Jeremiah 14:16

16 The people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Yerushalayim because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them-them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness on them.

Jeremiah 14:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 14:16

And the people to whom they prophesy
That is, such of them as gave credit to their prophecies: shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, because of the famine
and the sword;
they dying of the famine and of the sword, their carcasses should be cast out of their houses into the open streets, and there lie unburied, as a punishment for disbelieving the words of the Lord, and giving heed to the lies of the false prophets: and they shall have none to bury them;
either through want of ability of body or substance, or through want of affection; or rather through want of persons to do it for them, all their relations being cut off with them, as follows: them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters;
or rather, "they" F14, "their wives, and their sons, and their daughters"; these shall die by the famine and the sword, and shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem; so that they and their relatives all dying, there would be none to bury one another; and that all should suffer by these calamities were but just and righteous, since all were guilty both of idolatry, and of despising the prophets, and listening to the false ones; see ( Jeremiah 7:18 ) : for I will pour their wickedness upon them;
or, "their evil upon them" {o}; not the evil of sin, but the evil of punishment; the meaning is, that he would abundantly punish them for their sins, and as they deserved, though not exceeding the bounds of justice: the phrase denotes that their wickedness was great; and that in proportion to it the vials of his wrath would be poured out upon them.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (hmh) "ipsi inquam", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.
F15 (Mter ta) "suum malum", Vatablus, Pagninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 14:16 In-Context

14 Then the LORD said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I didn't send them, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I to them: they prophesy to you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their own heart.
15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, and I didn't send them, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
16 The people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Yerushalayim because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them-them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness on them.
17 You shall say this word to them, Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound.
18 If I go forth into the field, then, behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then, behold, those who are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the Kohen go about in the land, and have no knowledge.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.