Jeremiah 21:4
in Jeremiah 21this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans that besiege you, without the walls; and I will gather them into the midst of this city.
KJV
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
⋯
This verse in Jeremiah 21
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
God of Israel--Those "wondrous works" (Jer 21:2) do not belong to you; God is faithful; it is you who forfeit the privileges of the covenant by unfaithfulness.
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
the weapons of war in your hands
The weapons Judah fights with are turned back on the city, and the army outside the wall is gathered into its center. Henry notes that the place meant for worship had become a place of evil. So God makes it the meeting place of its destroyers.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 3 seqq.) And Jeremiah said to them: Thus shall you say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war (or the weapons of warfare) which are in your hands, wherewith you fight against the king of Babylon, and the Chaldeans that besiege you round about the walls: and I will gather them (or it) together in the midst of this city, and I will fight against you with stretched-out hand, and with a strong arm (or an exalted one), and in fury, and in wrath, and in great indignation.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That the besiegers shall in a little time make themselves masters of Jerusalem, and of all its wealth and strength: I will assemble those in the midst of this city who are now surrounding it. Note, If that place which should have been a centre of devotion be made a centre of wickedness, it is not strange if God make it a rendezvous of destroyers.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel,.... Who had been, still was, and would be, Israel's God, even the God of such who are Israelites indeed; though he should, as he would, give up the present generation to ruin and destruction; they having by their sins forfeited his care and protection of them; and therefore it was in vain to hope for it from this character which they bore: behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands; so that they should do no hurt to the enemy, but recoil upon themselves.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I will turn back the weapons - Every attempt you make to repel the Chaldeans shall be unsuccessful. I will assemble them into the midst of this city - I will deliver the city into their hands.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Without the walls - These words are to be joined to wherewith ye fight.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֨ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הִנְנִ֣י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| מֵסֵב֮ | mesev | [am] about to turn round | H5437 → | 161 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כְּלֵ֣י | kelei | [the] weapons of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָה֮ | hamilchamah | <the> war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּיֶדְכֶם֒ | beyedkhem | [are] in hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֜ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| נִלְחָמִ֣ים | nilchamim | [are] fighting | H3898 → | 177 times |
| בָּ֗ם | bam | by <the> them | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| מֶ֤לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶל֙ | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים | hakasdim | the Chaldeans | H3778 → | 80 times |
| הַצָּרִ֣ים | hatzarim | who are laying siege | H6696 → | 38 times |
| עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾaleikhem | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִח֖וּץ | michutz | from [the] outside | H2351 → | 164 times |
| לַֽחוֹמָ֑ה | lachomah | of the wall | H2346 → | 133 times |
| וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י | veasafti | and I will gather | H622 → | 200 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| תּ֖וֹךְ | tokh | [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָעִ֥יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַזֹּֽאת׃ | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֨רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הִנְנִ֣יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
מֵסֵב֮[am] about to turn round
mesevH5437 →161 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כְּלֵ֣י[the] weapons of
keleiH3627 →325 times
הַמִּלְחָמָה֮<the> war
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּיֶדְכֶם֒[are] in hand your
beyedkhemH3027 →1618 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֜םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
נִלְחָמִ֣ים[are] fighting
nilchamimH3898 →177 times
בָּ֗םby <the> them
bam
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
מֶ֤לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶל֙Babylon
bavelH894 →262 times
וְאֶת־and with
veetH854 →929 times
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔יםthe Chaldeans
hakasdimH3778 →80 times
הַצָּרִ֣יםwho are laying siege
hatzarimH6696 →38 times
עֲלֵיכֶ֔םon you
ʾaleikhemH5921 →5755 times
מִח֖וּץfrom [the] outside
michutzH2351 →164 times
לַֽחוֹמָ֑הof the wall
lachomahH2346 →133 times
וְאָסַפְתִּ֣יand I will gather
veasaftiH622 →200 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
תּ֖וֹךְ[the] middle of
tokhH8432 →418 times
הָעִ֥ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַזֹּֽאת׃<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 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 13:4Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.
it leads to
- Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
- Joel 3:14
Through
Jeremiah 33:5The Chaldeans are coming to fight and to fill those places with the corpses of the men I will strike down in My anger and in My wrath. I have hidden My face from…
it leads to
- Isaiah 8:17
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
- Jeremiah 21:10
For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it…
- Jeremiah 21:4–7
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans…
- Jeremiah 32:5
He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I attend to him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’”
- Isaiah 8:17
Through
Isaiah 5:5Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will…
it leads to
- Lamentations 1:15
The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst; He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. Like grapes in a winepress, the Lord has trampled the Virgin…
- Luke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
- Isaiah 28:18
Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.
- Lamentations 1:15
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); 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.