Jeremiah 21:12
in Jeremiah 21O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
O house of David, thus saith Jehovah, Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
KJV
O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
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This verse in Jeremiah 21
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verse 11, 12.) And to the house of the king of Judah, hear the word of the Lord, O house of David. Thus says the Lord, Judge in the morning, and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, lest my indignation goes forth like fire and is kindled with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds. The phrase 'because of the evil of your deeds' is not found in the Septuagint.
This site's exposition
Moreover, tell the house of the
on Jeremiah 21:11-12
The word turns to the royal house, addressed by its founder’s name, “O house of David.” Its command is the demand the earlier prophets made: “Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor.”
This site's exposition
Administer justice every morning
Kings heard cases in the morning, before the day's work began. Clarke also reads the charge as a call to do justice at once, with no delay. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note the fire was already lit, yet the house of David could still lessen it by turning to justice.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This intimates that it was their neglect to do their duty that brought all this desolation upon the people. It was the evil of their doings that kindled the fire of God's wrath. Thus plainly does he deal even with the house of the king; for those that would have the benefit of a prophet's prayers must thankfully take a prophet's reproofs.
O house of David, thus saith the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Execute judgment in the morning - Probably the time for dispensing judgment was the morning, when the people were going to their work; but the words may mean, Do justice promptly, do not delay. Let justice be administered as soon as required.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
MAURER translates, "every morning." lest my fury . . . like fire--Already it was kindled, and the decree of God gone forth against the city (Jer 21:4, 5), but the king and his house may yet be preserved by repentance and reformation. God urges to righteousness, not as if they can thereby escape punishment wholly, but as the condition of a mitigation of it.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Execute judgment - As the administration of justice was performed in old time in person, the weal of the people depended to a great degree upon the personal qualities of the king (see 2Sa 15:4). And as “the oppressor” was generally some powerful noble, it was especially the king’s duty to see that the weaker members of the community were not wronged.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
from the hand of the robber Its accent is below for it is not a noun but a noun denoting the robber who robs others.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
O dweller of the valley Jerusalem is in the midst of a valley. Another explanation. That the Holy One, blessed be He, devised a deep plot against you to destroy you.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | O house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| כֹּ֚ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| דִּ֤ינוּ | dinu | judge | H1777 → | 24 times |
| לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ | laboker | to the morning | H1242 → | |
| מִשְׁפָּ֔ט | mishpat | justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וְהַצִּ֥ילוּ | vehatzilu | and deliver | H5337 → | 212 times |
| גָז֖וּל | gazul | [one who] has been robbed | H1497 → | |
| מִיַּ֣ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עוֹשֵׁ֑ק | oshek | an oppressor | H6231 → | 36 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| תֵּצֵ֨א | tetze' | it should go forth | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| כָאֵ֜שׁ | khaesh | like <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| חֲמָתִ֗י | chamati | rage my | H2534 → | 125 times |
| וּבָעֲרָה֙ | uvaarah | and it will burn | H1197 → | 94 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מְכַבֶּ֔ה | mekhabeh | [will be one who] extinguishes | H3518 → | 24 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֖י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| רֹ֥עַ | roa' | [the] wickedness of | H7455 → | 19 times |
| מַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃ | maaleikhem | deeds your | H4611 → | 41 times |
בֵּ֣יתO house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
כֹּ֚הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
דִּ֤ינוּjudge
dinuH1777 →24 times
לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙to the morning
labokerH1242 →
מִשְׁפָּ֔טjustice
mishpatH4941 →422 times
וְהַצִּ֥ילוּand deliver
vehatziluH5337 →212 times
גָז֖וּל[one who] has been robbed
gazulH1497 →
מִיַּ֣דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
עוֹשֵׁ֑קan oppressor
oshekH6231 →36 times
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
תֵּצֵ֨אit should go forth
tetze'H3318 →1067 times
כָאֵ֜שׁlike <the> fire
khaeshH784 →378 times
חֲמָתִ֗יrage my
chamatiH2534 →125 times
וּבָעֲרָה֙and it will burn
uvaarahH1197 →94 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
מְכַבֶּ֔ה[will be one who] extinguishes
mekhabehH3518 →24 times
מִפְּנֵ֖י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
רֹ֥עַ[the] wickedness of
roa'H7455 →19 times
מַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃deeds your
maaleikhemH4611 →41 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
Isaiah 1:17Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
it leads to
- Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.…
- Psalms 82:3–4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
- Proverbs 31:9
Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
- Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
- Micah 6:8
Through
Jeremiah 4:4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
- Colossians 2:11
In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.
- Romans 2:28–29
A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.
- Deuteronomy 10:16
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.