Jeremiah 18:17
New International Version
Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back and not my face in the day of their disaster.”

New Living Translation
I will scatter my people before their enemies as the east wind scatters dust. And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them and refuse to notice their distress.”

English Standard Version
Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.”

Berean Standard Bible
I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

King James Bible
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

New King James Version
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back and not the face In the day of their calamity.”

New American Standard Bible
‘Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their disaster.’”

NASB 1995
Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.’”

NASB 1977
‘Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their disaster.’”

Amplified Bible
‘I will scatter them like an east wind Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their disaster [says the LORD].’”

Christian Standard Bible
I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them my back and not my face on the day of their calamity.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face on the day of their calamity.

American Standard Version
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

Contemporary English Version
When your enemies attack, I will scatter you like dust blown by an eastern wind. Then, on that day of disaster, I will turn my back on you.

English Revised Version
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, in the day of their calamity.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Like the east wind I will scatter them in front of the enemy. On the day of their disaster, I will show them my back, not my face."

Good News Translation
I will scatter my people before their enemies, like dust blown by the east wind. I will turn my back on them; I will not help them when the disaster comes."

International Standard Version
Like the east wind, I'll scatter them before the enemy. I'll show them my back and not my face, on the day of their downfall.'"

Majority Standard Bible
I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

NET Bible
I will scatter them before their enemies like dust blowing in front of a burning east wind. I will turn my back on them and not look favorably on them when disaster strikes them."

New Heart English Bible
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity."

Webster's Bible Translation
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

World English Bible
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I scatter them before an enemy as with an east wind, "" I show them the neck and not the face, "" In the day of their calamity.”

Young's Literal Translation
As an east wind I scatter them before an enemy, The neck, and not the face, I shew them, In the day of their calamity.'

Smith's Literal Translation
As the east wind I will scatter them before the face of the enemy; I will cause them to see the neck and not the face, in the day of their destruction.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
As a burning will I scatter them before the enemy: I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their destruction.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Like a burning wind, I will disperse them in the sight the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their perdition.”

New American Bible
Like the east wind, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back, not my face, in their day of disaster.

New Revised Standard Version
Like the wind from the east, I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them my back and not my face, in the day of their calamity.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Like the hot wind, I shall scatter them before the enemies. I shall show them the back and not the face in the day of their distress
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I will scatter them as with an east wind Before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, In the day of their calamity.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will shew them the day of their destruction.
Audio Bible



Context
The Potter and the Clay
16They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads. 17I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:25
The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Leviticus 26:17
And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.

Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.

Ezekiel 5:8-10
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. / Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. / As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’

Hosea 13:16
Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

2 Kings 17:18-20
So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, / and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. / So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.

Psalm 44:10-11
You have made us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have plundered us. / You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations.

Isaiah 30:17
A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.

Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Matthew 23:37-38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Luke 13:34-35
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Romans 11:7-10
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, / as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” / And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them. ...

2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,

Revelation 6:16-17
And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”


Treasury of Scripture

I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

scatter.

Jeremiah 13:24
Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 28:25,64
The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth…

Job 27:21
The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

shew.

Jeremiah 2:27
Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

Jeremiah 32:33
And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

Deuteronomy 31:17
Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

the day.

Jeremiah 46:21
Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

Proverbs 7:25,26
Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths…

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Jeremiah 18
1. Under the type of a potter is shown God's absolute power in disposing of nations.
11. Judgments threatened to Judah for her strange revolt.
18. Jeremiah prays against his conspirators.














I will scatter them
The phrase "I will scatter them" reflects God's judgment upon His people, Israel, for their persistent disobedience and idolatry. The Hebrew root word for "scatter" is "פּוּץ" (puts), which conveys the idea of dispersing or spreading out. Historically, this scattering is reminiscent of the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, where the Israelites were forcibly removed from their homeland. This scattering serves as both a punishment and a means to fulfill God's sovereign plan, reminding us of the consequences of turning away from God's commandments.

before the enemy
The phrase "before the enemy" indicates that the scattering will occur in the presence of adversaries. The Hebrew word for "enemy" is "אוֹיֵב" (oyev), which can refer to both physical and spiritual adversaries. In the historical context, this refers to the surrounding nations that God used as instruments of His judgment. Spiritually, it serves as a reminder that turning away from God leaves one vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy, both physically and spiritually.

like the east wind
The "east wind" in the Bible often symbolizes destruction and desolation. In the Hebrew context, the east wind, or "קָדִים" (qadim), is a hot, dry wind from the desert that withers and destroys. This imagery is used to convey the severity and inevitability of God's judgment. The east wind is relentless and unstoppable, much like the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness. It serves as a powerful metaphor for the divine retribution that comes upon those who forsake the covenant with God.

I will show them My back
The phrase "I will show them My back" is a vivid depiction of God's withdrawal of His presence and favor. In Hebrew, the word for "back" is "עֹרֶף" (oreph), which can also mean "neck" or "backside." This signifies a turning away, a refusal to look upon or bless. In the ancient Near Eastern context, showing one's back was a sign of rejection and disfavor. This is a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine judgment when God's people persist in rebellion.

and not My face
The contrast of "not My face" emphasizes the loss of God's favor and blessing. In Hebrew, "face" is "פָּנִים" (panim), often associated with God's presence, blessing, and grace. To seek God's face is to seek His favor and guidance. The absence of God's face signifies a withdrawal of His protective and guiding presence. This serves as a warning of the spiritual desolation that comes when one is separated from God due to sin.

in the day of their calamity
The "day of their calamity" refers to the time of judgment and distress that will come upon the people as a result of their disobedience. The Hebrew word for "calamity" is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which can mean evil, disaster, or misfortune. This phrase underscores the inevitability of divine judgment when God's people turn away from Him. It serves as a call to repentance and a reminder of the hope that remains for those who return to God, even in the midst of calamity.

(17) With an east wind.--MSS. vary, some giving "with" and some "as an east wind." The difference does not much affect the meaning. The east wind blowing from the desert was the wind of storms, tempests, and parching heat (Jonah 4:8; Psalm 48:7; Isaiah 27:8). I will shew them the back, and not the face.--The figure is boldly anthropomorphic. The light of God's countenance is the fulness of joy (Numbers 6:25). To turn away that light was to leave the people to the darkness of their misery. What was thus done by Jehovah was but a righteous retribution on the people who had "turned their back" and "not their face" to Him (Jeremiah 2:27).

Verse 17. - As with an east wind. The east was a stormy wind (Psalm 48:7; Job 27:21). I wilt show them the back; as they have done to Jehovah (Jeremiah 2:27; Jeremiah 32:33).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I will scatter them
אֲפִיצֵ֖ם (’ă·p̄î·ṣêm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered

before
לִפְנֵ֣י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the enemy
אוֹיֵ֑ב (’ō·w·yêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

like the east
קָדִ֥ים (qā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6921: The fore, front part, the East

wind.
כְּרֽוּחַ־ (kə·rū·aḥ-)
Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

I will show
אֶרְאֵ֖ם (’er·’êm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

them My back
עֹ֧רֶף (‘ō·rep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6203: The nape, back of the neck, the back

and not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

My face
פָנִ֛ים (p̄ā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

in the day
בְּי֥וֹם (bə·yō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of their calamity.”
אֵידָֽם׃ (’ê·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 343: Oppression, misfortune, ruin


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 18:17 I will scatter them as (Jer.)
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