New Living Translation
Jeremiah 19:9
9I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’
Jeremiah 19:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.
- New International Version (NIV)I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh because their enemies will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the desperation with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair.” ’
Context of Jeremiah 19:9
7“‘For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals. 8I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’ 10“As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. 11Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them.
Read all of Jeremiah 19Jeremiah 19:9 word by word
וְהַֽאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם וְאֵת֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ בְּשַׂר־רֵעֵ֖הוּ יֹאכֵ֑לוּ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֧יקוּ לָהֶ֛ם אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I will cause them to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- of their sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of their daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- of his friendרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- in the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
- and straitnessמָצוֹקmâtsôq · distressH4689
- wherewith their enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
- and they that seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- their livesנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- shall straitenצוּקtsûq · to pressH6693
Cross-references for Jeremiah 19:9
- Leviticus 26:29Then you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters.
- Deuteronomy 28:53“The siege and terrible distress of the enemy’s attack will be so severe that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters, whom the Lord your God has given you.
- 2 Kings 6:26One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, “Please help me, my lord the king!”
- Isaiah 9:20They will attack their neighbor on the right but will still be hungry. They will devour their neighbor on the left but will not be satisfied. In the end they will even eat their own children.
- Lamentations 2:20“O Lord, think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets be killed within the Lord’s Temple?
- Lamentations 4:10Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.
- Ezekiel 5:10Parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I will punish you and scatter to the winds the few who survive.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 19:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons - This was literally fulfilled when Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans. This also the prophet might have had in view.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The siege of Jerusalem lasted two and a half years. It caused severe famine and despair (see 2 Kings 25:1–4). their sons and daughters: Compare Deuteronomy 28:53–57.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. (De 28:53; La 4:10).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 19:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 19
- 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries