile, whom I sent away from Yerushalayim to Bavel.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.