Jeremiah 15:2

2 When they ask you, 'Where will we go?' tell them: 'This is what the Lord says: Those who are meant to die will die. Those who are meant to die in war will die in war. Those who are meant to die from hunger will die from hunger. Those who are meant to be taken captive will be taken captive.'

Jeremiah 15:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 15:2

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee
As doubtless they will, when this message is brought to them: whither shall we go forth?
in a jeering scornful manner, not believing that this would be their case: then thou shall tell them, thus saith the Lord, such as are for death,
to death;
such as were appointed to death, or to die by the pestilence, which is often signified by death; they shall go forth unto it; or it shall meet them, and seize upon them, and take them away: and such as are for the sword, to the sword;
who are appointed to die by the sword of the enemy, into whose hands they should fall by attempting to escape out of the city, shall perish by it: and such as are for the famine, to the famine;
such as are appointed to die by that, shall die of it in the city, where they shall be besieged, and not be able to get out to fetch in any provisions, and where none can be brought, because of the enemy: and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity;
such as are spared from the pestilence, sword, and famine, and are designed to be carried captive into a strange land, shall be taken and carried thither; nor will it be in their power, or in any other's, to hinder any of the above things, to which they are appointed of God. According to the Jews, the latter of these is more grievous than the former; as the sword than death, and famine than the sword, so captivity than them all {w}.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 T. Bab Bava Bathra, fol. 8. 2.

Jeremiah 15:2 In-Context

1 Then the Lord said to me: "I would not feel sorry for the people of Judah even if Moses and Samuel prayed for them. Send them away from me! Tell them to go!

2 When they ask you, 'Where will we go?' tell them: 'This is what the Lord says: Those who are meant to die will die. Those who are meant to die in war will die in war. Those who are meant to die from hunger will die from hunger. Those who are meant to be taken captive will be taken captive.'

3 "I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," says the Lord. "I will send war to kill, dogs to drag the bodies away, and the birds of the air and wild animals to eat and destroy the bodies.

4 I will make the people of Judah hated by everyone on earth because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. (Manasseh son of Hezekiah was king of the nation of Judah.)

5 "Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will be sad and cry for you? Who will go out of his way to ask how you are?