Jeremiah 21:6

6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.

Jeremiah 21:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 21:6

And I will smite the inhabitants of this city
With one or other of his arrows after mentioned: or, "them that abide in this city" {o}; that do not go out of it, and surrender themselves to the king of Babylon; see ( Jeremiah 21:9 ) ; both man and beast;
the latter for the sin of the former; particularly such beasts as were fit for food are meant, whereby the famine would be increased, and so the greater destruction of men: they shall die of a great pestilence;
both man and beast; a disease which comes immediately from the hand of God; hence Hippocrates used to call it (to yeion) , "the divine disease": here it denotes a very uncommon one, which should sweep away large numbers; called great, both for quality, or the nature of it, and for the quantity of persons that died of it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (ryeh ybvwy ta) "manentes in hac urbe", Gataker.

Jeremiah 21:6 In-Context

4 "Thus you shall say to Zedeki'ah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chalde'ans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them together into the midst of this city.

5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.

7 Afterward, says the LORD, I will give Zedeki'ah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not pity them, or spare them, or have compassion.'

8 "And to this people you shall say: 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.