God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 21:6
6I will defeat those who live in this city, both people and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.
Jeremiah 21:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
- New International Version (NIV)I will strike down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.
Context of Jeremiah 21:6
4‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I’m going to take your weapons away from you. You are using these weapons to fight the king of Babylon as well as the Babylonians who are now blockading you outside the wall. I will bring the Babylonians inside this city. 5I will fight you in anger, fury, and rage with my powerful hand and my mighty arm. I will defeat those who live in this city, both people and animals. They will die from a terrible plague. 7Afterwards, declares the Lord, I will hand over Judah’s King Zedekiah, his officials, the people, and everyone else in this city who survives the plague, war, and famine. They will be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. Nebuchadnezzar will kill them with swords. He won’t spare them, show them compassion, or care for them.’ 8“Say to these people, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to give you the choice of life or death.
Read all of Jeremiah 21Jeremiah 21:6 word by word
וְהִכֵּיתִ֗י אֶת־יֽוֹשְׁבֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה בְּדֶ֥בֶר גָּד֖וֹל יָמֻֽתוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I will smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- both manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and beastבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- they shall dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- of a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- pestilenceדֶּ֫בֶרdeber · pestilenceH1698
Cross-references for Jeremiah 21:6
- Jeremiah 7:20“This is what the Almighty Lord says: My anger and fury will be poured out on this place, on humans and animals, and on trees and crops. My anger and fury will burn and not be put out.
- Jeremiah 12:3You know me, O Lord. You see me and test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to be slaughtered. Prepare them for the day of slaughter.
- Jeremiah 33:12“This is what the Lord of Armies says: In this deserted place, where no people or animals live, and in all its cities, there will once again be pastures where shepherds can rest their flocks.
- Jeremiah 36:29Say about King Jehoiakim of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned this scroll, and you asked Jeremiah, “Why did you write that the king of Babylon will certainly come to destroy this land and take away people and animals?”
- Genesis 6:7So he said, “I will wipe off the face of the earth these humans that I created. I will wipe out not only humans, but also domestic animals, crawling animals, and birds. I’m sorry that I made them.”
- Isaiah 6:11I asked, “How long, O Lord?” And he replied, “Until the cities lie in ruins with no one living in them, the houses have no people, and the land is completely desolate.
- Isaiah 25:1O Lord, you are my God. I will highly honor you; I will praise your name. You have done miraculous things. You have been completely reliable in carrying out your plans from long ago.
- Ezekiel 14:13“Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful to me. I will use my power against it, cut off its food supply, send a famine to it, and destroy its people and animals.
- Ezekiel 14:19“Suppose I send a plague into that country or pour out my fury on it by killing people and destroying animals.
- Ezekiel 33:27“Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: As I live, whoever is in the ruined cities will be killed in battle. Whoever is in the open field will become food for wild animals. Whoever is in fortified places and caves will die from plagues.
- Hosea 4:3That is why the land is drying up, and everyone who lives in it is passing away. Wild animals, birds, and fish are dying.
- Micah 3:12Because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a pile of rubble, and the temple mountain will become a worship site covered with trees.
- Zephaniah 1:3“I will put an end to humans and animals. I will put an end to the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and the sins that make people fall, together with the sinners. I will remove all people from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
- Luke 21:24Swords will cut them down, and they will be carried off into all nations as prisoners. Nations will trample Jerusalem until the times allowed for the nations ⌞to do this⌟ are over.
- Jeremiah 32:24“ ‘See how the dirt ramps have been built up around the city to capture it! Because of wars, famines, and plagues, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you have threatened to do has happened, as you can see.
- Jeremiah 34:17“This is what the Lord says: You didn’t obey me. You haven’t freed your relatives and neighbors. Now I am going to free you,” declares the Lord. “I will free you to die in wars, plagues, and famines. I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified at the thought of you.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 21:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6They shall die of a great pestilence - The sword may appear to be that of man, though I have given the Chaldeans their commission; but the pestilence shall appear to be the immediate act of God.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6A great pestilence - As the result of the excessive crowding of men and animals in a confined space with all sanitary regulations utterly neglected.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-7The Lord gave King Zedekiah's messengers a legal decision (see study note on Jeremiah 2:2). Resisting the Babylonians would be pointless because the Lord opposed Jerusalem.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-44Written probably when, after having repulsed the Egyptians who brought succors to the Jews (Jr 37:5-8; 2Ki 24:7), the Chaldees were a second time advancing against Jerusalem, but were not yet closely besieging it (Jr 21:4, 13) [Rosenmuller]. This chapter probably ought to be placed between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eight chapters; since what the "princes," in Jr 38:2, represent Jeremiah as having said, is exactly what we find in Jr 21:9. Moreover, the…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 21:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries