Jeremiah 21:7
in Jeremiah 21‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And afterward, saith Jehovah, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, even such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
KJV
And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
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This verse in Jeremiah 21
Commentary
7 notes on this verseNebuchadrezzar - This name is spelt as above in twenty-six places of this book; and in ten places it is spelt Nebuchadnezzar, which is the common orthography. The difference is only a ר resh for a נ nun; but the MSS. are various on this point. It is the same person who is intended by both names; and here all the Versions, except the Arabic, which omits the name, have it in the usual form.
This site's exposition
But Jeremiah answered, “You are to
on Jeremiah 21:3-7
The answer reverses the delegation’s hope: “I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands”. Verse 5 takes the words of Israel’s rescue at Exodus 6:6 and turns them on Jerusalem. “I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm.”
This site's exposition
I will hand over Zedekiah king of
The king, his officers and the people left after plague, sword and famine are all handed to Babylon. It came true when Zedekiah fled and was caught (Jeremiah 39). Clarke notes that the Hebrew spells the king's name two ways in this book, both for the same man.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 7) And after these things, the Lord said: I will give Sedecias, king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and those who have been left in this city from the plague, and the sword, and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword, and he will not show mercy, and he will not spare, and he will not have pity.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): They shall not spare them, nor have pity on them. Let not those expect to find mercy with men who have forfeited God's compassions, and shut themselves out from his mercy. Thus had the decree gone forth; and then to what purpose was it for Jeremiah to enquire of the Lord for them?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And afterwards, saith the Lord God,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the people, and such--rather, explanatory, "the people," namely, "such as are left." seek their life--content with nothing short of their death; not content with plundering and enslaving them. smite with . . . sword--This was the fate of Zedekiah's sons and many of the Jewish nobles.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַחֲרֵי־ | veacharei- | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| כֵ֣ן | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֡ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶתֵּ֣ן | ʾeten | I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ | tzidkiyahu | Zedekiah | H6667 → | 63 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יְהוּדָ֣ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲבָדָ֣יו׀ | ʾavadav | servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֡ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩ | hanisharim | those [who] remain | H7604 → | 133 times |
| בָּעִ֨יר | bair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַזֹּ֜את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַדֶּ֣בֶר׀ | hadever | the pestilence | H1698 → | 49 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַחֶ֣רֶב | hacherev | the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָרָעָ֗ב | haraav | the famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| בְּיַד֙ | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר | nevukhadretzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5019 → | 60 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| וּבְיַד֙ | uveyad | and in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾoyeveihem | enemies their | H341 → | 282 times |
| וּבְיַ֖ד | uveyad | and in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י | mevakshei | [those who] seek | H1245 → | 225 times |
| נַפְשָׁ֑ם | nafsham | life their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וְהִכָּ֣ם | vehikam | and he will strike down them | H5221 → | 499 times |
| לְפִי־ | lefi- | to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| חֶ֔רֶב | cherev | [the] sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָח֣וּס | yachus | he will have mercy | H2347 → | |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַחְמֹ֖ל | yachmol | he will show pity | H2550 → | 41 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְרַחֵֽם׃ | yerachem | he will have compassion | H7355 → |
וְאַחֲרֵי־and after
veacharei-H310 →715 times
כֵ֣ןthus
khenH3651 →771 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֡הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶתֵּ֣ןI will give
ʾetenH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּZedekiah
tzidkiyahuH6667 →63 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יְהוּדָ֣הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֲבָדָ֣יו׀servants his
ʾavadavH5650 →799 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָעָ֡םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩those [who] remain
hanisharimH7604 →133 times
בָּעִ֨ירin the city
bairH5892 →1090 times
הַזֹּ֜את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַדֶּ֣בֶר׀the pestilence
hadeverH1698 →49 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַחֶ֣רֶבthe sword
hacherevH2719 →413 times
וּמִן־and from
umin-H4480 →1188 times
הָרָעָ֗בthe famine
haraavH7458 →101 times
בְּיַד֙in [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadretzarH5019 →60 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֔לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
וּבְיַד֙and in [the] hand of
uveyadH3027 →1618 times
אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔םenemies their
ʾoyeveihemH341 →282 times
וּבְיַ֖דand in [the] hand of
uveyadH3027 →1618 times
מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י[those who] seek
mevaksheiH1245 →225 times
נַפְשָׁ֑םlife their
nafshamH5315 →754 times
וְהִכָּ֣םand he will strike down them
vehikamH5221 →499 times
לְפִי־to [the] mouth of
lefi-H6310 →498 times
חֶ֔רֶב[the] sword
cherevH2719 →413 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָח֣וּסhe will have mercy
yachusH2347 →
עֲלֵיהֶ֔םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יַחְמֹ֖לhe will show pity
yachmolH2550 →41 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יְרַחֵֽם׃he will have compassion
yerachemH7355 →
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
Ezekiel 7:9I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is…
it leads to
- Revelation 20:13
The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
- Isaiah 9:13
But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.
- Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
- Revelation 20:13
Through
Jeremiah 37:17Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 37:3
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
- Jeremiah 38:14–16
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do…
- Jeremiah 38:24–27
Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.
- Jeremiah 24:8
But like the bad figs, so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land…
- Jeremiah 38:5
“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”
- Jeremiah 37:3
About Jeremiah
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonExileZedekiahJudah's last king, who broke his oath to Babylon against Jeremiah's word; his sons slain before his eyes at Riblah, and the city a…
- PlaceBabil Governorate (archaeological site)BabylonAncient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital; site of the Israelite exile and a recurring biblical symbol of worldly power.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Calvin, Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.