New English Translation
Jeremiah 29:17
17The Lord who rules over all says, ‘I will bring war, starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten.
Jeremiah 29:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
- New International Version (NIV)yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
- English Standard Version (ESV)'Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten.
- New King James Version (NKJV)thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.
Context of Jeremiah 29:17
15“You say, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets of good news for us here in Babylon.’ 16But just listen to what the Lord has to say about the king who occupies David’s throne and all your fellow countrymen who are still living in this city of Jerusalem and were not carried off into exile with you. The Lord who rules over all says, ‘I will bring war, starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. 18I will chase after them with war, starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them. 19For they have not paid attention to what I said to them through my servants the prophets whom I sent to them over and over again,’ says the Lord. ‘And you exiles have not paid any attention to them either,’ says the Lord.
Read all of Jeremiah 29Jeremiah 29:17 word by word
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הִנְנִי֙ מְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ בָּ֔ם אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב אֶת־הָרָעָ֣ב וְאֶת־הַדָּ֑בֶר וְנָתַתִּ֣י אוֹתָ֗ם כַּתְּאֵנִים֙ הַשֹּׁ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹֽעַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Behold, I will sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- upon them the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- and the pestilenceדֶּ֫בֶרdeber · pestilenceH1698
- and will makeנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- them like vileשֹׁעָרshô‛âr · disgustingH8182
- figsתְּאֵנָהte'ên te'ênâh · figH8384
- that cannot be eatenאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- they are so evilרֹעַrôa‛ · evilH7455
Cross-references for Jeremiah 29:17
- Jeremiah 29:18I will chase after them with war, starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them.
- Jeremiah 15:2If they ask you, ‘Where should we go?’ tell them the Lord says this: “Those who are destined to die of disease will go to death by disease. Those who are destined to die in war will go to death in war. Those who are destined to die of starvation will go to death by starvation. Those who are destined to go into exile will go into exile.”
- Jeremiah 24:8“I, the Lord, also solemnly assert: ‘King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the people who remain in Jerusalem or who have gone to live in Egypt are like those bad figs. I consider them to be just like those bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
- Jeremiah 34:17So I, the Lord, say: “You have not really obeyed me and granted freedom to your neighbor and fellow countryman. Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom to die in war, or by starvation or disease. I, the Lord, affirm it! I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to you.
- Jeremiah 43:11He will come and attack Egypt. Those who are destined to die of disease will die of disease. Those who are destined to be carried off into exile will be carried off into exile. Those who are destined to die in war will die in war.
- Jeremiah 52:6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food.
- Ezekiel 5:12A third of your people will die of plague or be overcome by the famine within you. A third of your people will fall by the sword surrounding you, and a third I will scatter to the winds. I will unleash a sword behind them.
- Ezekiel 14:12The word of the Lord came to me:
- Luke 21:11There will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.
- Jeremiah 24:1The Lord showed me two baskets of figs sitting before his temple. This happened after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported Jehoiakim’s son, King Jeconiah of Judah. He deported him and the leaders of Judah, along with the craftsmen and metal workers, and took them to Babylon.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 29:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Behold, I will send upon them the sword - Do not envy the state of Zedekiah who sits on the throne of David, nor that of the people who are now in the land whence ye have been carried captive, ( Jeremiah 29:16;), for "I will send the sword, the pestilence, and the famine upon them;" and afterwards shall cause them to be carried into a miserable captivity in all nations, ( Jeremiah 29:18;); but ye see the worst of your own case, and you have God's promise…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 These verses are not in the Septuagint. But the text of the Septuagint is here throughout so brief and confused as to be explicable only on the supposition, that it represents what was left behind in Egypt when Jeremiah died, copied probably with extreme haste, and with no opportunity of careful collation afterward. On the other hand the Hebrew text represents no hurried transcript, but the original manuscript, and is especially trustworthy…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-19Verses 8-19 Let men beware how they call those prophets whom they choose after their own fancies, and how they consider their fancies and dreams to be revelations from God. False prophets flatter people in their sins, because they love to be flattered; and they speak smoothly to their prophets, that their prophets may speak smoothly to them. God promises that they should return after seventy years were accomplished. By this it appears, that the seventy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18The Lord reminded the exiles in Babylon that those left in Jerusalem would also face disaster. The bad figs in Jerusalem would experience horror later (see Jeremiah 24:6–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. vile figs--Hebrew, "horrible," or nauseous, from a root, "to regard with loathing" (see Jr 24:8, 10).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 29:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 29
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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