I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off." I will scatter them among the nationsThis phrase reflects God's judgment on Israel for their persistent disobedience and idolatry. The scattering, or diaspora, is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, seen in Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64, where God warns Israel of the consequences of breaking the covenant. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled during the Babylonian exile when many Israelites were taken captive and dispersed. The scattering serves as both punishment and a means to preserve a remnant, as seen in later prophecies of restoration. that neither they nor their fathers have known
This indicates the unfamiliarity and foreignness of the lands to which the Israelites would be exiled. It emphasizes the severity of the punishment, as they would be removed from their homeland and the land promised to their ancestors. This also highlights the loss of cultural and religious identity, as they would be surrounded by pagan nations. The unfamiliar lands symbolize the spiritual estrangement from God due to their sins. and I will send a sword after them
The "sword" represents ongoing judgment and conflict, even in exile. It suggests that the Israelites would not find peace or safety in foreign lands. This can be connected to the broader biblical theme of divine retribution, where God uses nations as instruments of His judgment, as seen in Isaiah 10:5-6 with Assyria. The sword also foreshadows the continued struggles and persecution faced by the Jewish people throughout history. until I have finished them off.
This phrase underscores the completeness of God's judgment. It implies a thorough and decisive action against the nation due to their persistent rebellion. However, in the broader biblical narrative, "finished them off" does not mean total annihilation but rather the end of their current state of rebellion and idolatry. It aligns with the prophetic theme of judgment leading to eventual restoration, as seen in Jeremiah 30:11, where God promises not to make a full end of Israel but to discipline them justly. This reflects God's justice and mercy, ultimately pointing to the hope of redemption and restoration through the Messiah. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and judgment to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by themes of repentance and impending judgment. 2. JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, which had turned away from God, leading to the prophetic warnings of destruction and exile. 3. NationsRefers to the foreign lands where the people of Judah would be scattered as a result of their disobedience to God. These nations were unfamiliar to them and their ancestors. 4. SwordSymbolizes the instrument of God's judgment and the violence that would pursue the people even in exile. 5. ExileThe event of being forcibly removed from one's homeland, which was a significant consequence of Judah's persistent sin and rebellion against God. Teaching Points The Consequences of DisobedienceGod's warnings are not idle threats; they are serious and have real consequences. The scattering of Judah serves as a sobering reminder of the cost of turning away from God. God's Sovereignty in JudgmentEven in judgment, God remains sovereign. The scattering among nations was not random but a deliberate act of God to fulfill His word and bring about repentance. The Call to RepentanceThe message of Jeremiah is ultimately one of repentance. Even in the face of judgment, there is an opportunity to turn back to God and seek His mercy. Hope Beyond JudgmentWhile the immediate context is one of judgment, the broader account of Scripture reveals God's desire for restoration and redemption, offering hope beyond the present circumstances. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the scattering of Judah among the nations illustrate the seriousness of God's warnings in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26? 2. In what ways can we see God's sovereignty at work in the events described in Jeremiah 9:16, and how does this understanding affect our view of current events? 3. What are some modern-day "nations" or situations where we might find ourselves scattered due to disobedience, and how can we seek God's guidance to return to Him? 4. How does the theme of repentance in Jeremiah's message apply to our personal lives today, and what steps can we take to align ourselves with God's will? 5. Considering the hope of restoration found in other parts of Scripture, how can we encourage others who feel scattered or distant from God to find hope and healing in Him? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 28This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, including the scattering of the people among nations, which directly connects to the judgment described in Jeremiah 9:16. Leviticus 26Similar to Deuteronomy, this chapter warns of the consequences of disobedience, including being scattered among the nations, highlighting the consistency of God's covenantal warnings. Ezekiel 5This passage also speaks of scattering as a form of judgment, reinforcing the theme of divine retribution for unfaithfulness. People JeremiahPlaces Ammon, Edom, Egypt, Gilead, Jerusalem, Moab, ZionTopics Annihilated, Consumed, Destroyed, Fathers, Heathen, Nations, Pursue, Scatter, Scattered, Strange, Sword, Till, WanderingDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 9:15 4500 poison Library India's Ills and England's Sorrows
It would seem as if some men had been sent into this world for the very purpose of being the world's weepers. God's great house is thoroughly furnished with everything, everything that can express the thoughts and the emotions of the inhabitant, God hath made. I find in nature, plants to be everlasting weepers. There by the lonely brook, where the maiden cast away her life, the willow weeps for ever; and there in the grave yard where men lie slumbering till the trumpet of the archangel shall awaken …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857"Boast not Thyself of To-Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day May Bring Forth. "
Prov. xxvii. 1.--"Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." There are some peculiar gifts that God hath given to man in his first creation, and endued his nature with, beyond other living creatures, which being rightly ordered and improved towards the right objects, do advance the soul of man to a wonderful height of happiness, that no other sublunary creature is capable of. But by reason of man's fall into sin, these are quite disordered and turned out of …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Characters and Names of Messiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. S uch was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 How the Simple and the Crafty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 12.) Differently to be admonished are the simple and the insincere. The simple are to be praised for studying never to say what is false, but to be admonished to know how sometimes to be silent about what is true. For, as falsehood has always harmed him that speaks it, so sometimes the hearing of truth has done harm to some. Wherefore the Lord before His disciples, tempering His speech with silence, says, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now (Joh. xvi. 12). …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 9:16 NIVJeremiah 9:16 NLTJeremiah 9:16 ESVJeremiah 9:16 NASBJeremiah 9:16 KJV
Jeremiah 9:16 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
