Jeremiah 25:16
in Jeremiah 25And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they shall drink, and reel to and fro, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
KJV
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
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This verse in Jeremiah 25
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe pouring out of the cup—and that a cup of pure or unmixed wine (which is called akratos in Greek)—is a sign of the Lord's wrath so that all the nations who have waged war against the people of God will drink from the cup of the wrath of the Lord. Also, Isaiah writes concerning this cup against Jerusalem, "You have drunk and emptied the drinking cup of wrath, the cup of destruction; therefore, arise!" But that cup is being drunk by all nations so that they can vomit and be maddened.
This site's exposition
This is what the LORD, the
on Jeremiah 25:15-17
The sign is a cup, “this cup of the wine of wrath,” which Jeremiah must make “all the nations to whom I send you drink.” Jeremiah obeys, “So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand,” and Revelation 14:10 and 16:19 take up the same cup of wrath.
This site's exposition
they will drink and stagger
The drunkenness is the reeling of nations at war. The verse names the cause as the sword the LORD sends, so the cup stands for battle and defeat. Jerome calls it a cup of pure wine, drunk until the nations vomit and go mad.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
And he calls God's punishment the "cup of unmixed wine." … By "drinking" and "vomiting" Jeremiah implies they have had enough, and in their "raving," he alludes to the terrible nature of their punishment. Then the prophet further relates how Jerusalem and the cities that …
(Verse 15 and following) For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me (Vulgate adds 'of hosts, and is silent to me'): take the cup of wine of fury (or strong drink) from my hand, and give it to all the nations to which I send you, and they shall drink it, and become intoxicated (Vulgate says 'disorderly') (or vomit); and they shall become mad because of the sword that I will send among them. And I took the cup from the hand of the Lord, and gave it to all the nations to which the Lord sent me. The drinking of the cup, and the cup of wine, whether unmixed or mixed, which is called ἀκράτου in Greek, is an indication of the Lord's furious wrath, so that all nations who have waged war against God's people may drink from the cup of the Lord's fury, about which Isaiah writes against Jerusalem: 'You have drunk the cup of fury, the chalice of ruin, and have drained it out, therefore arise' (Isa. 51:17). This cup, however, is drunk by all nations so that they may vomit and become insane. That which a certain corrupt interpreter takes in a good sense: so that, like a cathartic potion, it compels whatever bile and phlegm and harmful humor is in the chest to exit and restores its original health. It also takes the Savior for Jeremiah, in that he offered himself to all nations to which he was sent, so that they would abandon idolatry and devote themselves to the worship of God. The following will show that this is contrary to Holy Scripture. For they are offered not for remedy, as he wishes, but for punishment, deservedly served in a bitter cup.
Know that it was foretold that wars would continue frequently to prevail, death and famine accumulate anxiety, health would be shattered by raging diseases and the human race be wasted by the desolation of pestilence. It was predicted that evils should be multiplied in the last times and that misfortunes should be varied and that as the day of judgment is now drawing near, the censure of an indignant God should be more and more aroused for the scourging of the human race. For these things do not happen, as your false complaining and ignorant inexperience of the truth asserts and repeats, because your gods are not worshiped by us, but because God is not worshiped by you. For since he is Lord and Ruler of the world and all things are carried on by his will and direction, nor can anything be done save what he has done or allowed to be done, certainly when those things occur that show the anger of an offended God, they happen not on account of us by whom God is worshiped, but they are called down by your sins and by what you deserve, by whom God is neither in any way sought or feared, because your vain superstitions are not forsaken, nor is the true religion known in such a way that he who is the one God over all might alone be worshiped and petitioned. Finally, listen to himself speaking with a divine voice at once instructing and warning us: "You will worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve." And again, "You will have no other gods but me." And again, "Do not go after other gods to serve them, and do not worship them, and do not provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to destroy you."
Consider and observe, my hearer, that if God had provided hope for Sodom and its companions, he would not have overthrown them with fire and brimstone, the sign of the last day of the world. Instead, he would have delivered them over to one of the kingdoms to be chastised. This is what was written, for instance, when Jeremiah caused the nations and kingdoms to drink the cup of wrath. Concerning each one of the cities, he said that after they shall "drink the cup, I will turn back the captivity of Elam, of Tyre, of Sidon, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab and of Edom." Concerning each one of these kingdoms he said, "In the last days I will turn back its captivity." Now we see that Tyre was inhabited and was opulent after it had wandered seventy years, and after it had received the reward of its harlotries and after it had committed fornication with all the kingdoms. And Tyre took the harp, and played it sweetly and multiplied its music. And also the region of Elam is inhabited and opulent. And with regard to Babylon Jeremiah said, "Babylon shall fall and shall not rise." And look! Up to the present day it continues in desolation and will do so forever. And also about Jerusalem he said, "The virgin of Israel shall fall and shall not rise again. She is forsaken on the ground, and there is none to raise her up." For if the prophecy is true that Jeremiah spoke about Babylon, also that about Jerusalem is true and worthy of faith. And Isaiah said to Jerusalem, "I will not again be angry with you, nor will I reprove you." He truly will not be angry with Jerusalem ever again, nor will he reprove her forever; for that which is in desolation he will not reprove, nor will she provoke him to wrath.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
It is the wine-cup of his fury. It is the just anger of God that sends this judgment. The nations have provoked him by their sins, and they must fall under the tokens of his wrath.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Take the wine cup of this fury - For an ample illustration of this passage and simile, see the note on Isa 51:21.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁת֕וּ | veshatu | and they will drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וְהִֽתְגֹּֽעֲשׁ֖וּ | vehitgoashu | and they will stagger to and fro | H1607 → | 9 times |
| וְהִתְהֹלָ֑לוּ | vehitholalu | and they will act like mad people | H1984 → | 165 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֣י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַחֶ֔רֶב | hacherev | the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֥י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| שֹׁלֵ֖חַ | sholeach | [am] about to send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בֵּינֹתָֽם׃ | beinotam | between them | H996 → | 407 times |
וְשָׁת֕וּand they will drink
veshatuH8354 →217 times
וְהִֽתְגֹּֽעֲשׁ֖וּand they will stagger to and fro
vehitgoashuH1607 →9 times
וְהִתְהֹלָ֑לוּand they will act like mad people
vehitholaluH1984 →165 times
מִפְּנֵ֣י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
הַחֶ֔רֶבthe sword
hacherevH2719 →413 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֥יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
שֹׁלֵ֖חַ[am] about to send
sholeachH7971 →845 times
בֵּינֹתָֽם׃between them
beinotamH996 →407 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
Revelation 14:10he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and…
it leads to
- Isaiah 51:17
Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; you who have drained the goblet to the dregs—the cup that makes men…
- Psalms 75:8
For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours from His cup, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the…
- Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His…
- Psalms 11:6
On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.
- Jeremiah 25:15–17
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink…
- Isaiah 51:17
Through
Jeremiah 51:7Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.
it leads to
- Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Revelation 17:4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual…
- Revelation 14:8
Through
Jeremiah 51:39While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:57
I will make her princes and wise men drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and not wake up,” declares the King, whose name is the LORD…
- Jeremiah 51:57
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Aphrahat the Persian Sage, DEMONSTRATIONS 21:6; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Cyprian, Treatise V. An Address to Demetrianus 5-6; Jerome, SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 5:14; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ON JEREMIAH 6:25.
