Focused Passage

Jeremiah 16:19-21

Jeremiah’s Sign-Life, Judah’s Exile, and the Nations’ Confession

The chapter moves from Jeremiah's commanded unmarried and childless sign-life, to the prohibition against mourning, to the prohibition against feasting, to the people's question about why disaster is coming, to the LORD's answer of ancestral and intensified sin, to the announcement of exile, to a future restoration greater than the Exodus, to the sending of fishermen and hunters to capture sinners, and finally to Jeremiah's confession of the LORD as strength and refuge and the nations' future confession that inherited idols are worthless.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.

20 Can man make gods for himself? Such are not gods!”

21 “Therefore behold, I will inform them, and this time I will make them know My power and My might; then they will know that My name is the LORD.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 19

Cross-references

Psalms 18:2 Classic cross-references Acts 1:8 Classic cross-references Psalms 46:11 Classic cross-references Hosea 2:23 Classic cross-references Isaiah 25:4 Classic cross-references

Original words

O LORD יְהוָ֞ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular my strength עֻזִּ֧י H5797 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and my fortress וּמָעֻזִּ֛י H4581 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular my refuge וּמְנוּסִ֖י H4498 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular in the day בְּי֣וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of distress צָרָ֑ה H6869 Noun - feminine singular the nations גּוֹיִ֤ם H1471 Noun - masculine plural will come יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to You אֵלֶ֗יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular from the ends מֵֽאַפְסֵי־ H657 Preposition-m | Adverb of the earth אָ֔רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular and they will say וְיֹאמְר֗וּ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Our fathers אֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּ H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural inherited נָחֲל֣וּ H5157 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural nothing but אַךְ־ H389 Adverb lies שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ H8267 Noun - masculine singular worthless idols הֶ֖בֶל H1892 Noun - masculine singular of no וְאֵֽין־ H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb benefit at all מוֹעִֽיל׃ H3276 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular

Verse 20

Cross-references

Daniel 3:1 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 2:11 Classic cross-references Isaiah 37:19 Classic cross-references Psalms 115:4 Classic cross-references Galatians 4:8 Classic cross-references

Original words

Can man אָדָ֖ם H120 Noun - masculine singular make הֲיַעֲשֶׂה־ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular gods אֱלֹהִ֑ים H430 Noun - masculine plural for himself לּ֥וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular Such וְהֵ֖מָּה H1992 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural are not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle gods אֱלֹהִֽים׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural

Verse 21

Cross-references

Psalms 83:18 Classic cross-references Psalms 9:16 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 33:2 Classic cross-references Amos 5:8 Classic cross-references Exodus 15:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

Therefore לָכֵן֙ H3651 Adverb behold הִנְנִ֣י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will inform them מֽוֹדִיעָ֔ם H3045 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural and this הַזֹּ֔את H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular time בַּפַּ֣עַם H6471 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular I will make them know אוֹדִיעֵ֥ם H3045 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My power יָדִ֖י H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and My might גְּבֽוּרָתִ֑י H1369 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular then they will know וְיָדְע֖וּ H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural that כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction My name שְׁמִ֥י H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular is the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

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