Jeremiah 49:20
in Jeremiah 49Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Edom and the strategies He has devised against the people of Teman: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.
KJV
Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
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This verse in Jeremiah 49
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe inhabitants of Teman - Taken here for the whole of Idumea. These are a kind of synonyms which prevent monotony, and give variety to the poet’s versification. Surely the least or the flock shall draw them out - They shall be like timid sheep; the weakest foe shall overcome them.
This site's exposition
one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan
on Jeremiah 49:19-22
The enemy comes “like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan,” repeated against Babylon in 50:44. The LORD’s questions, who is like Him and what shepherd can stand against Him, have no answer. Verse 22 ends with an eagle “spreading its wings over Bozrah,” used of Moab in 48:40.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
) this is the counsel that he hath taken against Edom. The matter is settled, the decree has gone forth, and there is no resisting it. God has determined that Edom shall be laid waste, and then he that is to be employed in wasting it shall come swiftly and strongly.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord that he hath taken against Edom,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
least of the flock--the weakest and humblest of the Chaldean host. Compare Jer 6:3, where the hostile leaders and their hosts are called "shepherds and their flocks." draw . . . out--"shall drag them away captive" [GROTIUS]; shall drag them to and fro, as a lion (Jer 49:19) does feeble sheep [MAURER]. with them--that is, the habitation which they possess.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֞ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| שִׁמְע֣וּ | shimu | hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| עֲצַת־ | ʾatzat- | [the] plan of | H6098 → | 89 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָעַץ֙ | yaatz | he has planned | H3289 → | 79 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֱד֔וֹם | ʾedom | Edom | H123 → | 99 times |
| וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יו | umachshevotav | and purposes his | H4284 → | 56 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חָשַׁ֖ב | chashav | he has purposed | H2803 → | 124 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יֹשְׁבֵ֣י | yoshevei | [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| תֵימָ֑ן | teiman | Teman | H8487 → | |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִסְחָבוּם֙ | yischavum | people will drag away them | H5498 → | 5 times |
| צְעִירֵ֣י | tzeirei | [the] young [ones] of | H6810 → | 23 times |
| הַצֹּ֔אן | hatzon | the flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַשִּׁ֛ים | yashim | he will devastate | H8074 → | 86 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| נְוֵהֶֽם׃ | nevehem | pastureland their | H5116 → | 35 times |
לָכֵ֞ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
שִׁמְע֣וּhear
shimuH8085 →1159 times
עֲצַת־[the] plan of
ʾatzat-H6098 →89 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָעַץ֙he has planned
yaatzH3289 →79 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֱד֔וֹםEdom
ʾedomH123 →99 times
וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יוand purposes his
umachshevotavH4284 →56 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
חָשַׁ֖בhe has purposed
chashavH2803 →124 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י[the] inhabitants of
yosheveiH3427 →1079 times
תֵימָ֑ןTeman
teimanH8487 →
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִסְחָבוּם֙people will drag away them
yischavumH5498 →5 times
צְעִירֵ֣י[the] young [ones] of
tzeireiH6810 →23 times
הַצֹּ֔אןthe flock
hatzonH6629 →274 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַשִּׁ֛יםhe will devastate
yashimH8074 →86 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֖םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
נְוֵהֶֽם׃pastureland their
nevehemH5116 →35 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
Jeremiah 49:7Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
it leads to
- Amos 1:11–12
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Edom, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and stifled all compassion; his anger raged…
- Genesis 36:15
These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,
- Ezekiel 25:12–14
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt,
- Genesis 25:30
He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
- Jeremiah 25:21
Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
- Amos 1:11–12
Through
Jeremiah 37:10Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 50:45
Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies He has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged…
- Isaiah 30:17
A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a…
- Joel 2:11
The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and…
- Jeremiah 50:45
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.