Jeremiah 44:27
in Jeremiah 44I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
KJV
Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
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This verse in Jeremiah 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women
on Jeremiah 44:24-28
Jeremiah addresses the women again and tells them, “Keep your vows!” The LORD swears “by My great name” that no one from Judah living in Egypt will again invoke His name. The remnant “will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs,” the test of a prophet in Deuteronomy 18:22.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): I will watch over them for evil; no opportunity shall be let slip to bring some judgment upon them, until there be an end of them and they be rooted out. Note, To those whom God finds impenitent sinners he will be found an implacable Judge.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods. 6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
watch over . . . for evil-- (Jer 1:10; The God, whose providence is ever solicitously watching over His people for good, shall solicitously, as it were, watch for their hurt.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנְנִ֨י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| שֹׁקֵ֧ד | shoked | [am] watching | H8245 → | 12 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם | ʾaleihem | over them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְרָעָ֖ה | leraah | for harm | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְטוֹבָ֑ה | letovah | for good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וְתַמּוּ֩ | vetamu | and they will meet their end | H8552 → | 63 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | person of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יְהוּדָ֜ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ | beeretz- | [is] in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַ֛יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| בַּחֶ֥רֶב | bacherev | by the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וּבָרָעָ֖ב | uvaraav | and by <the> famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| כְּלוֹתָֽם׃ | kelotam | come to an end they | H3615 → | 208 times |
הִנְנִ֨יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
שֹׁקֵ֧ד[am] watching
shokedH8245 →12 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֛םover them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
לְרָעָ֖הfor harm
leraahH7451 →662 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
לְטוֹבָ֑הfor good
letovahH2896 →538 times
וְתַמּוּ֩and they will meet their end
vetamuH8552 →63 times
כָל־every
khol-H3605 →5413 times
אִ֨ישׁperson of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יְהוּדָ֜הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־[is] in [the] land of
beeretz-H776 →2504 times
מִצְרַ֛יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
בַּחֶ֥רֶבby the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
וּבָרָעָ֖בand by <the> famine
uvaraavH7458 →101 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
כְּלוֹתָֽם׃come to an end they
kelotamH3615 →208 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 1:10See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:28
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 24:6
I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4–5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- Isaiah 44:26–28
who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I…
- Jeremiah 31:4–5
Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
- Jeremiah 31:28
Through
Jeremiah 31:28Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 1:10
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
- Jeremiah 18:7–9
At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
- Jeremiah 45:4
Thus Jeremiah was to say to Baruch: “This is what the LORD says: Throughout the land I will demolish what I have built and uproot what I have planted.
- Jeremiah 1:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah

Who and where
2 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 (…
- PlaceThe NileEgyptThe land where Joseph rose, where Israel grew into a nation in bondage, where the Passover lamb was slain and the sea opened, and…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.
