Jeremiah 29:18

18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a 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 Thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile:
17 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten.
18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
19 because they did not heed my words, says the LORD, which I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, says the LORD.' --
20 Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.