Jeremiah 16:19
in Jeremiah 16O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
O Jehovah, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, even vanity and things wherein there is no profit.
KJV
O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
⋯
This verse in Jeremiah 16
Commentary
4 notes on this verse(Verse 19) Lord, you are my strength and my refuge in the day of trouble (or evil). All human strength, without the power of God, which is Christ, is considered weak and worthless. Therefore, we must turn to the Lord and say: Lord, you have become our refuge, from generation to generation (Psalm 89:1). And in another place: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).
This site's exposition
O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge
on Jeremiah 16:19-21
Jeremiah's own voice breaks into the oracle with a confession of faith, O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge, followed by a startling turn, the Gentiles themselves coming from the ends of the earth to confess that their fathers inherited only lies and vanity and things wherein there is no profit. Henry reads the prophet's private prayer opening onto a hope for the nations planted inside a chapter otherwise given to Judah's judgment, their idols exposed as no gods at all. The chapter closes on the Lord's own resolve, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might, and they shall know that my name is The Lord, the very knowledge withheld from idols now given as the point of the judgment that has run through the whole chapter.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 20) To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: Truly, our fathers have possessed a lie, vanity that has not profited them. Septuagint: To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and say: How have our fathers possessed false idols, and there is no profit in them? After Israel was expelled and carried away by fishermen and hunters, a multitude of nations is subsequently called to faith and confesses that their fathers were involved in prior error.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Gentiles shall come - Even the days shall come when the Gentiles themselves, ashamed of their confidence, shall renounce their idols, and acknowledge that their fathers had believed lies, and worshipped vanities. This may be a prediction of the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospel of Christ; if so, it is a light amidst much darkness. In such dismal accounts there is need of some gracious promise relative to an amended state of the world.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְהוָ֞ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עֻזִּ֧י | ʾuzi | strength my | H5797 → | 92 times |
| וּמָעֻזִּ֛י | umauzi | and stronghold my | H4581 → | |
| וּמְנוּסִ֖י | umenusi | and place of escape my | H4498 → | 8 times |
| בְּי֣וֹם | beyom | in a day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| צָרָ֑ה | tzarah | trouble | H6869 → | 73 times |
| אֵלֶ֗יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גּוֹיִ֤ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ | yavou | they will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מֵֽאַפְסֵי־ | meafsei- | from [the] ends of | H657 → | |
| אָ֔רֶץ | ʾaretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְיֹאמְר֗וּ | veyomeru | so they may say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַךְ־ | ʾakh- | surely | H389 → | 161 times |
| שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ | sheker | falsehood | H8267 → | 113 times |
| נָחֲל֣וּ | nachalu | they possessed | H5157 → | 59 times |
| אֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּ | ʾavoteinu | ancestors our | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הֶ֖בֶל | hevel | futility | H1892 → | 73 times |
| וְאֵֽין־ | veein- | and not | H369 → | 789 times |
| בָּ֥ם | bam | [there was] in <the> them | ||
| מוֹעִֽיל׃ | moil | a [thing that] profits | H3276 → | 23 times |
יְהוָ֞הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עֻזִּ֧יstrength my
ʾuziH5797 →92 times
וּמָעֻזִּ֛יand stronghold my
umauziH4581 →
וּמְנוּסִ֖יand place of escape my
umenusiH4498 →8 times
בְּי֣וֹםin a day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
צָרָ֑הtrouble
tzarahH6869 →73 times
אֵלֶ֗יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
גּוֹיִ֤םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
יָבֹ֙אוּ֙they will come
yavouH935 →2568 times
מֵֽאַפְסֵי־from [the] ends of
meafsei-H657 →
אָ֔רֶץ[the] earth
ʾaretzH776 →2504 times
וְיֹאמְר֗וּso they may say
veyomeruH559 →5305 times
אַךְ־surely
ʾakh-H389 →161 times
שֶׁ֙קֶר֙falsehood
shekerH8267 →113 times
נָחֲל֣וּthey possessed
nachaluH5157 →59 times
אֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּancestors our
ʾavoteinuH1 →1212 times
הֶ֖בֶלfutility
hevelH1892 →73 times
וְאֵֽין־and not
veein-H369 →789 times
בָּ֥ם[there was] in <the> them
bam
מוֹעִֽיל׃a [thing that] profits
moilH3276 →23 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Nahum 1:7The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
- John 10:27
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
- Lamentations 3:25
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,
- Psalms 91:1–2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- 2 Timothy 2:19
Through
Isaiah 25:4For You have been a refuge for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like…
it leads to
- Zephaniah 3:12
But I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.
- James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Zephaniah 3:12
Through
Jeremiah 17:17Do not become a terror to me; You are my refuge in the day of disaster.
it leads to
- Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.
- Nahum 1:7
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.