Jeremiah 14:16

16 "The people also to whom they are prophesying will be 1thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because * of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to 2bury them-neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters -for I will 3pour out their own 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 are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.
15 "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them-yet they keep saying, 'There will be no sword or famine in this land '-by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end!
16 "The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them-neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters -for I will pour out their own wickedness on them.
17 "You will say this word to them, 'Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely infected wound.
18 'If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.' "

Cross References 3

  • 1. Psalms 79:2, 3; Jeremiah 7:33; Jeremiah 15:2, 3
  • 2. Jeremiah 8:1, 2
  • 3. Proverbs 1:31; Jeremiah 13:22-25
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